🇺🇸 No assurance Canada can escape Trump tariffs, despite new border measures, minister says

Public Safety Minister David McGuinty says he has been given no assurances yet that Canada can avoid tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, despite the federal government’s latest measures to address border security and drug trafficking.

I haven’t heard that personally, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop. We’re going to continue implementing.

#US
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💰Ottawa to remove many federal exceptions from Canadian Free Trade Agreement

The federal government will remove more than half of its exceptions from the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) while provinces are vowing to do more to liberalize domestic trade.

Ottawa said it will be reducing federal exceptions to 19 from the current 39, most of which pertain to procurement. That’s in addition to the 17 federal exceptions it removed last June.

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Cartel activity in Canada ‘very prevalent now,’ former Trudeau advisor says

Organized crime cartel activity is “very prevalent now” compared to at least a decade ago, says a former national security advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

A recent Criminal Intelligence Service Canada report said organized crime groups involved in manufacturing fentanyl operate mostly in British Columbia and Ontario. Beyond those provinces, crime groups engage in distribution and trafficking, and increasingly rely on street gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs, the report said.

While cocaine remains the most common drug market for organized crime groups in Canada, the report found involvement in fentanyl has increased by 42 per cent since 2019.

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White House official pushes to axe Canada from Five Eyes intelligence group

Peter Navarro, one of the U.S. president’s closest advisers, is pushing for the U.S. to remove Canada from the Five Eyes — which also includes the U.K., Australia and New Zealand.

The people familiar with the situation said Navarro, who has easy access to the Oval Office due to his close relationship with Trump, is arguing that the U.S. should increase pressure on Canada by evicting the country from the Five Eyes.
#US
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Trump says he'll hit Canadian goods with 25% tariff next week after month-long pause

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he will go forward with a 25 per cent tariff on most imports from Canada next week, saying the country has ripped off the U.S. for too long and it's time to put a stop to it.

Speaking to reporters at a White House news conference with the French president, Trump said work to implement those tariffs is "moving along very rapidly."
#US
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📊Liberals top Tories for 1st time in years, new Ipsos polling says

For the first time since 2021, Ipsos polling now shows the federal Liberal party with a slight lead over the Conservatives.

The poll shows if a federal election were to take place tomorrow, the Liberals would get 38 per cent of decided voter support compared to the Conservatives’ 36 per cent, overturning what was a 26-point lead for the Tories just six weeks ago.

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🗳Poll shows Freeland a close second on first ballot in Liberal leadership race

A new poll suggests that while former central banker Mark Carney is still the odds-on favourite to win the Liberal leadership, he isn’t likely to win on the first ballot.

🔹43 per cent of Liberal supporters would vote for Carney on the first ballot, while 31 per cent would choose Chrystia Freeland.

Former House leader Karina Gould has the support of 16 per cent of Liberals, while three per cent prefer Montreal businessman Frank Baylis. Seven per cent remain undecided.

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Canada looks to shift intelligence sharing from U.S. as Washington diverges on foreign affairs

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Ottawa wants to deepen intelligence sharing with European partners, as longtime ally Washington diverges from Canada on issues like Ukraine.

In order to protect our interests and protect our people, we need to be able to understand what is going on in the world, and more than ever we need to have a strong security partnership with the U.K. and other European allies.

She said Ottawa is particularly concerned by the U.S. voting against Canada and its allies Monday on a United Nations resolution that blamed Russia for invading Ukraine and voiced concern for Ukraine’s sovereignty.

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🇺🇸 Trump pushes 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico to April 2

U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed back tariffs on Canada and Mexico for another month, saying they will now be implemented on April 2.
#US
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🇺🇸 Jagmeet Singh calls for Trump to be uninvited from G7 summit in Alberta

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh became the first Canadian political leader to call on the U.S. president to be uninvited from a major summit of world leaders this summer in Canada.

Why would we invite someone who threatens our sovereignty and economic well-being? Why would we invite someone who threatens the economic well-being of allies and threatens the world's stability? Why would we allow a convicted criminal into our country?

#US #Singh
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🇺🇸

I say Canada should be our 51st state. No tariffs, no nothing. We give them military protection. They're about last in NATO. They say, 'why should they spend on military, the U.S. protects us.' That's true, we protect Canada. It's not fair. They couldn't exist if they had to pay their way.

#US
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Supreme Court of Canada says it is moving away from social-media platform X

In a farewell post Wednesday to its more than 45,000 subscribers, the Supreme Court of Canada said it will focus its communication efforts on other platforms.

The court’s account on X will remain visible, but will no longer be actively updated.

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🇺🇸🪖Canadian Forces members injured by laser during military flight over Alaska

Three members of the Canadian Armed Forces were injured last year after their helicopter was targeted with a high-powered laser during a training exercise over Alaska.

A 49-year-old woman from Delta Junction, Alaska, was sentenced last week to three years of probation for the laser attack.
#US
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Canada deports more people, predominantly those rejected for refugee status

Canada deported more people last year to hit its highest annual level of removals in about a decade, overwhelmingly deporting people whose refugee claims were rejected.

By late November, Canada's removal numbers had reached their highest point since at least 2015, when the governing Liberals led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to power.

That's quite symbolic.
#immigration
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💸❌🏳️‍🌈 Corporate sponsors pull support from Pride Toronto amid DEI backlash

Pride Toronto says some of its major corporate sponsors have pulled support for this year’s festival as the backlash towards diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives intensifies. The festival is facing a $300,000 funding shortfall.

But wait. That's good news, right?

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🗳 PCs win as Crombie fails to earn seat in Mississauga but vows to remain leader

Doug Ford has won a third straight majority government while the NDP will again form the official opposition in Ontario.

The Liberals appear poised to regain official party status, despite Bonnie Crombie’s loss in Mississauga.
#Ontario #election
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🇺🇸 Trudeau shuts down NDP proposal to bar Trump from G7 summit

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is rejecting NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's proposal to bar Donald Trump from attending the G7 summit taking place this spring in Canada.

I think it's easy for politicians to toss out easy and shocking things to say. We see a lot of that around the world these days. I'm not someone who thinks that's a responsible way to lead a country or even carry an important political dialogue.

#US
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🇺🇸 Trump says 25% tariff on most Canadian goods will take effect March 4

U.S. President Donald Trump says he will end a month-long pause and slap a 25 per cent tariff on most Canadian goods as of March 4, claiming he needs to take action because "drugs are still pouring into our country" despite evidence that a crackdown at the border is working.
#US
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🇷🇺✈️ Russian cargo plane seized in Toronto could soon be owned by Canada

The federal government has taken administrative steps to help gain full control over a massive Russian cargo plane parked in Toronto, which Ottawa hopes to use to generate financial support for Ukraine.

This looks like it’s the government gearing up for its forfeiture of that aircraft.

said William Pellerin, an Ottawa-based trade lawyer.

He says he expects the government “to move very quickly on this forfeiture, imminently” by seeking a court order to render the plane property of the Crown.
#Russia
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