Politics

Worldwide tariffs are unlikely to go down, but “could go up,” U.S. President Donald Trump says. In an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, Trump tamped down fears of a looming recession after a tumultuous week for the U.S. stock market as investors grappled with further uncertainty from Trump’s tariffs.Trump exempted certain products traded under North American free trade rules on Thursday. In the hours that followed, the S&P 500 had its worst trading day of the year, while the Nasdaq plunged 2.6 per cent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 1.0 per cent.Addressing the stock market tumble, Trump said that the U.S. is “going to have a disruption, but we’re okay with that.” 2:04 ...

Protesters flooded several blocks in downtown Montreal on Saturday, chanting “shame on you” on the doorstep of the United States Consulate. It was one of more than a dozen demonstrations held across Quebec to mark International Women’s Day and denounce the American government’s attacks on women’s rights and Canada’s sovereignty.In Montreal, many wore red, symbolic of both blood and love. Some donned signs displaying the Canadian maple leaf.A few wore robes reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian novel in which women are subjugated by the governing regime.Others carried signs comparing U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to that of Nazi Germany.Protesters locked arms as eight minutes of silence was observed.In a message addressed to Trump, Vice-President JD Vance and Trump ...

JERUSALEM — Israel says it is cutting off its electricity supply to Gaza. The full effects of that are not immediately clear, but the territory’s desalination plants receive power for producing drinking water.Sunday’s announcement comes a week after Israel cut off all supplies of goods to the territory to over 2 million people.It has sought to press Hamas to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire.That phase ended last weekend. Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. 2:07 Gazans react to Trump AI video promoting plan for “Riviera of the Middle East” ...

Canadian farmers could take a big hit from China’s sudden retaliatory tariffs that take aim at canola, pork and other food commodities later this month. Beijing announced retaliatory tariffs on select Canadian farm imports in response to Canadian duties levied back in the fall against Chinese-made electric vehicles, as well as steel and aluminum products.China is now hitting Canada with 100 per cent tariffs on canola oil and peas, and 25 per cent tariffs on pork and aquatic products — loosely mirroring Canada’s EV and steel and aluminum levies.Chris Davison, president of the Canola Council of Canada, said the Chinese tariffs are prohibitively high and the fallout will be felt across his industry.He said China is a top market for Canadian canola that represents close to $5 billion in export...

A surge of deadly violence in Syria highlights the need to ensure “darker forces” don’t take over the struggling country and worsen conditions inside it, Canada’s new special envoy there says. Omar Alghabra, named Special Envoy for Syria last month, made the remarks during an appearance on The West Block with host Mercedes Stevenson.Alghabra is the Liberal member of Parliament for Mississauga Centre. As a special envoy for Syria, he reports to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.Alghabra said the retreat of Russian and Iranian-backed militants after the Assad regime fell, and clashes between the competing interests since then highlights precisely why the world must monitor events in Syria closely.“This weekend we saw tremendous violence, that had that ma...

The Department of National Defence has awarded an $8-billion deal to Irving Shipbuilding to start building three new destroyers for the Royal Canadian Navy, the Liberal government said Saturday. Defence Minister Bill Blair said the new destroyer project will be the largest and most complex shipbuilding effort undertaken in Canada since the Second World War. It will create more than 5,000 jobs in Halifax and across the country, Blair added.The $8 billion pays for only the first six years of construction work on the three new ships, however.Military planners now estimate the total cost to outfit and launch the three “River-class” destroyers will eventually hit $22.2 billion, the government announced.“By investing in our own industry, Canadian workers are helping to build the fleet of the fut...

World-famous Canadian murder mystery writer Louise Penny has cancelled a U.S. tour for her latest book, citing President Donald Trump’s repeated threats of a trade war against Canada and annexation. Penny announced the move on social media, saying it was “a painful decision” because of the many friends and professional acquaintances she’d made in the U.S. after touring there for 20 years.“Please understand this decision is not meant to punish Americans. This is about standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my fellow Canadians,” Penny stated in a long, thoughtful message to her fans.Penny is the author of the beloved Chief Inspector Gamache police murder mystery novel series, which is set in her own home province of Quebec.Her latest book, called The Black Wolf, is the 20th tome in the Inspector...

As longtime Liberal MP Pam Damoff prepares to leave politics when the next federal election is called, she is wistful but open about what is driving her to leave a career she has had for more than a decade. Vocal about the misogyny and threats she faced during her time in government, she wants public safety officials to take these threats more seriously.“We’ve seen a shift in how people treat politicians, and I really worry that at some point, someone will be injured or killed,” Damoff said in an interview.Damoff said harassment escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic.“You have to have tough skin to be in politics that’s a given, but really it was after the pandemic and it really started to cross the line to be angry aggression, moving to where people sent me death threats,” she said. ...

By Catherine Morrison The Canadian Press Posted March 7, 2025 6:39 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size With just days to go until Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves federal politics, his office says five new appointments have now filled all the vacancies in the 105-seat Senate. The Prime Minister’s Office says in a news release that the Governor General has appointed former Moncton mayor Dawn Arnold for New Brunswick and former MLA Tony Ince for Nova Scotia. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news ...

U.S. President Donald Trump created a task force Friday to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, which will bring the globe’s premier soccer tournament to North America at a time when his on-again, off-again tariffs have ratcheted up tensions across the continent. Story continues below advertisement “I think it’s going to make it more exciting,” Trump said of playing the World Cup amid sharp rhetoric between leaders of the host nations. “Tension’s a good thing.”The task force, which Trump will chair, will coordinate the federal government’s security and planning for the tournament, which is expected to draw millions of tourists to the United States, Canada and Mexico.“It’s a great honor for our country to have it,” Trump said of the World Cup after meeting with off...