Anti-government protesters in Georgia attempt to storm presidential palace
Police in Georgia used water cannons and pepper spray on Saturday to push back protesters who tried to storm the presidential palace, as the South Caucasus country held a municipal election boycotted by the main opposition blocs amid a sweeping crackdown on dissent. Tens of thousands of people rallied in the capital, Tbilisi, to protest repressive policies by the conservative governing party, Georgian Dream, which they see as trying to pull the country away from its democratic aspirations and into Russia’s orbit. They carried Georgian flags and placards supporting membership inRead more
Trump says Israel agrees to ‘initial withdrawal line,’ Hamas confirmation pending
Dozens were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza on Saturday, local health officials said, despite a demand from U.S. President Donald Trump for Israel to stop bombing in response to a declaration by Hamas that it was ready to free hostages under his plan to end the two-year-old war. With ceasefire talks due to begin in the coming days in Egypt, Trump said on Saturday on his Truth Social platform that Israel had agreed to an “initial withdrawal line” inside Gaza and that “when Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will beRead more
There could be ‘mutual interest’ in Canada building its submarines, says German armament secretary
Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems submarine facility in Kiel, Germany, in August. The company is one of two the federal government is considering for the construction of 12 subs. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) There’s nothing stopping Canada from building half — maybe more — of the dozen submarines it intends to buy for the navy, Germany’s armament state secretary tells CBC News. Jens Plötner says the decision would be up to the Canadian government, but the notion is within the realm of industrial possibility — and givenRead more
Federal budget watchdog’s comments are ‘just wrong,’ says one of his predecessors
Kevin Page, a former parliamentary budget officer, says he disagrees with the current PBO that Canada’s fiscal position is unsustainable. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) A former parliamentary budget officer says it is “just wrong” to suggest that the federal finances are unsustainable and is publicly disagreeing with the current fiscal watchdog. Kevin Page — who was Canada’s first parliamentary budget officer (PBO) starting in 2008 — told CBC’s Power & Politics that he disagrees with the language of the current PBO, Jason Jacques. “I think the language from the currentRead more
Trump’s latest plan to end the war in Gaza contains the same tripwires as previous ones
U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as he welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington on Monday. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) Despite Donald Trump’s hyperbole that his 20-point peace plan to end the war in Gaza will create “eternal peace” in the Middle East, it could be doomed for the many of the same reasons that killed earlier ceasefire hopes. The key sticking point in past ceasefire proposals has been the so-called “day after” in Gaza — the question of what will happen to the war-obliteratedRead more
These American cities are bracing for a federal troop surge
A federal immigration enforcement agent keeps watch as a man who took off running is detained in Chicago on Sunday. There were many federal agents seen standing on street corners in America’s third largest city over the weekend. (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Time/The Associated Press) The sight of armed, camouflaged and masked border patrol agents making arrests near famous downtown Chicago landmarks has amplified concerns about the Trump administration’s growing federal intervention across U.S. cities. As Illinois leaders warned Monday of a National Guard deployment, residents in the nation’s third-largest city met a brazen weekendRead more
‘Canada does not retreat’ during a crisis, Anand tells United Nations
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says ‘Canada will not turn inward’ as the world faces tests to its multilateral institutions. (Seth Wenig/The Associated Press) Canada will not step away from the challenges of an increasingly complex world, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. “When multilateral institutions are under threat, Canada will not turn inward,” Anand said in a speech that melded humanitarian and security concerns with Ottawa’s quest to secure foreign investment. “We will work toward a world where prosperity is shared, securityRead more
Canadians barred from buying tickets for potential Blue Jays games at Yankee Stadium
The Toronto Blue Jays will face either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox in the American League Division Series next week, but Ticketmaster says tickets for game 3 or a potential game 4 at New York’s Yankee Stadium will be restricted to residents of four U.S. states, meaning Canadian residents aren’t eligible. (Luke Hales/Getty Images) Planning a trip to New York next week in hopes of seeing the Blue Jays clinch a post-season series for the first time since 2016? Getting tickets might not be so easy.Read more
The new, steep price for this U.S. visa could be a blessing for Canadian tech
A U.S. flag, passport and H-1B visa application are seen in this photo taken on Monday. The White House is slapping a $100,000 US fee on new applications for the visa, forcing companies to pay steeply for their recruits or otherwise find workers in the U.S. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters) As the Trump administration moves to limit some skilled workers from entering the U.S. on a specialized visa, the Canadian tech sector is champing at the bit — hoping the new restriction will send talent up north. The H-1B visa, whose championsRead more
RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisers change guidance around COVID shots, MMRV vaccines for young kids
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) chair Dr. Martin Kulldorff speaks during an ACIP meeting at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta Thursday. (Alyssa Pointer/Reuters) A CDC panel of experts changed some of their guidance on COVID-19 vaccines on Friday, a day after changing their recommendations around the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine for kids. The Friday vote takes a step back on recommending the COVID-19 shot. Rather than recommending it outright for most adults as the panel has in the past, it voted that it should be availableRead more