Hamas agreement, public protests put pressure on Israel to reach ceasefire deal
After 24 hours of fast-breaking and often contradictory actions by both Hamas and Israel’s government, a ceasefire in their catastrophic seven-month war still feels distant. Yet a flurry of diplomatic activity could put the two sides closer to a deal than they’ve been in months. When the news broke Monday afternoon that Hamas’s leadership in Qatar had agreed to the terms of an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, Israel’s government appeared caught off-guard. The immediate reaction from Israeli media commentators was that it was a “trap” — not a sincere gesture, but ratherRead more
Poilievre hints to police he would use notwithstanding clause to change justice laws
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says he would use “whatever tools the constitution allows” to pass criminal justice laws if his party forms the next government. Speaking to the Canadian Police Association on Monday, Poilievre promised to implement more stringent requirements for bail and make it harder for convicted murderers to transfer out of maximum security prisons. “All of my proposals are constitutional,” Poilievre said. “We will make them constitutional using whatever tools the constitution allows me to use to make them constitutional. I think you know exactly what I mean.”Read more
NATO chief chides Ukraine allies for delays that helped Russia
NATO countries haven’t delivered what they promised to Ukraine in time, the alliance’s chief said Monday, allowing Russia to press its advantage while Kyiv’s depleted forces wait for military supplies to arrive from the U.S. and Europe. “Serious delays in support have meant serious consequences on the battlefield” for Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Outgunned, Ukraine’s troops have struggled to fend off Russian advances on the battlefield. They were recently compelled to make a tactical retreat from three villagesRead more
Columbia University starts suspending Israel-Hamas war protesters who won’t leave encampment
Protesters and police clashed Monday at the University of Texas in a confrontation that resulted in dozens of arrests, and Columbia University began issuing suspensions as colleges around the U.S. begged pro-Palestinian demonstrators to clear out tent encampments as commencement ceremonies approach. From coast to coast, demonstrators are sparring over the Israel-Hamas war and its mounting death toll, and the number of arrests at campuses nationwide is approaching 1,000 as the final days of class wrap up. The outcry is forcing colleges to reckon with their financial ties to Israel,Read more
U.S. government agrees to $138.7M settlement over FBI’s botching of Larry Nassar allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a $138.7-million US settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest. When combined with other settlements, roughly $1 billion now has been set aside by various organizations to compensate hundreds of women who said Nassar assaulted them under the guise of treatment for sports injuries. Nassar worked at Michigan StateRead more
National Enquirer publisher testifies he used tabloid to suppress unfavourable Trump stories
The first witness in Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, testified on Tuesday that he used his supermarket tabloid to suppress stories that might have hurt Trump’s 2016 presidential bid. Pecker, 72, testified in a New York court that the Enquirer paid two people who were peddling stories of Trump’s sexual misbehaviour but never published them — a practice known as “catch and kill.” “When someone’s running for public office like this, it is very common for these women to call up a magazineRead more
U.S. prepares to rush $1B US in military aid to Ukraine, as Congress approves bills
A sweeping foreign aid package easily passed the U.S. Congress late Tuesday after months of delay, clearing the way for fresh Ukraine funding amid advances from Russia’s invasion force and Kyiv’s shortages of military supplies. The U.S. Senate voted 79 to 18 to approve four bills passed by the House of Representatives on Saturday, after House Republican leaders abruptly switched course last week and allowed a vote on the $95 billion US in mostly military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific. The four bills were combinedRead more
Freeland’s new federal budget hikes taxes on the rich to cover billions in new spending
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s fourth budget delivers a big-ticket housing program for millennials and Generation Z voters — a multi-billion dollar commitment to be paid for in part with a tax hike on the rich and corporate Canada. Freeland’s document calls for about $52.9 billion in new spending over the next five years — a significant jump over what Ottawa had said it would spend in the fall economic statement released just a few months ago. To offset some of that new spending, Freeland is pitching policy changes the governmentRead more
Firefighters battle out-of-control wildfire near Edson, Alta., after natural gas line rupture
A natural gas pipeline rupture Tuesday morning in west-central Alberta has sparked an out-of-control wildfire. TC Energy activated its emergency response procedures after it was notified about the incident, involving its Nova Gas Transmission Line, located 40 kilometres northwest of Edson, Alta., at about 11 a.m., the company said in a statement. Edson is about 200 kilometres west of Edmonton and about 160 km northeast of the B.C.-Alberta border. “The pipeline incident did create a wildfire and so Alberta Wildfire, Yellowhead County and TC Energy are currently responding to the wildfire,” said CarolineRead more
Speed of Trump jury selection surprises after predictions of drawn-out slugfest
Seven jurors were empanelled by the second day of Donald Trump’s trial Tuesday, leaving only five slots plus several backups unfilled. It was faster than most had predicted for the historic and unusual criminal trial. Analysts had predicted it might take two weeks or more to select a jury for the highest-ranking U.S. politician ever to face a criminal trial. Regular citizens were grilled over old social media posts and political opinions. Some cracked under questioning, but a handful survived. Empanelling a jury has been challenge No. 1 in theRead more