Anita Anand discusses Donald Trump, NATO, Israel, China and Canada’s international role.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand discusses whether Canada can still depend on the United States – as well as defence spending, Arctic security, Gaza, Iran, China, India, and Canada’s push to diversify trade beyond the US.
Published On 17 May 202617 May 2026
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Brandon Clarke, a former first-round draft pick who spent all seven of his NBA seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, has died. He was 29.
His agency, Priority Sports, confirmed the news Tuesday on social media. No cause of death has been disclosed.
“Everyone loved BC because he was always there as the most supportive friend you could ever imagine,” the agency wrote. “He was so unique in the joy he brought to all of those in his life. It’s just impossible to put into words how much he’ll be missed. We love you, BC.”
Born in Vancouver, Canada, Clarke played basketball at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Ariz., before spending two years at San Jose State and one at Gonzaga. He was selected at No. 21 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2021 NBA draft but he was traded to the Grizzlies weeks later.
Clarke played in 309 games for Memphis but only two this past season because of injuries. Clarke averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds during his career.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten. We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver also released a statement.
“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Brandon Clarke,” Silver said. “As one of the longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved teammate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Brandon’s family, friends and the Grizzlies organization.”
Sailors aboard the ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, a 3,000-ton South Korean naval submarine, bid farewell to family members at a naval port in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, 25 March 2026. The submarine is departing across the Pacific for the first time to take part in joint drills with Canada in June aimed at bolstering maritime security and defense industry cooperation. Photo by YONHAP /EPA
May 8 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s first domestically designed 3,000-ton submarine has completed a long-distance Pacific deployment as Seoul seeks to strengthen its bid for Canada’s next-generation submarine procurement program.
The South Korean Navy said the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho departed Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii on Friday with two Canadian Navy submarine personnel aboard and is scheduled to arrive at Esquimalt Harbor in Victoria, British Columbia, in late May.
The submarine left Jinhae Naval Base on March 25 and traveled through Guam and Hawaii before heading toward Canada.
The deployment is seen as a major test of the submarine’s endurance, reliability and operational performance, as South Korean shipbuilders compete for Canada’s submarine project, estimated at about $42 billion.
The Dosan Ahn Chang-ho is expected to travel up to about 18,600 miles round trip, much of it independently. Defense officials say the mission is intended to demonstrate the submarine’s long-range capabilities, quiet operation, onboard living conditions and air-independent propulsion system.
Two Canadian Navy personnel, Maj. Britany Bourgeois and Petty Officer Jake Dixon, joined the submarine for the final leg from Hawaii to Canada.
The submarine is expected to take part in joint training with the Canadian Navy after arriving in late May. The exercises are expected to focus on anti-submarine warfare and interoperability.
Canadian officials are expected to assess whether the South Korean submarine meets key requirements for long-range patrols and operations near Arctic waters.
The Dosan Ahn Chang-ho will later participate in the U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific exercise, known as RIMPAC 2026, alongside South Korea’s next-generation Aegis destroyer Jeongjo the Great.
South Korea’s participation is expected to highlight its growing ability to operate with U.S. and allied naval forces in complex maritime environments.
Canada’s submarine procurement program calls for the acquisition of 12 submarines. South Korean shipbuilders Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries are competing against Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems for the contract.
Defense analysts say the Pacific deployment gives South Korea an opportunity to demonstrate proven operational capabilities directly to Canadian officials rather than relying only on written proposals or technical specifications.
The Dosan Ahn Chang-ho is the lead vessel of South Korea’s KSS-III Batch-I class. The submarine has an underwater displacement of about 3,700 tons, is 83.5 meters long and was designed and built in South Korea.
South Korean defense officials say the deployment marks a milestone for the country’s submarine program and reflects the expansion of the Navy’s operating range from coastal waters to the open ocean.
If South Korea wins the Canadian contract, it would mark the largest single defense export deal in the country’s history.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260508010001855
The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup — the biggest ever — will see 48 nations compete for the prize in a 39-day tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Sixteen venues across the three nations will host 104 matches as the tournament returns to North America after 32 years.
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Argentina will look to defend the trophy they lifted under their iconic captain, Lionel Messi, at Qatar 2022, while Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will make their debut at the finals.
The tournament will begin in Mexico and conclude in the US.
Here’s everything you need to know about its teams, groups, format and schedule.
⚽ Group A: Mexico, South Africa, Korea Republic, Czechia
⚽ Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
⚽ Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
⚽ Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkiye
⚽ Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
⚽ Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
⚽ Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
⚽ Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
⚽ Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
⚽ Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
⚽ Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
⚽ Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
The tournament will open on June 11 at 3pm (21:00 GMT) at the Mexico City Stadium in Mexico.
The MetLife Stadium, which will be called the New York New Jersey Stadium during the tournament, will host the final on July 19 at 3pm (20:00 GMT).
In a move to restrict ambush marketing for brands not associated with FIFA, the governing body has changed stadium names for all venues to match the host city.
Therefore, the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey has been rebranded as the New York New Jersey Stadium, and the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles has been renamed the Los Angeles Stadium for the tournament.
The tournament will consist of one group-stage round and four knockout rounds before the final.
Unlike previous editions, the knockouts will begin with the round of 32, followed by the round of 16, the four quarterfinals and two semifinals.
The stage-wise breakdown of the tournament’s schedule is:
Mexico vs South Africa at 3pm (21:00 GMT) – Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico
South Korea vs Czechia at 10pm (04:00 GMT on Friday) – Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico
Canada vs Bosnia at 3pm (20:00 GMT) – Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
USA vs Paraguay at 9pm (05:00 GMT on Saturday) – Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US
Qatar vs Switzerland at 3pm (23:00 GMT) – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, US
Brazil vs Morocco at 6pm (23:00 GMT) – New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
Haiti vs Scotland at 9pm (02:00 GMT on Sunday) – Boston Stadium, Boston, US
Australia vs Turkiye at midnight (08:00 GMT on Sunday) – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Germany vs Curacao at 1pm (19:00 GMT) – Houston Stadium, Houston, US
Netherlands vs Japan at 4pm (22:00 GMT) – Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador at 7pm (00:00 GMT on Monday) – Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, US
Sweden vs Tunisia at 10pm (04:00 GMT on Monday) – Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe, Mexico
Spain vs Cape Verde at 12pm (17:00 GMT) – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
Belgium vs Egypt at 3pm (23:00 GMT) – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay at 6pm (23:00 GMT) – Miami Stadium, Miami, US
Iran vs New Zealand at 9pm (05:00 GMT on Tuesday) – Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US
France vs Senegal at 3pm (20:00 GMT) – New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
Iraq vs Norway at 6pm (23:00 GMT) – Boston Stadium, Boston, US
Argentina vs Algeria at 9pm (03:00 GMT on Wednesday) – Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, US
Austria vs Jordan at midnight (08:00 GMT on Wednesday) – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, US
Portugal vs DRC at 1pm (19:00 GMT) – Houston Stadium, Houston, US
England vs Croatia at 4pm (22:00 GMT) – Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
Ghana vs Panama at 7pm (00:00 GMT on Thursday) – Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
Uzbekistan vs Colombia at 10pm (04:00 GMT on Thursday) – Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico
Czechia vs South Africa at 12pm (17:00 GMT) – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
Switzerland vs Bosnia at 3pm (23:00 GMT) – Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US
Canada vs Qatar at 6pm (02:00 GMT on Friday) – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Mexico vs South Korea at 9pm (03:00 GMT on Friday) – Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico
Scotland vs Morocco at 6pm (23:00 GMT) – Boston Stadium, Boston, US
USA vs Australia at 3pm (23:00 GMT) – Seattle Stadium, Seattle, US
Brazil vs Haiti at 9pm (02:00 GMT on Saturday) – Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, US
Turkiye vs Paraguay at midnight (08:00 GMT on Saturday) – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, US
Netherlands vs Sweden at 1pm (19:00 GMT) – Houston Stadium, Houston, US
Germany vs Ivory Coast at 4pm (21:00 GMT) – Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
Ecuador vs Curacao at 8pm (04:00 GMT on Sunday) – Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, US
Tunisia vs Japan at midnight (06:00 GMT on Sunday) – Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe, Mexico
Spain vs Saudi Arabia at 12pm (17:00 GMT) – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
Belgium vs Iran at 3pm (23:00 GMT) – Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US
Uruguay vs Cape Verde at 6pm (23:00 GMT) – Miami Stadium, Miami, US
New Zealand vs Egypt at 9pm (05:00 GMT on Monday) – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Argentina vs Austria at 1pm (19:00 GMT) – Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
France vs Iraq at 5pm (22:00 GMT) – Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, US
Norway vs Senegal at 8pm (01:00 GMT on Tuesday) – New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
Jordan vs Algeria at 11pm (07:00 GMT on Tuesday) – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, US
Portugal vs Uzbekistan at 1pm (19:00 GMT) – Houston Stadium, Houston, US
England vs Ghana at 4pm (21:00 GMT) – Boston Stadium, Boston, US
Panama vs Croatia at 7pm (00:00 GMT on Wednesday) – Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
Colombia vs DRC at 10pm (04:00 GMT on Wednesday) – Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico
Switzerland vs Canada at 3pm (23:00 GMT) – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Bosnia vs Qatar at 3pm (23:00 GMT) – Seattle Stadium, Seattle, US
Scotland vs Brazil at 6pm (23:00 GMT) – Miami Stadium, Miami, US
Morocco vs Haiti at 6pm (23:00 GMT) – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
Czechia vs Mexico at 9pm (03:00 GMT on Thursday) – Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico
South Africa vs South Korea at 9pm (03:00 GMT on Thursday) – Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe, Mexico
Ecuador vs Germany at 4pm (21:00 GMT) – New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
Curacao vs Ivory Coast at 4pm (21:00 GMT) – Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, US
Japan vs Sweden at 7pm (01:00 GMT on Friday) – Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
Tunisia vs Netherlands at 7pm (01:00 GMT on Friday) – Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, US,
Turkiye vs USA at 10pm (06:00 GMT on Friday) – Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US
Paraguay vs Australia at 10pm (06:00 GMT on Friday) – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, US
Norway vs France at 3pm (20:00 GMT) – Boston Stadium, Boston, US
Senegal vs Iraq at 3pm (20:00 GMT) – Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia at 8pm (02:00 GMT on Saturday) – Houston Stadium, Houston, US
Uruguay vs Spain at 8pm (02:00 GMT on Saturday) – Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico
Egypt vs Iran at 11pm (07:00 GMT on Saturday) – Seattle Stadium, Seattle, US
New Zealand vs Belgium at 11pm (07:00 GMT on Saturday) – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Panama vs England at 5pm (22:00 GMT) – New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
Croatia vs Ghana at 5pm (22:00 GMT) – Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, US
Colombia vs Portugal at 7:30pm (02:30 GMT on Sunday) – Miami Stadium, Miami, US
DRC vs Uzbekistan at 7:30pm (02:30 GMT on Sunday) – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
Algeria vs Austria at 10pm (04:00 GMT on Sunday) – Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, US
Jordan vs Argentina at 10pm (04:00 GMT on Sunday) – Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
Round of 32 match at 3pm (23:00 GMT) – Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US
Round of 32 match at 1pm (19:00 GMT) – Houston Stadium, Houston, US
Round of 32 match at 4:30pm (22:30 GMT) – Boston Stadium, Boston, US
Round of 32 match at 9pm (03:00 GMT on Tuesday) – Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe, Mexico
Round of 32 match at 1pm (19:00 GMT) – Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
Round of 32 match at 5pm (22:00 GMT) – New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
Round of 32 match at 9pm (03:00 GMT on Wednesday) – Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico
Round of 32 match at 12pm (17:00 GMT) – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
Round of 32 match at 4pm (00:00 GMT on Thursday) – Seattle Stadium, Seattle, US
Round of 32 match at 8pm (04:00 GMT on Thursday) – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, US
Round of 32 match at 3pm (23:00 GMT) – Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US
Round of 32 match at 7pm (00:00 GMT on Friday) – Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
Round of 32 match at 11pm (07:00 GMT on Friday) – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Round of 32 match at 2pm (21:00 GMT) – Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
Round of 32 match at 6pm (23:00 GMT) – Miami Stadium, Miami, US
Round of 32 match at 9:30pm (03:30 GMT on Saturday) – Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, US
Round of 16 match at 1pm (19:00 GMT) – Houston Stadium, Houston, US
Round of 16 match at 5pm (22:00 GMT) – Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, US
Round of 16 match at 4pm (21:00 GMT) – New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
Round of 16 match at 8pm (02:00 GMT on Monday) – Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico
Round of 16 match at 3pm (21:00 GMT) – Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
Round of 16 match at 8pm (04:00 GMT on Tuesday) – Seattle Stadium, Seattle, US
Round of 16 match at 12pm (17:00 GMT) – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
Round of 16 match at 4pm (00:00 GMT on Wednesday) – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
First quarterfinal at 4pm (21:00 GMT) – Boston Stadium, Boston, US
Second quarterfinal at 3pm (23:00 GMT) – Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US
Third quarterfinal at 5pm (22:00 GMT) – Miami Stadium, Miami, US
Fourth quarterfinal at 9pm (03:00 GMT on Sunday) – Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, US
First semifinal at 3pm (21:00 GMT) – Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
Second semifinal at 3pm (20:00 GMT) – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
Bronze medal match at 5pm (22:00 GMT) – Miami Stadium, Miami, US
Final at 3pm (20:00 GMT) – New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US.
Secessionists in the western Canadian province of Alberta recently announced that they have gathered enough signatures to launch a referendum on independence from the rest of the country.
Leading secessionists said that they formally submitted about 300,000 signatures to election authorities earlier this week, far more than the 178,000 required for the province to consider a referendum.
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“This day is historic in Alberta history,” secessionist leader Mitch Sylvestre said.
“It’s the first step to the next step — we’ve gotten by Round 3, and now we’re in the Stanley Cup final,” he added, referring to a hockey championship tournament.
Even if a vote were in favour of independence, an uncertain and protracted process would follow, including possible legal challenges and negotiations with the federal government.
But the possibility of a referendum has brought renewed attention to Alberta’s longstanding frustrations with federal power in Canada and calls for greater autonomy.
What is driving Alberta’s secessionist movement? What are the prospects of success for the referendum, and what could it mean for Canadian politics? Here’s what you need to know.
Alberta secessionists said on Monday that they had submitted nearly 302,000 signatures, more than the 178,000 required to qualify for referendum consideration.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she would move forward with the vote if the petition gathered enough signatures, although she does not support independence from Canada herself.
If the proposed measure makes it to the ballot, it would ask voters: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”
Meeting the signature requirement does not in itself guarantee that a referendum will take place.
Elections Alberta, the province’s electoral authority, still needs to verify the petitioners’ names, a process that has been stalled by a court ruling.
Indigenous groups have also filed a legal challenge, stating that separation would be a violation of their treaty rights.
There are also questions about whether the referendum will gather sufficient support among voters to pass. Polls have shown that about 30 percent of residents would support such a measure.
While secession has never been so close to a vote in Alberta, pro-independence sentiment has been part of the province’s political culture — home to about 5 million people — for decades.
That sentiment is driven largely by the feeling of many in Alberta that the province is distinct — culturally, economically, and politically — from the rest of Canada.
The oil-rich western province has long expressed frustration with political decision-making in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, despite what it sees as its outsized economic contribution to the national economy through its massive fossil fuel industry.
Environmental regulations and efforts to address climate change have become another flashpoint, with secessionist leaders depicting Alberta’s primary industry as hamstrung by regulatory decisions made by bureaucrats with little understanding of the province.
“We’re not like the rest of Canada,” secessionist leader Sylvestre told the news service AFP. “We’re 100 percent conservative. We’re being ruled by Liberals who don’t think like us.”
“They’re trying to shut down our industry,” he added.
Alberta is not the only region with a complicated relationship with the rest of Canada.
The French-speaking province of Quebec is home to a decades-old nationalist movement that has pushed to separate from Canada, rooted in a desire to recognise Quebec’s distinct linguistic and cultural identity.
The popularity of that movement has ebbed, with a March poll finding Quebecois secessionism at its lowest level of support since voters narrowly rejected a referendum in 1995. Still, the secessionist Parti Quebecois political party is polling high in advance of a provincial election set for later this year.
As with all independence movements, the province’s bid for separation from the rest of Canada has become a source of passionate disagreement.
“It stands for something that most of us Albertans and Canadians don’t stand for,” Thomas Lukaszuk, the province’s former deputy premier and a strong supporter of federalist identity, told AFP. “It’s a form of treason.”
Expressions of support from the administration of United States President Donald Trump, who has angered Canadians by suggesting that the country should become a US state, have also sparked criticism that the secessionist movement is undermining Canadian unity.
Asked about the possibility of independence in January, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Alberta would be a “natural partner” for the US.
“Alberta has a wealth of natural resources, but they won’t let them build a pipeline to the Pacific,” Bessent told a US right-wing commentator. “I think we should let them come down into the US, and Alberta is a natural partner for the US. They have great resources. The Albertans are very independent people.”
“The separatists are not elected members. They’re just citizens of Canada residing in Alberta, and they actually formed delegations and are received by the highest levels of US administration,” Lukaszuk said. “That must be very empowering to them.”
Regardless of whether the proposed ballot measure succeeds, the development is likely to serve as a shot in the arm for the province’s secessionist forces.
“I think this is going to be a permanent change in our political culture,” independent historian and supporter of independence Michael Wagner told AFP, adding that the movement “is not going to just disappear”.
A provincewide ballot could take place as soon as October, as part of a larger referendum on several questions relating to constitutional issues and other matters, such as immigration, scheduled for October 19.
Justice Shaina Leonard issued a monthlong stay on the certification of the independence petition on April 10, following a legal challenge from several First Nations groups who say separation would violate treaty rights.
That ruling did not bar the gathering of signatures, and a decision on legal challenges from Alberta First Nations is expected later this week. A decision in favour of the First Nations challengers could render the process academic.
“Tracker,” one of TV’s most-watched shows, is uprooting its Canadian production and moving to Los Angeles.
The action drama, produced by Disney’s 20th Television, is among a slate of new and recurring series benefiting from California’s improved $750 million tax incentive program. The show’s fourth season, set to begin shooting this summer, will receive the state’s largest tax credit , at $48 million, according to the California Film Commission.
The production will film for 176 days in California, with 250 crew members and 275 actors on board. The tax credit is based on the show’s projected spending of over $129 million. Deadline first reported the news of the show’s relocation.
The show stars actor Justin Hartley and follows his character as he tracks down people for reward money. Ever since its 2024 premiere, the show has resonated with audiences. Its third season is currently airing and was the fourth most-watched program on linear TV as of late April, according to Nielsen.
“Tracker” is primarily set in the wilderness, making the move to California a fresh opportunity for the production to explore diverse landscapes as its backdrop. Due to the rural setting, the show is also eligible to earn an extra 5% tax credit bonus, in addition to the 35% base credit, on qualified expenditures incurred outside the designated 30-mile zone of the Greater Los Angeles area.
Before “Tracker” secured the highest TV show tax credit, season 3 of Amazon’s “Fallout,” which relocated from New York to Los Angeles, received a $42M incentive. Dan Fogelman’s new NFL drama “The Land” received $42.8M. Other productions that have benefited from the tax program include medical drama “The Pitt,” Disney’s new animated movie “Phineas and Ferb” and Netflix’s upcoming reboot of “13 Going on 30.”
More than 100 productions have received tax credits since the program was expanded last year in response to the continued migration of productions to other countries like Ireland, U.K. and Canada.
But film industry advocates say these efforts aren’t enough to fully revitalize U.S.-based productions and local film economies.
To that end, , U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) announced in March he is working on a bipartisan federal film incentive proposal that would be globally competitive.
“State programs cannot simply substitute for the kind of global, federal and competitive tax incentives that are needed to bring production back to American soil and stop its offshoring,” Schiff said.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney took office last year amid a flurry of aggressive actions by his country’s southern neighbour. A recently sworn-in United States president, Donald Trump, slapped tariffs on Canadian exports and threatened to make the US neighbour the 51st state.
The actions were particularly damning as Canada had deep trade and security ties with the US, not only sending nearly 80 percent of its exports to that market, but also often following lockstep on geopolitical policy and strategic moves.
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All that was thrown aside when Trump took office, and Canada, under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was one of the first countries he slapped with tariffs.
After a year of dealing with a mercurial and unpredictable US president, experts applaud Carney as “standing strong and resolute”, not just in the face of Trump’s threats, but also against internal critics.
“The most notable aspect of the last year was both a bullet dodged and a savvy bit of statecraft to avoid a rush to do a deal on trade and invest with the US the way many other countries did,” said Brett House, a senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.
“Commitments from this president are absolutely worthless, and the biggest accomplishment of the first year has been standing strong and resolute in the face of internal critics,” House told Al Jazeera.
Indeed, Carney has used Trump’s attacks on allies and others to refocus Canada’s foreign policy and place in the world.
With the US no longer the anchor of a rules-based order, and with there now being a “deep rupture” caused by changes in Washington, “Carney has aimed to build at home and diversify abroad, as Ottawa’s dependence and long ties have now become a source of weakness,” said Vina Nadjibulla, the vice president of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
“And he’s doing this at a speed, scale and ambition that we haven’t seen in recent years” in Ottawa, Nadjibulla said.
Some of that stance was evident in January, when Carney, in a speech in Davos, said there was a “rupture” in the global rules-based order and that Middle Powers like Canada and others had to rise strategically to address geopolitical tensions.
But it was visible in his actions even before Davos, when he had reached out to countries that had historically been important trade partners but where relations had been frozen due to political tensions under his predecessor, Trudeau.
For instance, Carney invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 meeting in Canada to initiate a reset of ties with New Delhi that had been in a deep freeze since Trudeau alleged in 2023 that India was involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist activist on Canadian soil.
Carney also recalibrated Canada’s relations with China, which had been tense since Canadian authorities arrested a key official of Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei as she was transitioning through the Vancouver international airport in December 2018. China retaliated against the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, which was carried out at the request of US authorities, by detaining two Canadians.
Carney has also deepened relations with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and others, making sure to align on security and economic issues, and has drawn Canada closer to Europe, Nadjibulla pointed out.
In the lead-up to elections last year, Carney “positioned himself as a centrist, a moderate, and went to great lengths to distance himself from the image of Justin Trudeau,” said Sanjay Jeram, the chair of the political science department at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada.
“He hasn’t shown much interest in discussing things outside the economy, international relations and trade, and even when asked, has avoided those questions and steered the conversation back to what he believes is his true purpose. Or that could be his political strategy, or a bit of both.”
Under that pragmatist persona, “Carney takes the world and the economy as it is, rather than what we hope it to be”, which allows him to be judged on pragmatist metrics, Jeram said, referring to criticisms that Carney is overlooking concerns related to political interference or human rights in his dealings with foreign partners.
“Canadians have bought that [stance] so far,” Jeram added.
Indeed, Carney’s approval ratings are up. According to a March Ipsos poll for Global News, 58 percent of Canadians approve of him, up 10 percent from a year before, while 33 percent do not.
While there has also been significant movement on paper to remove federal barriers to facilitate business and trade within the country, there have also been concerns about certain policy pushes. A major projects bill, for instance, is meant to fast-track big infrastructure projects, but critics are concerned that it undermines the importance of consultation, especially with the Indigenous communities whose land these projects could go through.
“Carney recognises we need more of infrastructure to be able to diversify trade,” the Asia Pacific Foundation’s Nadjibulla said.
As he settles into his second year, Carney’s main challenge will be to see if he can deliver on his first-year announcements.
One of his biggest challenges this year will be a successful conclusion of the review of the trade pact between the US, Canada and Mexico, known as the USMCA, which starts on July 1 and which has helped shield Canadian exports from US tariffs.
The “US has signalled that a successful review could hinge on Canada lining its external tariffs in line with US tariffs, but that’s at cross purposes with Canada’s efforts”, said the University of Toronto’s House, especially as Canada has lined up deals with China on electric cars and agriculture.
Nadjibulla added that “2026 will be harder, because it will be about implementation and delivery, especially against the US-Canada dynamics.”
It is unclear whether football officials from Iran were issued Canadian visas to attend AFC and FIFA congresses.
Published On 29 Apr 202629 Apr 2026
Representatives from Iran’s football federation were not present at the largest formal meeting of Asia’s football leaders before the World Cup.
In the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, there was no discussion at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Congress about Iran’s participation in the tournament or whether the team’s games should be moved out of the United States because of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Concerns were raised that visa issues could affect the Iranian delegation’s ability to travel to both the confederation meeting in Vancouver and the overall FIFA Congress on Thursday, as well as the World Cup starting on June 11.
The 48-team tournament is being hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
It was not clear if visa issues prevented Iranian representatives from attending the AFC Congress. However, as the nine AFC teams that qualified for the World Cup were presented with commemorative gifts, it was announced that Iran would receive their token “once they arrive”.
An Iranian government spokesperson said last week that the national team was preparing for “proud and successful participation” in its World Cup games in the United States.
FIFA, football’s international governing body, has consistently said Iran will stick to the World Cup game schedule decided last December, before the US and Israel launched military attacks on Iran on February 28, and has refused to entertain suggestions that the team’s games be moved to Mexico.
“Now even more, now that the world is going through a very, very delicate, difficult, dangerous time with many conflicts, and many of you are directly affected and involved in these conflicts,” Infantino told the AFC leaders.
“Now even more, we need to find ways to build these famous bridges, or maybe to build football fields instead. And to build competitions where people can join and come together.”
Iran are placed in Group G with Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt.
Team Melli’s planned training camp would be in Tucson, Arizona, and they are scheduled to open their World Cup campaign on June 15 against New Zealand in Inglewood, California, near Los Angeles.
Iran will play Belgium in Inglewood on June 21 before facing Egypt in the final group match in Seattle on June 26.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Millions more Americans might qualify for dual Canadian citizenship under a recent change to Canada’s requirements that has led to a surge in applications from its southern neighbor.
For people like Zack Loud of Farmington, Minn., it was a surprise to learn that under a new law, Canada already considered him and his siblings citizens because their grandmother is Canadian.
“My wife and I were already talking about potentially looking at jobs outside the country, but citizenship pushed Canada way up on our list,” he said.
Since the new law took effect Dec. 15, immigration lawyers in the United States and Canada say they have been overwhelmed by clients seeking help submitting proof of citizenship applications. Driven by politics, family heritage, job opportunities and other factors, thousands of Americans are exploring whether the easier process makes now the right time to gain dual citizenship.
Nicholas Berning, an immigration attorney at Boundary Bay Law in Bellingham, Wash., said his practice is “pretty much flooded with this.”
“We’ve kind of shifted a lot of other work away in order to push these cases through,” he said.
Immigration attorney Amandeep Hayer said his Vancouver, British Columbia-area practice went from about 200 citizenship cases a year to more than 20 consultations per day.
How the new law works
Canada has been changing its citizenship laws for decades, whether to update historic interpretations of law or to address discrimination issues.
Previously, Canadian citizenship by descent could only be passed down to one generation, from a parent to a child. But the new law opened up citizenship to anyone born before that date who could prove they have a direct Canadian ancestor — a grandparent, great-grandparent or even more distant ancestor.
Those born on or after Dec. 15 need to show that their Canadian parent lived in Canada for 1,095 days.
Under the new law, descendants of Canadians are already considered citizens but must provide proof to obtain a certificate of citizenship. Hayer estimated that there are millions of Americans who are Canadian descendants.
“You are Canadian, and you’re considered to be one your whole life,” said Hayer, who advocated for the new law in parliament. “That’s really what you’re applying for, the recognition of a right you already have vested.”
“The best way I can put it is like, if a baby’s born tomorrow in Canada, the baby’s Canadian even though they don’t have the birth certificate,” he said.
Americans interested in dual citizenship
American applicants have different motivations, but many say President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and other topics have led them to seek dual citizenship.
Michelle Cunha, of Bedford, Mass., said she decided to move to Canada after reflecting on decades of political activism and deciding she had “nothing left to give.”
“I put in my best effort for 30 years. I have done everything that I possibly can to make the United States what it promises the world to be, a place of freedom, a place of equality,” Cunha said. “But clearly we’re not there and we’re not going to get there anytime soon.”
Troy Hicks, who had a great-grandfather born in Canada, said he was spurred by an international trip.
“I recently went to Australia and you know, first words out of the first person I talked to in Australia was basically an expletive about Trump and the U.S.,” said Hicks, of Pahrump, Nev. “It was just like, whoa, I walked off a 20-hour flight and literally the first words of somebody’s mouth to me were that. … So the idea of doing that with a Canadian passport just seemed easier, better, more palatable.”
Maureen Sullivan, of Naples, Fla., said she was motivated by the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, which hit home when her teenage nephew encountered federal officers near his high school in St. Paul. Sullivan, whose grandmother was Canadian, said she sees citizenship in Canada as an option in case things in the U.S. “really go south.”
“When I first heard about the bill, I couldn’t believe it. It was like this little gift that fell in my lap,” Sullivan said. “There was kind of this collective excitement amongst the (family) who just felt like, we wanted to feel like we were doing something to take care of our security in the future if needed.”
How much will Canadian citizenship cost?
For those with documentation ready at hand, the proof of citizenship application fee is a relatively inexpensive 75 Canadian dollars ($55).
But costs will climb for those seeking help from an attorney or genealogist to locate records like birth, death and marriage certificates that can establish the lineage to a Canadian ancestor.
Cunha said she used an attorney and estimates the cost will be about $6,500.
However, Mary Mangan, of Somerville, Mass., filed her application in January using advice from online forums.
“There are some situations where a lawyer might be the right thing, but for many people, I would guess 90% of people can probably do this on their own,” Mangan said.
The website for the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada office, which processes applications, says processing times for a certificate is around 10 months, with more 56,000 people awaiting a decision.
The agency said that from Dec. 15 to Jan. 31, it confirmed citizenship by descent for 1,480 people, though not all were Americans. Last year, 24,500 Americans gained dual U.S.-Canada citizenship.
What’s the reaction in Canada?
Fen Hampson, professor of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, said Canadians are generally a “welcoming people.”
Hampson said some also worry a surge of interest from Americans could delay efforts by refugees and asylum-seekers fleeing vulnerable situations.
“I think where people start looking askance is someone who’s never been to Canada, who has very thin ties. They can get a passport, becoming Canadians of convenience. People don’t like that,” he said.
Raza writes for the Associated Press.
Canada on Wednesday announced $5 million in funding for international efforts aimed at identifying and eliminating chemical weapons remaining in Syria, Anadolu reports.
“Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced Canada’s contribution of $5 million to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) through Canada’s Weapons Threat Reduction Program,” the Global Affairs Canada said in a statement.
Noting that the OPCW will use the contribution to verify the scope of Syria’s former chemical weapons program, the readout added that the funding will also be used to investigate past uses of such weapons, and prepare for the safe destruction of remaining stockpiles, in line with the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The statement said the work is considered critical to “Syria’s long-term stability,” advancing accountability and reducing the risk to civilians of any future chemical weapons use.
“This contribution is part of Canada’s long-standing support to the OPCW to uphold the global ban on chemical weapons and strengthen international accountability,” it added.
With 50 days to go until the World Cup kicks off, FIFA and the tournament’s host nations face criticism over wide-ranging social, political and logistical issues surrounding the global event.
Canada and Mexico will cohost the tournament with the United States, which, alongside Israel, launched a war on World Cup participant nation Iran on February 28. While the war is currently under a fragile temporary ceasefire, Iran’s participation in the tournament remains uncertain.
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Fans across the three host countries are in uproar over exorbitant ticket prices, which have affected sales and interest in the world’s most popular quadrennial sporting event.
Local politicians and the public have also raised concerns over the hike in transport fares on routes connecting match venues in the US.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the growing concerns in the run-up to the tournament, which begins on June 11 with the opening fixture between Mexico and South Africa:
Iran’s football team is preparing for the championship. However, officials say a final decision on the team’s participation will be taken by the government and the National Security Council after they review the players’ safety in the US.
Iran had said last month that it would not participate in the tournament amid the war, especially if the host nation could not guarantee players’ security. It followed a social media post from President Donald Trump, where he suggested that the Iranian team’s safety and security could not be guaranteed in the US, where Iranians are scheduled to play all their games.
The Iranian football federation then asked FIFA to relocate its games from the US to Mexico. FIFA rejected the request.
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino said last week that Iran “has to come” to the tournament.
Iran will play all their group stage matches on the US West Coast. Should they advance to the knockouts, the remaining games would also be held in the US.
Fans can expect to pay nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for a round-trip train ride from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, venue of the World Cup final and seven other major fixtures.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and FIFA have chided each other on the $150 price tag for a roughly 15-minute, 14km (9-mile) ride; Sherrill said FIFA should bear the costs, while the global body hit back, saying it is not obligated to do so.
Train commutes to Gillette Stadium in Boston’s suburbs cost roughly four times the regular price ($20), while round-trip bus fares to Foxborough cost $95.
Host cities Los Angeles and Philadelphia have pledged to keep their transit fares unchanged, while Kansas City is offering a $15 round-trip fare to Arrowhead Stadium. Houston said it has added buses and train cars to serve fans but intends to keep fares at current levels: $1.25 for buses and light rail trains, and park-and-ride options ranging from $2 to $4.50.
Sky-high ticket prices have left fans outraged at what they say is pricing that excludes supporters from the tournament. A lag in ticket sales for blockbuster matches, including hosts USA vs Paraguay, seems to be a testament to the high price tag.
FIFA put tickets on sale in December at prices ranging from $140 for Category 3 in the first round to $8,680 for the final. Later, it raised prices to as high as $10,990 when sales reopened on April 1.
The North American bid had initially promised tickets would be available for as little as $21; however, the cheapest ticket has been priced at $60. Most tickets cost at least $200 for matches involving higher-ranked teams.
FIFA announced another round of ticket sales on Wednesday to coincide with the 50-day countdown. Tickets will be available across categories 1 to 3 for all 104 matches on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Trump administration’s push for mass deportation and its efforts to tighten legal immigration pathways have spurred concerns about whether the World Cup’s international audience might be targeted by US immigration authorities.
Infantino was approached last week to pressure Trump to avoid immigration raids at this year’s tournament. Reporters suggested that agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were present at last year’s FIFA Club World Cup matches, though the Trump administration denied conducting enforcement efforts.
A report by The Athletic explained that FIFA executives have framed the possibility of an immigration moratorium as a potential public relations boon for the Trump administration. It also indicated that the executives hoped Infantino would leverage his friendly relationship with Trump to assuage any immigration-related fears.
World Cup cohost Mexico is also under the spotlight due to concerns for fan safety after a lone attacker opened fire on tourists near the country’s capital on Monday.
The accused opened fire on top of one of the Teotihuacan pyramids — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Mexico’s most frequented tourist attractions — and killed one Canadian tourist and injured 13 others.
It raised questions about security protocols taken by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government in the run-up to the global football tournament.
Sheinbaum said Mexico will beef up security ahead of the World Cup.
“Our obligation as a government is to take the appropriate measures to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again. But clearly, we all know — Mexicans know — that this is something that had not previously taken place,” she said on Tuesday.
VANCOUVER — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a video address released Sunday that Canada’s strong economic ties to the United States were once a strength but are now a weakness that must be corrected.
In the 10-minute address, Carney spoke about his government’s efforts to strengthen the Canadian economy by attracting new investments and signing trade deals with other countries.
“The world is more dangerous and divided,” Carney said. “The U.S. has fundamentally changed its approach to trade, raising its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression.
“Many of our former strengths, based on our close ties to America, have become weaknesses. Weaknesses that we must correct.”
Carney said tariffs imposed by President Trump have affected workers in the auto and steel industries. He added that businesses are holding back investments “restrained by the pall of uncertainty that’s hanging over all of us.”
Many Canadians have also been angered by Trump’s comments suggesting Canada become the 51st state.
Carney said he plans to give Canadians regular updates on his government’s efforts to diversify away from the U.S.
“Security can’t be achieved by ignoring the obvious or downplaying the very real threats that we Canadians face,” he said. “I promise you I will never sugarcoat our challenges.”
It’s not the first time Carney, who served as a central bank governor, first at the Bank of Canada and later with the Bank of England, has spoken about a shift in world power.
During a speech in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he received widespread praise for condemning economic coercion by great powers against small countries.
His remarks brought a rebuke from Trump.
“Canada lives because of the United States,” Trump said after the speech. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”
There was no immediate White House reaction Sunday to the address.
Carney’s comments came days after securing a majority government following special election wins and as the opposition Conservatives push him to deliver a U.S. trade deal, which was among his promises in last year’s election.
A review of the current version of the North American Free Trade Agreement among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico is scheduled for July.
In his address, Carney said he wants to attract new investments into Canada, double the size of clean energy capacity and reduce trade barriers within the country. He also emphasized Canada’s increased defense spending, reduction in taxes and efforts to make housing more affordable.
“We have to take care of ourselves because we can’t rely on one foreign partner,” he said. “We can’t control the disruption coming from our neighbors. We can’t control our future on the hope it will suddenly stop.
“We can control what happens here. We can build a stronger country that can withstand disruptions from aboard.”
Carney said simply hoping the “United States will return to normal” is not a feasible strategy.
“Hope isn’t a plan and nostalgia is not a strategy,” he said.
Carney said Canada has “been a great neighbor,” standing with the U.S. in conflicts including Afghanistan, plus two World Wars.
“The U.S. has changed and we must respond,” he said. “It’s about taking back control of our security, our borders and our future.”
Morris writes for the Associated Press.
The first goal allowed under the experimental “daylight” offside rule was scored in Canada on Saturday, with Pacific FC forward Alejandro Diaz on target in a 2-2 draw with Halifax Wanderers., external
The strike would have been ruled out elsewhere under the standard International Football Association Board (Ifab) Laws of the Game, but stood under the Canadian Premier League’s ongoing trial conducted in cooperation with Fifa.
The daylight interpretation of offside means there should be a complete gap between the attacker and the second-to-last opposition player – effectively the last defender, given the goalkeeper’s usual positioning.
The CPL is testing the rule this season as part of efforts to reduce marginal offside decisions and encourage attacking play.
The concept, long advocated by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in his role as Fifa’s head of global football development, is being assessed in Canada as a potential change to the offside law.
But critics have suggested that daylight offside will give too much advantage to the attacking team.
The CPL – which does not have video assistant referees (VAR) – is the first top-flight league to try out this new offside rule, with low-level trials held in Italy’s Under-18 Championship in 2023 and in youth competitions in the Netherlands.
Results of the trials will be presented to Ifab at the end of year. If successful, there is the potential for the law to change across the world for the 2027-28 European season.