Canada votes to elect new government as Liberals close gap on Conservatives
Final polls show a tight race but indicate Carney is the favourite. Voters have consistently seen him as the best candidate to deal with Trump, according to surveys.
The Liberal Party, led by new prime minister Mark Carney (right), had been expected to lose easily to the Conservatives' Pierre Poilievre until Trump's attacks on Canada triggered a shift in poll forecasts. (Photo: Getty Images)
CANADIANS will vote on Monday (28) to elect a new government that will confront threats from the United States and deal directly with president Donald Trump. The Liberals, who were trailing the Conservatives by a wide margin months ago, are now in a close race after a late surge in support.
The Liberal Party, led by new prime minister Mark Carney, had been expected to lose easily to the Conservatives' Pierre Poilievre until Trump's attacks on Canada triggered a shift in poll forecasts.
Carney, 60, replaced Justin Trudeau as prime minister last month and has never held elected office before. He previously worked as an investment banker and served as the central bank governor in both Canada and Britain.
Carney has said his global financial experience has prepared him to guide Canada's response to Trump's tariffs. He has promised to revitalise internal trade and expand Canada's economic opportunities abroad to reduce reliance on the United States, which he says "we can no longer trust."
"The United States under Trump wants to break us, so they can own us," Carney has warned during the campaign.
"We don't need chaos, we need calm. We don't need anger, we need an adult," he said in the final days of the campaign.
Poilievre, a 45-year-old career politician, has focused on domestic issues, particularly the rising cost of living that made Trudeau unpopular toward the end of his decade in power.
The Conservative leader has said Carney would continue what he calls "the lost Liberal decade," and that only a Conservative government can address crime, housing shortages and other domestic priorities.
"You cannot handle another four years of this," Poilievre said over the weekend.
While Poilievre has criticised Trump, he said poor Liberal governance over the past ten years had left Canada vulnerable to a more hostile United States.
'A good pick'
Final polls show a tight race but indicate Carney is the favourite. Voters have consistently seen him as the best candidate to deal with Trump, according to surveys.
Jeff Sims, who lives near Ottawa in Quebec, said Carney has "the pedigree" to be prime minister.
"Two central banks under his belt, I think that's a good pick," the 46-year-old told AFP on Sunday.
At a Conservative rally over the weekend in Oakville, west of Toronto, Janice Wyner said Carney represented no real change from Trudeau.
"Trudeau's policies stunk and it's the same party," she told AFP.
"Canada is just in a mess. I'm 70 years old. It's not even a country that I recognise and I'm worried for my grandkids."
Nadine Sokol, a 41-year-old living near Ottawa, said "the threat coming from the US" was her "number one issue."
Historic turnaround
A Liberal victory would mark one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Canadian political history.
On January 6, when Trudeau announced he would resign, the Conservatives led the Liberals by more than 20 points in most polls, and Poilievre appeared on course to become prime minister.
Carney's replacement of Trudeau and concerns over Trump changed the race.
Public broadcaster CBC's poll aggregator on Sunday put Liberal national support at 42.8 per cent and the Conservatives at 38.8 per cent.
As in US elections, national polling may not directly predict the result.
The performance of smaller parties such as the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Bloc Québécois will also be watched.
In previous elections, strong NDP results in Ontario and British Columbia, and Bloc gains in Quebec, have limited Liberal seat counts. However, polls suggest both smaller parties could face setbacks this time.
Nearly 29 million Canadians are eligible to vote, out of a population of around 41 million. A record 7.3 million people have already cast advanced ballots.
Polls open at 8:30 am local time in the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Canada spans six time zones.
Voters will elect 343 members of parliament, with 172 seats needed for a majority. The Liberals won a majority in 2015 but have governed with a minority since 2019.
Pakistan Rangers and Indian Border Security Force soldiers lower their national flags at the India-Pakistan joint check post at Wagah border. (Photo: Reuters)
INDIA will urge the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to put Pakistan back on its “grey list” and will oppose upcoming World Bank funding to Islamabad, a senior government official in New Delhi told Reuters on Friday.
The move is part of India’s response to what it alleges are Pakistan-backed terrorist attacks, including one last month in Kashmir that killed 26 Hindu pilgrims. India has also decided to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.
“We will not miss any opportunity in opposing Pakistan and the next one is funding by World Bank, and we will raise our protest there too,” the Indian official told Reuters.
Pakistan was removed from the FATF grey list in 2022, which improved its standing with global lenders. The grey list includes countries under increased monitoring for shortcomings in their financial systems related to terrorist financing.
The Indian official said Pakistan had not met the necessary conditions for its removal from the grey list and should be re-listed.
India has also told the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that Pakistan’s arms purchases increased after it received IMF loans, according to the official.
The FATF, World Bank, and IMF did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Pakistan secured a $7 billion bailout from the IMF last year and a new $1.4 bn arrangement this month under a climate resilience programme.
At a press conference in Washington on Thursday, IMF director Julie Kozack said Pakistan had met all its targets and had made progress on reforms, which led the board to approve the programme.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that Pakistan, its army and its economy would “have to pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack.”
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Friday said Apple could face a 25 per cent tariff if iPhones sold in the United States were not manufactured domestically, a move that impacted the company’s stock price.
Trump has frequently criticised companies for producing goods outside the US, and his direct mention of Apple for potential tariffs was unusual.
Although iPhones are designed in the United States, most of the assembly takes place in China, which remains involved in a tense trade dispute with the US.
Apple has announced plans to shift parts of its production to countries such as India, but Trump said this was not an acceptable solution.
“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“If that is not the case, a tariff of at least 25 percent must be paid by Apple to the US,” he added.
Trump repeated similar comments last week while visiting Qatar, where he called on Apple to move iPhone manufacturing to the US.
“I had a little problem with Tim Cook,” Trump said on May 15.
He added that he told the Apple CEO: “We’re not interested in you building in India... we want you to build here and they’re going to be upping their production in the United States.”
Analysts have said moving iPhone production to the US would be a major challenge and could take years, if possible at all.
Wedbush Securities estimates that about 90 per cent of Apple’s iPhone manufacturing and assembly still happens in China.
“Reshoring iPhone production to the United States is a fairy tale that is not feasible,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a note.
Apple’s share price has dropped more than 20 per cent since Trump took office, amid ongoing trade-related pressure.
On Friday, the company’s stock was trading down nearly three per cent.
During Trump’s first term, Apple was largely exempted from some of the administration’s trade measures against China. But the company is now facing more direct criticism.
Last month, Tim Cook warned about the uncertain effects of US tariffs on Chinese goods, some of which had reached as high as 145 per cent, though high-end tech products like smartphones had temporary exemptions.
Cook said Apple expects to pay $900 million in tariffs this quarter.
“Prices of handsets look set to rise, given iPhones will end up being more expensive, if the threats turn into concrete trade policy,” said Susannah Streeter, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
“While die-hard fans will still be prepared to pay big bucks for Apple’s kit, it’ll be much harder for the middle-class masses who are already dealing with price hikes on other goods, from Nike trainers to toys sold in Walmart,” she added.
Last week, the US and China agreed to reduce some of the tariffs on each other’s goods for 90 days, offering a brief pause in the ongoing trade conflict.
(With inputs from agencies)
FILE PHOTO: Apple iPhones are seen inside India's first Apple retail store in Mumbai, India, April 17, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
FILE PHOTO: Apple iPhones are seen inside India's first Apple retail store in Mumbai, India, April 17, 2023. REUTERS/Francis MascarenhasREUTERS
A MAJOR public inquiry into the Nottingham attacks will investigate why police failed to conduct drug tests on killer Valdo Calocane following his deadly rampage, the government has confirmed.
The 33-year-old fatally stabbed university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both aged 19, along with school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, before attempting to murder three others in June 2023.
Despite being charged initially with murder, prosecutors accepted a manslaughter plea based on diminished responsibility due to Calocane's paranoid schizophrenia. He received an indefinite hospital order but victims' relatives have consistently questioned the absence of toxicology testing.
The Ministry of Justice announced on Thursday (22) that the inquiry's scope will include examining "any assessment of medical and mental health issues and drug testing, and provision of appropriate medical support" during Calocane's detention, reported The Telegraph.
Fresh details have emerged about Calocane's movements before the killings. The previous evening, he travelled to London where he attended a gathering with a violent, cannabis-using criminal. He then returned to Nottingham by train, wearing all-black clothing and carrying a double-edged knife, before launching his attack in the early morning hours of June 13.
Following his arrest, Calocane refused permission for blood or urine samples to be taken. Crucially, officers also failed to collect hair samples for analysis, despite this being standard procedure.
The inquiry will scrutinise Nottinghamshire Police's forensic approach, including "the lack of toxicology and decisions made with regards to taking samples". It will also examine whether sufficient information was gathered before accepting the diminished responsibility plea.
During sentencing proceedings, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, Grace's father, challenged the absence of drug testing immediately after the murders. Medical experts maintained there was no indication that substance abuse contributed to Calocane's deteriorating mental state.
Senior retired judge Deborah Taylor, who previously sentenced former tennis champion Boris Becker for financial crimes, will lead the investigation. The inquiry is expected to conclude within two years with recommendations to prevent similar tragedies.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct previously found that officers inadequately investigated an earlier assault by Calocane on warehouse staff, which might have prevented the later murders.
The inquiry will also examine alleged unauthorised access to victims' medical records by healthcare workers, which families described as "sickening" and "inexcusable". Three police officers faced disciplinary action for improperly viewing case materials, whilst staff from prison services and court systems also allegedly breached data protection rules.
Lord chancellor Shabana Mahmood said, "The bereaved families and survivors of the Nottingham attacks, who have suffered so much, deserve to know how these horrific incidents were able to happen. I know her honour Deborah Taylor will undertake a fearless and thorough examination of the facts to prevent tragedies like this happening again."
As the second anniversary approaches, victims' families plan to return to Nottingham to commemorate their loved ones.
Barnaby's mother, Emma Webber, criticised local authorities' lack of support, saying: "Whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, we will ensure justice is served, and all of those who failed will be held fully to account."
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The industrial action began with around 500 workers on April 9
Hundreds of Heathrow workers assisting passengers with restricted mobility will intensify their strike, if the unequal pay issue remains unresolved, warns a union.
The members of Unite are paid 10% less than the Wilson James staff at the Gatwick Airport. Employees who manage between 4,000 and 6,000 passengers each day are upset regarding this bias.
Around 800 members of Unite employed by Wilson James are taking industrial action now, which could add to further walkouts, said Unite.
Protest also took place outside Heathrow’s head offices on Thursday, demanding the intervention of airport’s management in the issue.
“Wilson James can well afford to put forward an acceptable offer. Heathrow bosses need to tell the company to do just that, otherwise these strikes will continue to intensify with Unite's full support”, said Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary.
The industrial action began with around 500 workers on April 9, later joined by more than 300 colleagues. The latest walk out was held on Monday and Tuesday, followed by the strike yesterday.
The union announced that the strikes shall intensify over the summer, if a resolution is not made.
Wilson James achieved a gross profit of £35.4 million in July 2024, with a 17.7% hike in overall turnover. On the other hand, Heathrow Airport Limited reported pre-tax profits around £1 billion in 2024.
"We are disappointed that Unite members within our Assistance Service have chosen to take industrial action again, despite ongoing efforts to resolve concerns collaboratively. Our priority remains delivering a safe and reliable service for passengers, especially those who rely on our support”, stated a Wilson James spokesperson.
"We have implemented contingency measures to minimise disruption at Heathrow and continue to value a constructive and respectful dialogue with our colleagues and their trade union representatives," the spokesperson added.
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Inaugurated last year by prime minister Narendra Modi, the sanctuary reportedly houses over 10,000 animals from 330 species, including tigers, elephants, Komodo dragons, and giant anteaters. (Photo: X/@narendramodi)
A wildlife sanctuary run by the Ambani family in Gujarat, India, has come under scrutiny following investigations by international media outlets, including Süddeutsche Zeitung, for the scale and sourcing of its animal population.
The Vantara complex, spread over 3,500 acres on a former oil refinery site, is led by Anant Ambani, son of India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani. Inaugurated last year by prime minister Narendra Modi, the sanctuary reportedly houses over 10,000 animals from 330 species, including tigers, elephants, Komodo dragons, and giant anteaters.
According to Süddeutsche Zeitung and partner publications in Venezuela and Austria, Vantara acquired around 39,000 animals through Indian import channels—nearly double the number at London Zoo. The reports allege that some of these animals are from protected species, raising concerns about potential breaches of international wildlife trade regulations.
Vantara has dismissed these claims as “baseless,” “misleading” and an “intentional smear.” In a statement, it said, “To suggest that our work fosters [the] illegal wildlife trade is a gross misrepresentation. We collaborate with the authorities to combat illegal trafficking and provide a lawful, ethical sanctuary for rescued animals.”
The investigation also linked Vantara to a reptile zoo in Forchtenstein, Austria, which reportedly supplied 1,800 animals, including albino alligators and venomous snakes. Vantara, the Ambani family, and the Austrian zoo declined to comment.
Despite concerns from German conservationists and limited access for independent experts, Vantara maintains that all animals were transferred legally for rehabilitation, without any commercial transactions. “We do not treat animals as commodities and do not engage in commercial trade in animals,” a representative told Himal Southasian, a Sri Lanka-based magazine, last year.