• EU chief continues to push making Canada an associate member despite objections

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-29 15:14:58.0
  Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Governance, International]

  European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pushed for Canada to become an associate member of the European Union during a summit in Montreal, despite objections and internal resistance from member states like Germany. The formal title "associate member" was dropped from a joint statement negotiated by Prime Minister Mark Carney and European officials, replaced instead with a commitment to an "ever closer association" covering areas such as artificial intelligence, climate, energy, and security. The diplomatic push and broader bilateral trade discussions also drew scrutiny and retaliation threats from United States President Donald Trump.

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• Canada, U.K., France to ban trade of goods from Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-08 18:17:04.0
  Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Governance, International]

  Canada, the United Kingdom, and France announced a joint ban on the trade and import of goods originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The U.K. government additionally implemented targeted sanctions against specific individuals and companies providing services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion. The coordinated trade measures follow the Israeli government's announcement of tenders for the construction of 1,200 settler homes in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced countermeasures, including closing Britain's consulate in East Jerusalem and ending U.K. training of Palestinian Authority security forces.

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