Critics claim there are signs of US interference in a secession campaign in Alberta Leaders of a Canadian group seeking the secession of the oil-rich province of Alberta have met members of the administration of US President Donald Trump at least three times since last April, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. US officials said the meetings were routine civic engagements and involved no commitment to the separatist cause. However, pro-unity figures in Alberta suspect the campaign is being amplified by foreign actors. The Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) describes itself as an educational initiative advocating independence from Ottawa and opposing globalism and its supporters. The group is gathering signatures for a petition to hold an independence referendum. Provincial election authorities have given it until May to collect at least 177,732 eligible voter signatures to advance. Read more Can this US ally walk the fine line between Beijing and Washington? “The US is ext...
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A working group from the Arctic island has begun discussions with Washington and Copenhagen Greenland has clear “red lines” it will not cross in talks over its future with the US, the island’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has said. The autonomous Danish territory has been at the center of a transatlantic rift since US President Donald Trump announced plans to annex it, citing its mineral wealth and strategic location, while refusing to rule out force and threatening tariffs on opponents of the plan. Last week, however, Trump softened his tone, announcing that he and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte had agreed on a “framework” for a deal on Greenland and Arctic security. Denmark and Greenland later formed a high-level working group with the US to discuss the proposed deal. Speaking at a conference at Paris’ Sciences Po University on Wednesday, Nielsen said the working group had already started meeting and signaled openness to cooperation with Washington on Arctic securi...
The prime minister previously dubbed Beijing a “national security threat” but has insisted on fostering business ties UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in a bid to reset ties marred by years of tension. The visit comes amid a strain in UK-US relations and despite British intelligence services accusing China of espionage – a claim Beijing has denied. Starmer’s trip marks the first British prime ministerial visit to China in eight years. During talks that lasted about 80 minutes, Starmer described the visit as “historic,” telling Xi he wants a “more sophisticated” relationship with China. Starmer added that China is “a vital player on the global stage” and that Britain needs ties that can “identify opportunities to collaborate” while keeping “meaningful dialogue on areas where we disagree.” Read more Trump slams UK for returning territory to former colony Before flying out, Starmer’s spokesman said the government was “clear-e...
Petr Pavel claims a deputy prime minister is “intimidating” him over a blocked nomination Czech President Petr Pavel has accused a senior member of the country’s new Euroskeptic government of attempting to intimidate him into approving a controversial cabinet appointment. The incident is the latest clash between Pavel – a former NATO general – and the government led by Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Pavel said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka crossed the line in text messages to a presidential aide while trying to overcome resistance to the nomination of lawmaker Filip Turek. Macinka leads the Motorists for Themselves party, part of the ruling coalition, where Turek serves as honorary president and regional head. Turek is accused by critics of Nazi sympathies and was recently alleged by the media to have deleted racist Facebook posts – claims he denies. “I can say for myself that I am not subject to any intimidation and I will continue to be guided primarily b...
A 19-year-old plaintiff alleges the platforms fueled depression and suicidal thoughts Global social media giants Meta, TikTok, and YouTube are facing their first-ever product liability trial starting Tuesday in Los Angeles over claims they knowingly designed their platforms to addict and harm children, according to court filings. The plaintiff, a 19-year-old California woman identified as K.G.M., says she became addicted to the companies’ platforms at a young age due to their attention-grabbing design. She alleges the apps contributed to her depression and suicidal thoughts and is seeking to hold the companies liable. Jury selection is set to begin on Tuesday. Her lawsuit is the first of several cases expected to go to trial this year focusing on what plaintiffs describe as “social media addiction” among children. It marks the first time the tech companies will have to defend themselves at trial over alleged harm caused by their products, the plaintiff’s lawyer Matthew Bergman said...
There is no certainty that MEPs will move forward despite Trump revoking his tariffs threat European Parliament lawmakers have declined to resume ratifying a key trade agreement with the US, which they suspended last week amid the dispute over Greenland. The decision on whether to unfreeze the Turnberry Agreement was postponed until next Wednesday, trade committee chair Bernd Lange said after a closed-door debate on Monday. Lange cited lingering uncertainty about a NATO “framework” for US access to the Danish autonomous island and its mineral resources, which has eased but not resolved tensions with Washington. US President Donald Trump withdrew his threat of trade tariffs against nations opposing his bid to acquire Greenland following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte last Wednesday. In response to Trump’s earlier pressure, MEPs had shelved ratification of the trade deal initially unveiled by Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Turnberry,...