Tim Houston says he's looking at a number of ways the province could step up in a challenging time. Michael Gorman has the story.

A woman who says she was sexually assaulted by her elementary school gym teacher more than 30 years ago is telling her story at his criminal trial this week in Dartmouth provincial court.

Premier Tim Houston told reporters Wednesday that while the country's premiers acknowledge trade barriers have to come down, he was "less than impressed" with the urgency of some unnamed trade ministers during a meeting in Toronto on Friday.

Tuesday’s event was a call to action for citizens to campaign against foreign interference in Canadian politics.

The post ‘Not just Musk who intends to influence the Canadian election,’ Democracy Watch says appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

The Financial Measures Act introduced Wednesday is aimed at reducing red tape and modernizing legislation, says Finance Minister John Lohr.

The Town of Amherst received over $2 million through the federal Housing Accelerator Fund that will help streamline the construction of 67 housing units in the area.

A major energy infrastructure project that will double the capacity of power lines between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will be paid for, in part, by the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

"The world needs Americans to step up right now because it’s clear we can’t count on their disruptive leader,” Premier Tim Houston said.

The post N.S. premier urges Americans to pressure Trump to call off tariffs appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Those local businesses in downtown Halifax and hidden gems across the province are being impacted already by the U.S. tariffs imposed on Canadian goods.

On March 4, the 25 per cent tariffs on goods across the southern border came into effect, triggering a trade war between Canada and U.S. Choice words have been exchanged by leaders on the topic, including the province’s Premier Tim Houston, who called President Donald Trump “short-sighted.”

In retaliation to the “unjustified” tariffs, according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada and its provinces and territories are hitting back.

But those caught in the middle of the trade war continue to be the consumers and local businesses.

Paul MacKinnon, CEO of Downtown Halifax Business Commission told CityNews in an interview that supporting local business is more important than ever.

“When we talk about buying local, it typically is about, supporting locally owned businesses,” he said. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean that all the products in those stores are made in Nova Scotia or Canada.”

The “Buy Canadian” trend started when the first threats of tariffs were made over a month ago, with many people turning to alternative products. However, MacKinnon fears some businesses that rely on manufacturers down south could be hit even harder if people start boycotting anything to do with the U.S.

A lot of the messaging from governments and organization groups is asking people to buy Canadian products, which keeps money within the country.

“There’s definitely lots of concern from downtown main streets, like there is across the entire country about what this is going to be,” he said.

Price increases ‘overnight’ on some products

One of those niche downtown businesses who rely on U.S. made products is Halifax Folklore, a company focused on repairing and selling stringed instruments.

Although there are some manufacturers in Canada that make instruments, Noah Tye, the manager at the store, said some of the smaller accessories only come from the States. He told CityNews that 95 per cent of the strings they buy are from down south.

“Very few manufacturers set up to deal in steel and winding…We’re in a great buy Canadian kick, which is awesome, but there are certain things that it’s just really not possible to suddenly have a Canadian-made string company burst onto the scene,” he said.

Just overnight there was an 8 to 9 per cent increase on some items, Tye said, while distributors are urging them to stock up because costs are rising further. Part of the issue with tariffs is trying to plan for the future. Although the company can stock up on some items and accessories, it’s very difficult to figure out all the necessities over an unknown period of time.

Like many small businesses, Halifax Folklore is in a niche market in an economy that already fluctuates often, so Tye said he is good at “rolling with the punches.”

“Especially in our little shop, we just sort of try and make the music to make people happy…So maybe we’ll get a few good songs out of it,” he said.

Tourism businesses seeing impacts

The sentiment of support local business and asking Canadians to tour in the country is also a difficult topic to navigate, MacKinnon from Downtown Halifax Business Commission explained, since they don’t want to be seen as “anti-American.”

“For the tourism industry and individual tourism operators, how do you balance that by saying ‘Hey, stay in Canada, if you’re Canadian, but if you’re American, please come to Canada.’ That’ll be an interesting dance,” he said.

Ambassatours, a boating excursions company around the Halifax area, has a lot of American tourists every year. Dennis Campbell, the CEO, told CityNews that he hasn’t seen any steep declines yet.

“In fact, American business is up very nicely over last year, but we are seeing a very, very obvious uptick in our Canadian business and also an uptick in our European business,” Campbell said. “It’s certainly encouraging at this point, but we’re going to really keep a close eye on things and see how things unfold.”

One of the things that could be hit hard is fuel prices, which could impact Ambassatours. However, Campbell said in the past they “eat it to a point” before being forced to add a fuel surcharge.

The company relies on cruise ships docking in Halifax, which are reporting to Campbell that numbers are very high and pacing well compared to this time last year.

Discover Halifax says tourism in Halifax Regional Municipality reached another record year in 2024. The organization said the number of hotel room nights sold reached roughly 1,629,000 in 2024, up 2.6 per cent from the previous high in 2023.

The Port of Halifax says the April 4 to Nov. 19 season is the longest to date. It is scheduled for 188 calls and nearly 330,000 cruise guests in Halifax. There will be six inaugural calls from vessels visiting Halifax for the first time, and 52 days will see multiple ships dock here.

“We’re hearing a very definite ‘We’re going to travel soon and travel within Canada or go overseas.’ We’ve already had Europeans book on those flights and already booked their tours with us, higher than we generally would see,” Campbell said.

With files from CityNews Halifax’s Mark Hodgins.

One professor says the municipality should reconsider having police respond to people in mental health distress.

Officials say it could mean more spending on infrastructure construction and repairs.

MASERU, Lesotho (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says no one has ever heard of Lesotho. The foreign minister of the small African kingdom tells The Associated Press that Trump should “speak for himself.”

“It is surprising and disappointing that he claimed no one knows Lesotho, especially given that the U.S. has an embassy here,” minster Lejone Mpotjoane said, a day after Trump’s dismissive comment in a speech to Congress caused some laughter. “He should speak for himself and not generalize.”

Mpotjoane said Trump appeared to pick on Lesotho because it isn’t a rich country, but warned: “One day America may need Lesotho’s support.”

In fact, Trump’s key adviser Elon Musk has already sought it.

Trump mocked Lesotho while criticizing some U.S. foreign aid contracts as a waste of money in his 99-minute speech on Tuesday.

“Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of,” Trump said, struggling to pronounce the name correctly as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson, sitting behind him, grinned.

But Musk in September was meeting with Lesotho’s prime minister, Sam Matekane, while trying to do business with the southern African nation.

Musk’s Starlink internet satellite service, a subsidiary of SpaceX, has applied for a license to operate in Lesotho. It’s one of several African countries where it is bidding to win contracts. The Lesotho Communications Authority said last month it recently received Starlink’s bid for a 10-year license.

Musk was born in South Africa, which surrounds Lesotho and its 2.3 million people.

He met with Matekane on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Matekane posted a photo on X of them shaking hands. The message said in part: “Exciting developments lie ahead.”

But Musk also has been instrumental in the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development in his role as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency.

Those cuts have threatened Lesotho’s HIV program and forced it to lay off at least 1,500 health workers — about 7% of the country’s health staff — in what the government has described as a severe blow. U.S. aid has been credited with helping Lesotho provide life-saving treatment to more than 200,000 people living with HIV.

Lesotho has received American assistance for nearly 20 years through USAID, which gave it over $44 million last year. The dismantling of the agency and widespread terminations of U.S. foreign aid contracts have hit Africa harder than any other region.

Lesotho’s foreign minister, asked about Trump’s comment on promoting LGBTQI+ in his country, said he was not aware of the $8 million contract Trump mentioned because USAID funding was largely channeled through non-governmental organizations. The minister didn’t comment on the U.S. aid cuts.

Lesotho repealed its laws against homosexuality in 2012 but same-sex marriages are still not recognized, and activists say LGBTQ people face stigma and discrimination.

This wasn’t the first time Trump has been disparaging about Africa. During his first term, he used a crude expletive that refers to a pit latrine to describe some African countries.

___

Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.

___

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Keketso Phakela And Gerald Imray, The Associated Press

Halifax Regional Police have charged a man with stunting near Fall River.

On Tuesday, at roughly 3:30 p.m., police caught a driver, outbound on Highway 102 towards Fall River, going 156 km/h in a 100 km/h zone.

Police said a 20-year-old man was ticketed for stunting, a charge that is automatically laid when a vehicle is travelling more than 50 km/h over the speed limit.

Stunting in Nova Scotia comes with a fine of $2,422.50 and six points are assigned to the driver’s record. In addition, the driver was suspended for seven days, and the vehicle was seized.

Nova Scotia’s premier did not mince words on Wednesday as he spoke out against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods.

“Canadians are a kind people, but we have limits and in the face of President Trump’s insults, spin and now tariffs, we’ve reached our limit,” Houston told reporters in Halifax. “We are angry, hurt and feeling betrayed by a friend and neighbour.”

The premier, who has spent several days in Washington in recent weeks amid the tariff threat, says he believes the economic attack “makes no sense” to many in the United States.

“American elected officials are quietly shaking their heads,” Houston said. “American business leaders are also shaking their heads, but a little less quietly, thankfully. The world needs Americans to step up right now, because it is clear that we cannot count on their disruptive leader.”

Supports for Nova Scotia

The premier says government is continuing to work to determine the best way to support Nova Scotians. The recent provincial budget set aside $200 million to be used as needed if tariffs have an impact on the Nova Scotia economy.

“What those supports will look like will be determined over the coming days in conjunction with the federal government, but we’re looking at options like EI top-ups, like buying goods from cancelled projects and re-training options for workers,” Houston said.

The premier added the volatility from the U.S. administration is making it more difficult to plan supports, given uncertainty about how long tariffs could be in place.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has paused its intelligence sharing with Ukraine, cutting off the flow of vital information that has helped the war-torn nation target Russian invaders, but Trump administration officials said Wednesday that positive talks between Washington and Kyiv mean it may only be a short suspension.

Information about Russia’s intentions and military movements has been critical to Ukraine’s defense and a strong indication of support from the U.S. and other Western allies. The suspension comes after Trump paused military aid to Ukraine and is another indication of how he has transformed America’s relationship with close allies.

“We have taken a step back and are pausing and reviewing all aspects of this relationship,” national security adviser Mike Waltz said Wednesday.

Comments from top Trump administration officials suggest the pause is part of the broader negotiations between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate a peace deal with Russia, and that intelligence could begin flowing to Ukraine again soon.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe called the suspension a “pause” and said it came after the disastrous meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office last week. Ratcliffe said Trump wanted to know that Zelenskyy was serious about peace.

“On the military front and the intelligence front, the pause that allowed that to happen will go away, and I think we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we have,” Ratcliffe said.

The CIA declined to respond to questions about the change in intelligence sharing.

Ukraine could soon be receiving intelligence from the U.S. once Zelenskyy shows to Trump he is serious about participating in talks on Trump’s terms, Waltz said on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends.”

“I think if we can nail down these negotiations and move towards these negotiations and, in fact, put some confidence building measures on the table, then the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause,” he said. “We have to know that both sides are sincerely negotiating towards a partial, then permanent, peace.”

Officials in Ukraine declined to comment Wednesday on the relationship.

It’s unclear whether the American suspension affects the intelligence sharing ties between Ukraine and other Western powers, including four of the Five Eyes, an intelligence sharing coalition of the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and New Zealand.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman, Dave Pares, would not confirm whether the U.K. is still supplying Ukraine with intelligence from the United States.

He said Britain was “will do everything to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position across all aspects of our support, particularly around defense and security, and our position hasn’t changed.”

___

Associated Press writer Jill Lawless contributed to this report from London.

David Klepper And Darlene Superville, The Associated Press

"AI art, as practiced by the right, says that there are no rules but the naked exercise of power."

The post Why the right loves the AI aesthetic, and other essays of note appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

An extended trade war with the United States will have an impact on what you pay for a wide range of goods, but one of the most immediate effects will be on food as Canada’s retaliatory tariffs push up the price of U.S. imports.

However, one analyst believes Ottawa’s two-stage approach to the levies on American goods will mitigate the impact on Canadians.

“In Canada, I do think the two-pronged approach will soften the blow for consumers,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. “The second wave of tariffs in 21 days will be more impactful.” 

However, Charlebois adds that shoppers are already finding alternatives at the grocery store and will continue to search for cheaper, non-American goods.

“There are substitutes out there for anything impacted by tariffs. The other thing we are noticing is that demand for American products is shrinking.”

Some produce wholesalers predict consumers will see a spike in certain products very quickly.

“Some things like celery, like broccoli, like cauliflower and the lettuces are predominantly coming from the United States at this time of the year,” said Larry Davidson, who runs North American Produce in the Greater Toronto Area.

“Some of that stuff will be immediately, potentially, out of reach for consumers. You’re looking at a dollar or a dollar-and-a-half a pound, maybe more, depending on the item,” he told CityNews.

Beyond the potentially crippling hit to the country’s auto sector, the trade war is also set to push up the prices of new vehicles in Canada by hundreds or even thousands of dollars within months, depending on final U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum.

“When you stack on those extra tariffs, that’s quickly where you get to the thousands-dollars-plus of what new vehicle prices are potentially going to go up by,” said BMO economist Erik Johnson.

He adds that other impacts may be less direct but will still add up.

“The company that I’m ultimately buying a box of cereal from or a piece of furniture from, or even the condo that I’m renting or going to move into, parts of that condo will have components that were made in the United States. That is where we can see the broader effects of this,” said Johnson.

Meanwhile, Charlebois suggests the effects of the trade war could be compounded if the Canadian dollar crashes.

“It’s not going to help. A lot of things we import from all over the world, not just America. That could actually end up costing us more as consumers, and that is beyond the control of any governments.”

With files from Shilpa Downton and Shauna Hunt.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said there might be carveouts coming to the 25% tariffs placed on Canada and Mexico by President Donald Trump, a sudden backing away after Tuesday’s tax hike hurt the stock market, worried consumers and started a trade war.

In a Wednesday interview with Bloomberg Television, Lutnick said that Trump would update his tariff plans with an afternoon announcement, possibly sparing sectors such as autos from the import taxes.

“There are going to be tariffs, let’s be clear,” Lutnick said. “But what he’s thinking about is which sections of the market that can maybe — maybe — he’ll consider giving them relief until we get to, of course, April 2.”

On April 2, Trump plans to announce what he calls “reciprocal” tariffs to match the tariffs, taxes and subsidies provided by other countries. That could dramatically increase the tariff rates charged globally and means that there continues to be the risk of a broader tariff.

Lutnick said he would talk on Wednesday morning with Trump about the possible options regarding Canada and Mexico, saying that both countries are working to address the U.S. president’s concerns about drug trafficking. Lutnick said to expect Trump to announce his decision Wednesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, Trump put 25% taxes on imports from Mexico and Canada, taxing Canadian energy products such as oil and electricity at a lower 10% rate. The president also doubled the 10% tariff he placed on China to 20%. The administration has said the tariffs are about stopping the smuggling of drugs such as fentanyl, but Trump also suggested that the tariffs are about getting rid of persistent U.S. trade deficits.

The taxes almost immediately triggered retaliatory measures by Canada and China, with Mexico planning to announce its response on Sunday. The U.S. stock market has given up all of the gains since Trump’s victory in last year’s presidential election and consumers are already exhausted by inflation and worried the costs of the tax hike would lead to higher prices. Those concerns may have prompted Lutnick to signal a possible retreat in a Tuesday afternoon interview with the Fox Business Network.

“I think he’s going to figure out, you do more, and I’ll meet you in the middle in some way,” Lutnick told Fox Business Network, remarks that caused the stock market to pare its losses on the day.

But in his joint address to Congress on Tuesday night, Trump seemed intent on pushing forward with tariffs.

The U.S. president tried to play down the possible economic harm as “a little disturbance,” as the administration has suggested that the estimates of higher inflation and slower growth in most outside economic forecasts are overblown.

“It may be a little bit of an adjustment period,” he said after claiming that farmers would benefit from reciprocal tariffs on countries that have tariffs on U.S. exports. “You have to bear with me again and this will be even better.”

Still, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau interpreted Trump’s tariffs as nothing less than a betrayal of the friendship between the two nations.

Trudeau said his country would plaster tariffs on over $100 billion (U.S. dollars) of American goods over the course of 21 days.

“Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense,” Trudeau said.

Josh Boak, The Associated Press

Intact Financial Corporation is doubling down on its investment in women’s sports.

Intact Insurance, whose partnership with the Professional Women’s Hockey League was announced in November, is becoming a “founding partner” of the Northern Super League, Canada’s new pro women’s soccer league.

“At Intact, we invest in women’s sports because it’s both a smart business decision and a powerful way to contribute to a more equitable and vibrant future,” said Imen Zitouni, Intact’s senior vice-president and chief marketing officer. “By supporting these incredible role models, we aim to inspire the next generation of athletes and make a positive impact on our communities.”

Intact is also partnering with three of the league’s six clubs — the Montreal Roses, Ottawa Rapid FC and AFC Toronto — with the company having a “good percentage” of its customers in Quebec and Ontario. It says it will collaborate with the NSL on “community initiatives to expand access to the game for underserved communities.”

The multi-year PWHL agreement sees Intact as a founding partner for the league’s three Canadian teams: the Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge and Toronto Sceptres.

Wednesday’s announcement comes three days ahead of International Women’s Day.

The Northern Super League kicks off April 16 with Vancouver Rise FC hosting the Calgary Wild at B.C. Place Stadium. Three days later, AFC Toronto hosts Montreal at BMO Field.

Intact also sponsors the Montreal Canadiens, Speedskating Canada and operates the Centre de glaces Intact Assurance in Quebec City, a facility that hosts various community sports programs.

The company says it has focused on diversity within its corporate structure, with 44 percent of its Canadian leadership positions held by women.

“It is as important for us to also make sure that we live those values externally as well,” said Zitouni. “And in this case through sports specifically.”

Other NSL partnerships include Canadian Tire, SportChek, DoorDash, Coca-Cola, WestJet and Westland Insurance.

—

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

Three piglets which were being allowed to starve as part of a controversial art exhibition in Denmark that had drawn international attention have been stolen, the artist said on Wednesday.

Chilean-born Marco Evaristti said he had been aiming to raise awareness of the suffering caused by mass meat production with his art installation that opened last week in Copenhagen. The piglets were being denied food and water and would have been allowed to starve to death.

But in an unexpected twist Evaristti has revealed that the piglets — dubbed Lucia, Simon and Benjamin — were taken by animal rights activists who were assisted by his friend, Caspar Steffensen.

“I called up police on Saturday to report the piglets stolen and I had to shut down the entire exhibition because of that — so I was very disappointed when Caspar told me on Tuesday that he was involved in the theft,” said Evaristti, who claimed to have received hate mail.

“But then I thought about it for a few hours and realized that at least this way the piglets would have a happy life,” he added.

Copenhagen police confirmed Wednesday that it had received reports “that the pigs had been stolen from the exhibition.”

Evaristti’s “And Now You Care” exhibition involved a makeshift cage created with shopping carts containing the three piglets. He said the intention of the art installation was to raise awareness about the cruelties of modern pig production in Denmark.

The Animal Protection Denmark welfare group says that sows are bred in the Danish pig industry to produce about 20 piglets at a time, but only have 14 teats, forcing the piglets to compete for breastmilk, leading to starvation of many.

However, several animal rights groups expressed concern about Evaristti’s exhibition, saying that while they welcomed initiatives to raise awareness they did not condone the abuse of animals.

Steffensen said he could not allow the three animals to face a painful death after his 10-year-old daughter had begged him to “make sure the piggies won’t die.”

“So when I was approached by an activist to help free the animals, I let them into the gallery secretively on Saturday,” Steffensen told the AP.

He said he wasn’t initially planning to tell Evaristti about the removal of the pigs, but when the animal advocate group De Glemte Danske posted a statement online Tuesday saying it had rescued the piglets, the secret operation became public.

Evaristti says he is already developing ways to revive the exhibition. One idea is to steal dead piglets from meat processing plants and present them to the public. He also wants to buy another three piglets — not to starve, but to auction to the highest bidder promising them a happy life.

“I got a lot of hate messages from around the world — I think people don’t get that my art is about animals rights,” Evaristti said.

Kirsten Grieshaber, The Associated Press

TORONTO — Home sales in the Greater Toronto Area fell by more than one-quarter in February compared with a year ago despite buyers maintaining “substantial” negotiating power.

The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says 4,037 homes were sold last month, down 27.4 per cent compared with 5,562 in February 2024. Sales were down 28.5 per cent from January on a seasonally adjusted basis.

The average selling price declined 2.2 per cent compared with a year earlier to $1,084,547, as the composite benchmark price, meant to represent the typical home, was down 1.8 per cent year-over-year.

Meanwhile, 12,066 properties were newly listed in the GTA last month, up 5.4 per cent compared with last year, as total inventory in the region soared 76 per cent to 19,536.

The board says an anticipated decline in borrowing costs in the coming months should improve affordability, as some buyers remain concerned over the current monthly payments on a typical property.

TRREB chief market analyst Jason Mercer says macroeconomic factors such as Canada’s imperiled trade relationship with the U.S. are also spooking would-be buyers who are taking “a wait-and-see attitude towards buying a home.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2025.

The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: 4a40161e60b80cc974ae421fc92112e919535f6f5293c3c5b23c74f0239436f8.jpg, Caption:

The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says home sales fell by more than one-quarter in February compared with a year ago despite buyers maintaining “substantial” negotiating power. The CN Tower can be seen behind condos in Toronto’s Liberty Village community in Toronto on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

–>

The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs is again calling out Premier Tim Houston for a lack of consultation as the provincial government pushes a new emphasis on natural resource development.

The demolition of a colourful row of buildings that stood between Queen and Birmingham streets in Halifax has begun. 

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Coun. Steve Parsons says turbines could be at sea off Nova Scotia in nine years, so now's the time to line up infrastructure and services to support the coming industry.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s President Peter Pellegrini swore in a new minister of tourism and sports on Wednesday in a reshuffle aimed to stabilize the government.

The appointment of Rudolf Huliak came two weeks after the three parties in the governing coalition agreed on a move to increase the power of the Smer (Direction) party of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Under the agreement, the coalition’s two junior partners — the Hlas (Voice) party and the ultranationalist and pro-Russian Slovak National Party — gave up control of one ministry each to Smer.

With the addition of the ministries overseeing investments, regional development and information and tourism and sports, Smer now controls nine ministries, Hlas six and the Slovak National Party two.

The deal was a result of a recent crisis in the coalition that risked its parliamentary majority.

The coalition had 79 seats in the 150-seat parliament known as the National Council before four Hlas lawmakers and three others, including Huliak, in the Slovak National Party parted from their parliamentary factions. The lawmakers did not join the opposition but have demanded posts in the government, parliament and state institutions in exchange for their loyalty.

That has made it difficult for the government to advance its agenda.

Huliak is not a member of the Slovak National Party but heads a fringe, far-right National Coalition party.

Pellegrini’s predecessor, Zuzana Čaputová, refused to accept Huliak’s nomination for the post of environment minister after the 2023 parliamentary election. Čaputová said she would not appoint as minister someone who doesn’t believe in the threat of climate change.

She also cited Huliak’s advocacy of violence against environmentalists as a reason not to swear him in. Huliak, the mayor of Očová town in central Slovakia, has also attacked LGBTQ+ people and the European Union and expressed pro-Russian views.

Fico has yet to announce his plans with the Investments, Regional Development and Information Ministry.

Fico’s government has faced vocal protests against its pro-Russian and other policies.

The Associated Press

Nova Scotia’s premier is inviting major international developers and investors to do business with the province in an effort to advance critical mineral opportunities.

Premier Tim Houston attended a major international mining conference yesterday where he spoke about the province’s critical minerals.

“Nova Scotia has the critical minerals that the world needs for clean energy, food production, defence, healthcare, and more. We can be a reliable, ethical, sustainable source of these materials and reap the economic rewards for Nova Scotians,” said Premier Houston. “We are lifting bans, breaking down barriers, and inviting good companies to come talk to us about investing in Nova Scotia. We’re also taking steps in the province to better understand the full potential of our critical mineral resources.”

According to the province, the Department of Natural Resources is using $1 million from Natural Resources Canada for two projects to learn more about how the province’s critical minerals can be developed.

“The effective management of our natural resources starts with good data and ends with jobs for Nova Scotians. We are dedicated to understanding every opportunity to responsibly develop and use the critical minerals we have beneath our feet. We’re also committed to breaking down barriers within Nova Scotia and across the country to strengthen our position as we face the threat of tariffs. We’re at a pivotal moment in time where we can attract more good-paying jobs, become more self-reliant, and create a brighter future for everyone,” said Tory Rushton, Nova Scotia Minister of Natural Resources.

Half the funding will be used to study how these minerals can be extracted, while the other half will be used to create a model of critical mineral potential in Nova Scotia.

“Nova Scotia has tremendous potential for the critical minerals that are essential to achieving climate goals, such as lithium, copper, and many more. Premier Houston’s attendance at Canada’s biggest mining industry event will help us attract investment in our critical minerals sector, create more jobs for Nova Scotians, and generate more government revenue to help pay for programs like health and education. It tells the world that the Government of Nova Scotia supports our industry, and the province is a good place to invest,” said Sean Kirby, Executive Director, Mining Association of Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia has identified 16 minerals within the province that they say are critical because of their importance to global supply chains.

OTTAWA — Canada’s spy agency warns that colliding global developments make the Arctic an “attractive, strategic and vulnerable destination” for foreign adversaries seeking to establish a presence in Canada.

A newly released Canadian Security Intelligence Service assessment flags the environment, critical infrastructure, economic activity and geopolitics as converging factors making the region susceptible to threats from abroad.

It sees resource extraction projects, increasing ship traffic, the building of ports and possible militarization of the Arctic as some of the avenues nefarious actors could use to gain a foothold in the region.

Once established in the North, rivals could use these opportunities to “generate substantial influence and interference opportunities,” CSIS warns.

The Canadian Press used the Access to Information Act to obtain the CSIS brief, “Issues & Vulnerabilities in Canada’s Arctic,” produced last April as an elaborate infographic.

It is perhaps the most extensive public account to date of the spy service’s concerns about espionage and malign foreign influence in the Arctic.

Melting sea ice due to climate change likely will lead to more people in the Arctic, the opening of new shipping routes and fresh exploitation of mineral deposits, the brief says.

Natural resources, including oil and gas reserves, attract foreign investment, potentially threatening regional interests, CSIS warns.

“Threat actors could leverage resource exploitation to gain persistent access to remote and strategically valuable territory.”

The spy service’s brief also says:

— The difficulty and expense of fixing vulnerabilities in crucial telecommunication systems in the North can create serious cybersecurity risks;

— Places suitable for building deepwater ports in the Arctic are attractive to foreign actors who seek control of strategic shipping locations, and creating unofficial ports of entry to Canada could undermine border security;

— Adversaries might make substantial investments, ostensibly to remedy energy supply-chain disruptions in the North, but “with ulterior motives”;

— The presence of hostile-state armed forces could lead to militarization of the Arctic, driving geopolitical tensions that might lead to conflict.

CSIS says any one of these points of vulnerability could be targeted by a foreign adversary or made worse by benign activities in the region.

“Regardless of the intent behind the potentially harmful activity to the Arctic and Northern Canada, repercussions could be devastating for Canada’s northern and Arctic residents, ecosystem, assets and interests,” the brief says.

The economic and strategic importance of the Arctic has been steadily growing over the last 15 years, said CSIS spokesperson Lindsay Sloane.

Threats to the Arctic stem not only from strategic competitors’ military capabilities and the effects of climate change, but also increasingly from espionage, foreign interference and illicit economic activities, all of which pose national security dangers, Sloane said.

In addition to the historical military concern posed to the North by Russia, China has increased its focus on the region, Sloane pointed out. “CSIS continues to detect, deter and counter foreign interference activities by hostile states targeting the Arctic.”

In Canada’s foreign policy blueprint for the Arctic, published late last year, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada was at an inflection point in the region.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made co-operation with Moscow in the Arctic “exceedingly difficult for the foreseeable future,” Joly said.

At the same time, non-Arctic states, including China, are seeking greater influence in Arctic governance, meaning Canada must emphasize collaboration with allies in the region, she added.

Defence Minister Bill Blair will be in Iqaluit on Thursday for an announcement on the Canadian Armed Forces’ presence across the Arctic.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre recently proposed building a new military base in Iqaluit as part of his party’s Arctic security plan.

Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok welcomed the political attention but said such decisions must involve significant input from northerners.

Nunavut looks forward to working with Canada’s next prime minister on meaningful, nation-building investments that meet Arctic sovereignty and security goals, address NATO spending commitments and unlock economic potential, he said in a media statement last month.

“Nunavut is committed to ensuring Canada’s safety and security, including that of northerners, and to safeguarding the ability of Canada to defend both the Canadian Arctic and North America,” the premier said.

Sloane said CSIS works in partnership with territorial, provincial, local and Indigenous governments to combat all threat activity in the Arctic. “This includes providing relevant information to help build resiliency against current and emerging threats.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2025.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: 2abe9d009c69962bca171c63d9bbc6cabcf0163fa3b63c35434cbf75478bc3cc.jpg, Caption:

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visit the North Warning System Site in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, on Thursday August 25, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

–>

WASHINGTON — A day into Donald Trump’s North American trade war, the U.S. president remained adamant that tariffs would benefit America even as a key member of his team has floated that a compromise could materialize Wednesday.

Trump addressed a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, for the first time since he returned to office in January, by making a case for his massive tariff agenda.

“We have been ripped off for decades by nearly every country on Earth and we will not let that happen any longer,” Trump told lawmakers in Washington.

The president’s executive order hitting Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs, with a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy, took effect Tuesday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the continental trade war “dumb” and said Canada was forced to push back. He framed Trump’s ultimate tariff goal as “a total collapse of the Canadian economy, because that will make it easier to annex us.”

Ottawa introduced immediate 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of American products, which will expand to cover another $125 billion in U.S. goods in 21 days.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government would announce duties on targeted products and other measures Sunday. She said “there is no motive or reason, nor justification that supports this decision that will affect our people and our nations.”

The tariffs caused immediate market turbulence as many business and industry groups condemned devastating duties against America’s closest neighbours.

Clips of Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatening to cut off electricity to the United States played repeatedly on U.S. TV stations. Images and video of American liquor being pulled off the shelves in Canadian stores signalled what could come if Trump continued his trade war path.

Minutes after the U.S. stock market closed, following a second day of sharp decline, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said there could be a ramp off the devastating duties. Lutnick told Fox Business that the government was looking to “work something out” in a deal that could be announced on Wednesday.

“It’s not going to be a pause. None of that pause stuff,” he said. “Somewhere in the middle will likely be the outcome.”

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc spoke with Lutnick on Tuesday but Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told CBC News she had not heard about any “middle” deal. Joly was to speak with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

It was unclear what Trump would consider as a concession.

Lutnick tied the deal to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement, which was negotiated under the first Trump administration to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Trump has previously connected duties to wide-ranging complaints from defence spending to trade deficits. Trump has repeatedly claimed he wants to make Canada a U.S. state.

Lutnick’s comments give additional credence to Canadian officials’ supposition that tariffs are not actually connected to the flow of deadly fentanyl over the border — the legal backing Trump is using for the duties. U.S Customs and Border Protection data shows the volume of drugs crossing from Canada into the United States is minuscule compared to Mexico.

“We think it’s a bogus argument,” Joly said.

Tuesday was the first big test of how the markets would react to Trump’s massive trade agenda — and it could signal how the president moves forward in his plan to upend global trade.

Trump also ordered 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States on March 12, which the White House has confirmed would stack on top of the other duties imposed on Canada.

Trump signed an executive order to implement “reciprocal tariffs” starting April 2. Other tariff targets include automobiles, copper, lumber and agricultural products.

— With files from The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2025.

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press

VICTORIA — British Columbia’s finance minister is starting to sell her budget to the public complete with a record deficit in the early days of a trade war with the United States.

Brenda Bailey is expected to speak today at an event hosted by the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, her first public appearance after tabling the budget on the same day U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent on Canadian goods.

Her budget forecasts a record deficit of about $10.9 billion in the next fiscal year starting April 1, while promising an insurance rebate for drivers of $110, and increases to both supports for families under the Rental Assistance Program and help for elderly renters relying on the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters program.

The budget comes with $4 billion in annual contingencies for each of the next three years to cover what Bailey called “unpredictable costs,” including the province’s response to the tariffs.

As industry and advocates get a look at the books, some are raising concerns about what was included and what was left out.

The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association calls the budget out-of-touch and says the deficit, rising debt, and trade war will have dire consequences for the economy and the construction industry.

The BC Council of Forest Industries says it is disappointed by the absence of dedicated support for the forestry sector which will be particularly hard hit by the new tariffs at a time when the industry is already facing significant challenge amid the ongoing softwood lumber dispute.

Bailey told reporters on Tuesday that the budget will focus on education and health care, while also boosting a “self-sufficient economy.”

The Business Council of B.C. says it’s concerned about “the ongoing deterioration in B.C.’s public finances” and what it considers the absence of a credible path to restore fiscal sustainability.

B.C.’s taxpayer-supported debt is projected to be $97.7 billion at the end of 2024-25, approximately $9.1 billion more than was projected in the budget from the previous year.

The deficit is expected to decrease to $9.9 billion by 2027-28.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2024

The Canadian Press

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is scheduled to speak today about her province’s response to U.S. tariffs.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday slapped sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports and a 10 per cent levy on energy products.

Smith has been tight-lipped for weeks about what measures her government might take, although she has repeatedly said counter-tariffs on the province’s energy are off the table.

The premier is also set to give an update on Alberta’s security efforts at the Canada-U.S. border, a long-standing irritant for Trump.

Other provinces have announced plans to fight back against the U.S. tariffs by pulling American liquor from government store shelves and banning American businesses from bidding on provincial contracts.

The federal government is imposing 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of American products and plans to expand them to cover another $125 billion in goods in 21 days.

Alberta’s latest budget, introduced last week, earmarks $4 billion in part to deal with the expected economic fallout of the tariffs, but the government hasn’t offered specifics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2025.

The Canadian Press

WINNIPEG — Politicians are set to return to the Manitoba legislative chamber today amid economic fallout from U.S. tariffs and ongoing challenges in provincial health care.

Premier Wab Kinew says tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump will be a “serious economic headwind” as the NDP government prepares its spring budget.

He says one priority is protecting jobs during the uncertainty and that tax deferrals for businesses announced this week will help.

The province has run deficits in every year but two since 2009, and the government has promised to balance the budget before the next election in 2027.

It has already seen that plan challenged because of some departments, most notably Health, running over budget this fiscal year.

Several bills are expected to be introduced, including one to enshrine school nutrition programs in law and another to make it harder for landlords to raise rents above provincial guidelines.

One political analyst says the government will continue to face public expectations to fulfil promises to improve health care and address inflation, despite its fiscal challenges and the effects of U.S. tariffs.

“I think there’s still a concern about affordability. I think there’s still the concern about health care, correcting problems in the health-care system,” said Christopher Adams, an adjunct professor of political studies at the University of Manitoba.

Opinion polls have suggested Kinew’s New Democrats continue to enjoy strong support from voters.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives are still rebuilding after losing the October 2023 election. They are to elect a new leader in April, after the resignation of former premier Heather Stefanson more than a year ago.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2025.

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press

MONTREAL — Michael Hale still recalls the moment COVID-19 upended his world.

“I can feel this pit in my stomach even as I recount that day,” said the CEO of Northern Vision Development, which owns seven hotels and eight restaurants and bars in the Yukon.

Hale and a half-dozen colleagues were gathered around a conference table at the company’s Whitehorse headquarters on March 7, 2020. They were discussing the Arctic Winter Games, set to draw thousands of visitors a week later.

“We were trying to figure out what to do with oversold rooms,” Hale said. In the middle of the meeting, a press release was sent out. The games had been cancelled.

“It was shock in the room.”

Two days later, hotel bookings had plunged from 100 per cent to 20 per cent. Northern Vision shut down one of its major hotels. It leased out another for use as a government-run isolation facility.

“Our restaurants were empty. Our revenues had dropped from on track for a record year to just gasping for air,” Hale said.

The tourism industry, which employs Hale and two million other Canadians, was hit harder by COVID-19 than nearly any other sector.

Pandemic-related travel bans, social distancing and assorted health measures shut down operations almost overnight at tens of thousands of hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues, while airlines grounded flights. About 881,700 industry workers lost their jobs in the first 10 weeks, according to Tourism HR Canada.

When borders reopened, labour shortages and lurching demand created chaos and unpredictability — indoor food service switched on and off based on government restrictions, bookings erupted then halted and endless lines snaked through airports.

Five years on, parts of the industry are still grasping for customers. After COVID-19 forced many companies to shift their business model to match a renewed social awareness that took root during the pandemic, many are doubling down on the strategy of catering to local visitors seeking sustainability and “immersive” experiences. Whether that change in tone can lure tourists back remains unclear.

A different strategy

In the early days of the global crisis, businesses struggled through an unprecedented drop in demand. Cruise ships docked indefinitely and restaurants reverted to takeout-only.

When health restrictions lifted and domestic travel roared back to life in 2022, a dearth of employees — many had moved on to other lines of work — made for new problems, unleashing havoc at airports and in the hospitality sector.

“We had half the number of staff in some cases that we needed,” Hale said.

Other businesses fell back on government support. Ottawa set up a $500-million tourism relief fund that allowed them to borrow up to $500,000 or receive a grant of up to $100,000.

Many had to overhaul their business model.

“A lot of them focused on local tourism and really encouraging Canadians to get out and explore their own backyards,” said Beth Potter, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. “Cycling, camping, RV-ing.”

Some of those habits of regional roaming and environmental awareness stuck.

Bereft of customers, seven small-ship tour operators in British Columbia banded together to clean up debris along the coast in 2020, funded by the province. As visitors returned to the companies’ schooners and converted tug boats in subsequent summers, many guests began to take part in beach cleanups at Haida Gwaii, Vancouver Island and the Great Bear Rainforest.

“More people want to travel more sustainably because the pandemic made them aware of the impact of their actions on other places and people,” said Maureen Gordon, co-owner of Maple Leaf Adventures, one of the participating operators.

“People are looking for smaller-scale options or not travelling during crowded times or into crowded places, feeling that they’re dealing with local companies in a more sustainable manner, feeling connected.”

Nearly half of respondents to a recent travel study said they had changed their plans due to concern about the downside of tourism for local communities such as cost-of-living increases and “social pressures,” a Blue Cross online survey of 2,047 Canadian adults found.

So-called immersive experiences are also prized, perhaps for their perceived ability to bring customers closer to the site’s culture and environment after the social isolation of the pandemic.

“Guests can smell a phoney,” said David Barry, CEO of Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality, which runs 15 attractions across Canada, the U.S. and Iceland, including the Banff Gondola. It ferries visitors to the top of Alberta’s Sulphur Mountain for interactive art displays created in partnership with the Stoney Nakoda Nation.

Quality versus quantity

The local, green shift has only radiated so far.

Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada CEO Keith Henry is all for sustainability. But his members need volume, too.

“What we were seeing was tremendous growth up until 2019,” he said.

Most association members, which offer experiences ranging from walking tours to cultural events, still have not recovered from the pandemic. International visitors are particularly sparse.

Demand is there, but tour package vendors and other partners are failing to include as many First Nations, Inuit and Métis sites in their deals, Henry argued.

“It was a real gut punch. We’ve lost 10 years of economic growth.”

Revenues for Indigenous-owned tourism outfits reached $1.6 billion in 2023 — roughly the same as 2014 levels, Henry said.

Nonetheless, some are prioritizing the “wellness of the community” itself, said Kimberly Kanichténhawe Cross of Kahnawake Mohawk Territory south of Montreal.

“We’re focusing on the local right now,” she said. “We don’t want it to be too harsh on our environment.”

That attempt to balance visitor volumes with community wellness has filtered up to the federal level, where Crown corporation Destination Canada last year launched a “wealth and well-being index” to measure tourism sustainability along economic, social and environmental lines.

“It was really a gesture to say that communities need to come first. A destination that is a good place to live is also a good place to visit,” said Rachel Dodds, professor of tourism management at Toronto Metropolitan University.

She cited Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula and Tofino, B.C., as spots where “over-tourism” has raised the ire of residents by straining local resources, filling parking spaces and driving up rental costs.

“Everyone all of a sudden decided that they wanted to be an outdoorsperson, because there was nothing else to do,” Dodds said.

“People were camping on the beaches, doing whatever. People were parking on other people’s front lawns.” Now, the desire to explore regionally remains, minus the disregard for the region.

International tourism remains a laggard, despite the relatively high U.S. dollar and exceptions such as the West Coast cruise industry.

Last year, international arrivals to Canada hit 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, according to Destination Canada. Tourism’s recovery “continued to be driven by record domestic tourism revenue” in the third quarter of 2024, the Crown corporation said.

However, while domestic tourism spending of $40.5 billion in those three months outpaced the figure from five years earlier by 12 per cent, it actually fell short by 12 per cent once inflation is factored in.

Back in Whitehorse, Michael Hale has high hopes nonetheless. His company plans to open its third branded hotel, Hyatt Place, on Main Street this summer.

As Canadians turn away from the U.S. amid tariffs and threats of annexation from its president, domestic visitor volumes keep ticking up.

“We’re not quite there, but we’re confident enough that we’re spending $50 million to build that Hyatt. So we do believe it’s coming.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Mach 5, 2025.

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press

There’s lots of anxiety in Nova Scotia’s seafood industry as Canadians come to grips with the Trump trade war.

The tariffs came into effect yesterday, hitting Canadian goods with a 25 per cent import tax.

While a recent Conference Board of Canada report said Nova Scotia is set up to withstand the impact of tariffs better than other provinces, it also said the seafood industry could take a hit.

Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance director Kris Vascotto said it’s far too early to know if job losses will come to the industry.

“Seafood is still going to be landed by harvesters, it’s still going to enter the value chain, it’s still going to go somewhere,” said Vascotto. “It’s much too early for us to be predicting large-scale layoffs, especially given the uncertainty associated with what and how long these tariffs will be in place for.”

Vascotto said a lot of work has already gone into diversifying markets for Nova Scotia seafood. He added U.S. customers account for 40 to 45 per cent of wild fish and seafood, so there are already strong relationships with other markets.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Residents were stacking sandbags to protect low-lying properties Wednesday ahead of a tropical cyclone forecast to become the first in 51 years to hit the Australian east coast near Brisbane, the nation’s third-most populous city.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to cross the coast between the Queensland state capital Brisbane and the tourist city of Gold Coast to the south late Thursday or early Friday, Bureau of Meteorology manager Matt Collopy said. Brisbane and Gold Coast are a continuous urban sprawl. Their centers are 80 kilometers (50 miles) apart.

Alfred was over the Pacific Ocean 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Brisbane and tracking west Wednesday with sustained winds near the center of 95 kph (59 mph) with gusts to 130 kph (81 mph).

“That is destructive winds,” Collopy said. It was expected to maintain that strength until reaching land.

“Large swells and powerful waves have been observed along the Queensland coast for several days now with severe coastal erosion and inundation happening,” Collopy told reporters in Brisbane. “This will continue and likely get worse as the system approaches and makes landfall.”

Heavy rain and life-threatening flooding were expected in the days ahead, he said.

“The wave, wind, rainfall and particularly the storm surge present significant risks,” Collopy added.

Tropical Cyclone Zoe struck Gold Coast in 1974

Cyclones are common in Queensland’s tropical north but are rare in the state’s temperate and densely populated southeast corner that borders New South Wales state.

Cyclone Zoe crossed the coast at the southern end of Gold Coast on the New South Wales border in March 1974, causing extensive flooding.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was providing the Queensland government with 250,000 sandbags in addition to 80,000 the military had already delivered.

“This is a rare event, to have a tropical cyclone in an area that is not classified as part of the tropics, here in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales,“ Albanese told reporters in Brisbane.

“That is why this preparatory work is so important,” Albanese added.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said modeling showed that up to 20,000 homes in his city of more than 3 million people could experience some level of flooding.

A cyclone refuge center would be established at Brisbane’s show grounds for people who had nowhere else to shelter during the storm. Evacuation centers for longer-term stays would also be opened, Schrinner said.

Schools and hospital operating theaters to close

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said boats moored in the region would not be allowed to move without the permission of the Brisbane harbor master from Wednesday afternoon due to the cyclone danger.

From Thursday, schools will be closed, hospitals will not carry out non-urgent surgeries and public transport will not run in the affected area, he said.

Crisafulli urged the public to prepare their homes and plan evacuation routes. He said 68 people had been evacuated from South Stradbroke Island, which lies off the coast between Brisbane and Gold Coast, on Tuesday night and evacuations continued Wednesday.

“This is a very rare event for southeast Queensland, I acknowledge that, but I’m asking Queenslanders to take it seriously and I want you to know that we are taking it seriously,” Crisafulli said.

Rod Mcguirk, The Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A placid fishing trip turned “berserk” for three New Zealand men when a dolphin weighing more than 400 kilograms (900 pounds) appeared to fall out of the sky before crash-landing in their small boat.

No one was badly hurt when the 3.4 meter (11-foot) bottlenose dolphin jumped aboard the open-top boat Friday, said Dean Harrison, the owner of the nearly 16-foot vessel.

Harrison and two companions were fishing near the Hole in the Rock, a picturesque spot off the far north coast of New Zealand’s North Island, while dolphins frolicked ahead. The men saw a shadow across the bright summer sun and heard an almighty boom — before chaos unfolded.

“This one decided to jump on board and say hello,” Harrison said. “One minute everything was fine and then just like lightning striking, there’s a big dolphin in our boat thrashing around and breaking everything.”

The creature’s flailing snapped “every single fishing rod we had in the boat” and severely damaged the bow as the trio clung to the sides of the vessel, said Harrison. One man had minor injuries to his arm where the juvenile male dolphin grazed his back and shoulder, but all three fishermen and the dolphin were otherwise uninjured.

But returning the majestic creature to the sea was not an option for the trio due to its size.

“We looked at the dolphin still alive and breathing and we thought, we’ve got to start looking after him and figure out what to do,” Harrison said. “Because he’s stuck in the boat for now, so he’s coming along for the ride.”

The men alerted New Zealand’s conservation agency and were directed to a boat ramp an hour away, where workers waited to help the dolphin. On the way, the trio used a hose to keep the creature wet and protected it from the sun using a damp towel depicting players from the All Blacks rugby team.

On shore, members of a local Māori tribe prayed for the dolphin before it was returned to the ocean using a tractor. Helpers gave the 2- 3-year-old creature a name: Tohu, which means “sign” in the Māori language.

Tohu is now also the name of Dean Harrison’s boat.

“The dolphin got to swim away and we got to walk away and we’ve all got a story to tell,” he said. “It’s a good ending in a situation that could have been very different.”

Charlotte Graham-mclay, The Associated Press

This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump launched a trade war Tuesday against America’s three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China and sending financial markets into a tailspin as the U.S. faced the threat of rekindled inflation and paralyzing uncertainty for business.

Just after midnight, Trump imposed 25% taxes, or tariffs, on Mexican and Canadian imports, though he limited the levy to 10% on Canadian energy. Trump also doubled the tariff he slapped last month on Chinese products to 20%.

Beijing retaliated with tariffs of up to 15% on a wide array of U.S. farm exports. It also expanded the number of U.S. companies subject to export controls and other restrictions by about two dozen.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would plaster tariffs on over $100 billion (U.S. dollars) of American goods over the course of 21 days.

“Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense,” Trudeau said.

Later in the day, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the U.S. would likely meet Canada and Mexico “in the middle,” with an announcement coming as soon as Wednesday.

Lutnick told Fox Business News that the tariffs would not be paused, but that Trump would reach a compromise.

“I think he’s going to figure out, you do more, and I’ll meet you in the middle in some way,” Lutnick said.

A Canadian senior government official said Lutnick called Ontario Premier Doug Ford after Ford’s press conference and asked him to stand down. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the call, said Ford told the U.S. commerce secretary he’ll go harder.

The official said Lutnick told Ford that Trudeau’s “very dumb” comment and remarks by other Canadian officials were not helpful, but said Lutnick seemed to acknowledge the tariffs are a part of negotiation toward a trade deal.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico will respond to the new taxes with its own retaliatory tariffs. Sheinbaum said she will announce the products Mexico will target on Sunday. The delay might indicate that Mexico still hopes to de-escalate Trump’s trade war.

The president is abandoning the free trade policies the United States pursued for decades after World War II. He argues that open trade cost America millions of factory jobs and that tariffs are the path to national prosperity. He rejects the views of mainstream economists who contend that such protectionism is costly and inefficient.

Import taxes are “a very powerful weapon that politicians haven’t used because they were either dishonest, stupid or paid off in some other form,” Trump said Monday. “And now we’re using them.”

Dartmouth College economist Douglas Irwin, author of a 2017 history of U.S. tariff policy, has calculated that Tuesday’s hikes will lift America’s average tariff from 2.4% to 10.5%, the highest level since the 1940s. “We’re in a new era for sure.”

As the trade disputes escalated, stocks racked up more losses Tuesday on Wall Street, wiping out all the gains since Election Day for the S&P 500. Markets in Europe also fell sharply.

Trump has said tariffs are intended to address drug trafficking and illegal immigration. But he’s also said the tariffs will come down only if the U.S. trade deficit narrows.

The American president has injected a disorienting volatility into the world economy, leaving it off balance as people wonder what he will do next.

During his first term, Trump imposed tariffs only after lengthy investigations — into the national security implications of relying on foreign steel, for example, said Michael House, co-chair of the international trade practice at the Perkins Coie law firm.

But by declaring a national emergency last month involving the flow of immigrants and illicit drugs across U.S. borders, “he can modify these tariffs with a stroke of the pen,’’ House said. “It’s chaotic.”

Democratic lawmakers were quick to criticize the tariffs.

“Presidents don’t get to invent emergencies to justify bad policies,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “Abusing emergency powers to wage an economic war on our closest allies isn’t leadership — it’s dangerous.”

Even some Republican senators raised alarms. “Maine and Canada’s economy are integrated,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, explaining that much of the state’s lobsters and blueberries are processed in Canada and then sent back to the U.S.

Truck driver Carlos Ponce, 58, went about business as usual Tuesday morning, transporting auto parts from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to El Paso, Texas, just as he’s done for decades.

Like many on the border, he was worried about the fallout from the tariffs. “Things could change drastically,” Ponce said. Truckers could lose their jobs or have to drive farther to coastal ports as Mexican manufacturers look for trading partners beyond the U.S.

Alan Russell, head of Tecma, which helps factories set up in places like Ciudad Juarez, is skeptical that Trump’s tariffs will bring manufacturing back to the United States.

“Nobody is going to move their factory until they have certainty,” Russell said. Just last week, he said, Tecma helped a North Carolina manufacturer that moved to Mexico because it couldn’t find enough workers in the United States.

U.S. businesses near the Canadian border scrambled to deal with the impact. Gutherie Lumber in suburban Detroit reached out Tuesday to Canadian suppliers about the cost of 8-foot wood studs. About 15% of the lumber at the Gutherie yard in Livonia, Michigan, comes from Canada.

Sales manager Mike Mahoney said Canadian suppliers are already raising prices. “They’re putting that 25% on studs.” Builders will strain to stay within their budgets.

After years of effort and thousands of dollars in investment, Tom Bard, a Kentucky craft bourbon distiller, gained a foothold in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta and watched his sales grow north of the border. Now Kentucky bourbon is in Canada’s crosshairs, and an order from his Canadian distributors is on hold.

“That hurts,” he said. At his small distillery “every single pallet that goes out the door makes a huge difference … The last thing you want is to have an empty spot where your bottles are supposed to be on a shelf.”

Bard co-owns the Bard Distillery with his wife, Kim, in western Kentucky’s Muhlenberg County, about 135 miles (217 kilometers) southwest of Louisville, Kentucky.

Trump overwhelmingly carried Kentucky in the November election. In Muhlenberg County, Trump defeated Kamala Harris by a more than 3-to-1 margin.

The China tariffs also threaten the U.S. toy industry. Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of the Toy Association, said the 20% tariffs on Chinese goods will be “crippling,” as nearly 80% of toys sold in the U.S. are made in China.

Rachel Lutz owns the Peacock Room, four women’s boutique shops with about 15 employees in Detroit. She’s been bracing for the tariffs but doesn’t understand the logic behind them.

“I’m struggling to see the wisdom in picking a fight with our largest trading partner that we’ve had historically wonderful relationships with,” Lutz said Tuesday from her shop. “I’m struggling to really understand how they can’t see that will profoundly impact our economy in ways that I think the American consumer has not predicted. We’re about to find out.”

___

Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writers Anne D’Innocenzio in New York; Corey Williams in Detroit; Bruce Schreiner in Louisville, Kentucky; Didi Tang and Lisa Mascaro in Washington; and Megan Janetsky and Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Josh Boak, Paul Wiseman And Rob Gillies, The Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — Lava from a Hawaii volcano shot into the sky Tuesday in tall fountains that were expected to grow even bigger as part of an off-and-on eruption.

The eruption began Dec. 23 in a crater at the summit of Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big island.

Tuesday was the eruption’s 12th episode. What began in the morning with sporadic, small flows became continuous fountaining in the afternoon, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. They reached 150 to 165 feet (45 to 60 meters) and were expected to grow.

A webcam showed a vigorous fountain of bright red lava.

No residential areas have been threatened by the eruption. People have been flocking to overlook sites inside the park for views of the fiery show.

The length of time for each fountaining episode has varied from several hours to several days. Episodes have been separated by pauses lasting from less than 24 hours to 12 days, according to the observatory.

The Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The number of states imposing sales taxes on groceries has shrunk over the years, and the number may decrease further in the coming months as lawmakers hear complaints about high prices for eggs and other household staples.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday unveiled the details of her proposal to eradicate the remaining 1/8th of a cent sales tax the state levies on groceries. Lawmakers in Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama and are also calling for grocery-tax reductions.

The efforts come as states face uncertainty about their budgets because of cuts in Medicaid and other federal programs being eyed by Republicans in Washington. But supporters of the tax cuts are citing headlines about soaring egg prices as the reason they are needed now.

“We’re getting rid of Arkansas’ most regressive tax and giving a helping hand to those who need it the most,” Sanders, a Republican, said at a news conference to discuss the proposal.

The number of states taxing groceries has decreased in recent years, with laws eliminating the state levy taking effect in Oklahoma and Kansas over the last year. A law eliminating Virginia’s tax on groceries took effect in 2023. A law eliminating Illinois’ 1% grocery tax is set to take effect next year.

State sales taxes are levied on groceries in nine states: Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah. Hawaii and Idaho offer tax credits to residents to help offset the tax, though.

In Tennessee, Republican legislative leaders have proposed abolishing the state’s 4% sales tax on groceries. The legislation comes after the state’s handful of Democratic lawmakers have unsuccessfully introduced similar proposals as they argue that Tennesseans are paying as much as 6.75% in sales tax on essentials like bread and milk in some areas with local sales taxes.

However, it is unclear how far even a GOP-backed bill will fare in Republican-dominant Tennessee. State revenues are expected to be tighter this year, and Gov. Bill Lee didn’t include a cut in his proposed budget, nor did he include a grocery sales tax holiday that has typically been included in his legislative priorities.

House Majority Leader William Lamberth, one of the sponsors of the repeal, said the bill could be narrowed down to only apply to essentials hitting people’s pocketbooks the hardest rather than junk foods.

“Milk, eggs, bread, I mean, that’s a great place to start,” Lamberth said.

Alabama Democratic lawmakers plan to introduce tax cut legislation that will include eliminating the state’s remaining 3% grocery tax. Lawmakers in 2023 approved legislation to gradually drop it from 4% to 2%.

Democrats said families need relief.

“If we’re serious about helping working people get ahead, the best and most impactful way to do that is to take less in taxes and give them some peace of mind when they pay the rent or go to the grocery store,” Democratic Rep. Adline Clarke said in a news release.

Lawmakers have for decades have discussed removing the tax, but the proposals never came to fruition because of the loss it would cause to education funding.

A tax cut package moving its way through the Mississippi legislature would cut that state’s 7% sales tax on groceries.

Other grocery tax cut proposals have run into obstacles. South Dakota voters last year rejected a ballot measure that would have repealed the state’s grocery tax.

Arkansas had all but eliminated the grocery tax under Sanders’ predecessors, Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe and Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson. All that remains is the 1/8th sales tax that’s applied under a voter-approved constitutional amendment for outdoors programs.

Eliminating that will cost Arkansas nearly $11 million a year, a figure Sanders said the programs can absorb.

Reducing or getting rid of grocery taxes can make a state’s tax system less regressive, but it comes at a time that states face the potential of additional costs because of federal budget cuts.

States could instead look at other cuts such as earned income tax credits or child care tax credits, said Aidan Davis, state policy director for the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

“If the goal is to make sure people can make ends meet, then I think doing it in a more targeted way makes a lot of sense,” Davis said.

___

Associated Press writers Kimberlee Kruesi in Nashville, Tennessee, and Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report

Andrew Demillo, The Associated Press

U.S. President Donald Trump moved ahead this week with tariffs on Canadian goods and one political expert says he believes Canadians are in for a fight. Robert Huish is a political scientist at Dalhousie University with expertise in international relations and sanctions. He spoke to the CBC's Tom Murphy.

The only daily TV news package to focus on Nova Scotians and their stories

Nova Scotia Finance Minister John Lohr pinch-hit for Premier Tim Houston during question period Tuesday. 

The post Province House roundup: tariffs, intimate partner violence, universities, Queens General Hospital appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Efficiency Nova Scotia has placed a notice at the top of its website that warns would-be customers to watch out for "aggressive" sales tactics that could put them at "significant financial risk."

People are frustrated and fearful, but they’re also angry.

The post Dismantling democracy in Nova Scotia: readers respond appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

VICTORIA — British Columbia’s Finance Minister Brenda Bailey has handed down a budget she says will defend the province against “unjustified” U.S. tariffs.

Here’s a look at some of the budget’s key numbers and the tariffs’ projected impacts on B.C.

$10.9 billion: Estimated 2025/26 deficit, up from $9.1 billion in 2024/25

$20.2 billion: Estimated 2025/26 capital spending, up from $16 billion in 2024/25

1.8 per cent: 2025 real GDP growth, up from 1.2 per cent last year.

$110: Rebate for ICBC customers

$43 billion: Projected cumulative GDP losses by 2029 due to U.S. tariffs

45,000: Jobs lost by 2029 under tariffs

6.7 per cent: Projected unemployment in 2026 under tariffs

$1.7 billion – $3.4 billion: Potential annual revenue losses under tariffs

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2025.

The Canadian Press

SAO PAULO (AP) — It’s morphin’ time for Brazil’s police.

Dozens of officers have camouflaged among revelers during Carnival festivities to arrest pickpockets in metropolis Sao Paulo dressed as clowns, priests and even characters from the Power Rangers TV series.

On Tuesday, Sao Paulo Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas published on his social media channels a video of two officers dressed as videogame characters Mario and Luigi as they arrested a suspect.

The biggest sensation among Sao Paulo revelers, though, are the six Power Ranger-clad officers who have morphed into action since Saturday — the first day of the bash that officially ends on Wednesday. They arrested a suspect that carried seven stolen cellphones, police said. Several other raids took place since.

Video released by Sao Paulo state’s public security secretariat shows Yellow and Red rangers arresting a man and placing him in a police car. The footage also shows Green and Red rangers immobilizing a man on the ground as onlookers cheer.

By early Tuesday, Sao Paulo authorities said six people had been arrested and 23 stolen cellphones had been recovered by the disguised officers since Carnival began nationwide. The same strategy was used last year.

“The Power Rangers of our police are once again putting on a full show during Carnival,” Gov. de Freitas said on Sunday in his social media channels. “Go, go Power Rangers!”

Police said criminals from various Brazilian states came to Sao Paulo’s Carnival to steal phones, potentially granting access to bank account apps, causing bigger losses for victims. On the weekend, police said a gang rented an apartment in the metropolis as a hub for their theft operations.

____

Savarese reported from Rio de Janeiro.

____

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Mauricio Savarese And Tatiana Pollastri, The Associated Press

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith lashed out Tuesday as hefty, sweeping U.S. tariffs kicked in on Canadian goods, but she reiterated she won’t retaliate by hiking levies on oil and gas heading south of the border.

“This (U.S. tariff) policy is both foolish and a failure in every regard,” Smith said in a statement.

She called the tariffs an “unjustifiable attack” and a clear breach of the trade agreement that U.S. President Donald Trump signed in his first term in the White House.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump’s long-promised executive order took effect, hitting Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs, with a 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy.

Canada then announced retaliatory tariffs on $155 billion worth of American goods, with $30 billion being applied immediately.

Other provinces announced they are pulling American liquor from government store shelves. Some are banning U.S businesses from bidding on provincial contracts.

Smith said she and her United Conservative government supports the federal government’s response and will announce its own response plan Wednesday.

“These tariffs will hurt the American people, driving up costs for fuel, food, vehicles, housing and many other products. They will also cost hundreds of thousands of American and Canadian jobs,” she said.

Smith reiterated that Canada must work to tear down provincial trade barriers, build pipelines, beef up military spending and strengthen trade ties with other allies.

Speaking to American network CNBC, Smith said the province would not impose counter tariffs on energy exports, calling it an essential product for American consumers and businesses.

Her government has advocated for increasing energy exports to the U.S., but Smith said Alberta would have to look to other markets if the U.S. tariffs persist.

“I would love to sell double the amount that we are right now to the United States,” she said.

Now, producers need to look at how they can sell more out of the west coast, out of the east coast and to the north, she said.

“If the Americans don’t want our products, the rest of the world does.”

Smith lobbied hard in the weeks preceding the tariffs to try to head them off.

She travelled to Washington for Trump’s inauguration and visited his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in January. She has said she would continue to push for unencumbered trade between the two countries.

She told CNBC that addressing the flow of illicit fentanyl into the U.S., which Trump has said is the impetus for the tariffs, is not a one-way street.

“We are not the root of a lot of the problems,” she said, pointing to the “spillover” of drugs coming into Canada from the U.S.

“As issues have been raised, we’ve been solving them and yet new issues keep popping up, which suggests that we’ve got a president that actually doesn’t want a deal. That’s a problem.”

Trump offered a month-long reprieve on tariffs after Ottawa announced its plan to increase border security, with more than $1 billion in spending and the appointment of a special fentanyl commissioner. Alberta put an extra $29 million into border security.

Alberta’s latest budget, introduced last week, earmarks $4 billion in part to deal with the expected economic fallout of the tariffs.

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said Smith’s approach to diplomacy failed and he criticized the premier for waiting until now to craft a plan to deal with a trade war she should have been prepared for.

“She thought her balls-and-parties tour of Mar-a-Lago and Washington D.C. would get Albertans a reprieve from devastating tariffs that will wreak havoc on our jobs, our industries and our way of life,” he said in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2025.

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press