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Canadian PM expects 'constructive' trade talks with US
Canadian PM expects 'constructive' trade talks with US Mark Carney is expected to speak to Donald Trump in the coming days over Washington's 35 percent tariffs on Canada, an official says. Photo: Reuters Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has expressed optimism that negotiations with the United States on trade would lead to 'something constructive'. Carney made the comments while visiting the Vancouver Pride Parade, while also insisting that 'Canada is strong' and would continue building on its own. 'We can give ourselves far more than anyone can take away,' he said. The federal cabinet minister in charge of US-Canada trade, meanwhile, said Carney and US President Donald Trump will likely talk in the coming days after the Washington imposed a 35 percent tariff on goods not covered by the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. Dominic LeBlanc also told CBS News' "Face the Nation" that he was "encouraged" by recent discussions and believed a deal to bring down tariffs remained an option. "We're encouraged by the conversations with Secretary Lutnick and Ambassador Greer, but we're not yet where we need to go to get the deal that's in the best interest of the two economies," LeBlanc said, referring to US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The trade minister said he expected Carney and Trump to speak "over the next number of days." "We think there is an option of striking a deal that will bring down some of these tariffs provide greater certainty to investment," LeBlanc said. Washington linked Friday's tariff announcement in part to what it said was Canada's failure to stop fentanyl smuggling. It was the latest blow in a months-long tariff war which Trump initiated shortly after returning to power this year. Carney says Canada accounts for just 1 percent of US fentanyl imports and has been working intensively to further reduce the volumes. (Reuters)
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White House advisors defend firing of labour official
White House advisors defend firing of labour official Donald Trump sacked former commissioner of labor statistics Erika McEntarfer (pictured) after accusing her of faking employment data for political reasons. Photo: Reuters Top White House economic advisors have defended President Donald Trump's firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), pushing back against criticism that Trump's action could undermine confidence in official US economic data. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CBS that Trump had "real concerns" about the data, while Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said the president "is right to call for new leadership." Hassett said on Fox News the main concern was Friday's BLS report of net downward revisions showing 258,000 fewer jobs had been created in May and June than previously reported. Trump accused BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer of faking the jobs numbers, without providing any evidence of data manipulation. The BLS compiles the closely watched employment report as well as consumer and producer price data. The BLS gave no reason for the revised data but noted "monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors." McEntarfer responded to her abrupt dismissal on Friday in a post on the Bluesky social media platform, saying it was "the honour of her life" to serve as BLS commissioner and praising the civil servants who work there. McEntarfer's firing added to growing concerns about the quality of US economic data published by the federal government and came on the heels of a raft of new US tariffs on dozens of trading partners. "I think what we need is a fresh set of eyes at the BLS, somebody who can clean this thing up," Hassett said on "Fox News Sunday." In an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation," Greer acknowledged there were always revisions of job numbers, "but sometimes you see these revisions go in really extreme ways." Critics, including former leaders of the BLS, slammed Trump's move and called on Congress to investigate McEntarfer's removal, saying it would shake trust in a respected statistical agency. "It undermines credibility," said William Beach, a former BLS commissioner and co-chair of the group Friends of the BLS. "There is no way for a commissioner to rig the jobs numbers," he said. "Every year we've revised the numbers. When I was commissioner, we had a 500,000 job revision during President Trump's first term," he said on CNN's "State of the Union." "And why do we do that? Because firms are created or firms go out of business, and we don't really know that during the course of the year, until we reconcile against a real full count of all the businesses." (Reuters)
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Hamas lays out conditions to allow aid for hostages
Hamas lays out conditions to allow aid for hostages Palestinians ride on the back of a truck, after aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel were distributed in the northern Gaza Strip. Photo: Reuters Hamas said on Sunday it was prepared to coordinate with the Red Cross to deliver aid to hostages it holds in Gaza, if Israel meets certain conditions, after a video it released showing an emaciated captive drew sharp criticism from Western powers. Hamas said any coordination with the Red Cross is contingent upon Israel permanently opening humanitarian corridors and halting airstrikes during the distribution of aid. According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Hamas, thus far, has barred humanitarian organisations from having any kind of access to the hostages and families have little or no details of their conditions. On Saturday, Hamas released its second video in two days of Israeli hostage Evyatar David. In it, David, skeletally thin, is shown digging a hole that, he says in the video, is for his own grave. The arm of the individual holding the camera, which can be seen in the frame, is a regular width. The video of David drew criticism from Western powers and horrified Israelis. France, Germany, the UK and the US were among countries to express outrage and Israel's foreign ministry announced that the UN Security Council will hold a special session on Tuesday morning on the issue of the situation of the hostages in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he had asked the Red Cross to give humanitarian assistance to the hostages during a conversation with the head of the Swiss-based ICRC's local delegation. This comes as Gaza's health ministry said six more people died of starvation or malnutrition in the enclave over the past 24 hours. The new deaths raised the toll of those dying from what international humanitarian agencies say may be an unfolding famine to 175, including 93 children, since the war began, the ministry said. Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza but, in response to a rising international uproar, it announced steps last week to let more aid reach the population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, approving air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. UN agencies say airdrops are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and open up access to the territory to prevent starvation among its 2.2 million people, most of whom are displaced amidst vast swathes of rubble. Meanwhile, Belgium's air force dropped the first in a series of its aid packages into Gaza on Sunday in a joint operation with Jordan, the Belgian defence ministry said. France on Friday started to air-drop 40 tons of humanitarian aid. Palestinian health authorities said at least 80 people had been killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes across the coastal enclave on Sunday. Deaths included persons trying to make their way to aid distribution points in southern and central areas of Gaza, Palestinian medics said. Among those killed was a staff member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which said an Israeli strike at its headquarters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza ignited a fire on the first floor of the building. (Reuters)
