Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar meet Congress high command over Bengaluru stampede
New Delhi (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday met Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi here to discuss the June 4 stampede incident in Bengaluru that left 11 people dead.
Congress president Kharge had sought a detailed report on the stampede.
"CM and Deputy CM have come to meet the high command to discuss the RCB incident. The party high command has called them," state PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi told reporters here.
Jarkiholi said an investigation is underway to determine if there was negligence on the government's part.
"The truth will be known after the investigation report is finalised," he said.
The minister said he was in the national capital to meet Union ministers and discuss state projects.
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar met the party chief at Indira Bhawan. They are also likely to meet Union ministers on state issues.
The Congress government in the state has come under sharp criticism in the wake of the incident, with opposition BJP and JD(S) holding both CM and Deputy CM directly responsible and demanding their resignation.
The stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium led to 11 deaths and injured 56 people as crowds gathered for Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebrations.
Siddaramaiah has distanced himself from the incident, saying he was informed late and that the government did not organise the stadium event.
The tragedy has sparked a controversy, with the Opposition demanding accountability and calling for a special Assembly session to discuss the incident.
BJP leaders have strongly criticised the state government, holding the chief minister and deputy chief minister directly responsible for it.
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Canada, US to launch formal talks to review their free trade agreement in mid-January
Toronto (AP): Canada and the US will launch formal discussions to the review their free trade agreement in mid-January, the office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said.
The prime minister confirmed to provincial leaders that Dominic LeBlanc, the country's point person for US-Canada trade relations, “will meet with US counterparts in mid-January to launch formal discussions," Carney's office said in a statement late Thursday.
The United States-Mexico-Canada trade pact, or USMCA, is up for review in 2026. US President Donald Trump negotiated the deal in his first term and included a clause to possibly renegotiate the deal in 2026.
Carney met with the leaders of Canada's provinces on Thursday to give them an update on trade talks with the US.
Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and more than 75 per cent of Canada's exports go to the country's southern neighbour. But most exports to the US are currently exempted by USMCA.
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Trump cut off trade talks to reduce tariffs on certain sectors with Carney in October after the Ontario provincial government ran an anti-tariff advertisement in the US. That followed a spring of acrimony, since abated, over Trump's insistence that Canada should become the 51st US state.
Carney said earlier Thursday that Canada and the US were close to an agreement at the time on sectoral tariff relief in multiple areas, including steel and aluminum. Tariffs are taking a toll on certain sectors of Canada's economy, particularly aluminum, steel, auto and lumber.
Carney also said trade irritants flagged this week by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are elements of a “much bigger discussion” about continental trade. Greer said a coming review of the Canada-US-Mexico trade deal will hinge on resolving US concerns about Canadian policies on dairy products, alcohol and digital services.
Carney and the provincial premiers agreed to meet in person in Ottawa early in the new year.
Canada is the top export destination for 36 US states. Nearly USD 3.6 billion Canadian (USD 2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day.
About 60 per cent of US crude oil imports are from Canada, as are 85 per cent of US electricity imports.
Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the US and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security.
Carney said US access to Canada's critical ministers is not a certainty.
“It's a potential opportunity for the United States, but it's not an assured opportunity for the United States. It's part of a bigger discussion in terms of our trading relationship, because we have other partners around the world, in Europe for example, who are very interested in participating,” Carney said earlier Thursday.
