Mark Carney is sworn in as Canada's new prime minister as country deals with Trump's trade war
Toronto, Mar 14 (AP): Former central banker Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada's new prime minister on Friday, and will now try to steer his country through a trade war brought by US President Donald Trump, a threat of annexation and an expected federal election.
Carney, 59, replaces Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remained in power until the Liberal Party elected a new leader. Carney is widely expected to trigger a general election in the coming days or weeks.
The governing Liberal Party had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared economic war and threatened to annex the entire country as a 51st state. Now the party and its new leader could come out on top.
Carney has said he's ready to meet with Trump if he shows “respect for Canadian sovereignty" and is willing to take ”a common approach, a much more comprehensive approach for trade."
Trump put 25 per cent tariffs on Canada's steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products April 2. He has threatened economic coercion in his annexation threats and suggested the border is a fictional line.
The US trade war and Trump's talk of making Canada the 51st US state have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Some are cancelling trips south of the border, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can.
The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered the Liberal Party's chances in a parliamentary election expected within days or weeks, and Liberal showings have been improving in opinion polls.
Carney, who navigated crises when he was the head of the Bank of Canada from 2008, and then in 2013 when he became the first noncitizen to run the Bank of England — helping to manage the worst impacts of Brexit in the UK — will now try to steer Canada through the trade war brought by Trump.
“He will do very well. He's respected internationally,” former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien told reporters Friday. But, he added: “There is no magic solution. This is not a normal situation. We've never seen someone who changes his mind every five minutes as president of the United States. It creates problems everywhere, not only in Canada.”
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EAM Jaishankar holds talks with EU counterparts in Brussels, discusses Iran conflict
New Delhi (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with his counterparts from the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) in Brussels focusing on global flashpoints in Ukraine and West Asia as well as ways to deepen India's relations with Europe.
Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to the Belgian capital at the invitation of EU Foreign and Security Policy Chief Kaja Kallas to attend a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the bloc.
It is the first high-level visit from India to Brussels headquartered EU after the two sides firmed up a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in January.
The external affairs minister held separate meetings with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and his counterparts from Germany, Greece and Belgium.
"A new chapter in India-EU ties has opened up in 2026," Jaishankar said in an apparent reference to the outcomes reached by the two sides in their summit meeting in January in New Delhi.
"The Foreign Ministers coordinate translating the various agreements into outcomes. Our conversation today therefore covered trade, investment, technology, mobility and defence in particular," he said on social media.
"The stronger convergence between India and EU in a multipolar world is also expressed in closer consultations. Discussed the West Asia conflict, the Ukraine situation and the Indo-Pacific in today's gathering," he said.
Apart from the FTA, the India-EU summit produced a plethora of other outcomes including a security and defence partnership and a comprehensive framework for cooperation on mobility.
The Foreign Affairs Council discussed how to better protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, including possible contributions by the EU's naval mission Aspides, and a European security strategy, Kallas told reporters.
Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran has virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
The West Asia region has been a major source of India's energy procurement.
The closure of the strait is hurting the global economy and it is helping Moscow fund its war, Kallas said, days after the US temporarily lifted sanctions on procurement of Russian crude oil.
She said the focus on the Middle East should not take the focus away from the war in Ukraine, and the easing of US sanctions on Russian oil sets a "dangerous precedent".
Following his meeting with Von der Leyen, Jaishankar said her highly successful state visit to India in January marked a "turning point" in India-EU ties. "We are following up vigorously on it."
Von der Leyen said that the two sides had concluded a free trade agreement, "the mother of all deals", and signed the Security and Defence Partnership.
"Now we are focused on efficient implementation, to deliver for the people of Europe and India as soon as possible," she said.
"We also discussed developments in the Middle East and in Ukraine. De-escalation, stability and energy security are our shared objectives," she added.
After his talks with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Jaishankar said they exchanged notes on the conflict in West Asia.
"A valuable exchange of notes on the conflict in West Asia. Also took stock of the progress of our bilateral relations following the State visit of @bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz to India," he said.
