Author: OMN AI

Ottawa will remove certain retaliatory duties while retaining tariffs on cars, steel, and aluminium. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Friday that Canada will scale back part of its trade countermeasures against the United States. Levies on vehicles, steel, and aluminium will remain, but other tariffs on American goods will be lifted starting September 1. Move follows missed trade deal deadline The announcement comes after Carney’s first phone call with President Donald Trump since both countries failed to meet their self-imposed deadline for a new trade agreement. Canada had previously imposed a 25% tariff on approximately C$30bn (£16bn; $21.7bn) of US…

The government must legally provide housing for asylum-seekers. Before 2020, using hotels caused little public attention. Rising asylum-seeker numbers in 2020 forced the Conservative government to find new housing solutions quickly. Asylum-seeker arrivals have surged: over 27,000 people arrived this year, nearly 50% more than last year. The government housed just over 32,000 asylum-seekers in hotels by June, up from 29,500 a year earlier. Hotel numbers remain below the September 2023 peak of more than 56,000 people. Between July 2024 and June 2025, 111,084 people applied for asylum, the highest yearly total since 2001. In May, the National Audit Office…

Scientists have found that extreme heat affects people’s emotions across the globe. They studied over a billion social media posts. The research showed that when temperatures climbed above 35°C, negative expressions increased. Low‑income countries showed the strongest emotional decline compared to wealthier ones. The project, led by MIT and international teams, examined posts from X and Weibo in 157 countries. Each was rated for positivity or negativity and matched to local weather data. Poorer regions showed about three times the emotional impact measured in richer regions. Heat and Human Behaviour Evidence from previous decades supports this finding. Drivers are more…

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick announced on Friday that Washington will acquire a 10% ownership stake in Intel. “This historic agreement strengthens American leadership in semiconductors. It will grow our economy and secure our technological edge,” Lutnick wrote on X. He posted the statement alongside a photo of himself with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. President Donald Trump revealed the deal earlier in the Oval Office. He called it “a great deal for them.” Shares of the Santa Clara-based chipmaker rose more than 5% on Friday. Intel confirmed that the US government will invest $8.9bn (£6.6bn) in its common stock.…

Asia’s crypto markets expand the fastest, and the US has recently accelerated efforts under Trump’s second term. Europe, however, directs its energy toward detailed regulation. Bitcoin’s climb from cents in 2009 to nearly $120,000 highlights how far the industry has entered mainstream finance. Once created as an alternative to state systems, cryptocurrencies now attract global institutions and governments. The EU’s MiCA framework requires audits, segregated wallets, verified transactions, and registration fees. Supporters say this ensures trust and consumer protection. Critics argue the costs and obligations are excessive, restricting entrepreneurship and innovation, and pushing the crypto sector closer to traditional finance…

President Donald Trump announced plans to extend his federal crime and “cleanliness” crackdown to Chicago and New York, calling Chicago “a mess” and saying New York would be targeted next. The initiative, which has already drawn controversy, focuses heavily on Democratic-led cities with Black mayors. In Washington DC, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that National Guard troops patrolling under federal control will now be armed—a sharp reversal from earlier assurances that they would remain unarmed. About 2,000 Guard members are currently stationed in the capital, including reinforcements from Republican-led states. A defense official said troops would carry service-issued weapons…

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the security plan for Ukraine combines strengthening its army and US-European commitments. He called NATO’s support “unwavering” and said it “continues to grow.” Rutte announced additional NATO funding to maintain a “crucial flow of lethal US weapons” to Ukraine. He confirmed US President Donald Trump agreed to participate in providing security guarantees. Rutte explained the two layers aim to deter Russia and prevent any future attacks on Ukraine. He said talks about deploying foreign troops, intelligence sharing, and naval or air presence remain ongoing. Zelenskyy Demands Reliable Protection President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs…

Elon Musk and his company X have agreed to a settlement with ex-staff. The employees had sued for $500 million in unpaid severance. The deal was revealed in a court filing on Wednesday. Both parties asked the San Francisco appeals court to delay a scheduled hearing. They said more time was needed to complete the settlement paperwork. Mass layoffs sparked lawsuit The dispute began after Musk dismissed around 6,000 workers in 2022. That was more than half of the company’s workforce. Many of the affected employees challenged the severance packages in court. So far, neither X nor the employees’ lawyers…

German prosecutors arrested Ukrainian citizen Serhii K., suspecting him of coordinating the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions. Authorities detained him overnight in Italy’s Rimini province and confirmed his involvement as one of the operation’s organizers. Explosions Heightened Energy and War Tensions Explosions on September 26, 2022, ruptured Nord Stream 1 and damaged Nord Stream 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 1 had supplied Russian gas to Germany until Moscow cut deliveries in August 2022. Germany suspended Nord Stream 2 certification shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine, so it never became operational. The attacks intensified Europe’s efforts to reduce reliance…

US tariffs stay in place The United States will not reduce its 27.5% tariffs on European automobiles until the EU passes legislation to lower its own tariffs on American goods. The framework agreement released Thursday sets out conditions for lowering the tariffs to 15%. Background of the deal The trade framework was announced on 27 July following a meeting between Donald Trump and Ursula von der Leyen in Turnberry, Scotland. The EU has committed to eliminating tariffs on US industrial products and providing better access for American seafood and agricultural exports. The US, in turn, has agreed to charge a…