Canada's annual inflation rate rose to 4.4% in April, higher than the expected 4.1%, due to increased shelter costs. The consumer price index was up 0.7% month-over-month, also higher than predictions. However, grocery prices rose at a slower pace in April than they did in March, thanks to a smaller increase in fresh vegetable, coffee, and tea prices. Higher rent and mortgage interest costs contributed the most to the annual inflation rate in April, with the increased interest rate environment potentially stimulating demand for rentals and contributing to higher rents. The Bank of Canada has kept rates unchanged but has said it is ready to hike them further if necessary.
WestJet Airlines and its pilots are still struggling to agree on higher pay and avert a work stoppage. Pilots from the airline warned of a strike early this week, where they would act from May 19, which could disrupt travel within Canada. They believe higher salaries and improved scheduling is necessary in light of the recent deal with Delta Air Lines, where a 34% pay increase was achieved over four years. There appears to be progress regarding a few issues; however, the pay issue is proving a large obstacle. Meanwhile, WestJet’s rival, Flair Airlines, has stated that it will be adding flights in case of a strike or lockout.
Bill banning uranium imports from Russia passes US House subcommittee
Reuters
23-05-16 17:26
A bill that would prohibit Russian uranium imports to the US passed a committee in the House of Representatives, paving the way for it to become law. The US imported around 14% of its uranium from Russia in 2021, compared to 35% from Kazakhstan and 15% from Canada, with the US the source of around 5% of the mineral used domestically that year. The House bill includes waivers which would allow for Russia to export low-enriched uranium, provided alternative sources are not accessible for nuclear reactors or US nuclear energy firms and if shipments are in the national interest.
NorthStar Bets is backing the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals game against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. The betting firm is supporting Denver on the spread, which is reduced for the contest, and taking the over on the point total. It is also predicting a low performance for the Lakers' D'Angelo Russell on the rebounding prop. The bookmaker has placed the Nuggets' chance of victory at 80.9%.
Ontario must increase its financial commitment to the new electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor in order to resolve the impasse with Stellantis, according to Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne. Stellantis stopped construction of the project with LG Energy Solution last week after negotiations with the Canadian and Ontario governments did not produce a settlement. The Canadian federal government has pledged more than CAD 456mn ($271m) to the project, but Stellantis has asked for an increase to secure subsidies worth up to CAD 12.5bn. Champagne said Ontario needed to increase its own contribution towards the $1.9bn project.
Magnus Cort of Denmark won stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia, triumphing in difficult weather conditions, to complete his career grand slam. Cort, riding for EF Education-EasyPost, was part of a four-man breakaway with 60km of the stage to go which extended their lead over the peloton to four and a half minutes with 106km to go, before closing to just 46 seconds with 10km remaining. Race leader Geraint Thomas retained his two-second advantage over Primoz Roglic of Slovenia in the general classification and fellow British cyclist Tao Geoghegan Hart is third, five seconds behind.
Canada's province of Alberta will go to the polls to elect a government on May 29. The United Conservative Party has pledged to create a new tax bracket and contribute $330m toward a new National Hockey League arena for the Calgary Flames, among other promises. Meanwhile, the Alberta New Democratic Party is seeking to ensure that each resident has access to a family doctor, bring back the Rapattack program of aerial firefighters who battle wildfires in remote areas, and table an eastern slopes protection act to ban coal mining projects in mountainous areas.
Canada and the United States are joining forces to construct an electric vehicle (EV) corridor of charging stations to promote EV adoption. The corridor will have charging infrastructure every 80 kilometres from Quebec City to Kalamazoo, Michigan, covering 1,400 kilometres. The 215 charging stations will fuel one of the busiest passenger and trade routes between the two countries. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed on a cross-border EV charging network in March. The move will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which the Canadian government says accounts for 23% of Canada's total emissions.
Lower commodity prices and rising inflation, which could prompt the Bank of Canada to raise interest rates, caused the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index to fall by almost 1.5%, its biggest drop for two months. In addition, the energy and financial sectors, which together make up around 60% of the Canadian market's weighting, fell due to a decrease in oil prices and stress levels in the regional US banking sector. It seems that factors such as this have meant that the Toronto exchange has failed to match the rise of leading US stock indices, like the S&P 500, which have benefitted from a marked improvement in tech stocks.
China is looking to Central Asia for a new energy partner source to offset growing tensions between it and the US-led West. Leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan join President Xi in China, where the main focus will be the joint projects between the nations aimed at pushing forward cooperation in other areas from the economy to security and politics. Beside abundant reserves of traditional fossil fuels, there is huge untapped hydropower potential in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Piped natural gas from Central Asia to China is traditionally considered to be more secure and cheaper than other countries, especially the US. Central Asia supplied over two-thirds of China's pipeline gas imports in 2017, with the bulk of it coming from Turkmenistan, which has the world's fourth-largest gas reserves after Qatar, Iran and Russia.
Canadian federal government has introduced legislation to make it harder for repeat violent offenders to be released on bail. This changes comes just four years after the governing Liberals made it easier to obtain bail, and is in response to concerns raised by premiers after the killing of a police officer in Ontario and a number of violent attacks. The biggest change in Bill C-48 would put the onus on certain accused people to show why they should be granted bail, rather than require the prosecution to justify why they shouldn’t. Known as a reverse onus, the measure already applies to certain firearms offences.
New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German was ejected from a game against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning after umpires inspected his throwing hand and found a foreign or sticky substance on it. German had retired all nine batters he faced in the first three innings. The Yankees had a 2-0 lead when he was ejected.
A woman was shot and killed while driving in the Côte-des-Neiges borough of Montreal. The shooting took place in a parking lot, and police say the vehicle was in motion when the woman was shot and subsequently collided with a building. The victim's identity is currently unknown, and the suspect fled on foot. Witnesses are being interviewed, and the major crimes unit and forensic identification technicians are investigating.
Local MPPs divided on whether it's the feds, province that needs to step up in Stellantis talks
CBC
23-05-17 00:03
Government support for electric vehicle manufacturing is under scrutiny in Canada, where Stellantis said it had to pause the construction of its planned battery plant in Windsor, Ontario, due to a lack of financial support from Canada's federal government. The company said it is still working with the government, but if a deal isn't reached, it may make "difficult decisions" about the project. The delay follows the US government's passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, which gives automakers greater financial stability for EV investments. Some are calling for more support for the Canadian EV supply chain.
Experts have used more than 70,000 images to create the first full-size 3D reconstruction of the Titanic wreck in order to determine the exact point where the doomed ship struck the iceberg which sank it. The bow section remains well preserved, but the stern, 800 metres away, has collapsed. Academics hope that the new scan will offer insight into why the ship, which was travelling between Southampton and New York, could not be saved, leading to the deaths of 1,500 people in April 1912.
The Council of Europe (CoE) has approved a “Register of Damage” to identify financial compensation owed for damage in Ukraine caused by Russian forces. Marija Pejcinovic Buric, Council head, called the register an “urgent, necessary, first step.” The US, Canada, and Japan, as well as over 40 countries, backed the register. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it would be important in punishing “war crimes of Russian occupiers” while supporting potential future legal proceedings. The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also pledged to provide a coalition giving Ukraine combat air capabilities.
A former vegan who started to lose chunks of hair and suffered extreme fatigue has claimed that eating meat saved her life. Kai-Lee Worsley became a vegan after moving to California in 2018, learning about factory farming and animal cruelty. She stopped all animal product intake and started to eat protein-rich alternatives, but the diet led to the development of alopecia and was ultimately abandoned. Despite feeling that meat had improved her health, she struggled to abandon the moral high ground of veganism.
Canada is at risk of a significant skills gap in its workforce, according to a report from the Conference Board of Canada. It found that 56% of Canadian businesses report a skills gap in their workforce, 45% have difficulties finding candidates with the right skills for the job and within a decade nine out of 10 jobs will require digital skills. IBM Canada president Dave McCann said that part of the reason that STEM positions are not being filled is that candidates don’t know how to pursue them. McCann said the issue can be resolved by offering more accessible training and development opportunities. IBM has invested in programs to provide opportunities for students of all ages to access training that will help them succeed, he said. Other organizations, including Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment have also started investing in skills development, he added.
The 30,000 Afghan refugees who have fled their country after the Taliban seized power in August are struggling to find employment and housing in Canada. Many have neither the work history nor credit score that landlords demand, and are being asked for a 12-month deposit before being able to rent. While the Canadian government has pledged one year’s aid to new immigrants, the funds will end in June this year, increasing the urgency of the situation. Polycultural Immigrant and Community Services is among the organisations trying to support refugees with housing and job placement.
The first ever full-sized 3D scan of the Titanic shipwreck has been published by the BBC. The project is a result of deep-sea mapping carried out over 2022 by deep-sea mapping company Magellan and Atlantic Productions. While the wreck had previously been explored extensively, cameras were never before able to capture the ship's entirety. The images may reveal more about the doomed ship’s fateful journey across the Atlantic over a century ago, shedding light on details such as the liner's luxury fixtures and how it sank. More than 1,500 people died when the ship sank in April 1912.
