WASHINGTON: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday at a time when one of the world&rsquo;s most durable and amicable alliances has been fractured by Trump&#39;s trade war and annexation threats.&nbsp;Carney&#39;s second visit to the White House comes ahead of a review next year of the free trade agreement, which is critical to Canada&#39;s economy. More than 77% of Canada&#39;s exports go to the US&nbsp;Trump&rsquo;s talk of making Canada the 51st state and his tariffs have Canadians feeling an undeniable sense of betrayal.&nbsp; Relations with Canada&rsquo;s southern neighbor and longtime ally haven&rsquo;t been worse.&nbsp;&ldquo;We&#39;ve had ups and downs, but this is the lowest point in relations that I can recall,&rdquo; said Frank McKenna, a former Canadian ambassador to the United States and current deputy chairman of TD Bank.&nbsp;&ldquo;Canadians aren&#39;t being instructed what to do. They are simply voting with their feet,&quot; he said. &quot;I talk every day to ordinary citizens who are changing their vacation plans, and I talk to large business owners who are moving reward trips away or executive business trips. There is an outright rebellion.&quot;&nbsp;There is fear in Canada over what will happen to the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Carney is looking to get some relief on some sector-specific tariffs, but expectations are low.&nbsp;&ldquo;Improving relations with the White House ahead of the USMCA review is certainly an objective of the trip, but opposition parties and part of the Canadian public will criticize Prime Minister Carney if he doesn&rsquo;t achieve some progress on the tariff front at this stage,&rdquo; said Daniel B&eacute;land, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.&nbsp;Trump said Monday that he anticipated Carney wanted to use the meeting to discuss trade.&nbsp;&ldquo;I guess he&rsquo;s going to ask about tariffs, because a lot of companies from Canada are moving into the United States,&rdquo; Trump, a Republican, told reporters after signing an executive order related to Alaska. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s losing a lot of companies in Canada.&rdquo;&nbsp;Carney has said the USMCA, which is up for review in 2026, is an advantage for Canada at a time when it is clear that the US is charging for access to its market.&nbsp; Carney has said the commitment of the US to the core of USMCA means that more than 85% of Canada-US trade continues to be free of tariffs.&nbsp; He said the US average tariff rate on Canadian goods is 5.6% and remains the lowest among all its trading partners.&nbsp;But Trump has some sector-specific tariffs on Canada, known as Section 232 tariffs, that are having an impact. There are 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The ties between the two countries are without parallel. About $2.5 billion (nearly $3.6 billion Canadian) worth of goods and services cross the border each day.&nbsp; Canada is the top export destination for 36 US states. There is close cooperation on defense, border security and law enforcement, and a vast overlap in culture, traditions and pastimes.&nbsp;About 60% of US crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of US electricity imports are from Canada.&nbsp;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.

Europe

Americas

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday to ease tensions over tariffs and trade, as relations between the longtime allies hit a historic low ahead of the 2026 USMCA review.



Carney meets Trump to improve strained Canada, US trade relations

WASHINGTON : An experimental medication made from marijuana successfully reduced back pain in a new study, offering further support for the drug&rsquo;s potential in treating one of the most common forms of chronic pain.&nbsp;The 800-patient study by a German drugmaker is the latest evidence of the therapeutic properties of cannabis, which remains illegal under U.S. federal law even as most states have made it available for medical or recreational use.&nbsp;Health officials in Canada and Europe have previously approved a pharmaceutical-grade form of cannabis for several types of pain, including nerve pain due to multiple sclerosis. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug containing CBD &mdash; one of the many non-intoxicating chemicals found in cannabis &mdash; to treat rare seizures in children with epilepsy.&nbsp;Unlike that drug, known as Epidiolex, the new cannabis formula from drugmaker Vertanical contains THC, the active ingredient in marijuana that gets users high. But levels of the chemical are very low, essentially a microdose compared to what&rsquo;s available in gummies, chocolate bars and other products sold at marijuana dispensaries in the U.S. The company said patients in the trial didn&rsquo;t show any signs of drug abuse, dependence or withdrawal.&nbsp;Vertanical is seeking approval for a large group of patients: those suffering from lower-back pain, a chronic condition that affects millions and has few proven treatments.&nbsp;Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen can&rsquo;t be used for long-term pain because of their side effects, which include stomach ulcers and indigestion. Opioids are no longer recommended, after the overprescribing of painkillers such as OxyContin in the 1990s and 2000s led to the ongoing epidemic of addiction to that class of drug.&nbsp;Chronic pain is one of the most frequently cited conditions of people enrolled in state-run medical marijuana programs. But there&#39;s been little rigorous research on the drug&#39;s use in that group.&nbsp;Lead study author Dr. Matthias Karst said in an email that the new findings show cannabis &quot;can significantly reduce pain and improve physical function in patients with chronic low-back pain, without the safety concerns commonly associated with opioids.&rdquo; Karst is a pain specialist at Hannover Medical School and a consultant for Vertanical.&nbsp;For the new study, patients with back pain were randomly assigned to take Vertanical&rsquo;s proprietary liquid cannabis extract or a placebo.&nbsp;At the end of 12 weeks, patients taking the medication reported a nearly 2-point reduction in pain on an 11-point scale, compared with 1.4 points for those taking placebo. The difference was statistically significant. Those getting the drug also reported improvements in sleep and physical function.&nbsp;Patients who continued with a six-month extension phase continued to experience reductions in pain. The results were published Monday in the journal Nature.&nbsp;Side effects included dizziness, headache, fatigue and nausea and led to more than 17% of people discontinuing the drug early. Researchers said that dropout rate was lower than what&#39;s typically reported with opioids, which can cause constipation, nausea, drowsiness and carry risks of addiction.&nbsp;Vertanical has filed an application for its drug with European regulators. In the U.S., the company says it is &ldquo;working closely&rdquo; with regulators to design a study to support FDA approval.

Food

An experimental medication made from marijuana successfully reduced back pain in a new study

A drug made from marijuana reduced back pain in a large study

LONDON: England finally has a Women&#39;s Rugby World Cup title to confirm its utter world domination after outclassing Canada 33-13 in front of a record crowd at Twickenham on Saturday. The clearcut victory by five tries to two capped an astonishing World Cup cycle in which England won every match, 33 in a row, the greatest streak in international rugby. The prospect of a home tournament topped by a home champion sold out Twickenham five weeks ago, and 81,885 spectators, the largest crowd in women&#39;s rugby history, were treated to a showcase of England&#39;s unstoppable power. England was appearing in a seventh straight World Cup final but had won only one of the previous six, in 2014. The other title was in 1994. Losing the 2022 final to New Zealand, the last time England tasted defeat, was a bitter blow for the most resourced, most deepest and strongest women&#39;s team in world rugby. It drove the Red Roses to get the formula right when the World Cup came home for the first time in 15 years. &ldquo;The past certainly dictates the now and the girls hung tough in the whole tournament and connected with the nation,&rdquo; England coach John Mitchell said. &ldquo;I thought we were superb defensively in the tournament; our attack didn&#39;t need to be at its best but it was effective enough to get the job done. Canada are a good side but they hadn&#39;t come up against us and we were waiting.&quot; Canada bossed everyone, including defending two-time champion New Zealand in the semifinals, en route to its first final in 11 years, validating its No. 2 ranking and unbeaten campaign this year. But the best offloading team in the tournament with the fastest ruck speed couldn&rsquo;t get its natural game going, crashing into England&#39;s defense. Canada didn&#39;t have a plan B. &ldquo;We smashed it out there today and I can&rsquo;t thank the girls enough for putting their bodies on the line,&rdquo; England captain Zoe Aldcroft said. &quot;There was no doubt in our minds coming into this that we were going to do the job.&rdquo; England saved its best performance of the World Cup for last, setting the tone at the first scrum, shoving Canada backward. The English would destroy Canada&#39;s scrum and mauls. Even goalkicking lock Sophie de Goede, at the heart of Canada&#39;s impressive performances just two months into her comeback from an ACL tear, was stymied. She got to smile after the final, though, after receiving the world player of the year award ahead of England&#39;s Megan Jones and New Zealand&#39;s Jorja Miller. De Goede&#39;s teammates threw her in the air. As it did in every game, Canada scored first through glitter-faced right wing Alex Hogan-Rochester from a two-on-one. The lead lasted only three minutes. Out of nothing, fullback Ellie Kildunne, last year&#39;s world player of the year, broke a tackle, stepped a couple more and scorched the cover to score behind the posts. More Canada errors were turned into points by England. There was a lineout drive try for hooker Amy Cokayne, who scored three similar tries in the 2022 final. An intercept on halfway by Tatyana Heard was the origin of a try for No. 8 Alex Matthews, playing in her fourth straight final. Canada had to score next but on England&#39;s try-line the ball was poached by Aldcroft. Canada admitted it was struggling by kicking a penalty while 21-5 down. The half finished with England prop Hannah Botterman greeting her second jackal penalty with a double-fisted roar in delight. England started the second half with a try by lock Abbie Ward. When Zoe Harrison&#39;s conversion attempt hit the post, it was her first miss in 15 goalkicks going back to the pool stage. While Botterman was in the sin-bin, Hogan-Rochester got her second try for Canada. When another sustained period of pressure died from a knock-on in front of the England posts, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney put his head in his hands. England put the finishing touches on the biggest win in a final in 27 years when a spiral bomb spun back into its hands and Matthews scored her second try. New Zealand takes bronze New Zealand bowed out in style after slamming six tries against France to win the bronze medal. Rebounding from their semifinal defeat to Canada, their first loss in a knockout match in 34 years, the world champion Black Ferns won 42-26. Winger Braxton Sorensen-McGee, the 18-year-old sensation at her first World Cup, scored her 10th and 11th tries, the second highest tally in World Cup history. Only retiring teammate Portia Woodman-Wickliffe scored more; 13 in 2017. Renee Holmes was the player of the match for a 17-point haul, including five goalkicks from eight off the tee. New Zealand led 39-7 after an hour then suddenly dropped off tackles and France scored three tries in 10 minutes to flanker Lea Champon and backs Gaby Vernier and Emilie Boulard. France also scored the opening try by scrumhalf Pauline Bourdon Sansus from an inside pass by retiring co-captain Marine Menager. But most of the next hour was New Zealand&rsquo;s with often breathless play started by forwards Kaipo Olsen-Baker, Liana Mikaele-Tu&#39;u and Chryss Viliko. Sylvia Brunt scored one try and set up two, and sevens superstar Jorja Miller, who missed the semifinal injured, sent in lock Laura Bayfield for 26-7 at halftime. Then Sorensen-McGee turned it on. A dummy, left-foot step, and 30-meter glide to the try-line. Moments after Woodman-Wickliffe was replaced to huge acclaim, Sorensen-McGee dived in beside the right corner flag. &quot;There are only three teams that get to win a medal and to be one of those teams, no matter what color it is, we&rsquo;re so grateful,&rdquo; Brunt said.

Rugby

England clinched its second Women’s Rugby World Cup, defeating Canada 33-13 at Twickenham before a record crowd. The Red Roses extended their unbeaten run to 33 matches, cementing their dominance as Canada settled for runner-up.

England outclasses Canada, wins Women's Rugby World Cup 

DURBIN: Starbucks said Thursday it&#39;s closing hundreds of US and Canadian stores and laying off 900 non-retail employees as it focuses more of its resources on a turnaround.&nbsp;The Seattle coffee giant said store closures would start immediately. The company wouldn&#39;t give a number of stores that are closing, but it said it expects to have 18,300 North American locations when its fiscal year ends on Sunday, which is 124 fewer than it had at the end of its 2024 fiscal year. As of June 29, the company had 18,734 locations.&nbsp;Starbucks said workers in its stores will be offered transfers to other locations where possible and severance packages.&nbsp;Starbucks said it will notify non-retail employees whose positions are being eliminated early Friday. Starbucks asked employees who can work from home to do so on Thursday and Friday.&nbsp;In a letter sent to employees Thursday, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said a review of the company&#39;s stores identified locations where the company doesn&#39;t see a path to financial stability or isn&#39;t able to create the physical environment customers expect. Those stores are being closed.&nbsp;&ldquo;Each year, we open and close coffeehouses for a variety of reasons, from financial performance to lease expirations,&rdquo; Niccol wrote. &ldquo;This is a more significant action that we understand will impact partners and customers. Our coffeehouses are centers of the community, and closing any location is difficult.&rdquo;&nbsp;Starbucks said it expects to spend $1 billion on the restructuring, including $150 million on employee separation benefits and $850 million related to the physical store closing and the cost of exiting leases.&nbsp;Starbucks shares were down less than 1% in morning trading on Thursday.&nbsp;It was not immediately clear how many of the stores that are closing are unionized.&nbsp;Workers at 650 company-owned US Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since 2021, but they have yet to reach a contract agreement with the company.&nbsp;Starbucks Workers United, the labor group organizing workers, said Thursday that the closures were made without input from Starbucks&#39; baristas. The union said it intends to engage in bargaining at every union-represented store that is closing to ensure workers can be placed at another store they prefer.&nbsp;&ldquo;Fixing what&rsquo;s broken at Starbucks isn&rsquo;t possible without centering the people who engage with the company&rsquo;s customers day in and day out,&rdquo; the union said.&nbsp;News of the store closures came just over a week after unionized employees in three states sued Starbucks over its new dress code, saying the company refused to reimburse workers who had to buy new clothes.&nbsp;Starbucks said it used a consistent set of criteria to determine the stores that are closing, and union representation wasn&#39;t a factor.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s rare for Starbucks to shrink its store count during a fiscal year.&nbsp;Niccol said Starbucks plans to increase its North American store count in its next fiscal year. The company said it also plans to redesign more than 1,000 locations in the next 12 months to give them a warmer, more welcoming feel.&nbsp;This is the second big round of layoffs at Starbucks this year. In February, Niccol announced the layoffs of 1,100 corporate employees globally and eliminated several hundred open positions. At the time, Niccol said Starbucks needed to operate more efficiently and increase accountability for decisions.&nbsp;In July, Starbucks reported its sixth straight quarter of lower same-store sales, as weak US traffic continued to be a drain on the company.Niccol is trying to turn that around by adding staff, making stores cozier and introducing software that helps prioritize orders and make sure customers can get their drink within four minutes.

Business

American coffee brand closing hundreds of US and Canadian stores and laying off 900 non-retail employees in a $1 billion restructuring plan. The move follows declining sales, with efforts to redesign stores and boost efficiency underway. 

Starbucks announces global restructuring with store closures

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Canada and Mexico hope next year&#39;s review of their free trade deal with the United States will make it &quot;fairer and more effective,&quot; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said after a meeting with Mexico&#39;s president, AFP reported on Thursday.After their talks in Mexico City, Carney said both he and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum were &quot;committed&quot; to the deal that had &quot;helped make North America the economic envy of the world.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><iframe width="1312" height="738" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KC8MOpTB5qU" title="LIVE | Mark Carney Visits Mexico Holds Bilateral Talks With President Claudia Sheinbaum | N18G" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">&nbsp;</iframe></div>Canadian Prime Minister Carney arrived in Mexico City on Thursday for a two-day mission designed to improve recently strained ties and seek a common front in crucial trade talks with the United States, Reuters reported.The visit comes as the US-Mexico-Canada free trade deal is to be reviewed in 2026, and the three countries kick off public consultations.&nbsp;

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum aim to strengthen ties and ensure the 2026 review of the US-Mexico-Canada trade deal makes it fairer and more effective.

Articles tagged with "Canada"

Carney meets Trump to improve strained Canada, US trade relations

A drug made from marijuana reduced back pain in a large study

England outclasses Canada, wins Women's Rugby World Cup

Starbucks announces global restructuring with store closures

Canada, Mexico seek to make trade deal with US 'fairer': Carney