Canada to announce new security and defence investment plan, Globe and Mail reports
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada May 28, 2025. (Reuters)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
28 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
UK, Canada and others sanction Israeli ministers for ‘inciting violence against Palestinians'
Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway said on Tuesday they have imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli government ministers for allegedly 'inciting extremist violence' against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich face asset freezes and travel bans from the five countries. The ministers are champions of expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The decision by Western governments friendly to Israel was a sharp rebuke of Israel's settlement policies in the West Bank and of settler violence, which has spiked since Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. The five countries' foreign ministers said in a joint statement that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich 'have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous.' Israel's Foreign Ministry said earlier it had been informed of the sanctions. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir will be subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze. Photo: Reuters Smotrich, the country's finance minister, wrote on social media that he found out that Britain had decided to sanction him for obstructing the viability of a Palestinian state. 'We are determined to continue building,' he said.
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Malaysia's new luxury tax a hard sell for Anwar as popularity wanes
Many Malaysians may find life's little indulgences suddenly beyond their reach from next month, when fresh taxes bite on premium goods and services like salmon and silk – and even haircuts – after the cash-strapped government said it would raise revenue from so-called luxury spending. Taxes of between 5 and 10 per cent will be imposed on 'discretionary and non-essential goods' as well as financial and beauty services and private education from July 1, the Finance Ministry said in a statement late on Monday. This means Malaysians will have to pay 5 per cent more for premium goods – ranging from king crab to cod, truffle mushrooms and essential oils – and an extra 10 per cent on their hobbies if they are looking to buy racing bicycles or antique artwork. These items all now come under the discretionary spending category. As these luxury items are not typically consumed by most Malaysians, they will not have much effect on inflation, according to the government. Basic necessities such as pet food will be exempt from the new sales tax. Photo: Shutterstock Basic necessities like chicken, rice, milk, medicines and pet food, however, will remain exempt from sales tax, along with construction materials and agricultural inputs like fertiliser, 'to avoid direct pressure on the cost of living' for most Malaysians, the government added.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Canada to hit 2% defence Nato spending target, years ahead of schedule, says Carney
Canada will hit Nato's defence spending threshold of two per cent this year, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday, warning that in a 'darker' world, Canada must reduce its security dependence on the United States. 'I am announcing today that Canada will achieve Nato's two per cent target this year, half a decade ahead of schedule,' Carney said during a speech at the University of Toronto. 'The threats that Canada faces are multiplying,' he added. Carney's pledge followed similar announcements by members of the alliance and comes after consistent pressure by US President Donald Trump for Nato members to spend more on defence. 'In a darker, more competitive world, Canadian leadership will be defined not just by the strength of our values, but also by the value of our strength,' Carney said. Since taking office in mid-March, Carney has delivered a series of stark warnings about what he terms the changing nature of US global leadership under Trump.
