Israeli Ministers Sanctioned Over Gaza Comments
The UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, sanctioned two Israeli government ministers, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, for inciting violence against Palestinian communities. Bloomberg's Stuart Livingstone-Wallace reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Billionaire Blavatnik courted to take Daily Telegraph stake
The billionaire who has bankrolled DAZN, the sports-streaming service, is being courted to take a stake in The Daily Telegraph alongside the newspaper's new American majority-owners. Sky News has learnt that Sir Len Blavatnik, whose holding company Access Entertainment owns assets in Britain, including the Theatre Royal Haymarket, has been approached by RedBird Capital Partners about becoming a minority investor in the Telegraph titles. Two sources close to the situation said on Thursday that Sir Len was being sounded out about a deal, although they cautioned that no agreement had been struck and it remained unclear whether one would be. Sir Len, who was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II for services to philanthropy in 2017, is a prolific investor in the arts, media and entertainment industries. Access Entertainment is run by Danny Cohen, the former BBC director of television. Announcing its agreement to acquire Telegraph Media Group last month for an enterprise valuation of £500m, RedBird Capital said it was "in discussions with select UK-based minority investors with print media expertise and strong commitment to upholding the editorial values of the Telegraph". This was principally a reference to Lord Rothermere, the Daily Mail proprietor, who remains in talks to pay more than £30m for a stake in the Mail's rival right-leaning newspaper group. Goldman Sachs is advising DMGT on the investment, with a deal the subject of ongoing discussions, according to insiders. Read more: The Abu Dhabi state-backed vehicle IMI is still expected to acquire the maximum 15% stake in the Telegraph permitted under proposed new media ownership rules. The government's decision to set the ownership threshold at 15% follows an intensive lobbying campaign by newspaper industry executives concerned that a permanent outright ban could cut off a vital source of funding to an already-embattled industry. However, the deal faces continued opposition from parliamentarians, with The Guardian reporting on Thursday that a cross-party group had written to Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, warning of "potential Chinese state influence" because of links between RedBird Capital chair John Thornton and China's sovereign wealth fund. This suggestion has been dismissed by RedBird Capital insiders. Ukraine-born Sir Len's portfolio of investments includes DAZN, which is now also backed by a Saudi sports group, mobile games studio Tripledot and Scenario Two, a theatre production company. Dovid Efune, the owner of The New York Sun, is meanwhile continuing to assemble a rival bid for the Telegraph, having secured backing from Jeremy Hosking, the prominent City investor. His prospects, however, look to have diminished after the former chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, was reported to have withdrawn from his so-called 'British bid'. The Telegraph titles' parent company was forced into insolvency proceedings two years ago by Lloyds Banking Group, which ran out of patience with the Barclay family, their long-standing owner. RedBird IMI, a joint venture between the two firms, paid £600m several months later to acquire a call option that was intended to convert into ownership of the Telegraph newspapers and The Spectator magazine. That objective was thwarted by a change in media ownership laws, which banned any form of foreign state ownership. Some parliamentarians are continuing to argue that a 15% threshold would be too high, and that the proposed rules are ambiguous because they potentially allow for more than one state investor to aggregate their holdings in British newspapers. The Spectator was sold last year for £100m to Sir Paul Marshall, the hedge fund billionaire, who has installed Lord Gove, the former cabinet minister, as its editor. RedBird Capital has been contacted for comment, while a call to Access Industries' London office went unanswered on Thursday lunchtime.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alberta premier faces raucous, angry town hall on province's coal policy
FORT MACLEOD — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and three of her ministers got an earful on Wednesday night from southern Alberta locals at a rowdy, hours-long town hall to discuss the province's coal policy. About 500 people, dressed in cowboy hats, belt buckles, and jeans, packed a community hall in Fort Macleod, Alta., for an event marked by heckling, competing applause and placards. "If we are not prepared to look and find middle-ground solutions to allow for industries to proceed while reducing our environmental footprint, you're going to find that different industries become the next on the hit list," Smith said through a chorus of protesting voices and verbal jabs. "Banning industries is just not something we are going to do." The premier and her ministers of energy, environment and agriculture took questions and were shouted down on several occasions by attendees as they defended changes to the province's coal policy. Many in the crowd held small placards reading "lie" and "false," raising them each time they disagreed with a statement. There was a notable group that came in support of the province's coal policy, frequently applauding the ministers and shooting back at other crowd members. Many attendees carried notebooks and pens, keenly taking notes throughout. The town hall came weeks after the Alberta Energy Regulator, or AER, granted an Australia-based coal company permission to start a controversial coal exploration on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Northback Holding Corp.'s project at Grassy Mountain was initially rejected in 2021 when a panel ruled that the likely environmental effects on fish and water quality outweighed the potential economic benefits. Late last year, the project was exempted from the Alberta government's decision to ban open-pit coal mines because Northback's application was considered an "advanced" proposal. The issue has been polarizing in southern Alberta, where the debate has primarily revolved around the economic implications of development against environmental effects. A non-binding referendum in Crowsnest Pass saw 70 per cent of voters saying they'd support the nearby coal project. Despite frequent pushback over the two-and-a-half-hour event, Smith rarely chose to get into back-and-forth discussions with attendees. She defended the province's approach to coal developments, pitching responsible development that prioritizes environmental standards. Smith also frequently cited a lawsuit by five coal companies that say they're owed $15 billion by the province in lost revenues and sunk costs. She argued again on Wednesday that she had taxpayers in mind when the province lifted its moratorium on coal mining and development on the eastern slopes. "If we do nothing, then we are told we'll likely lose those cases and have to pay ($15 billion)." An energetic Brian Jean, the province's energy minister, frequently challenged the boisterous crowd and at times trotted offstage to hand his business card to those asking questions. "I live in the oilsands. You can't tell me what I'm concerned about and what I'm not concerned about. I'm very concerned about our earth and our planet," he said. Several questions returned to a new study by Alberta government scientists, yet to be peer reviewed, which recently said old coal mines on the eastern slopes are poisoning fish and any further coal mining there would result in 'population collapse' of fish species in a nearby lake. Asked about the report, Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said the province is looking into the issue and is waiting for it to be confirmed by the peer-review process. She said further studies to be released later this year are being conducted. "We want to understand what is happening there so that we can prevent that from happening in the future." The premier also jousted with protesters while speaking to reporters before the town hall. When a group gathered behind her and started yelling, she turned around and asked them to let her finish the interview. "I'm looking for a little bit of courtesy," she said. The event was scheduled to last two hours, but Smith asked to take questions for an extra 30 minutes after the clock had run out. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Politico
4 hours ago
- Politico
The PM finds his fixer
Presented by The Canadian Medical Association Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Canada Playbook | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Canada Playbook. Let's get into it. → Ottawa Inc. lands a top executive. → Trump's man in Ottawa dodges and deflects. → 'Canada's BERNIE SANDERS' rules out a comeback. THE FIRST THING THE CAT CAME BACK — Welcome back to the fishbowl, MICHAEL SABIA. Prime Minister MARK CARNEY announced Sabia, a repeat former senior bureaucrat and longtime corporate executive, would start on July 7 as clerk of the Privy Council — a key adviser who oversees the sprawling federal bureaucracy. Sabia replaces JOHN HANNAFORD, whose expertise through the transition between JUSTIN TRUDEAU and Carney has been 'invaluable,' the PM said in the statement. Hannaford will be named a privy councilor for his decades of public service. — Saying the right things: Sabia's name was floating around office pools. His remarks at this week's Globe's Intersect 2025 conference weren't exactly a tell — but they would've landed well in the Prime Minister's Office. 'We have an ambition deficit,' the soon-to-be-former CEO of Hydro-Québec said of Canada. The former Finance DM sang from Carney's time-to-build songbook, emphasizing the importance of hard-earned Indigenous buy-in for business deals. 'There is no substitute when working on these transactions for human presence,' he said. 'Human presence leads to trust. And we don't have a lot of that right now.' → Sounds familiar: We sense a theme emerging in the PM's inner circle of advisers, where a track record of speaking Carney's language in these uncertain times is a major asset. Recall the words of MARC-ANDRÉ BLANCHARD (currently incoming PMO chief of staff) at the Public Policy Forum's April gala. 'There is no shortcut to trust,' he told a Toronto crowd. 'There is only the steady, honest, often uncelebrated, work of listening, of engaging with people who disagree with us, not thinking we know better, of standing in someone else's shoes, of doing the right thing and the right thing is often not theoretical perfection, but a good old Canadian compromise, even when it's hard.' — Crisitunity: When Sabia led the U of T's Munk School in the pandemic's earliest days, he wrote this of the way out of the crisis: 'Governments will need to lead on this. Leaving it to chance will only make the reignition process longer, more difficult and more haphazard. What's more, we would forfeit a precious opportunity to shape our future economy. Remember Rahm Emanuel's famous: 'You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.'' — From the archives: PAUL WELLS on the enterprising Mr. Sabia (2023) Trade war CAN'T CONFIRM, WON'T DENY — Nothing like the whiff of breaking news to inject steak-like sizzle into a rubber-chicken lunch. U.S. Ambassador PETE HOEKSTRA was taking the stage Wednesday at the Canadian Club of Ottawa when CBC — and then CTV — reported 'progress' and document-shuffling in talks toward a new Canada-U.S. economic and security agreement. Trump's envoy took his hand-held microphone into the crowd on the hunt for anyone with fresh intel. Château Laurier lunchers hunched over their phones to find out more. Hoekstra would not confirm any details, though he teased the possibility of a 'breaking news' moment. — More mayhem: MERCEDES STEPHENSON of Global News opened her 'fireside chat' with Hoekstra by pressing for an update. Cue more media lampooning. 'Shh. Some people said those were secret,' Hoekstra said, in reference to reports POTUS and the PM are in direct communication. 'I don't know how those would be secret. I'd hate to see if it was wide open and transparent.' — For the record: When asked for an update, a spokesperson for Canada-U.S. Trade Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC told Playbook: 'I cannot confirm anything on this matter.' — A little salty: Hoekstra did say the U.S. is 'thrilled' with Canada's plans to bump up defense spending: 'We very much appreciate that you're stepping up to the commitment that was made in 2014 by all NATO countries.' TALK OF THE TOWN DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK — CHARLIE ANGUS may be growing a one-man grassroots movement, but he insists he's not interested in leading the New Democratic Party. Still though, he has thoughts on how he'd fix the federal orange team. — Out: TikToks and Zoom. — In: Pub nights and bean dinners. 'What we need is to make a party again that people feel like they belong to,' Angus said Wednesday on Parliament Hill. — Don't look at him: 'I will not be running for the leadership,' the former MP told reporters. — He's focused on bigger issues: Like raging against DONALD TRUMP and his policies. The former NDP MP has been mobilizing progressive Canadians, bringing them out to political rallies on his 'Elbows Up/Resistance Tour.' 'This is a unique moment for Canada because what's leading the resistance are ordinary people,' Angus said. — His declaration: Angus says the 'gangster president' is not just a political threat, but a danger to democracy. He points to Trump's relationship with VLADIMIR PUTIN and the deployment of the National Guard in California. 'This is now a clear and present danger on our border,' he said. — Gaining ground: The rallies are drawing progressives by the hundreds, according to Angus' own account and estimates in local newspapers. — There's no denying: That's more than former NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH managed during the federal campaign. Angus called the NDP's loss under Singh an 'unmitigated disaster.' The two have not spoken since Singh lost his seat and the NDP caucus was reduced to seven. Online comments about his rallies urge Angus to return to the political scene: 'Please run for PM,' reads one. Others view the longtime lawmaker as 'Canada's BERNIE SANDERS' and 'Canadian hero.' — Seriously, Angus insists: He's moved on. 'I need to focus on Canada, and I will continue to focus full out.' ON THE HILL — Only the Bloc Québécois voted in favor of its non-binding motion calling on the government to compensate Quebecers for federal carbon rebates. The Bloc also failed to amend the motion to include British Columbia, which also administers its own carbon pricing scheme. THE ROOMS THAT MATTER — Sikh leaders will hold a press conference in West Block at 11 a.m. to discuss the PM's decision to invite Indian Prime Minister NARENDRA MODI to the G7 Summit. — Ontario Energy Minister STEPHEN LECCE will be at a Canadian Club Toronto lunch event where he'll share his 'plan to power the strongest economy in the G7.' — Emergency Management Minister ELEANOR OLSZEWSKI, Energy Minister TIM HODGSON, Indigenous Services Minister MANDY GULL-MASTY and Environment Minister JULIE DABRUSIN will hold a briefing on the 2025 wildfire season at 12:30 p.m. in the National Press Theatre. Want more POLITICO? Download our mobile app to save stories, get notifications on U.S.-Canada relations, and more. In iOS or Android . MORNING MUST-CLICKS — EMILY HAWS and BOB FIFE report that the Senate is seeking to hold hearings on Carney's bills to cut taxes, fast-track major projects. — Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon has rejected the Bloc Québécois' proposal to split Bill C-5 in two parts, the National Post reports. — On 'The Decibel' pod, SARA MOJTEHEDZADEH and host MENAKA RAMAN-WILMS discuss the 140-page Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act. The CBC's EVAN DYER also takes a closer look at that bill. — The PBO reports that an eligible first-time homebuyer would save an average of $26,832 in sales tax on a newly built home under Ottawa's latest housing proposal, Craig Lord of The Canadian Press reports. — Former Finance Minister BILL MORNEAU told the Bloomberg Invest conference in Hong Kong that Canada should bolster ties with China to hedge against uncertainty from Trump's approach to bilateral relations. — On 'The Global Exchange' pod, Sen. PETER BOEHM and Sen. PETER HARDER — both former sherpas — explain why pursuing a consensus document at next week's G7 Summit would result in 'a race to the bottom.' — Former PM JEAN CHRÉTIEN is on the latest edition of the 'WONK' pod. — And MARK BOURRIE, who 'ruined most of 2024' writing a book on PIERRE POILIEVRE, tells readers of The Walrus why Canada has not seen the last of the former MP from Carleton. PROZONE For Pro subscribers, here's our latest policy newsletter. In other news for Pro readers: — UN treaty to protect marine species moves closer to ratification. — Cannabis users more likely to enter psychiatric intensive care, study finds. — EPA reorg puts Great Lakes research at risk, scientists say. — 'Scorched earth': Former diplomat on Trump's climate attacks. — Trump's tariffs can be enforced for now, appeals court rules. PLAYBOOKERS Birthdays: HBD to former MPs DAVE MACKENZIE and CATHY MCLEOD. SOPHIE NORMAND of Innovative Medicines Canada also celebrates, as does ANDREW MACDOUGALL of Trafalgar Strategy. Noted: The SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD statue on the front lawn of the Ontario legislature has been uncovered. Agriculture Minister HEATH MACDONALD is heading to Saskatchewan for his first official visit. Spotted: Alberta's senior rep in Ottawa, JAMES CARPENTER, flashing a thumbs up with U.S. Ambo PETE HOEKSTRA. — QP scenes: Conservative MP SCOTT AITCHISON, chatting up PM Carney before question period got underway … Carney, continuing a recent trend of sticking his hand in his jacket front pocket as he responded to opposition questions — a mannerism he shares in common with KING CHARLES III. — At Rideau Cottage for the prime minister's garden party with the Parliamentary Press Gallery: MARK CARNEY, MARJORIE MICHEL, JILL MCKNIGHT, JOËL LIGHTBOUND, JULIE DABRUSIN, MANINDER SIDHU, MÉLANIE JOLY, WAYNE LONG, RECHIE VALDEZ, ELEANOR OLSZEWSKI, JOANNE THOMPSON, STEVEN MACKINNON, GARY ANANDASANGAREE, STEPHEN FUHR, MANDY GULL-MASTY, BUCKLEY BELANGER, STEVEN GUILBEAULT, HEATH MACDONALD, PATTY HAJDU, MARC-ANDRÉ BLANCHARD and MARCO MENDICINO. — At the Pearson Centre gala honoring former Cabmin IRWIN COTLER: ANITA ANAND, JULIE DABRUSIN, MARIE-FRANCE LALONDE, RANDEEP SARAI, HELENA JACZEK, ALI EHSASSI, YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET, ALEXIS BRUNELLE-DUCEPPE, ROB OLIPHANT, DARYL FRIDHANDLER, RODGER CUZNER, LESLIE CHURCH, KARINA GOULD, YASIR NAQVI, ANDREW CARDOZO, TALEEB NOORMOHAMED, ANTHONY HOUSEFATHER, GREG FERGUS, KODY BLOIS, RACHEL BENDAYAN, JUDY SGRO, ANITA VANDENBELD, MARILOU MCPHEDRAN, FARAH MOHAMED, LISA HEPFNER, JAMIL JIVANI, VINCE GASPARRO, GIOVANNA MINGARELLI, JAKE SAWATZKY, JUDY WHITE, DUNCAN WILSON, DAWN ARNOLD, DAVID LAMETTI, IDDO MOED, YULIYA KOVALIV, ROSALIE ABELLA and HARRY LAFORME. Rookie Conservative MP ROMAN BABER, lost in West Block, walking into the Liberal caucus entrance amid an ongoing meeting. AI Minister EVAN SOLOMON, hanging out with France President EMMANUEL MACRON in the Canada pavilion at the VivaTech conference in Paris. Movers and shakers: JOANNA DAFOE, a senior climate strategist and former chief to then-Environment Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT, is leaving Parliament Hill … ANDREW BERNARDO is now principal adviser on defense and security for PAA Advisory | Conseils. Lobby watch: The Canadian Bankers Association posted a dozen May meetings with senior public servants. Among the bankers' targets: Fentanyl Czar KEVIN BROSSEAU, Canadian ambo in Washington KIRSTEN HILLMAN, New York Consul General TOM CLARK, and Superintendent of Financial Institutions PETER ROUTLEDGE. Got a document to share? A birthday coming up? Send it all our way. TRIVIA Wednesday's answer: ERNESTO ZEDILLO, president of Mexico at the time, delivered a speech in the House of Commons on June 11, 1996. Props to JOHN ECKER, JOHN PEPPER, YAROSLAV BARAN, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, JEFFREY VALOIS, KELSEY MACDONALD, RON CREARY, HUGUES THEORET, ELIZABETH BURN, PETER STUDER, DAVE PENNER, GORDON RANDALL, MARCEL MARCOTTE, MARJORY LEBRETON, MALCOLM MCKAY, JOHN ALHO and STEVEN HOGUE. Today's question: After warning voters not to expect miracles — 'I am neither God, nor the czar, nor a hero' — who was elected on this date in history? Send your answer to canadaplaybook@ Writing tomorrow's Playbook: MIKE BLANCHFIELD and MICKEY DJURIC. Canada Playbook would not happen without: Canada Editor Sue Allan, editor Willa Plank and POLITICO's Grace Maalouf.
