Author: Hunter W.

Canada has made it clear: there are no plans to sign a free trade agreement with China, even as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens steep tariffs on Canadian goods if Ottawa does so. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada’s leaders are standing firm, but the tensions highlight rising trade pressure between allies. Carney told reporters that Canada respects existing trade rules under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which require any country to notify the others before pursuing a trade deal with a “non-market economy” like China. He said the recent adjustments made with China were meant to fix specific issues, not…

Life in Cuba is getting tougher by the day as shortages of fuel, food and money squeeze everyday life for ordinary people. What was already a fragile economy now faces new pressure from U.S. trade moves, and many residents say they are struggling just to survive.People across Cuba, from street vendors to taxi drivers, are reporting long lines for gasoline, frequent blackouts lasting 8–12 hours, and rising prices for basic goods. The Cuban currency has also lost about 10 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar in just three weeks, making food and transport more expensive for families that…

magine a new source of aluminum that could reshape how industries across North America make cars, planes and electronics. That idea is getting closer to reality after a very large aluminum-related discovery in east-central Saskatchewan. Experts say this find might become a “game changer” for the supply chain.The discovery, known as the Thor Project, was announced by Canadian Energy Metals Corp. (CEM) after a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) showed the site contains a huge amount of alumina, the key material used to make aluminum.According to the company, the Thor Project has a measured and indicated resource of about 49.5 billion…

Saskatchewan has taken a major step toward a nuclear-powered future by starting a formal review of large nuclear reactor technologies. The move aims to secure reliable, low-emission electricity for the province’s growing needs and build on current work with smaller nuclear systems called small modular reactors (SMRs).The announcement was made on January 28, 2026 by SaskPower and the Government of Saskatchewan. It explained that experts will now evaluate large nuclear reactors, the big power stations that have been used in Canada and other countries for decades, to see if they could work in the province’s power grid.Energy officials say this…

South Korea scrambled this week to calm rising trade tensions with the United States after U.S. President Donald Trump warned he would raise tariffs on South Korean imports. The dispute is tied to a major trade and investment deal agreed last year, and the threat has sparked concern in Seoul about economic and political fallout.In January 2026, Trump announced he would increase U.S. tariffs on South Korean goods such as cars, lumber and pharmaceuticals from 15 percent to 25 percent. He argued that South Korea’s legislature had not yet approved the trade agreement the countries reached in 2025, which includes…

Canadians are proud of their universal health-care system, but new data shows the system is expensive and slow, leaving many people waiting months for treatment while spending a lot of money. Health Care Costs Are High, but Access Is Poor Canada spends a large share of its economy on health care, more than most other rich countries with universal systems. In 2023, Canada was third highest out of 31 countries in total health spending as a share of its economy after adjusting for population age. Yet this big spending doesn’t seem to buy fast access or better care. Canada has…

In a major move that highlights big changes in the tech world, Amazon announced it will cut 16,000 corporate jobs as part of a larger plan to streamline the company and expand its use of artificial intelligence (AI). The job cuts are one of the largest in Amazon’s history and show how companies are reshaping their workforces to focus on automation and efficiency.The job reductions were confirmed on January 28, 2026, and come after Amazon already cut 14,000 jobs in October 2025. When combined, these layoffs bring the total to about 30,000 corporate roles eliminated since last fall, nearly 10…

Global economic confidence took a hit this week as Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem warned that recent political pressure on the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) is adding to uncertainty in markets around the world. His comments highlight growing concerns that the independence of central banks, especially the Fed, is important not just for the U.S., but for Canada and other economies too.Macklem made the remarks on January 28, 2026, after the Bank of Canada decided to keep its key interest rate at 2.25 percent amid unusual market uncertainty. The rate hold was expected, but what drew extra attention was…

Europe’s top military leader delivered a blunt message in late January 2026: the continent still needs the United States for its defence, and thinking otherwise is “wishful thinking.”At a session of the European Parliament in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Europe can’t rely on its own military strength without the help of the U.S. military. “If anyone thinks the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming. You can’t,” Rutte told lawmakers. He added that Europe and the United States “need each other.”Rutte’s comments came amid renewed debate about Europe’s…

A political movement in Alberta is gaining attention as supporters take their petition for a possible vote on independence to major cities like Edmonton and Calgary, hoping to gather enough signatures to force a provincial referendum on leaving Canada.This week, hundreds of Albertans lined up to sign the petition at the Big Four Building in Calgary and similar events in Edmonton, where volunteers explained how the process works and why they believe Alberta should have the choice to decide its future.The petition, organized by a group called Stay Free Alberta, is part of a signature drive under Alberta’s Citizen Initiative…