Mark Carney says Canada can’t accept US trade deal that would weaken French language

Prime minister praised for rejecting US trade proposal as Trump shows little interest in retreating from dispute

Mark Carney said on Monday that while American negotiators saw the French language in Canada as an “irritant … in Quebec, these are rights,” days after receiving widespread praise from political leaders for rejecting a US trade proposal that many perceived as weakening the country’s Francophone culture.

The prime minister’s remarks came hours after the US president, Donald Trump, showed little interest in retreating from the spat, posting on social media that Canada had been “ripping off the United States of America for years” and threatening a swath of new, economically devastating tariffs on cars and trucks.

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What the renewed Black Sea blockade means for Ukraine’s farmers – France 24

  1. What the renewed Black Sea blockade means for Ukraine’s farmers  France 24
  2. The renewed threat to global grain supplies  The Economist
  3. Russia’s Blockade of Ukraine Threatens Next Year’s Food Crop  Bloomberg
  4. Grain exports stall as Ukraine steps up attacks on Russia  dw.com
  5. Russia not willing to accept ceasefire on grain ships – Zelenskyy  Українська правда
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Prince Harry quits board of wildlife charity after rangers’ human rights abuses

Spokesperson for Duke of Sussex says he remains an ‘active and avid supporter’ of African Parks’ mission

The Duke of Sussex has stepped down from the board of a major African wildlife charity that had been at the centre of a human rights controversy.

Prince Harry’s spokesperson confirmed he was no longer a trustee of African Parks, which admitted last year that human rights abuses were committed by its rangers in the Republic of the Congo.

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Iran-linked hackers blamed for taking down U.K. power plant for first time, reports say – CBS News

  1. Iran-linked hackers blamed for taking down U.K. power plant for first time, reports say  CBS News
  2. UK briefs energy chiefs after Iran-linked cyber attack reports  Reuters
  3. The Iran war is bringing cyberwarfare into critical infrastructure  Al Jazeera
  4. Iranian hackers shut down UK power plant  The Telegraph
  5. UK seeks to tighten security of supply chains after Iran-linked cyber attack  Financial Times
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Japan lawmakers visit China seeking to ease tensions over Taiwan – Al Jazeera

  1. Japan lawmakers visit China seeking to ease tensions over Taiwan  Al Jazeera
  2. Japan Lawmakers Visit China Amid Deep Freeze in Bilateral Ties  Bloomberg.com
  3. Cross-party Japan delegation visiting China to mend ties  Taipei Times
  4. Japan Lawmakers Visit China for Possible Talks with CCP Officials  nippon.com
  5. Japan lawmakers to visit China in bid to cool row, but thaw unlikely: experts  South China Morning Post
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Colombia’s armed groups recruit children and train them in drone warfare, rights group says – AP News

  1. Colombia’s armed groups recruit children and train them in drone warfare, rights group says  AP News
  2. “I Thought I’d Never See My Mom Again”: Recruitment and Use of Children by Colombian Armed Groups | HRW  Human Rights Watch
  3. Facebook and TikTok Algorithms Boosted Colombian Child-Soldier Recruitment, HRW Finds  Tech Times
  4. Colombian Armed Groups Gamify Drone Warfare to Train Recruited Children  SOFX
  5. Facebook, TikTok promoted Colombian armed groups' content to recruit children: NGO  Courthouse News
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UK, Ukraine sign AI defence partnership linked to battlefield technology – Reuters

  1. UK, Ukraine sign AI defence partnership linked to battlefield technology  Reuters
  2. UK Taps Ukrainian Combat Data in AI Push To Shape Battlefield  Bloomberg.com
  3. Ukraine hands UK intelligence ‘goldmine’ to foil Putin’s saboteurs  The Telegraph
  4. Ukraine battlefield data to help UK protect bases from spies  The Times
  5. UK to use Ukraine battlefield data to train AI to protect sensitive sites  The Guardian
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‘Fix that little spot’: Danish PM hits back at unsolicited beauty tip from cosmetic surgeon

Mette Frederiksen, who received message on returning from Ukraine, advises women to embrace self-acceptance

Sick of getting unsolicited beauty tips on social media, the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, rebuffed a male cosmetic surgeon’s offer to “fix” her and advised women in similar situations to embrace self-acceptance.

Frederiksen, a Social Democrat and Denmark’s second female prime minister, posted on Instagram that she had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where she was subjected to air raid sirens, when she found a message proposing some help with her appearance.

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Ukraine faces €23B defense funding hole as Western cash lags – politico.eu

  1. Ukraine faces €23B defense funding hole as Western cash lags  politico.eu
  2. Zelensky calls on allies to cover €27 billion gap for Ukraine’s air defence needs  France 24
  3. EU approves further €6.1 billion for Ukraine's defence  Reuters
  4. Solidarity can't fill Kyiv's coffers  euractiv.com
  5. Zelensky: Ukraine Can Produce 200–300 Long-Range Drones Daily, With Reach Up to 3,000 Km  Kyiv Post
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