More food aid needed to end starvation in Gaza despite 'modest' raise - WFP
The World Food Programme has called for more food aid to be allowed in to Gaza to quell widespread starvation....
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is working urgently to mend strained ties with Mexico, after relations collapsed late last year when Canadian officials indicated a preference for pursuing a U.S. trade deal without Mexico.
Carney tried to ease tensions during a phone call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in July, referencing a handcrafted soccer ball she had gifted him previously and expressing a desire to visit Mexico soon. According to three sources familiar with the call, the gesture was part of Canada’s broader effort to restore the damaged relationship, which had been marred by dismissive remarks from figures such as Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who previously called comparisons between Canada and Mexico “deeply insulting.”
Although Mexico and Canada have shared three decades of trilateral trade under NAFTA and the current U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), recent events have reignited old tensions. The deterioration began in earnest last November, when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau floated the idea of a bilateral trade pact with the U.S., asserting that Canada was more aligned with Washington on key global issues like China.
Soon after, Trudeau made an unannounced visit to President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, catching Mexican officials off guard. According to one Mexican source, President Sheinbaum ordered her government to freeze communications with Canadian counterparts until Trudeau left office.
Since then, the tables have turned. Trump recently granted Mexico a 90-day reprieve from new tariffs, maintaining them at 25%, while increasing tariffs on Canadian goods to 35%. Now, Canada is trying to re-establish its relationship with Mexico in hopes of preserving the USMCA, which Trudeau had previously appeared willing to abandon.
Carney has stressed the importance of maintaining the trilateral agreement, and both Canada’s foreign and finance ministers recently travelled to Mexico to engage with senior officials. Foreign Minister Anita Anand told Reuters the visit aimed to “kick start” the relationship. President Sheinbaum echoed this sentiment in a post on X.
“We’re strengthening the relationship between our countries,” the post said.
Observers say the future of the trade pact will significantly impact businesses across North America, from the auto industry to medical suppliers. Former Mexican trade negotiator Kenneth Smith Ramos questioned whether Mexico and Canada are truly coordinating, or simply pursuing separate strategies with the U.S. He recalled that during the 2018 USMCA negotiations, it was Mexico that insisted on keeping the pact trilateral, a gesture that made Canada’s later overtures toward a bilateral U.S. deal especially bitter for Mexican officials.
However, a Canadian source familiar with those negotiations disputed this version of events, accusing Mexico of cutting a deal with the U.S. behind Canada's back. This history, the source argued, partly explains Canada’s later interest in sidelining Mexico.
“If Mexicans feel betrayed, they should look in the mirror,” the source said.
The fallout from Trudeau’s Mar-a-Lago visit only worsened relations, with public spats between Trump and Trudeau.
In contrast, Sheinbaum maintained a conciliatory approach with Trump. Since becoming prime minister in March, Carney has tried to repair ties, including inviting Sheinbaum to the G7 summit in Canada—a move seen by some, like American Chamber of Commerce Mexico CEO Pedro Casas, as a symbolic reset. Sheinbaum eventually accepted the invitation, though she was concerned when Trump left the summit early without meeting her.
In a follow-up call in July, Carney reassured Sheinbaum that Canada’s new restrictions on steel imports would not affect Mexican products, a move viewed as another goodwill gesture.
Sheinbaum, despite her frustrations, remains committed to salvaging the USMCA, which if not renewed next year, will expire in 2036. According to a Mexican official, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has floated the idea of scrapping the trilateral deal in favour of a U.S.-Mexico bilateral agreement- something Mexico opposes.
Former Mexican negotiator Juan Carlos Baker noted that Mexico would be at a disadvantage negotiating alone with the U.S., saying, “It’s always better to have a three-player game.”
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
The World Food Programme has called for more food aid to be allowed in to Gaza to quell widespread starvation.
The United Kingdom has summoned the Russian envoy over its latest attack on Kyiv which killed civilians and damaged buildings including the EU delegation and the British Council.
China plans to triple Artificial Intelligence (AI) chip production within a year, boosting self-sufficiency for firms such as Huawei, despite U.S. export curbs, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers and bolster domestic innovation, in a move that could reshape global tech competition.
The Kremlin said on Thursday it was still interested in pursuing peace talks over Ukraine, despite a large overnight Russian strike on Kyiv that Ukrainian officials said killed at least 15 people, including four children.
At least 15 people died and nine were injured after a building collapsed in Palghar, near Mumbai in India, with police arresting the builder on charges of negligence and attempted murder.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment