Ontario Premier Doug Ford has once again promised to cancel the province’s $100 million contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink, citing the recent imposition of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods as the primary driver behind the decision.
The contract, signed in November last year to provide internet services to remote areas of Ontario, now faces renewed scrutiny as the long-threatened Trump tariffs have officially gone into effect. These tariffs impose a 25 percent duty on most Canadian goods and a 10 percent duty on energy exports. Ford, a former supporter of President Trump, warned that if the tariffs persist, Ontario might be forced to impose its own 25 percent surcharge on electricity exports to the United States—a measure that could affect over 1.5 million U.S. residents in Michigan, New York, and Minnesota. “We need to be ready to dig in for a long fight,” Ford said, according to the Toronto Sun.
In addition to the potential cancellation of the Starlink deal, Ford has floated other measures, including surcharges on mineral exports and even the possibility of cutting off electricity to U.S. customers if negotiations fail. The situation underscores the escalating tensions in North American trade relations, with Canadian officials also taking steps on other fronts. Ontario’s primary liquor wholesaler, the LCBO, has confirmed plans to stop purchasing U.S.-made alcohol, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that Canada will introduce retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.
Trudeau criticized the U.S. action during a news conference, stating, “Today the US launched a trade war against Canada, their closest ally and their closest friend. At the same time, they're talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin—a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense.” Trudeau also suggested that Trump’s tariff measures might be aimed at weakening the Canadian economy, but asserted that “Canada will never be the 51st state.”
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Federal Aviation Administration has announced a partnership with SpaceX to install Starlink terminals at various airports and is reportedly seeking funding for additional Starlink projects—a move that comes as Ontario debates its contract cancellation.
Ontario’s Ministry of Infrastructure has been contacted for further details regarding the cancellation of the Starlink deal, and additional updates are expected as the situation evolves.
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Leaders from around the world are gathering in New York for the latest session of the United Nations General Assembly, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, global security, trade, artificial intelligence, climate change and economic development dominating the agenda.
World leaders return to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday for the fourth day of the high-level General Debate, with speeches and diplomatic meetings continuing throughout the day.
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Air Force reported on Friday (25 September).
Iran has called for a diplomatic solution after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected its Hormuz proposal, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was awaiting a definitive U.S. response through mediators.
Iran on Saturday awaited a U.S. response to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the Middle East war after the Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump had rejected the deal.
South African police are searching for suspects after two separate shootings killed 27 people and injured 26 others within hours, highlighting the country’s persistent problem with gun violence.
Heavy rain and storms have triggered floods and landslides that killed 56 people in India, while in Nepal, 14 have died and another 11 are missing, with authorities there warning on Sunday that more flash floods are possible.
British police have arrested several men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after a major security incident was declared near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by U.S. air forces in Gloucestershire, England.
Six people have died after a two-storey residential building in a tourist area of central Athens collapsed, the Greek fire brigade said on Saturday (26 September), following an explosion that the mayor said was likely linked to gas infrastructure.
Swiss voters are due to decide on Sunday, 27 September, whether to enshrine a stricter interpretation of the country’s long-standing neutrality in the constitution, in a referendum that has reopened debate over Switzerland’s role in European security and international diplomacy.
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