NATO leaders are meeting to debate whether to more than double the alliance’s defence spending target. Prime Minister Mark Carney is among the leaders around the table at the annual leaders’ summit in The Hague, where a proposal is being discussed to increase the target to five per cent of annual GDP, up from the … Read more
Descrease article font size Increase article font size The conflict between Iran and Israel is adding more uncertainty not just for people living in the region, but also for Edmontonians watching the situation from afar. For some members of Edmonton’s Iranian community, it evokes complex emotions and a strong urge to help wherever possible. Amir … Read more
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he’s hopeful the unsteady ceasefire between Iran and Israel will provide an “opportunity” for an end to hostilities in Gaza and ultimately broader Middle East peace, including a “Zionist” Palestinian state committed to Israel’s security. In an interview with CNN International that aired Tuesday ahead of the NATO summit at … Read more
NATO allies will try to ensure this week’s summit isn’t derailed by the fallout from U.S. military strikes on Iran, experts say, but the conflict may still be “the elephant in the room.” U.S. President Donald Trump late Monday announced that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran would be phased in over a 24-hour period. … Read more
More than 500 Canadians in the Middle East have received support from the federal government during the conflict between Iran and Israel, says Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand. She added that more than 100 people will be on board a flight leaving Jordan on Tuesday evening. Anand told reporters in The Hague that those helped, … Read more
Prime Minister Mark Carney begins a two-day stop Tuesday in the Netherlands, where NATO alliance members are prepared to decide whether to more than double the defense spending target. The main talks in The Hague won’t happen until Wednesday, with Carney first set to take part in several bilateral meetings. Carney will meet with the … Read more
Canada and the European Union opened a new era of transatlantic co-operation Monday with the official signing of a security and defence partnership at a joint summit in Brussels. The agreement commits Canada and Europe to collaboration on defence and is a step toward Canada participating in the continent’s massive new defence procurement program, known … Read more
The Canadian government is deploying a “crisis emergency response” in the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Iran worsens days after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The response will include 24-7 assistance and consular access for Canadians in the region, Global Affairs Canada said in a statement late Sunday night. This comes … Read more
NATO leaders are expected to agree this week that member countries should spend five per cent of their gross domestic product on defence, except the new and much vaunted investment pledge will not apply to all of them. Spain has reached a deal with NATO to be excluded from the five per cent of GDP … Read more
The United Kingdom on Friday became the latest country to withdraw staff from its embassy in Iran amid a week-long conflict with Israel, as foreign governments scrambled to get their citizens out of the region. An updated U.K. travel advisory for Iran said the government had temporarily pulled diplomatic staff as a “precautionary measure.” It … Read more