Mark Carney will be Canada’s new prime minister after winning the Liberal Party’s leadership contest. The former central banker will succeed Justin Trudeau. Mr Carney’s first challenges include preparing for an election that must be held this year and defending Canada from Donald Trump’s economic onslaught and territorial ambitions. “Canada will never, ever be part of America,” Mr Carney told supporters on Sunday.
Russian troops recaptured three more settlements in Kursk, the Russian region partly occupied by Ukrainian forces following a surprise incursion last year. Earlier, Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities killed at least 20 people, officials said. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, said he was “fully committed” to talks with American officials in Saudi Arabia this week on ending the war.
China imposed tariffs on $22bn-worth of American goods, mostly agricultural exports. China’s government announced the levies last week after Mr Trump imposed an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese products. The new measures will hit American exports of chicken, wheat and corn, as well as pork and soyabeans—which America sold China $12bn-worth in 2024.
Meanwhile, futures for the S&P 500 index fell after Mr Trump did not rule out the possibility that America could enter a recession this year. In an interview with Fox News, aired on Sunday, Mr Trump defended his economic policy and said his administration may increase some tariffs. When asked about his abrupt policy changes, he argued that business leaders had received “plenty of clarity”.
Calin Georgescu was barred from standing in Romania’s re-run presidential election later this month, after falling foul of rules on extremism. Last November Mr Georgescu, a pro-Russian candidate, topped the first round of voting. However the result was annulled as evidence of interference by the Kremlin emerged. The hard-right politician has received support from high-ups in the Trump administration, including J.D. Vance, the vice-president.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the recently anointed leader of Syria, vowed to “hold accountable” anyone involved in the “bloodshed of civilians”. Over the past four days more than 1,000 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and supporters of Bashar al-Assad, the deposed president, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor. Most were Alawite civilians killed by pro-government forces.
Seven & i Holdings, the Japanese owner of 7-Eleven, said it was discussing the sale of some of its American stores with Alimentation Couche-Tard, a Canadian firm that wants to buy it for $47bn. The divestments might ease anti-trust concerns. Despite the talks, Seven is still playing hard to get. Last week, it announced sweeping restructuring plans—including appointing its first foreign CEO—in an attempt to block the deal.
Figure of the day: 40%. The percentage by which Britain’s government is slashing the aid budget to boost defence spending. Read the full story here.
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has brought exceptional changes to American politics—with consequences for the rest of the world, too. Read The US in brief, a daily update of the domestic political stories that matter. Sign up here to receive it as a newsletter, each weekday, in your inbox.