Like many Scots I have relatives in Canada, and a real love for that beautiful country. About 5 million Canadians claim Scottish ancestry, 14 per cent of the population. About the same percentage (15 per cent) have Irish ancestry, including new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, while 18 per cent claim English ancestry along with 11 per cent French.
In his first speech since entering office last week, Mr Carney spoke glowingly of Canada as “the wonder of a country built on the bedrock of three peoples: indigenous, French and British”. What Mr Carney has been more circumspect in discussing publicly is the wonder of his country having to deal with the world’s longest border – nearly 9,000 kilometres – that separates it from an increasingly unpredictable, and at times deliberately offensive, neighbour to the south.
US President Donald Trump repeatedly and undiplomatically speaks of his ambition that Canada should become the 51st state of the US. Mr Carney has responded by noting that his country usually defeats the US in their shared passion for ice hockey, and when it comes to being swallowed up by Mr Trump’s ambitions, Canada will “never, ever in any way, shape or form be part of the United States”.
At the time of writing – and bearing in mind that Mr Trump can change policy directions as other people change shirts – Washington has placed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium imports and on goods that do not comply with existing trade agreements. Mr Trump also coins nicknames for those he wishes publicly to diminish. He referred to the previous Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the great state of Canada”, as if he were already some subservient part of Mr Trump’s imperial ambitions.
The blowback has been profound.
Every Trump act of rudeness appears to increase Carney’s prospects of winning over patriotic voters
Canadians now openly boycott American goods. Opinion polls show more than 90 per cent of them reject the idea of becoming American. And rather than follow the tradition of a new Canadian Prime Minister paying his first courtesy call on his friendly neighbour in Washington, Mr Carney has come to Europe instead, meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London.
He has also had a private audience with King Charles whom he described as a “steadfast defender” of Canada. And “Steadfast Defender” – not coincidentally – was the name given to Nato’s enormous military exercise in 2024 to protect European security. Canada plays a significant part in Nato and King Charles, as head of the Commonwealth, expressed his “deepest affection” for the country. Most British people agree. When asked to name their "favourite country” in 2020, 80 per cent of Britons said Canada.
Mr Carney is highly respected in Britain. He was governor of the Bank of England from 2013-20, the first non-Briton to hold the post since the bank was created in the 17th century. Mr Carney helped steer the UK economy through a number of upheavals, including the Scottish independence vote (2014), the Brexit vote (2016) and the start of the coronavirus outbreak (2020).
When a central banker is described as “boring”, that word in the financial markets is meant as a compliment along with “trusted”. Now his job as Canada’s Prime Minister means Mr Carney has to be bold.
There is the prospect of an imminent general election along with relentless unpleasantness from the US President, although every Trump act of rudeness appears to increase Mr Carney’s prospects of winning over patriotic voters. He is already receiving blanket news coverage at home for his positive but largely confidential discussions with the two allied leaders who appear as close as possible to being “Trump Whisperers”.
Mr Macron and Mr Starmer have had some kind of success in meeting Mr Trump and gaining his positive attention in marked contrast to the shout-fest that greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Mr Macron and Mr Starmer are also the key players in pulling together Europe’s “Coalition of the Willing” to re-arm Europe and defend against possible Russian expansion.
Even with King Charles as a “steadfast defender”, it will take real diplomatic skills to convince Mr Trump that repeatedly threatening to annex Canada, an unwilling neighbouring country in North America, leads to unflattering comparisons between the Trump administration and the Kremlin’s attempted annexation of neighbouring Ukraine.
You can judge the transatlantic warmth for Mr Carney by the fact that he spoke in fluent French in Paris and was told by Mr Macron that Canada is “the most European of the non-European countries” and a “unique friend”. Mr Carney responded that it was important to have “reliable allies”, another not-so-subtle dig at the “reliability” or otherwise of Mr Trump in Nato.
The final part of Mr Carney’s first prime ministerial trip is to the third group of people he says created modern Canada – the indigenous peoples. Tellingly, since Greenland is also in Mr Trump’s shopping list, Mr Carney was to end this trip in the Arctic, in Nunavut, home of Canada’s indigenous Inuit people.
Touching the hearts of the British, French and Inuit people suggests Mr Carney is assembling important allies to reject Mr Trump’s unwanted overtures. It also suggests that a Canadian general election may happen sooner not later.
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
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Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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Daniella Weiss and Nachala
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Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
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- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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MADAME%20WEB
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
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Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
