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Canada Cancels Joint US Border Bridge Ceremony

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is seen from River Rouge, Mich., connecting Detroit with Windsor, Ontario Tuesday, July 14, 2026, (AP)
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is seen from River Rouge, Mich., connecting Detroit with Windsor, Ontario Tuesday, July 14, 2026, (AP)
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Canada Cancels Joint US Border Bridge Ceremony

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is seen from River Rouge, Mich., connecting Detroit with Windsor, Ontario Tuesday, July 14, 2026, (AP)
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is seen from River Rouge, Mich., connecting Detroit with Windsor, Ontario Tuesday, July 14, 2026, (AP)

Canada has scrapped plans to hold a joint inauguration ceremony with the United States for a new cross-border bridge, following this week's announcement of new US tariffs on several Canadian products.

"In light of trade action threatened by the United States earlier this week, it would be inappropriate to proceed with a celebratory event between the two countries," Canadian Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson said in a statement Tuesday evening.

Instead of a late July joint event, Ottawa said it would be "celebrating this milestone among Canadians" by holding its own ceremony on July 24.

The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic on July 27.

Linking the Canadian province of Ontario with the US state of Michigan, the bridge has for months been a focus of tensions between Canada and the United States amid a trade war.

After US President Donald Trump threatened to block its inauguration earlier this year, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in June that it would open, before the date was postponed indefinitely over "some technical issues" with the United States.

The opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, named after the Canadian ice hockey legend, was finally confirmed on July 11.

According to a proposed agreement in principle published Tuesday evening, Canada will be required to make payments equivalent to 50 percent of the bridge's net revenue for 15 years.

The payments will go to "a United States-Canada Economic Development Fund, established and solely controlled by the Government of the United States," according to the proposed agreement.

The bridge's financial management had already been at the heart of tensions between Canada and the United States after Trump said in February that the United States should own "at least half."

Canada financed the construction in full.

About 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) long, the bridge had been under construction since 2018 at a total cost of CAN$6.4 billion (about US$4.5 billion).

Carney said Tuesday he was prepared to "examine all options" for a possible response to the tariff threats.

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World

Lula Seeks Tit-for-tat Annulment of Bolsonaro Election Candidacy

Brazil's incumbent leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro traded blows during a heated election debate. NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP
Brazil's incumbent leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro traded blows during a heated election debate. NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP
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Lula Seeks Tit-for-tat Annulment of Bolsonaro Election Candidacy

Brazil's incumbent leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro traded blows during a heated election debate. NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP
Brazil's incumbent leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro traded blows during a heated election debate. NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's campaign requested the disqualification of right-wing rival Flavio Bolsonaro from the presidential race on Wednesday, a day after his opponent did the same.

Lula received 45 percent of the vote compared to Bolsonaro's 47 percent in the first round earlier this month, and polls show a technical tie ahead of Sunday's runoff, said AFP.

Lula's campaign is seeking to disqualify Bolsonaro over alleged election interference by tech giant Meta aimed at harming the incumbent's chances of winning.

In a petition filed to Brazil's top electoral court on Wednesday, Lula's team requested Bolsonaro's disqualification, citing his "abuse of economic power and improper use of social networks."

Meta, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, denies the allegations but previously said that some of Lula's campaign ads had been mistakenly deactivated due to technical errors.

Bolsonaro's team requested Lula's disqualification on Tuesday, accusing the leftist of "abuse of power" in the mass dissemination of government postings on WhatsApp during the campaign, according to the court filing.

World

Iran's Parliament Speaker Meets Supreme Leader to Discuss War Impact

Motorists ride past portraits of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Oct 21, 2026. (AP) 
Motorists ride past portraits of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Oct 21, 2026. (AP) 
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Iran's Parliament Speaker Meets Supreme Leader to Discuss War Impact

Motorists ride past portraits of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Oct 21, 2026. (AP) 
Motorists ride past portraits of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Oct 21, 2026. (AP) 

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei met on Wednesday with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf to review the latest developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran.

“The meeting discussed the latest developments in the US-Israeli enemy’s military and economic warfare and stressed the need to strengthen the country’s national capabilities," a statement published on the leader's website said.

This was the first publicly announced meeting of its kind between Mojtaba Khamenei and Ghalibaf, whose influence has expanded following the recent war.

The two sides addressed maintaining social cohesion, tackling economic difficulties and “advancing relations with strategic partners,” the statement added.

They also discussed improving cooperation between the government and parliament to address economic and livelihood challenges.

Qalibaf briefed Khamenei on parliamentary activities since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28 and outlined ongoing and future plans to address the country’s challenges.

Continuous Absence

Mojtaba has not made a public appearance since succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, on March 8, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28.

The Supreme Leader has only communicated through written statements, while his absence from public view has fueled speculation about his health condition.

A limited number of officials have publicly announced meeting with him, most notably President Masoud Pezeshkian and the current chief of the General Staff, Ali Abdollahi.

In August, Pezeshkian said that communication with Mojtaba Khamenei is “extremely difficult” at the moment.

On August 10, the President told State TV he held a seven-hour meeting with the Supreme Leader. Despite Pezeshkian's account, no publicly verified footage of the meeting was released.

In July, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has revealed that he has never met Mojtaba Khamenei since he assumed the role of Iran's Supreme Leader.

Three people close to the supreme leader’s inner circle told Reuters last April that Mojtaba Khamenei is still recovering from severe facial and leg injuries suffered in the airstrike that killed his father at the beginning of the war.

Khamenei's face was disfigured in the attack on the supreme leader's compound in central Tehran and he suffered a significant injury to one or both legs, all three sources said.

Social media accounts of the people close to Khamenei's inner circle provide the most detailed description of the leader's condition for weeks but the reports could not be independently verified.

Lat month, US President Donald Trump said he believes Khamenei is “very seriously wounded”, but not dead.

Iranian officials say the supreme leader is taking part in meetings with senior officials via audio conferencing and is engaged in decision-making on major issues including the war and negotiations ‌with Washington.

Thee Hamshahri newspaper, an Iranian media outlet affiliated with Tehran municipality has explained the prolonged absence of Khamenei from public view, arguing that modern intelligence agencies can extract highly sensitive information from even the simplest audio recordings, making any public appearance a security risk.

 

 

World

Iran's IRGC Navy Says Seven Vessels Hit, Warns US of Wider Response

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, October 19, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, October 19, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
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Iran's IRGC Navy Says Seven Vessels Hit, Warns US of Wider Response

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, October 19, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, October 19, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said on Thursday that four vessels involved in illegal ‌oil transfers ‌in the ‌northern ⁠Arabian Gulf were simultaneously ⁠hit and caught fire after being tracked by ⁠its forces on ‌Wednesday, reported Reuters.

The ‌IRGC added ‌that three ‌more vessels collided with mines west of the ‌Strait of Hormuz, and warned ⁠the ⁠US military that continued provocations could lead to a wider response against its regional bases.

The report didn't provide details about possible casualties or the flags of the tankers.

If verified, it would be the largest single-day number of vessels damaged in the waterway since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28 when the United States launched joint strikes against Iran.