Macron’s Office Downplays Awkward Plane Moment as First Lady Appears to Slap President on the Face

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/macrons-office-downplays-awkward-plane-moment-as-first/

French President Emmanuel Macron was caught on camera appearing to be slapped—or at the very least shoved—by his wife Brigitte Macron as they stepped off their presidential plane in Vietnam.

The awkward encounter unfolded Sunday night and has since gone viral, and now the Elysee Palace is in full-blown damage control mode.

As the Macrons arrived for a high-stakes diplomatic visit aimed at rekindling French influence in Southeast Asia, President Macron was caught off guard before he could even wave to the cameras—his wife’s unexpected gesture made him recoil, visibly stunned, before he regained his composure and tried to play it off with a forced smile. Continue…

WATCH: “Oval Office Ambush” – Hilarious Compilation Shows Mainstream Media Hacks Parroting EXACT SAME Talking Points on Trump’s Explosive Meeting with South African President Last Week

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/watch-oval-office-ambush-hilarious-compilation-shows-mainstream/

A memo with talking points apparently went out to the leftwing media following Wednesday’s fiery Oval Office meeting between President Trump and the South African President.

During big news events, a phenomenon occurs where the leftwing media not only pushes the same narrative across every network, but in many cases, they read the same script. They would have us believe it’s a coincidence, but they’re clearly reading talking points, likely provided by the Democratic Party.

One example of this was after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went before the US Congress and demanded billions of dollars and weapons to continue his war with Russia. As The Gateway Pundit reported, Liberal hack reporters in unison began comparing Zelensky to Winston Churchill on every cable news channel.

This time, they were given the word “ambush.” Continue…

The Baltic Countries commit 5% of their GDP to Defense Starting in 2026 in response to Russian threats and NATO demands.

https://gatewayhispanic.com/2025/05/the-baltic-countries-commit-5-of-their-gdp-to-defense-nato/

The Baltic countries—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—have signed an agreement to increase their defense spending to 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) starting in 2026.

This commitment, formalized at the Amari Air Base in Estonia on May 23, 2025, responds both to growing geopolitical tensions with Russia and to demands from US President Donald Trump for NATO allies to increase their military investments. Continue…

Trump Pressures U.K. to Release Political Prisoner Lucy Connolly — While Also Sending Team to Investigate Keir Starmer’s Free Speech Crackdown

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/trump-pressures-u-k-release-political-prisoner-lucy/

The Trump administration is working hard to secure freedom of speech for the people of Great Britain under their socialist government.

According to The Telegraph, the State Department has confirmed it is “monitoring” the situation of Lucy Connolly, a 41-year-old childminder who was imprisoned for over three years for remarks she made about illegal migrants living off the British taxpayer..

Connolly, who is the wife of a Conservative Party councillor, wrote on the X platform that she would not care if protesters “set fire” to hotels housing illegal migrants.

“If that makes me racist, so be it,” she wrote. Continue…

British Government Officials Afraid King Charles’ Tuesday Speech in Canadian Parliament May Offend Trump

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/british-government-officials-afraid-king-charles-tuesday-speech/

Ailing King Charles will travel tomorrow to British Commonwealth member Canada, for a two-day visit in which he will deliver a Tuesday speech before the Canadian parliament.

Charles, who is the Head of State in Canada, has sparked fear among British officials of ‘causing offence to US President Donald Trump’ with his speech open that nation’s parliament.

GB News reported:

“The King will deliver the ‘speech from the throne’ in Ottawa on Tuesday, a ceremonial role last performed by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1957.”

However, the Monarch visit happens in the midst of great geopolitical tension between Canada and the United States.

“’British ministers have been trying to persuade the Canadian government to keep Charles free of any controversy around Donald Trump’, a Commonwealth source looped in on discussions revealed to The Times.”

But Ottawa insists to bring the King into the diplomatic spat.

Canada is angry that Trump slapped them with trade tariffs, and has repeatedly suggested that they should be the 51st US state.

“Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, the former Bank of England governor, rode a wave of anti-Trump sentiment to win a stunning election victory in April.”

King Charles’s speech in Ottawa will rely on the advice of Canada’s government.

“’There will be a strong subtext, and the Canadians are very keen to see that’, Professor Philip Murphy, director of history and policy at the University of London, told The Times.

[…] ‘By having him there they can stress that the UK is on Canada’s side in any trade confrontation with the US’, he explained.”

Prime Minister Carney defied Trump at the White House by saying that his country ‘won’t be for sale, ever’.

“The PM explained to Sky News that his invitation to Charles and Camilla was “not coincidental” and ‘a clear message of sovereignty’.”

Phone Call Between Trump and EU Commissioner Ursula von Der Leyen Leads to Extension of Tariffs’ Deadline Until July 9 – Trade Negotiations to ‘Begin Rapidly’

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/phone-call-between-trump-eu-commissioner-ursula-von/

Two days ago, US President Donald J. Trump reignited the tariff war with ‘difficult to deal’ European Union, created – according to him – to ‘take advantage of the US’.

In light of the manifold unfair trade practices by the EU, Trump announced a ‘straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025’.

“The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with. Their powerful Trade Barriers, Vat Taxes, ridiculous Corporate Penalties, Non-Monetary Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against Americans Companies, and more, have led to a Trade Deficit with the U.S. of more than $250,000,000 a year, a number which is totally unacceptable. Our discussions with them are going nowhere! Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

But today, the US leader announced a new extended deadline of July 9, after receiving a call from EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen. Continue…

South Africa’s EFF Leader Leads Chants of “Shoot to Kill, Kill the Boer, the Farmer” at Saturday’s Rally as Media Elites Insist This Is Not Happening

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/south-africas-eff-leader-leads-chants-shoot-kill/

South African EFF leader Julius Malema ended his address on Saturday with a revolutionary song at Ward 16, Koppies in Free State.

“Shoot to kill, Nyamazana!”

“Kill the Boer, the farmer!”

This took place just days after President Trump lambasted the South African leader for the hundreds of killings of white farmers in the country and their families.

The fake news media insisted this genocide of whites was not happening.

Then on Saturday Julius Malema led chants at a rally to “shoot to kill – Kill the Boer, the farmer.”

Via the official EFF X page. Continue…

In His Desperate Pivot Right To Neutralize Reform UK’s Surging Momentum, Failing British PM Starmer Is Bleeding Votes Among His Own Leftwing Camp

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/his-desperation-pivot-right-neutralize-reform-uks-surging/

After Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour got trounced by Reform UK in the recent Local Elections, he has scrambled to turn sharply right in his immigration policy in order to come closer to voters on the right side of the political spectrum.

But in doing so, it appears that he is leaking voters profusely in his leftwing camp, as we can learn from the interesting article by Fonie Mitsopoulou on City AM:

“Recent polls indicate that of those that voted Labour in the 2024 election, only 46 per cent would do so again were an election to happen tomorrow. In Labour’s leftist flanks, there is a persistent feeling that Starmer has deserted his traditional base by shifting to the right by an unwelcome degree, cutting down on welfare and legal migration.” Continue…

International Flight En Route to Houston Diverted to Seattle After Unruly Passenger Tries to Open Exit Doors Midflight

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/international-flight-en-route-houston-diverted-seattle-after/

“Fly the friendly skies”

An international flight en route to Houston was diverted to Seattle on Saturday after an unruly passenger tried to open the exit door.

An All Nippon Airways traveling from Tokyo to Houston made an emergency landing at Sea-Tac at around 4:15 am after a passenger “having a medical crisis” attempted to open the exit door midflight.

The person was not identified. No other information about the incident was immediately available.

Oddly, a second person, unrelated to the first incident, was removed from the flight for “unruly behavior” on the tarmac at Sea-Tac before the plane departed for Houston.

NBC News reported: Continue…

Ukraine Attempted to Assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin by Attacking His Helicopter with Drones

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/ukraine-attempted-assassinate-russian-president-vladimir-putin-attacking/

Ukraine used drones in an attempt to down a helicopter carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russia’s Kursk region on May 20.

Russian Air Force Major-General Yuri Dashkin said Putin’s helicopter was “virtually at the epicenter of repelling a large-scale attack by the enemy’s drones,” and that 46 drones were shot down during the attack, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The area borders Ukraine and has been occupied by their troops since August.

Dashkin explained, “During the period when the President [Putin] was working in the Kursk region, the enemy launched an unprecedented attack with unmanned aerial vehicles. The air defence group in this area destroyed 46 aircraft-type [Ukrainian military drones].”

“The intensity of the attack during the flight of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s aircraft over Kursk region increased significantly. We simultaneously conducted an air battle and ensured the safety of the presidential helicopter in the air,” Dashkin continued. “The task was accomplished. The attack of the enemy drones was repelled, and all air targets were hit.”

Putin’s visit to the war zone was not announced until he had returned to safety, indicating that Ukraine had inside information.

The Russian president has largely avoided active war zones during the three-year-long conflict.

AP reports: Continue…

‘I Always Said Golf Can be a Dangerous Sport!’ – President Trump Posts Hilarious Golf Photo

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/i-always-said-golf-can-be-dangerous-sport/

President Trump took a Memorial Day Weekend break and posted a hilarious golf photo on Sunday.

“I always said golf can be a dangerous sport! My friend being bit at Bedminster,” Trump said with a photo of a goose attacking his friend at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Continue…

Drone 'Targets' Russian Embassy In NATO Country, Kremlin Says

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/drone-targets-russian-embassy-nato-country-kremlin-says

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/drone-targets-russian-embassy-nato-country-kremlin-says

Still, RT states that "the drone operators used a glass vessel which could have caused serious injuries had it struck anyone."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Sunday said that "Tomorrow, Stockholm will receive a note of protest. Sweden must tame its ultras, take control of the situation, and strictly observe the Vienna Convention," as cited in TASS.

Moscow has complained of similar incidents at the embassy in the recent pasts, and has lodged several notes of protest with the Swedish government, pointing out that the host country has an obligation to investigate as well as protect.

The full foreign ministry statemen on this fresh incident reads as follows: Continue…

Paradise Lost: Jeffrey Epstein's Legacy Still Clouds The U.S. Virgin Islands

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/paradise-lost-jeffrey-epsteins-legacy-still-clouds-us-virgin-islands

When Jeffrey Epstein purchased Little Saint James, the teardrop-shaped island south‑east of St. Thomas, in the late 1990s, he was seen as a mere oddity. A one-time math teacher who claimed to manage the fortunes of billionaires, he told U.S. Virgin Islands officials that he was seeking privacy. He also appears to have purchased impunity. Continue…

Internet Searches For "Buy A Suppressor" Erupt After 'Big Beautiful Bill' Clears House

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/internet-searches-buy-suppressor-after-big-beautiful-bill-clears-house

Gun rights groups like Gun Owners of America celebrated late last week after the House narrowly passed President Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" (BBB) in a 215–214 vote. A key reason for this celebration is the inclusion of the Constitutional Hearing Protection Act (CHPA), which would eliminate the federal registration requirement and the $200 tax stamp on suppressors. As the bill moves to the Senate, speculation is already mounting that demand for suppressors could erupt.

The prospect of removing suppressors from the Al Capone–era National Firearms Act (NFA), eliminating the $200 tax stamp and lengthy ATF waiting period, has sparked a nationwide surge in interest among gun owners. Continue…

Maybe Money Can't Buy Happiness, But It Can Buy Longevity…

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/maybe-money-cant-buy-happiness-it-can-buy-longevity

How long you live depends a lot on where you’re born…

Visual Capitalist's Pallavi Rao illustrates this phenomenon in the above map, which uses 2025 life expectancy at birth projections from the UN World Population Prospects published last year.

Life expectancy at birth measures the average number of years that a newborn could expect to live, if they were subject to the age-specific mortality rates of a given period. Continue…

Japan Rides The Censorship Bandwagon

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/japan-rides-censorship-bandwagon

The manufacturer of the replicon mRNA Covid “vaccine” in Japan, Meiji Seika Pharma, has brought a lawsuit against a member of the Japanese parliament, Kazuhiro Haraguchi. Haraguchi had commented that the Covid injections are “akin to a biological weapon,” a statement which the Meiji Pharma president claimed was beyond the bounds of acceptable expression.

However, statements like Haraguchi’s about the dangers of the Covid mRNA injections are now commonplace in many nations, and drug companies do not seem to be suing people for making them, at least in the US. Instead, state attorneys general in Kansas and Texas have been suing Pfizer for misrepresenting its Covid injections.

In general, Japan has been gradually evolving into a place where it is difficult to publicly express ideas unapproved by powerful business interests and officialdom. In addition to government and mainstream news media collusion to keep Covid medical realities from the Japanese public, the government passed a law to squelch nonconforming messaging online.

The intentions behind this measure are clear: Prominent government figures have openly declared their conviction that “misinformation” is a major problem in Japan. In December 2024, Prime Minister Ishiba stated that he was considering more regulations concerning Internet discourse that he considers problematic, and a prominent LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) politician named Noda commented recently that Japan was being influenced more and more by “fake” information.

In May 2024, Japan’s parliament passed a law to enable the quick elimination of defamatory posts from social media platforms like Facebook and X. By this law, such platforms would have to make explicit sites for taking requests to delete posts and also make clear their criteria for taking down posts. The new law went into effect on April 1, 2025.

Unsurprisingly, some Japanese YouTube vloggers are expressing concerns that, under the new set of regulations, their vlogs may soon be targeted as purveyors of “misinformation,” especially when they criticize government policy. Continue…

Ex-POW Of Hamas Says She Most Feared Israeli Bombs, Not Her Captors

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ex-pow-hamas-says-she-most-feared-israeli-bombs-not-her-captors

An Israeli intelligence soldier who was taken prisoner by Hamas during the militant group's Oct 7 2023 invasion of Israel says the greatest threat to her life during her 477 days in captivity came from the Israeli bombing campaign – and not the men who were holding her. In a speech at a Tel Aviv rally demanding an end to Israel's war in Gaza as well as new elections, 20-year-old Naama Levy gave a visceral account of what it was like to live under constant Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) bombardment: Continue…

Pro-Palestine Activists Target Ontario Food Terminal With Blockade

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pro-palestine-activist-target-ontario-food-terminal-blockade

There are troubling reports that the Ontario Food Terminal—the largest wholesale fruit and produce hub in Canada, moving 2 billion pounds annually—has been disrupted by far-left activists chanting "Free Palestine."

"Masked protesters stage a blockade at the Ontario Food Terminal, preventing freight trucks from accessing Canada's largest wholesale fruit and vegetable distribution center," citizen journalist "CarymaRules" wrote on X early Sunday morning, adding, "The demonstration began shortly before 2:00AM, ahead of the day's scheduled deliveries."

Masked protesters stage a blockade at the Ontario Food Terminal, preventing freight trucks from accessing Canada’s largest wholesale fruit and vegetable distribution center.

The demonstration began shortly before 2:00AM, ahead of the day’s scheduled deliveries.#cdnpoli… pic.twitter.com/xdN9p2yPs8

— Caryma Sa'd - Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) May 25, 2025

So what exactly are the "Free Palestine" protesters trying to achieve by targeting a critical agricultural chokepoint?

It's less about Gaza and more about their true agenda rooted in parasitic Marxism, using Gaza as cover for a broader agenda aimed at collapsing capitalism.

More footage from the staged blockade of the critical chokepoint for ag products: Continue…

Federal Court of Appeal to hear challenge of prorogation order

https://www.rebelnews.com/federal_court_of_appeal_to_hear_challenge_of_trudeaus_prorogation_order

Prorogation lead to Mark Carney becoming Prime Minister with a 169-seat minority government.

The Federal Court of Appeal has ordered a full hearing for the challenge against former Prime Minister Trudeau's 11-week prorogation of Parliament.

“The Court will not preliminarily dismiss the challenge on the issue of mootness. That issue will be decided at a full hearing,” reads a statement from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.

On January 6, Parliament was prorogued by Trudeau due to internal conflict, tariff threats, and to enable a leadership change. The Federal Court upheld this decision two months later following a quick hearing.

Nova Scotians David MacKinnon and Aris Lavranos, with support from the Justice Centre, argued that Trudeau’s actions unlawfully suspended parliamentary accountability at a time of national uncertainty. Continue…

In 2015, Trudeau quietly revealed the endgame for Canada, the UK, and Australia…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7zsX4GwCKg

It happened just weeks after he became Prime Minister. In an interview with The New York Times Magazine, Justin Trudeau described Canada in a way that almost no one noticed at the time. The quote passed with little media attention, but looking back, it may have quietly spelled out the future for not just Canada, but also the UK and Australia.

In this video, I unpack that quote, its timing, and why it matters now more than ever. You'll see how three of the most stable Western democracies are all experiencing the same symptoms, including eroding national identity, loyalty fragmentation, mass migration without integration, growing censorship, and increasing dependence on state institutions. These aren’t isolated events. They’re patterns. And there is an endgame to all of this.

Trudeau didn’t just describe Canada in 2015. He accidentally outlined the ideological foundation for an entire political project. A project that has a name. And it's called 'The Post-Nationalist State'.

>>23084400

Canadian province makes public parks available to Indigenous persons only

https://thepostmillennial.com/canadian-province-makes-public-parks-available-to-indigenous-persons-only

Several public parks in British Columbia have been temporarily closed to non-Indigenous residents due to “cultural concerns.”

The BC government recently closed Botanical Beach for 24 hours, citing the need to give members of the Pacheedaht First Nation “time, space and privacy” to “harvest marine resources and reconnect with an important part of their territory.”

The move follows a pattern of increasing park closures for cultural reasons within the province. In a bulletin issued April 25, BC’s Ministry of the Environment and Parks announced that Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, one of the province’s busiest outdoor destinations, would be closed to non-Indigenous visitors from April 25 through May 16. The closure was intended to “provide time and space for members of the Lilwat Nation and NQuatqua to reconnect with the land and carry out cultural and spiritual practices.”

This marks the third consecutive year that Joffre Lakes has been subject to closures for non-Indigenous individuals.

In a statement to National Post, the BC Ministry of Environment and Parks said that “these temporary closures represent a critical step forward on the path of reconciliation and an important building block for future conversations on shared stewardship, park management and access.”

“First Nations may bring forward requests at any point during the year and we will work together to explore options to address their interests in balance with ensuring continued conservation and recreational opportunities for everyone,” the ministry added.

Other federal recreation areas in the province have also been restricted. On April 15, Parks Canada announced the indefinite closure of part of Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, again citing cultural concerns. Cabbage Island has been placed under a “prohibited activity order,” and Parks Canada warned that violators could be prosecuted under the Canada National Parks Act. The agency stated that the order is “to protect the natural and cultural resources of the park.”

Alberta Government Bans Sexually Explicit Books in School Libraries After Parent Outcry

https://www.rebelnews.com/alberta_government_bans_sexually_explicit_books_in_school_libraries_after_parent_outcry

Books too graphic to show at press conference found in K–9 schools across the province.

Alberta is removing sexually explicit books from school libraries following parental complaints and a review that uncovered graphic material accessible to young children, sometimes kindergarteners.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announced a public consultation for new age-appropriate library standards after explicit graphic novels were found in Calgary and Edmonton elementary and junior high schools.

“As a parent, it is extremely concerning to me to find out that books explicitly depicting sexual acts are available to students in some school libraries,” said Nicolaides. “We are going to do something about this serious issue by consulting Albertans and creating standards to ensure students do not have access to age-inappropriate materials in school libraries.”

Among the books identified: Continue…

Mark Carney’s Liberals sign WHO’s globalist ‘pandemic agreement’

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/mark-carneys-liberals-sign-whos-globalist-pandemic-agreement/

Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis, who has long been warning the WHO agreement undermines national sovereignty, immediately blasted the move on social media.

The World Health Organization’s globalist-minded “pandemic agreement” has been approved, with Canada being a signatory thanks to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals.

On May 20, the WHO approved its so-called Pandemic Agreement with Canada as an official adopter. Critics have consistently warned that the agreement gives the globalist entity increased power in the event of another “pandemic,” undermining national sovereignty.

Following the news, Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis, who has long warned about the WHO’s agreement, blasted the Liberals, reissuing her call that “national sovereignty must be protected, and never compromised.”

“For years I’ve raised red flags about the implications of this agreement for our health sovereignty and the federal government’s willingness to enter into a legally binding international agreement without any input from Parliament,” Lewis wrote in an X post on Saturday. Continue…

Canada Pension Plan becomes latest institution to drop carbon ‘net zero’ target

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/canada-pension-plan-becomes-latest-institution-to-drop-carbon-net-zero-target/

The Canadian Pension Plan is the latest institution to drop its carbon 'net zero' targets as changes to the law require companies to more rigorously prove their environmental claims.

The investment group in charge of Canada’s governmental pension plan has ditched its “net zero” mandate, joining a growing list of major institutions doing the same.

According to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Investments’ latest annual report, the entity is no longer committed to carbon “net-zero” by 2050. The CPP’s ditching of the target comes after a number of major institutions, including the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD), Bank of Montreal (BMO), National Bank of Canada, and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), all made similar moves in recent months.

While ditching the net-zero effort, chief executive of CPP Investments John Graham maintained that it is still “really important to incorporate climate and incorporate sustainability” in its long-term investment portfolio. Continue…

NDP officially loses party status after humiliating election results

https://thepostmillennial.com/ndp-officially-loses-party-status-after-humiliating-election-results

The federal NDP will not receive official party status in the House of Commons following its steep losses in last month’s federal election, Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon confirmed, according to CTV News.

“The law is clear,” MacKinnon said. “A party needs at least 12 seats to be recognized.” The New Democrats, reduced to just seven MPs, fall short of that requirement.

Interim NDP leader Don Davies said he had spoken with the Prime Minister’s Office in hopes of negotiating status for the diminished party. He pointed to examples from provincial legislatures where exceptions were made to ensure opposition voices had formal recognition.

Without official party status, the NDP will not have guaranteed participation in question period, will lose committee seats, and will miss out on funding allocated to recognized parties. Continue…

Royals Welcomed in Ottawa Ahead of Throne Speech

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/royal-family-welcomed-in-ottawa-as-parliament-resumes-5863614?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_cnt=b&ea_med=lead-story-0

King Charles III and Queen Camila arrived in Ottawa on May 26 and were greeted by Prime Minister Mark Carney, with the monarch set to deliver the speech from the throne to open the new Parliament.

The Royals were greeted at the Ottawa International Airport by Carney and Governor General Mary Simon. Also present at the airport were Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Métis National Council president Victoria Pruden, Inuit President Tapiriit Kanatami, and a guard of honour of 25 Royal Canadian Dragoons.

The Royal family is set to head to Landsdowne Park in Ottawa today, where they will meet with community members and local vendors. They will then travel to Rideau Hall to meet with lieutenant governors and territorial commissioners who are representatives of the Crown, before participating in a tree-planting ceremony on the grounds of the historical site.

In a statement released ahead of the Royal family’s arrival, the Prime Minister’s Office said the visit was a “reminder of the bond between Canada and the Crown” that had been forged over many generations and based on a shared history and values.

The statement added that King Charles’ upcoming speech from the throne on May 27 would speak to “our enduring tradition and friendship, to the vitality of our constitutional monarchy and our distinct identity, and to the historic ties that crises only fortify.” This will be the first time a monarch has delivered the throne speech since 1977.

The statement said this speech is set to outline the Liberal government’s “ambitious plan” to define Canada’s new economic and security relationship with the United States, strengthen the economy, bring down the cost of living, and keep Canadians safe. Continue…

Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia Elected as New House Speaker

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/liberal-mp-francis-scarpaleggia-elected-as-new-house-speaker-5863616?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_cnt=b&ea_med=medium-0

Veteran Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia has been elected as House Speaker in the first procedure of the new House of Commons.

MPs chose Scarpaleggia in a secret ranked ballot on May 26, the first sitting day of the new Parliament. Scarpaleggia is an MP from the Montreal area who was first elected to the House in 2004. He has chaired committees but was never appointed parliamentary secretary or minister.

Scarpaleggia is replacing in the role Liberal MP Greg Fergus, who had a tumultuous term and failed in his bid to get re-elected.

Scarpaleggia acknowledged Fergus in his acceptance speech and noted he had taken the role at a “difficult moment, at the end of a mandate when things tend to get a little feistier.”

“I would remind members that we are at the beginning of a mandate in the selfish hope that you will afford me a little grace period,” he told MPs in the House of Commons.

Only Liberal MPs had appeared on the final ballot, with Tory MPs Chris d‘Entremont and John Nater pulling out of the race without explanation before pronouncing their candidacy speeches in the House on May 26. D’Entremont had served as deputy Speaker in the previous Parliament. Continue…

Carbon Tax ‘Absolutely Gone’ but No Plan to Strike Its Legislation: Gov’t House Leader

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/carbon-tax-absolutely-gone-but-no-plan-to-strike-its-legislation-govt-house-leader-5863648?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_cnt=b&ea_med=medium-1

Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon says the consumer carbon tax is “absolutely gone” for good, but there is currently no plan to remove the tax by way of legislation.

“There are a lot of laws on the books that either aren’t applied anymore or are simply ignored, maybe even forgotten, but the carbon tax is absolutely gone, and we'll make sure that that’s made very clear to Canadians in due course,” MacKinnon told CTV News in an interview aired on May 25.

MacKinnon, whose role includes setting the government’s agenda in the House of Commons and tabling legislation, was giving a preview of the Liberals’ priorities at the beginning of the new Parliament.

As the first order of business, the minority Liberals intend to table a motion to implement a federal income tax cut before July 1. MacKinnon said he would be “very surprised” if the measure faces opposition from other parties.

Prime Minister Mark Carney promised during the election campaign to drop the tax rate for the lowest income bracket by 1 percent. The Tories had pledged a larger tax cut of 2.25 percent.

Carney also said Ottawa would work to bring down internal trade barriers between provinces and territories by Canada Day. MacKinnon said this would also be a legislative priority of his government.

Asked about the removal of the carbon tax by way of an act of Parliament, MacKinnon did not provide a timeline. Continue…

Israel Issues Travel Warning for Canada Amid Heightened Threat Concerns

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/israel-issues-travel-warning-for-canada-amid-heightened-threat-concerns-5863568?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_cnt=b&ea_med=israel-issues-travel-warning-for-canada-amid-heightened-threat-concerns-0

Israel has upgraded its travel alert for Canada to a “potential threat level,” citing an increased danger posed by “terrorists” targeting Israelis and Jews in the country.

The National Security Council of Israel upgraded the travel alert on May 25 from Level 1, indicating that there was no warning, to Level 2, suggesting a higher level of risk.

The alert was issued on the same day that demonstrators congregated in cities like Toronto and Vancouver to protest the annual Walk With Israel event organized by the United Jewish Appeal.

“Anti-Israel organizations in Canada are planning to hold protests and demonstrations … in opposition to rallies in support of Israel,” the May 25 notice reads. “In the past few days, the discourse surrounding these events has become more radical, including what could be understood as calls to violently harm Israelis and Jews at these events.”

The notice also urged Walk With Israel participants to adhere to the guidance and recommendations of police and security personnel to prevent conflict with the anti-Israel demonstrators.

Toronto Police Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue said in a May 23 Facebook video that its officers were “aware of plans by some individuals to interfere” with the 3.9-kilometre walk and would maintain “a strong presence in and around” the demonstration, alongside officers from the Ontario Provincial Police and neighbouring police services from York, Peel, and Durham. Continue…