Police Lay 18 New Charges After Recovering 600 Stolen Items in String of Mausoleum Thefts

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/police-lay-18-new-charges-after-recovering-600-stolen-items-in-string-of-mausoleum-thefts-5996162?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=section-1

Halton Regional Police investigators have laid 18 new charges in connection with a string of more than 600 thefts from mausoleums throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

The daytime thefts from cremation niches in Burlington, Oakville, Toronto, and Niagara region cemeteries took place over several months, Halton police said in a recent social media post. Necklaces, bracelets, watches, and other items were stolen along with decorative urns and other valuables.

Halton police arrested a man and a woman in Niagara Falls last November in connection with the thefts and are now announcing the new charges as part of the ongoing investigation.

More than 140 people have contacted police and 26 stolen items have been returned to families so far. More than 600 recovered items are still unclaimed, police said. Continue…

G7 Holds Off on Releasing Emergency Oil Reserves

https://www.theepochtimes.com/business/g7-holds-off-on-releasing-emergency-oil-reserves-5996094?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=section-1

G7 countries have not yet decided whether to release emergency oil reserves, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said on March 9.

“We are not there yet,” Lescure said after a meeting of G7 finance ministers. “What we’ve agreed upon is to use any necessary tools if need be to stabilize the market, including the potential release of necessary stockpiles,” he added.

G7 countries include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Oil prices surged about 25 percent on Monday, reaching their highest levels since mid-2022 amid the US-Iran conflict. Continue…

Carney Has Call With Trump, Says Recent Canada-US Trade Talks ‘Substantive’

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/carney-has-call-with-trump-says-recent-canada-us-trade-talks-substantive-5996096?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=section-1

Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend as trade talks between Canada and the United States ramp up and global stability is roiled by the war in Iran.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the two leaders held a conversation on a “range of issues” on March 8. Topics covered included the economy, developments in the Middle East, and bilateral trade relations.

The two leaders “agreed to remain in close contact,” the PMO said. The U.S. side didn’t issue a readout, and Trump did not comment publicly on the call.

The latest conversation between Carney and Trump took place shortly after Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc visited Washington, D.C., on March 6, to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

After the meeting, LeBlanc said the “constructive and substantive” discussions centred on the review process for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and broader bilateral trade issues. The USMCA review will formally begin on July 1 and talks between parties are intensifying.

LeBlanc also introduced two newly appointed Canadian officials at the meeting, who will play a key role in the trade talks: Janice Charette, Canada’s chief trade negotiator to the United States, and Mark Wiseman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States. Charette is a former Clerk of the Privy Council and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, while Wiseman is a long-time friend of Carney and former executive with BlackRock investment firm. Continue…

U.S. border agents searching electronic devices is way up. Smartwatches, SIM cards and flash drives added to the list

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/u-s-border-agents-electronic-searches

If you’re one of the declining number of Canadians escaping to a warmer destination in the U.S. for March break, be aware that now more of your electronic devices could be searched at the border.

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While U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that .01 per cent of international passengers arriving in the U.S. were searched over the past three fiscal years, statistics show a marked increase.

In 2024-25, a record 55,318 overall examinations were conducted, up 17 per cent from the year prior (47,047) and 32 per cent from 2022-23 (41,767).

Flash drives, smartwatches and even a phone’s SIM card joined the list of devices that can be reviewed by CBP officers under an updated directive from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that took effect on Jan. 1. Continue…