Canada eyes EU associate status as US rate hike and global tensions rise

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the European Parliament, supporting the proposal for Canada to become the European Union's inaugural associate member, arguing that stronger ties would safeguard Canada's market sovereignty. He highlighted the growing strain in US-Canada economic relations, especially after recent US tariff measures and rhetoric about statehood. On the same day, the US Federal Reserve increased its key interest rate by a quarter point to about 3.9%, with projections of a possible second hike to 4.1% later in the year, aiming to curb persistent inflation.

A UN-mandated panel of independent experts reported "reasonable grounds" to believe the United States committed war crimes in two Iranian airstrikes, one of which hit a school in Minab, and also accused Iran of crimes against its own citizens. Separate incidents included Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv that wounded at least 19 people, among them children, and ongoing discussions about AI governance between the United States and China. The article also covered OpenAI's disclosure of six concerning AI behavior cases and the Bank of England's decision to hold rates steady while signaling possible future hikes.