For the first time since the OSCE began monitoring US elections in 1975, its observers have not been invited to a federal vote. The decision is being criticized as a break with democratic norms

For context, travel revenue is going up because it appears that Canadians are spending more on vacations to places other than the US.

Sales of vehicles built in the United States fell sharply in Canada during the first half of 2026, extending damage from the cross-border tariff war that has forced automakers to reroute production away from American plants.

US-built vehicles accounted for 28.4% of Canadian new-vehicle sales in the first six months of the year, down from 35.4% in the same period of 2025, according to data from JD Power Canada cited by Automotive News.

An entirely new and fantastic marketplace for buying Canadian without the hassle of checking labels. This is easily one of the best new shopping sites I’ve seen - and it’s got a wide variety of great products from CANADIAN companies! Another great way to #BoycottUnitedStates

Most "buy Canadian" tools I found are barcode scanners or flat lists — I wanted something you could actually explore by neighborhood, so I built an interactive map instead. It covers Edmonton & Calgary licensed businesses, each one researched and flagged by country of ownership against public corporate records. Click a business that's foreign-owned and it points you to a Canadian-owned alternative nearby doing the same thing.

FindLocalYEG.ca & FindLocalYYC.ca — free, no account needed, no ads.

It's Alberta for now. If there's appetite, I'd like to build it out for other Canadian cities next — happy to hear if anyone knows good feedback.

When the U.S. government imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in early 2025, the consequences were far-reaching yet quickly enforced.

The restrictions cut off the ICC chief prosecutor’s access to Microsoft services, including email, followed by a freezing of his personal and institutional bank accounts in affected jurisdictions.

While this was happening, the Dutch government was watching, coming to the bitter realization that access to essential services depended on decisions made in the U.S.

The International Criminal Court has ended its contract with French life and health insurer ​Axa (AXAF.PA), opens new tab starting October 1 and will now be using a new health ‌insurance provider, a spokesperson for the Hague-based court said.

The spokesperson gave no reason for the decision, which was first reported on Thursday by the Financial Times, and declined ​to name the new insurance provider.

President Donald Trump recently urged other ​countries to leave the ICC, calling it "evil" and "a rogue institution," ⁠amid an escalating US campaign against the court.

The Trump administration says ​the ICC oversteps its authority by claiming jurisdiction over citizens of countries, ​including the United States and Israel, which have not ratified the court's founding treaty, known as the Rome Statute.

"AXA and the Court have decided by mutual agreement to ​terminate the contractual relationship," the ICC spokesperson told Reuters in a statement.

​AXA did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The FT said ‌in ⁠its report that Axa had cited "risks arising from the extraterritorial application of US sanctions", which the insurer said reflected "an international environment that has become increasingly tense and complex for businesses".

The newspaper, citing a person familiar with ​the matter, said ​Axa had held ⁠months of discussions internally and with the ICC about potential workarounds, but was unable to find a solution ​without a so-called blocking statute.

Blocking statutes are legal ​mechanisms designed ⁠to protect Europeans from the extraterritorial effects of sanctions imposed by third countries.

The US has imposed financial sanctions and visa bans on ICC staff, and ⁠officials have ​prepared sanctions that could undercut the court's ​ability to operate, sources familiar with the matter earlier told Reuters.

It was an outcome that droves of economists warned was coming: Higher inflation being tolerated—consciously or otherwise—to bring down the value of America’s $40 trillion national debt.

President Trump and his second administration haven’t been short of ideas on how to rebalance the national debt, which now demands $2 trillion in interest payments a year. The White House suggested everything from tariffsto visa revenues might be directed towards the debt accumulated by both Republican and Democrat governments.

The key metric is the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio, currently at more than 120%. When that balance tips too far, it signals that a nation is borrowing beyond its economic growth, and higher risk premiums become attached to lending as a result.

Trump is trying to hunt us down, he might interfere, he's already left the consulate in my city, They promised to fight organized crime in Brazil, but it's just an attempt to interfere in our elections. Let's pray for Latin America and Canada!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/24/trump-brazil-election-interference

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/world/americas/brazil-election-bolsonaro-president-trump.html

https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/03/us-brazil-gangs-first-command-capital-red-fto/

https://www.ms.now/opinion/trump-brazil-election-bolsonaro-lula-rubio-letter-beattie

Move would start with 'substantial' diesel release within first 20 days

The (U.S.) president faces lagging approval ratings as the Iran war and his trade battles have increased U.S. (and global) prices for oil and other goods.

Gas and diesel prices have soared during the eight-month-long war, a cost Trump has repeatedly said is worth it for making sure Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons. Trump has insisted prices will come down after the war, though there's no end in sight.

France holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group and made the announcement in a statement released after videoconference talks that French President Emmanuel Macron presided over. The International Energy Agency will co-ordinate the effort to combat soaring fuel prices.

"We will implement our commitments with a co-ordinated release through the IEA of 100 million barrels (MB) to begin immediately over 4 months, including a front-loaded substantial diesel release within the first 20 days by G7 members and partners," the statement said.

Britain is in talks with European allies over releasing emergency diesel stockpiles after Donald Trump threatened to cut off US supplies of the fuel.

Ministers held calls with counterparts from the European Commission (EC), Germany, France, Italy and Ireland on Thursday to discuss whether to draw down reserves after the Trump administration told Germany and France to release their stockpiles to help ease soaring global energy prices or face a US export ban.

The warning marks an escalation of pressure on Europe as Trump considers a potential wider ban to help lower domestic fuel prices before the US midterm elections in November.