In the news today: Carney, Metis and major projects talks; Trump’s tariffs in effect

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Carney to meet with Métis groups on major projects

Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to meet today with three provincial Métis groups to discuss his government’s major projects legislation.

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The legislation allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects that are deemed to be in the national interest by sidestepping environmental protections and other legislation.

Carney is expected to be joined by the Métis Nation of Alberta, the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan and the Métis Nation of Ontario.

The Manitoba Métis Federation, which represents Red River Métis, declined an invitation to take part in the meeting Wednesday, saying that inviting the Métis Nation of Ontario undermines the integrity of the gathering and puts the government’s plans for major projects at risk.

Trump’s tariffs go into effect

The U.S. began officially levying higher taxes on imports from dozens of countries Thursday, four months after President Donald Trump first announced plans to impose tariffs on most of the world while seeking new trade agreements across the board.

The White House said that starting just after midnight goods from more than 60 countries and the European Union would face tariff rates of 10 per cent or higher. Products from the European Union, Japan and South Korea will be taxed at 15 per cent, while imports from Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangladesh will be taxed at 20 per cent. Trump also expects places such as the EU, Japan and South Korea to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S.

The Trump White House is confident that the onset of his broad tariffs will provide clarity about the path of the world’s largest economy. Now that companies understand the direction the U.S. is headed, the administration believes they can ramp up new investments and jump-start hiring in ways that can rebalance the U.S. economy as a manufacturing power.

Alberta separation question to be heard in court

A special court proceeding on a proposed Alberta separation referendum question is scheduled to get underway today in Edmonton.

Alberta’s chief electoral officer, Gordon McClure, referred the proposed question to the court last week, asking a judge to determine whether it violates the Constitution, including treaty rights.

The question asks Albertans: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province in Canada?”

Premier Danielle Smith and Justice Minister Mickey Amery have criticized the referral to the courts, saying the question should be approved and only face judicial scrutiny if it receives a majority vote.

Quebec preparing for high-stakes byelection

A high-stakes Quebec byelection could see the Conservatives win their first seat in the provincial legislature on Monday.

Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime appears to be in a close two-way race with the sovereigntist Parti Québécois candidate in the Quebec riding of Arthabaska.

The governing Coalition Avenir Québec, which has held the riding since 2012, seems poised to lose its third straight byelection in less than two years.

Duhaime, a polarizing figure in Quebec politics, is hoping to enter the national assembly after his party failed to win a seat in the 2022 election.

Mboko continues epic run versus Osaka in NBO final

Victoria Mboko will take centre court once again in tonight’s National Bank Open final.

The Canadian tennis sensation faces four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the WTA 1000 tournament’s title game at IGA Stadium after rallying for a thrilling comeback in last night’s semifinal.

Mboko saved a match point, battled from one set down and fought through a wrist injury to win a 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) over ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in an epic semifinal clash.

The 18-year-old rising star from Toronto became the fourth Canadian woman to reach a final at the Canadian Open, and the latest since Bianca Andreescu’s title run in 2019.

Mboko will move up to at least 34th in the world rankings after beginning the year outside the top 300.

Shook’ is a love letter to Toronto’s outskirts

There’s a scene in “Shook” in which the drama’s lead tells a Toronto hipster that he lives in Scarborough. Her response — “Oooh, Scarborough” — comes off as if he just name-dropped a war zone.

“That literally happened to me,” says director and co-writer Amar Wala, who grew up in the multicultural east-Toronto suburb.

“I didn’t know that Scarborough had this dangerous reputation growing up. To me, it was just Scarborough. It was fine.”

The moment stuck with him.

“I told myself, ‘I’m going to put this in a movie one day.’ It took a while, but here it is.”

“Shook” stars Saamer Usmani as Ash, a South Asian twentysomething trying to make it as a novelist while navigating his family’s unravelling, a romantic entanglement and the quiet class divisions of the Greater Toronto Area.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2025

The Canadian Press