In the news: Anand in Washington, foreign aid shifting, Chinese EVs okay with public

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

Anand to attend rare earth talks in Washington

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will meet with her international counterparts in Washington on Wednesday as the Trump administration makes a case for collaboration to push back on China’s dominance over critical minerals.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hosting representatives from European, African and Asian nations looking for commitments to incentivize investment in critical mineral supply chains.

The State Department said in a statement announcing the meeting that the gathering “will create momentum for collaboration” among the participants to secure access to rare earths.

The international confab at the State Department comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday the creation of “Project Vault,” a strategic reserve of rare earth elements.

Canada’s aid focus shifting to trade partners: MP

The MP overseeing foreign aid says Ottawa wants to focus its international assistance efforts on countries that can generate economic spinoffs for Canadians.

“The first priority is focusing our development dollars in a trade and development nexus,” Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, told The Canadian Press.

“Due to the new trade realities that the world is facing — and specifically Canada — I think we need to use development as a positive tool to help create new pathways and create mutual prosperity for the partner countries as well.”

Sarai’s comments come as the federal government moves to slash $2.7 billion from the foreign aid budget over four years. Ottawa insists the cuts will bring Canada’s spending back to pre-pandemic levels.

Canadians welcome more Chinese EVs, poll suggests

Most Canadians support allowing more Chinese electric vehicles to be sold in Canada despite some nagging concerns, a new poll suggests.

Canada recently pledged to reduce its 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles to 6.1 per cent, with an annual cap of 49,000 vehicles. In turn, China is expected to lower retaliatory tariffs on Canadian agricultural products.

The Leger poll indicates seven in 10 people surveyed were aware of the agreement between Ottawa and Beijing, with awareness significantly higher among men and people aged 55 and over.

Sixty-one per cent of respondents supported allowing more Chinese electric vehicles into the Canadian market, including 24 per cent who strongly backed the decision and 38 per cent who somewhat supported it.

Alberta to review intersection of deadly crash

The Alberta government says it will review an intersection where three junior hockey players died in a car crash while heading to practice.

The crash happened Monday at a highway entrance to Stavely, just over an hour’s drive south of Calgary.

Three members of the town’s Southern Alberta Mustangs hockey team were in a car travelling east across the highway when it collided with a northbound semi truck hauling two trailers of gravel.

The provincial transportation ministry says it takes fatal collisions seriously and that it’s common practice to review them.

It says the review will look at traffic and collision data from the intersection, lighting, and other factors to determine whether any improvements are needed.

B.C. police find ‘thumper’ devices in noise case

en two RCMP officers responded to a call about screams coming from a Burnaby, B.C., condo in late October last year, they forcibly entered the unit believing someone might be in trouble.

Instead, they discovered “unusual” devices set up in three different rooms.

Each consisted of metal poles extended from the floor to the ceiling, topped with an “electronic apparatus similar to a speaker,” intended for what police believed was the “sole purpose” of transmitting noise into the unit above.

Court records show that the day after police returned to seize the noisemakers on Nov. 3, the man allegedly using them was charged with mischief and is due back in court on Feb. 24.

The devices found by police are described as “thumpers” in the B.C. court document to support the warrant to search and seize.

Toys ‘R’ Us Canada files for creditor protection

After closing 53 stores in the past two years and facing a succession of lawsuits from unpaid suppliers and landlords, Toys “R” Us Canada has turned to an Ontario court for reprieve as it tries to chart a new future.

The toy retailer announced Tuesday that it has filed for creditor protection while it embarks on a restructuring that could see its footprint further diminished or the whole business sold to new owners.

Creditor protection temporarily shields an insolvent company from having to pay those it owes money to while it figures out its next steps.

For now, the company will keep its 22 stores open but has warned more closures could come, putting the livelihoods of 654 employees at risk. It has paused its e-commerce business and will only accept gift cards at its remaining open stores for the next 14 days.

—

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2026

The Canadian Press