The Canadian election: An unwelcome message for Trump

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

The Canadian election: An unwelcome message for Trump

It’s official—Mark Carney’s Liberals have won Canada’s “most consequential national election in decades”—securing 169 out of 343 electoral districts—with 43.5% of the popular vote. It’s three seats short of a Parliamentary majority of 172 but enough to form a government.

Two key embarrassments: Conservatives didn't do too badly in this close race—securing 144 seats and 41.5% of the vote. But party leader Pierre Poilievre—who ran a MAGA-style ‘Canada First’ campaign—lost his electoral race. That said, the party scored its biggest share of the popular vote since 1988.

Also losing face: NDP chief Jagmeet Singh—who was Justin Trudeau’s most reliable ally—and the architect of his ‘soft on Khalistan’ stance. You can see Singh get a little weepy as he stepped down from his post—taking responsibility for his party’s worst performance since 1993.

Quote of the day: PM Mike Carney’s victory speech acknowledged the man most responsible for his win: “As I’ve been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water. President Trump is trying to break us, so he can own us. That will never happen.”

Reminder: Liberals were trailing the Conservatives by 25 points before Trudeau resigned. Donald Trump’s threats to make Canada America’s 51st state brought them back to life, and became Poilievre’s political albatross.

What happens next? Everyone is waiting to see how Carney will battle Trump—in an increasingly bitter trade war:

It’s a reality Carney has not sugarcoated, warning of “tough days ahead” with pressure on Canadian employment. But the prime minister has pledged to “build things in this country again” to make Canada less reliant on the US: new homes, new factories, and new sources of “clean and conventional energy.”

He has also announced a pivot toward building closer ties with more “reliable” allies—think, the EU. Reminder: When Carney became interim PM back in March, his first trip abroad was to Europe—to deepen military and economic ties.

Reminder: Carney is an experienced banker—who headed the central bank of Canada during the 2008 recession—and the Bank of England during Brexit. It’s the biggest reason why Canadians voted for him. OTOH, he has zero political experience.

Diplomatic melodrama ahead: On the campaign trail, Carney warned: “Canada is ready to take a leadership role in building a coalition of like-minded countries who share our values. If the United States no longer wants to lead, Canada will.” Carney will soon host the G7 summit in June—with leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, the European Union and the US in attendance. Pass the popcorn!

The main takeaway: The election result shows that Trump has miscalculated the premise of his trade war—as Wall Street Journal explains:

Trade wars, like military wars, seldom go as planned because the other side gets a say. Trump may be right that the U.S. holds all the cards—if economic costs and benefits were all that mattered. But other countries may prioritize national sovereignty, security or politics, and the result can be economic fragmentation that leaves everyone—the U.S. and its trading partners—worse off.

Reading list: Associated Press and Washington Post (login required) have the best reporting on the results, while BBC News has the voting data roundup. CNN analyses Carney’s potential equation with Trump. Reuters looks at how he might fight the trade war.

Mount Everest’s new rule: Newbies are not allowed

Planning to scale the world’s highest peak anytime soon? You better polish up your mountain-climbing résumé. A new bill will restrict climbing permits to those who have scaled at least one other mountain in Nepal—which has to be 7,000 metres or higher. There are 74 such peaks in the country. Reminder: Mount Everest is 8,849 metres tall.

Everyone agrees the move to limit traffic on Everest is overdue:

Nepal, which is heavily reliant on climbing, trekking and tourism for foreign exchange, has faced criticism for permitting too many climbers, including inexperienced ones.. Overcrowding has been blamed for the high number of deaths on the mountain. At least 12 climbers died, and another five went missing on Everest's slopes in 2023 when Nepal issued 478 permits. Eight climbers died last year.

Here is a nightmarish clip of a “traffic jam” on the trail that went viral online in 2024:

The pushback: has primarily come from the tourism industry. International expedition operators say the 7,000-metre requirement should not be limited to peaks in Nepal. Their real problem: Many of these 74 treks are not popular with tourists.

Data points to note: In 2023, the country issued 478 permits, the highest-ever at the time. In 2024, that number dropped to 421. In January this year, permit fees were hiked by 35%—from $11,000 to $15,000. (Reuters)

The vanishing: Iran is sinking into the ground

The context: A 2021 study showed that the world’s biggest cities are sinking at a faster and dizzying rate—due to human activity, especially groundwater removal. Closer to home, popular pilgrimage hubs in Uttarakhand have been sinking for decades—thanks to ill-advised development projects. In SE Asia, both Indonesia and Thailand are planning to relocate their capitals—before the sea claims them.

What happened now: Iran is also planning to move its capital—as the rate of land subsidence accelerates:

Cracks threaten the country’s main airport and Unesco sites such as the ancient city of Persepolis, while dozens of schools were evacuated in one city because of fears of collapse last year. The situation is particularly urgent in and around urban areas including Tehran, where cracks have damaged nearby railway tracks and homes have become unstable.

According to a recent report, Iran is among the top five countries in terms of the extent and rate of subsidence. Data shows that southwestern Tehran was sinking by up to 31 cm a year. FYI: A rate of even 5 mm a year is considered alarming by global standards.

Data point to note: The problem directly threatens 11% of the country—in an area that is home to almost half of its population—affecting 45 million people.

The reasons: Drought, climate change and poor water management—each compounds the other:

[T]he main cause of land subsidence in Iran is the excessive extraction of groundwater, with more than 90% drawn by the agricultural sector. Climate change has worsened the situation by causing more frequent and harsher droughts.

The bigger picture: Iran is hardly the only country that is trapped in this sinkhole. You can see how many parts of the world are sinking at a dangerous rate in the map below. Yes, that includes the Himalayas. (Financial Times, paywalled. Forbes)

The artists on the Turner Prize shortlist are…

The Tate Britain museum has announced the four artists shortlisted for the most prestigious award in British art. Some of the past winners include Jasleen Kaur, Sir Anish Kapoor, Sir Steve McQueen. FYI: This year is even more special as it marks the 250th birth anniversary of the 19th-century painter JMW Turner—whom the prize is named after. (Yes, this is a gratuitous attempt to include a bit of art in our news edition. Enjoy!)

One: Mohammed Sami—an Iraqi painter who once painted propaganda murals for Saddam Hussein. This work was part of the ‘After the Storm’ exhibition:

Two: Zadie Xa—a Canadian artist of Korean heritage—has been shortlisted for her “Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes: Your Ancestors Are Whales, and Earth Remembers Everything” exhibition:

Three: Nnena Kalu—who is on the autism spectrum—was nominated for ‘Hanging Sculpture 1 to 10’—made from fabric:

Four: Rene Matic—the youngest nominee ever—has been recognised for her exhibition called ‘As Opposed to the Truth’—which uses a collection of Black dolls that the artist found online and in thrift stores:

You can read more on the artists and their works in BBC News. FYI: The Guardian thinks this year’s shortlist is the “sloppiest” yet.

what caught our eye

business & tech

Truecaller has made our lives even easier. It has launched a new feature within the app called Scamfeed—where users can report, discuss, and stay informed about the latest scams.
A new Microsoft report has found that employees turn to AI to ask questions and their silly doubts instead of their coworkers to avoid human interaction or embarrassment.
Reddit is rolling out its new AI translation feature in India—which will translate its feeds into Hindi and Bengali.
Wall Street Journal (splainer gift link) has a good read on how OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, once AI power partners, are now heading in separate directions.
On Monday, Amazon launched the first batch of its internet satellites called Kuiper satellites—that will rival SpaceX’s Starlinks.
Trump is expected to soften the impact of his automotive tariffs—even allowing car makers to reimburse some of the tariffs.
ChatGPT is diving into e-commerce, letting users shop faster and smarter, taking on Amazon and Google with its new AI-powered tools.

sports & entertainment

Payal Kapadia joins Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong as the jury for the 78th Cannes Film Festival.
The All Indian Cine Workers Association has demanded a probe into the death of Rohit Basfore—an actor in ‘The Family Man’ Season 3. The Telegraph has more on how he died.
The Hindu pens a lovely tribute for cinematographer Shaji N Karun who recently died of cancer. His work elevated Malayalam cinema in the 1980s.
Amal Clooney and other top UK lawyers could face a US entry ban and sanctions for advising the ICC in a case against Israeli leaders, amid strained US-UK relations under Trump.

health & environment

The Guardian has a fun study on how the Aussie burrowing animal—echidna—evolved from its water-dwelling ancestor.
A new study has linked a set of chemicals called phthalates (pronounced tha-lates) to more than 350,000 deaths from heart disease worldwide in 2018. These chemicals are commonly found in food packaging, plastics, and lotions and shampoos.
A team of researchers from Australia and China have unlocked the genetic key to developing higher-yielding varieties of peanut crops.
Vapers are at the risk of developing popcorn lungs—a rare but irreversible disease that damages the tiny airways in the lungs.
Scientists have identified a bacteria that may be the potential culprit to causing bowel cancer in young people.

meanwhile, in the world

The US Navy just lost a $60 million fighter jet—after it slipped off an aircraft carrier and sank into the sea mid-tow.
Over 100 allegedly undocumented immigrants were arrested in a late-night DEA raid at an underground nightclub in east-central Colorado.
A rookie climber had to be rescued twice on Mount Fuji—first after losing his gear, then again after hiking back up to retrieve his forgotten phone.
Jack Ma was roped into a Chinese state pressure campaign to coax a businessman back from France—part of a sweeping effort involving threats, a red notice, and even the arrest of his sister, court docs reveal.
Spain is 99% back online after one of Europe’s worst blackouts shut down flights, metros, mobiles, and ATMs—though no one’s quite sure what caused the chaos.
Malta’s “golden passport” scheme is officially illegal—the EU’s top court has pulled the plug on its cash-for-citizenship programme, calling it a threat to bloc-wide trust.
The Telegraph has the deets on how Chinese citizen Steve Chen found love in the most unexpected way—through a livestreamed video chat hosted by a “cyber matchmaker,” part of China’s new push to tackle its single population crisis.

meanwhile, in India

The Supreme Court backs using Pegasus for national security but warns it won’t infringe on citizens' privacy rights.
In response to the Pahalgam terror attack, PM Modi gave Indian forces full freedom to strike back, while Pakistan warned of consequences within 24-36 hours.
India’s move to revoke visas for Pakistani nationals won’t touch long-term or diplomatic ones.
India cranks up economic pressure on Pakistan, urging its trading partners to block shipments of Indian goods passing through their countries.
After the deadly Pahalgam attack, the J&K government has shut down 50 tourist spots—including Gurez, Bangus and Yusmarg—over security fears.
Under fire from regional parties, including the ruling NC, security forces in Kashmir hit pause on house demolitions—while doubling down on the hunt for terror backers.
India’s Supreme Court orders a federal probe into the suspected builder-banker nexus in Delhi-NCR, offering a lifeline to homebuyers caught in stalled projects.
The NCERT’s Class IV math book got a wildlife lesson wrong, using a two-horned African rhino to represent India’s one-horned species, drawing flak from experts.

Two things to see

One: Meta just launched a standalone AI app. Before this, users were able to access Meta AI only on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. This product directly takes on OpenAI, Google, and Elon Musk’s xAI—who already have apps. See the demo below. (TechCrunch)

Two: Let the magic and the heist begin! The highly anticipated third installment of Now You See Me franchise is here—after a long nine years wait. The OG cast is back: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Isla Fisher. Also returning: Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman. The new recruits include Ariana Greenblatt, Dominic Sessa, Rosamund Pike and Justice Smith. The movie is slated for November 14. (Variety)