Afternoon front page: German state elects anti-immigration party; Canada retaliates in tariff war with U.S.; and more
- The rise of Germany’s right-wing, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has caused panic among mainstream European parties, but the reasons behind its popularity are often overlooked.
- Canada’s diversification away from reliance on the U.S. is necessary, but caution is advised in viewing China as a friendly alternative due to its authoritarian nature and conflicting interests.
- Canada imposed tariffs on $28 billion worth of U.S. imports in response to the U.S. 50% tariff on Canadian goods, with the prime minister emphasizing the need for reciprocal trade treatment.
- A joint international statement condemned the annexation of Palestinian land, prompting a rebuttal from Israel’s ambassador citing the Jewish historical connection to the land.
It’s Tuesday, September 8. Here are the top stories we’re following today.
The election of the right-wing, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party has sent waves of panic through mainstream parties in Germany and much of Europe, Pankratz writes. “However, lost in the insults and panic that surround the AfD is any recognition of why it might be popular and why people are voting for it.”
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Kheiriddin says that Carney is right to seek alternatives to Canada’s dependence on America. “But we must resist the temptation to confuse diversification with friendship. China remains an authoritarian state whose interests conflict directly with ours.”
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The prime minister said his government can’t allow American goods into Canada tariff-free, while the U.S. charges Canadian companies to export. Canadian tariffs on $28 billion worth of U.S. imports came into effect on Tuesday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50-per-cent tariff on $28 billion worth of Canadian goods.
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“We firmly oppose actions tantamount to the annexation of Palestinian land and forcible displacement of the Palestinian people,” said a joint statement by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and her counterparts in the U.K., France, and nine other countries. In response, Israel’s ambassador to Canada said the statement ignores “the fundamental fact that the Jewish people have a documented historical connection and right to live across the Land of Israel.”
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Concord Adex’s lawsuit alleges that the owners of a TikTok account and a Chinese-language RedNote account posted videos to create “a false pretense” to get themselves and others out of their agreed deals. Concord is separately suing more than 50 buyers for defaulting on agreements to purchase units in two recently built condos in Toronto that feature in many of the online posts. Many of those buyers agreed to their purchases before the Toronto condo market crash.
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