Author: Press Room

Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas expressed immense gratitude to the community at large at the start of Monday’s council meeting. “Your individual messages and well wishes during that time have meant the world to me and have greatly helped with my recovery,” Dyas said.Dyas returned to his duties as mayor after a serious health scare five weeks ago.“I am extremely, extremely grateful to be here,” Dyas said.Dyas, who’s in his 60s, said he was driving down Pandosy Street towards city hall on Feb. 4.He was at a red light at Highway 97 when he said he sneezed twice.While he said he…

The Mazda CX-5 lineup is getting a bit of a reshuffle, with features previously reserved for high-spec models filtering down the range.There’s also now a front-wheel drive version of the mid-spec Touring, which replaces an all-wheel drive version of the Maxx Sport trim that’s one rung down.That means there are now three front-wheel drive CX-5s on offer: Maxx, Maxx Sport and Touring. The GT SP and Akera remain exclusively all-wheel drive.The updated CX-5 range will go on sale in June, with pricing to be announced closer to launch.Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the…

Before a packed crowd of oil and gas executives on Monday, Chris Wright, the new U.S. energy secretary, delivered a scathing critique of the Biden administration’s energy policies and efforts to fight climate change and promised a “180 degree pivot.”Mr. Wright, a former fracking executive, has emerged as the most forceful promoter of President Trump’s plans to expand American oil and gas production and dismantle virtually every federal policy aimed at curbing global warming.“I wanted to play a role in reversing what I believe has been a very poor direction in energy policy,” Mr. Wright said as he kicked off…

Before he embarked on a round of high-stakes negotiations in Saudi Arabia and Canada this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in some personal diplomacy aimed at shoring up his standing within the Trump administration.Mr. Rubio flew to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for talks set to begin on Tuesday aimed at prodding Ukraine into a settlement with its invader, Russia. He plans to go from there to Canada for a meeting of top diplomats from the Group of 7 allied nations.His foreign travel comes after Mr. Rubio asserted himself in a tense confrontation with Elon Musk during a White House…

As a presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump promised an economic “boom like no other.”But eight weeks into his presidency, Mr. Trump is refusing to rule out a recession — a striking change in tone and message for a man who rode widespread economic dissatisfaction to the White House by promising to “make America affordable again.”His comments come as the stock market is tumbling — the S&P 500 fell 2.7 percent Monday after falling 3.1 percent last week — and business leaders are spooked about the uncertainty over his tariffs. Even some Republicans, who fear retribution if they cross Mr. Trump,…

The recent U.S. tariffs have brought a greater focus to buying local products, but B.C. farmers say that can come with some challenges. Abbotsford blueberry farmer and farming advocate Gagan Singh says many in the B.C. agriculture industry are struggling to survive these days due to a number of factors, with the biggest being the high cost of farming.Singh hosted a series of town halls recently to discuss solutions and urged consumers to pay more attention to where their food comes from.“You’ll start becoming aware that Canadian produce is going to have to be expensive for the time being because…

As he prepares to introduce new tariffs on foreign metals this week, President Trump has vowed not to grant the types of exclusions and exemptions that were common during his first trade war.But he has already undercut that tough position on other tariffs. After lobbying from automakers, farmers and other industries, Mr. Trump quickly walked back the sweeping tariffs he had imposed on Tuesday on all imports from Canada and Mexico. By Thursday, he had suspended those tariffs indefinitely for all products that comply with the North American free trade deal, U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or U.S.M.C.A. — about half of all…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the worldCanada’s Ontario province has hit US power exports with a 25 per cent surcharge as the nation steps up its retaliation against Donald Trump’s tariffs. The levy will have an impact on 1.5mn homes and businesses in Michigan, Minnesota and New York and cost families and businesses in the three states up to $400,000 a day, Ontario premier Doug Ford said on Monday. “On an average, this will add around $100 per month to the bills of hard-working Americans,” Ford…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Former Barclays chief Jes Staley accused UK regulators on Monday of “destroying” his reputation by fining and banning him from senior roles in the financial industry over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Staley, 68, made the claim in a London court as he sought to overturn the penalties imposed on him in 2023 by the Financial Conduct Authority for allowing Barclays to mislead the regulator about the nature of his dealings with Epstein. His testimony came after Barclays’ chair…

The Philadelphia Eagles will be heading to the White House at the invitation of President Donald Trump to celebrate their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs last month. “We sent the invite and they enthusiastically accepted. We are working with them to determine a date and logistics,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. A team spokesperson also confirmed to Fox News Digital that “the Philadelphia Eagles organization has accepted an invitation to visit the White House and is currently working on scheduling a date and logistics.” Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, left, and head coach Nick Sirianni…