Good morning. Canadian tourism to Las Vegas continues to plunge, turning Canada-U.S. tensions into a midterm election issue in Nevada. Plus, Canada's military is facing another round of belt-tightening despite a surge in defence spending. And, a hologram of late Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala is giving fans a glimpse of what the future of live music could look like.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Bulphoto Agency via Reuters)
|
|
Drones hit ships in Black Sea, sinking one and prompting rescue, Bulgaria says
|
|
|
Drones struck two ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria on Tuesday, sinking one and prompting emergency rescue operations, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.
Rescuers evacuated all 15 crew members from one ship, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, with five receiving treatment for minor injuries, Radev said in a video posted to social media.
The crew, which included seven Ukrainian citizens and eight Azerbaijani citizens, reported the ship's deck and hull were hit by three aerial drones.
Bulgarian officials said five crew members had been rescued from the second ship that sank off the coast of the village of Krapets, but 11 were still listed as missing.
– The Associated Press |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FEATURED STORIES
|
|
|
|
(David Becker/AFP/Getty Images)
|
|
|
Canadian tourism slump becomes Nevada election issue
|
|
|
Canadian travel to Las Vegas is falling sharply, and Nevada Democrats are making the decline a midterm campaign issue by tying it to U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and attacks on Canada.
What's happening: Canadian visits to Las Vegas fell 17.4 per cent last year and remain down in 2026, while hotel occupancy and airport arrivals have also weakened. Casino executives and workers say the loss of Canadian visitors is hurting business. Democrats and the Culinary Workers Union are blaming Trump's policies, while Republicans are defending his broader economic agenda.
Why it matters: Canada is Nevada's largest source of international tourists, making the decline especially significant in a state heavily dependent on hospitality. With key races tightening, political observers say the absence of Canadian visitors is giving Democrats an unusual campaign argument: that tensions with Canada are having a direct economic impact on local workers and businesses.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Military faces belt-tightening despite defence spending surge
|
|
|
Canada's military is preparing for another round of internal spending restraint, even as the federal government pours tens of billions of new dollars into defence.
What's happening: The Department of National Defence is still subject to operations and maintenance reductions first announced in 2023, while the Treasury Board Secretariat is examining operational spending for further savings. At the same time, new defence money is being directed toward equipment, modernization and military pay, leaving less flexible cash than the headline spending increases suggest.
Why it matters: Experts warn cuts to operations, training and maintenance could further strain military readiness, which the federal budget puts at about 61 per cent. Retired lieutenant-general Andrew Leslie says savings should come from bureaucracy, consultants and outdated equipment rather than front-line forces, arguing the military has less room for error as global security risks grow.
|
|
|
|
| | |
