Deceptichum

Prime Minister Mark Carney signalled he hopes Canada will be able to sign on to a major European defence rearmament plan by July 1, a step toward reducing the country's dependency on the United States for weapons and munitions.

He made the remarks on CBC's Power & Politics following the speech from the throne, which committed his government to joining ReArm Europe.

The speech did not set out a timeline, but Carney said he wants to move aggressively.

"Seventy-five cents of every dollar of capital spending for defence goes to the United States. That's not smart," Carney told host David Cochrane.

“Many farmers here say their livelihood is now under threat because they can no longer find workers after the beginning of the crackdown,” said Sung Bo-kyung, head of an emergency committee formed in Changnyeong over the issue. “It is a very serious problem. If farmers fail to remove garlic scapes between around April 10 to May 10, their crops for this year will be ruined.”

Thousands of Israeli nationalists took part in the controversial Jerusalem Day "Dance of the Flags".

The event is provocative to the Palestinian population, given it marks the anniversary of Israel seizing East Jerusalem and the Old City, and the group marches through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.

Jerusalem's status is one of the most divisive issues in the discussion about a two-state solution, with both Israelis and Palestinians believing it is intrinsically linked to their identity.

The total amount of donations is about SEK 4.8 billion. This support is part of the 19th aid package presented this year.

The international community has established several multilateral funds and initiatives to procure materials and equipment to strengthen Ukraine's defence capabilities. Stockholm contributes to several of them.

Pål Jonson, the Swedish Minister of Defence, stressed that these funds would make the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ukrainian defence industry "stronger in their defence against Russia".

"This means that Ukraine can now defend itself, including strikes on military targets in Russia. Until recently, it could not do this, and until recently, with very few exceptions, it did not do so. Now it can. It can hit military targets in the rear, and this is a decisive qualitative change in Ukraine's warfare," the German chancellor stressed.

Merz pointed out that Russia "ruthlessly attacks civilian targets, bombing cities, kindergartens, hospitals and elderly care homes".

"Ukraine does not do this, and we attach great importance to keeping it that way," he added.

"What we are doing in Gaza is a war of extermination: indiscriminate, unrestrained, brutal, and criminal killing of civilians," said former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.