World
Mark Carney Calls Snap Elections in Canada Amid Trump Threats
Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada called on Sunday for a federal election to take place on April 28, cementing on the calendar another major event as the country experiences one of its most tumultuous and unpredictable periods.
President Trump has imposed painful tariffs on Canada and said more are coming, while also threatening its sovereignty, turning on America’s closest ally and trading partner and upending decades of close cooperation in every sphere.
“We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” Mr. Carney said, speaking to the news media in Ottawa.
“President Trump claims that Canada isn’t a real country. He wants to break us so America can own us,” he added. “We will not let that happen. We’re over the shock of the betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons.”
Mr. Carney, 60, a political novice with a long career in central banking and finance, was only elected leader of Canada’s Liberal Party on March 9, and was sworn in as prime minister on March 14. He replaced Justin Trudeau, who had led the Liberals for 13 years and the country for nearly a decade, but had grown deeply unpopular.
Mr. Carney had been widely expected to call for a quick election. He does not have a seat in Canada’s parliament, and the Liberals do not command a majority, meaning that their government was likely to fall in a vote of no-confidence as early as Monday had he not called for the election.
The Liberals’ main opponents are the Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre.
Mr. Trump’s aggressive stance toward Canada has been a boon for the Liberals and Mr. Carney. Before Mr. Trump took office, the Conservatives had been ahead by double digits in polls and a victory for Mr. Poilievre seemed a foregone conclusion.
But voters have grown concerned that Mr. Poilievre is too ideologically similar to Mr. Trump to stand up to him, and many are drawn to Mr. Carney’s economics experience and long career on the international stage.
Polls show that Mr. Carney and the Liberals have eliminated a 25-percentage-point lead held by the Conservatives, and the two enter the election period neck-and-neck.
Speaking just before Mr. Carney called the election on Sunday morning, Mr. Poilievre tried to distance himself from the perception that he’s aligned with Mr. Trump.
“What we need to do is put Canada first for a change,” Mr. Poilievre said, echoing his campaign’s core slogan. “When I say I want to cut taxes, unleash our resources, bring back jobs, that’s bad news for President Trump.”
Who’s running?
Mr. Carney and the Liberals will square off against the Conservatives and Mr. Poilievre, 45, a career politician who made his name as an aggressive orator unafraid to adopt some of Mr. Trump’s style.
Mr. Poilievre is a mainstream conservative, who has long supported deregulation, tax cuts and an abandonment of Trudeau-era environmental policies in order to enable Canada to ratchet up the exploitation of its vast natural resources, predominantly oil and gas.
Mr. Poilievre has also waded into culture war topics and borrowed language from Mr. Trump: He attacks practices and politicians as “woke,” has called for the defunding of the Canadian national broadcaster and has said he believes there are only two genders.
He has also said he wants to make Canada the world’s cryptocurrency capital, showing the same affinity for the alternative financial asset as Mr. Trump.
Mr. Carney, by contrast, has been in the public eye for decades but not in a political capacity. He was governor of the Bank of Canada during the global financial crisis of 2008, and the Bank of England during Brexit.
Since then he has been working in senior roles in the private sector and has, in recent years, become a prominent advocate for sustainable investment, taking on a role as a United Nations special envoy on climate action and finance.
In the few short days that he has been in office, Mr. Carney has come across as fluent in economics and comfortable on the global stage, but less accustomed to the close scrutiny of his personal affairs, which is not unusual for people running for high public office.
He’s shown himself to be more centrist than his predecessor, Mr. Trudeau. On Sunday, as he announced the snap elections, Mr. Carney also pledged tax cuts for the lowest income bracket. In the past few days he has adopted some of Mr. Poilievre’s more centrist positions, including scrapping a household- and small-business tax on carbon emissions and canceling a planned tax hike on capital gains.
The third party in the House of Commons, the Bloc Quebecois, is led by Yves-François Blanchet and is dedicated to Quebec nationalism.
Canada’s fourth-largest party, the New Democratic Party, led by Jagmeet Singh, is to the left of the Liberals. The N.D.P. offered support for the Liberal minority government in the House of Commons until September, and was able to get some of its core social policies approved in exchange, but polls suggest its support is weakening.
How do Canada’s elections work?
Canada has a first-past-the-post electoral system, which means that candidates who get the most votes in their district win, regardless of whether they secure a majority. Voters elect local members of the House of Commons, not individual party leaders as they would in a presidential system. Parties select their leaders, who then can become prime minister.
The country is divided into 343 electoral districts, known in Canada as ridings, each one corresponding to a seat in the House of Commons.
To form a majority government, a party needs to win 172 seats. If the party with the most seats has fewer than 172, it can still form a minority government, but would need the support of another party to pass legislation.
What happens next?
In the run-up to the election, Mr. Carney will remain prime minister and will technically continue to lead the country together with his cabinet. But they will be in “caretaker” mode and, under Canada’s conventions, can only focus on necessary business, such as dealing with routine or urgent matters. They cannot make new major or controversial decisions.
The parties and their leaders will hit the campaign trail immediately. For Mr. Carney, this will be a critical time since he is not an experienced campaigner, unlike Mr. Poilievre, who is seasoned in retail politics.
Both men will travel the vast country to try to secure support. Mr. Carney’s campaign will be open to journalists paying their own way to travel with him on the trail.
Mr. Poilievre’s campaign said it would not allow the news media to join him on trips, stressing that its decision was for logistical reasons and that news coverage was welcomed.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices rose in early trading Sunday as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.
The price of U.S. crude oil increased 6.4% to $87.90 per barrel an hour after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 5.8% to $95.64 per barrel.
The market reaction followed more than two days of lifted hopes and dashed expectations involving the strait. Crude prices plunged more than 9% Friday after Iran said it would fully reopen the strait, which it effectively controls, to commercial traffic.
Tehran reversed that decision and fired on several vessels Saturday after President Donald Trump said a U.S. Navy blockade of Iranian ports would remain in effect. On Sunday, Trump said the U.S. attacked and forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that allegedly tried to get around the blockade. Iran’s joint military command vowed to respond.
Sunday’s higher prices wiped out much of the declines seen Friday, signaling renewed doubts about how soon ships will again transport the vast amounts oil the world gets from the Middle East.
The US-Israeli war against Iran, now in its eighth week, has created one of the worst global energy crises in decades. Countries in Asia and Europe that import much of their oil from the Gulf have felt the most impact of halted supplies and production cuts, although rapidly rising gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices are affecting businesses and consumers worldwide.
Asked when he thought U.S. motorists would again see gas cost less than $3 a gallon on average, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said prices at the pump might not go down that much until next year.
“But prices have likely peaked, and they’ll start going down,” Wright told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
The price of crude oil — the main ingredient in gasoline — has fluctated dramatically since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and as Iran retaliated with airstrikes on other Gulf states. Crude traded at roughly $70 a barrel before the conflict, spiked to more than $119 at times, and previously closed Friday at $82.59 for U.S. oil and $90.38 for Brent.
Industry analysts have repeatedly warned that the longer the strait is closed, the worse prices could get.
A fragile, two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire Wednesday, while escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz puts the fate of new talks to end the war into question.
Even if a lasting deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz emerges, analysts say it could take months for oil shipments to return to normal levels and for fuel prices to go down. Backed-up tanker traffic, shipowners concerned about another sudden escalation, and energy infrastructure damaged during the war are factors that could impede production and shipment volumes from returning to pre-war levels.
A gallon of regular gas cost an average of nearly $4.05 a gallon in the U.S. on Sunday, according to motor club federation AAA. That’s about 8 cents lower than a week ago, but far higher than $2.98 before the war.
Trump warns Iran it ‘can’t blackmail’ US with Hormuz closure
Fox News reports on heightened tensions in the Middle East as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reaffirms strict control over the Strait of Hormuz and fires on passing ships. President Donald Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, states the US naval blockade will remain in full force. White House correspondent Alex Hogan provides updates on the escalating diplomatic and military standoff.
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Hundreds of commercial tankers are stranded on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shut the critical chokepoint on April 18, halting traffic and leaving crews trapped amid reports of gunfire and “traumatic experiences” on board.
The Strait of Hormuz is considered an international waterway under international law, through which ships have the right of transit passage, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Iranian gunboats opened fire on a tanker the same day, while a projectile struck a container vessel, damaging cargo.
STARMER AND MACRON ACCUSED OF ‘PLAYING AT BEING RELEVANT’ WITH STRAIT OF HORMUZ PLAN
U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that “U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are among the assets executing a blockade mission impacting Iranian ports.” (CENTCOM)
Audio released by maritime monitoring group TankerTrackers appears to capture the moment a vessel and its crew came under fire while approaching the strait, including a distress call from a crew member.
“Sepah Navy! Motor tanker Sanmar Herald! You gave me clearance to go… you are firing now. Let me turn back!” the crew member can be heard saying in the recording, according to TankerTrackers.
Iranian state media confirmed that shots were fired near vessels to force them to turn back, while the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India said the foreign secretary was deeply concerned.
Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container shipping line, told Fox News Digital that it had activated a crisis team as its crews remain stuck on board vessels in the region.
“We have been working from Friday afternoon until today with the entire crisis team to bring the vessels out — in vain, unfortunately,” said Nils Haupt, senior director of group communications at Hapag-Lloyd AG.
“These events can easily lead to traumatic experiences. There is also a significant risk from sea mines, which has made insuring vessels for passage through the Strait nearly impossible.”
LISA DAFTARI: HORMUZ WHIPLASH PROVES TEHRAN CAN’T HONOR ANY DEAL IT SIGNS
“The crews are well, but they are becoming increasingly impatient and frustrated. It is very unfortunate that we could not leave today,” he added. “Many ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf.”
“Our six ships are anchored near the port of Dubai, and all crews hope for an improvement in the situation,” Haupt said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on April 18 that the strait would remain closed until the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, warning ships not to move from anchorage or risk being treated as “enemy” collaborators.
Iran has previously argued that restrictions on its oil exports and shipping amount to “economic warfare,” framing actions in the Strait of Hormuz as a response to foreign pressure on its economy, according to statements from Iranian officials and state media in past incidents.
“Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any violating vessel will be targeted,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
TRUMP ORDERS A BLOCKADE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS TENSIONS WITH IRAN SOAR
Fishing boats dot the sea as cargo ships, in the background, sail through the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz off the United Arab Emirates, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo)
The United States imposed the blockade on Iranian ports to pressure Tehran to reopen the strait, with U.S. Central Command saying the measures are being enforced “impartially against all vessels.”
Hapag-Lloyd said its vessels have been stuck for weeks following the initial closure after the outbreak of war with Iran on Feb. 28.
“For us, it is critical that our vessels can pass through the strait soon,” Haupt said.
“We offer all crew members unlimited data so they can video call loved ones and access entertainment. Crews are strong, but after weeks on board there is growing monotony and frustration.”
“One crew experienced a fire on board from bomb fragments. Others have seen missiles or drones near their vessels,” he added.
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“They are resilient, but each additional day makes the situation more difficult, more monotonous, and more stressful.”
President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed not to close the strait again but after the closure, Trump called the situation “blackmail” and said the U.S. would not back down.
Shops and schools shut in northern Israel as residents protested a 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon that took effect on April 16, saying “nothing was achieved”. Israeli officials say operations may continue, with forces still deployed inside southern Lebanon.
Published On 19 Apr 2026
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