All smiles in Strasbourg but uncertainty clouds Canada’s EU membership plan 17. September 2026 (17:46) Although Mark Carney welcomed offer to become bloc’s first associate member, no one seems to know what that meansEurope live – latest updates Mark Carney received a rapturous reception in the European parliament when he gave his speech on Thursday welcoming a proposal for Canada to become the EU’s first-ever associate member.Politicians queued to shake his hand and take selfies. One MEP leader described the speech as a historic moment. “Europe has extended a hand, and Canada has taken it,” said the German Green MEP Terry Reintke, who borrowed a Canadian ice hockey shirt for the occasion. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
House Republican releases campaign ad critical of Trump’s immigration policies 17. September 2026 (17:37) María Elvira Salazar says some enforcement has ‘gone too far’ as GOP seeks distance from Trump before midtermsA Republican congresswoman has released a campaign ad criticizing Donald Trump’s approach to immigration enforcement, in the latest sign that a key plank of the president’s 2024 re-election campaign has become a liability for his congressional allies ahead of November’s midterm elections.“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far,” Florida’s María Elvira Salazar says in a 30-second ad. “In July, 50% of the 50,000 people that were detained had no criminal record. Be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policy.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sweden’s PM resigns after centre-left bloc wins slim majority in election 17. September 2026 (17:28) Ulf Kristersson has stood down from his post, paving way for Social Democrats leader to form a governmentSweden’s centre-right prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has stood down, clearing the way for Magdalena Andersson, the Social Democrats leader, to attempt to form a government.In a victory speech on Thursday, Andersson said the Swedish people had “voted for a new direction for our country, voted for unity and against division”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Amid claims of ‘mass migration’, Labor hopes a measured approach will take the hot air out of the debate 17. September 2026 (17:00) The country’s migration settings have become a source of discontent – but will Tony Burke’s approach be seen as the right mix?Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTony Burke has promised to make Labor’s existing migration policy work better rather than announcing a dramatic cut in numbers, arguing that populist promises to slash net overseas migration will “trash Australian services and trash the Australian economy”.The home affairs minister’s message was immediately endorsed by employer groups, who over recent days have made it clear that steps to arbitrarily slash migrant numbers would compound already severe skills shortages and hurt businesses, especially those in the regions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tony Burke rejects farmers’ claims that immigration changes will increase food prices 17. September 2026 (17:00) Farming lobby says shoppers will see emptier shelves and higher prices because of restrictions on backpackersGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastThe farming lobby’s claim that immigration rule changes will increase food prices for households is wrong, Tony Burke has said, describing moves to speed up processing of backpacker visas as a positive step for agriculture.Burke unveiled Labor’s long-awaited reforms at the National Press Club on Thursday, flagging that the plan was more limited than the government would like, due to a lack of support for wider legislation from the Coalition. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
