Trudeau at NATO summit, a slow housing market: Top stories this week - National

Despite a rate cut by the Bank of Canada, the country’s housing market remained slow. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Washington D.C. this week, attending the NATO summit.

Here are the top stories this week.

Canada urged to spend more on defence as NATO chief addresses summit

Canada is facing mounting pressure to increase spending on defence, with the NATO chief emphasizing the need for allies to meet the two per cent of GDP benchmark.

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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg insists that the current status quo is inadequate and more needs to be done by leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who attended the annual summit in Washington, D.C.

Trudeau vows to reach NATO target by 2032, but calls it a ‘crass’ calculation

Facing pressure from allies, Canada has committed to reaching the NATO defence spending target by 2032.

However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not provide specific details on how this target will be achieved, describing it as a “crass mathematical calculation.”

“We can say with confidence and assurance that we will hit the two per cent spending mark by 2032,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday, the last day of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C.

Canada to help train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets due to be flying by summer

Canada will lead the training of Ukrainian fighter jet pilots on F-16s provided by NATO allies, with the jets expected to be operational by the summer.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government will allocate up to $389 million for training and an additional $500 million in military aid as part of NATO’s long-term support for Ukraine.

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How Project 2025 could impact Canada-U.S. relations under Trump

Concerns are rising about the potential influence of a far-right policy agenda known as Project 2025 on a second Donald Trump presidency and the relationship between Canada and the United States.

Democrats are attempting to link Trump to the controversial initiative and convince voters that its extreme conservative policies would shape his governance if he wins the U.S. election in November.

Click to play video: 'Biden’s ‘President Putin’ gaffe at NATO sparks mixed reactions'

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Biden’s ‘President Putin’ gaffe at NATO sparks mixed reactions

Massive AT&T data breach includes calls to Canada

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Canadian phone numbers are among those impacted in a massive data breach reported by AT&T this week.

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AT&T disclosed that the breach compromised data from nearly all of its cellular customers, including over 100 million individual customers in the U.S. and 2.5 million business accounts.

Although the incident occurred in April, the affected data primarily dates back to 2022.

A spokesperson for AT&T confirmed that calls to Canada were part of the compromised data set.

The spokesperson clarified that the data is aggregated, so sensitive information like message content or credit card details is not accessible.

AT&T is actively investigating the breach and cooperating with law enforcement.

The results are in: June’s rate cut didn’t revive Canada’s housing market

The Bank of Canada’s interest rate reduction last month did not have the anticipated impact on Canadian housing markets.

Data from local boards indicates that the 25-basis-point rate cut in June did not lead to a surge in sales in the following month.

Experts interviewed by Global News believe that more significant cuts in borrowing costs are needed to improve affordability for potential buyers, especially first-time buyers struggling to enter the market.

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They suggest that additional rate cuts will be necessary for more buyers to engage with the market effectively.

Meanwhile, the increase in listings suggests that existing homeowners are preparing to sell before buying a new property.

‘Welcome news’: CRA handling of bare trust filing to be probed

The Canadian taxpayers’ ombudsperson has initiated a systemic review of the Canada Revenue Agency’s management of bare trust reporting requirements.

Months after confusion arose among Canadians regarding the necessity of filing returns, the ombudsperson’s office announced the review on Wednesday. François Boileau will investigate whether the CRA respected taxpayers’ rights in administering the reporting requirements for the 2023 tax year.

Canadian youth face the toughest summer job market in decades. Why?

Summer job hunting has become increasingly challenging for Canadian youth.

In June, the youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) reached 13.5%, the highest level in nearly a decade outside of the temporary spike during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics Canada reports that fewer than half of students on break between semesters have secured summer employment this year.

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There are two primary reasons for the rising unemployment rate among Canada’s young workforce.

Firstly, the overall labor market is cooling, and businesses are reducing their hiring efforts, a stark contrast from the tight job market of 18 months ago.

Additionally, the youth population in Canada has grown significantly during this period, resulting in a surplus of temporary workers and students competing for limited job opportunities.

Brendon Bernard, senior economist at job search site Indeed, explains that the increased competition for jobs among young workers has led to a “gridlock in the job market.”

Click to play video: 'Large chain grocers are ‘ripping off’ consumers, Singh claims'

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Large chain grocers are ‘ripping off’ consumers, Singh claims

Silk, Great Value plant-based milks recalled in Canada

Several plant-based milks are being recalled across Canada due to potential Listeria contamination that has caused illnesses.

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The Canadian Food Inspection agency issued a nationwide recall on Monday for 18 beverages sold under the brands Silk and Great Value. The recall includes almond, oat, coconut, and cashew milks triggered by a foodborne illness outbreak under investigation by the CFIA.

At least nine individuals in Ontario have fallen ill with listeriosis, with five hospitalized, as per the outbreak investigation linked to the recalled products.

Ticketmaster notifies Canadian customers of May data breach

After one month of reporting by Global News, Ticketmaster has informed users potentially impacted by a data breach that their personal information might have been compromised.

In an email to customers on Monday, Ticketmaster disclosed that unauthorized access to personal information occurred through a cloud database hosted by a third-party data services provider. The security breach took place between April 2 and May 18, according to Ticketmaster.

“On May 23, 2024, we determined that some of your personal information may have been affected by the incident,” the email stated.

This notification marks Ticketmaster’s first public acknowledgment of the significant hack affecting over half a billion individuals globally.

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Interpol data confirms Canada is ‘ground zero’ for car thefts: experts

As efforts are made to address Canada’s auto theft crisis, a May report from Interpol reveals that the country ranks among the top 10 countries in stolen motor vehicle hits in its database this year, earning it the title of “ground zero.”

Following the integration of the Canadian Police Information Centre’s stolen vehicle database with Interpol’s in March, Canada’s ranking underscores the severity of the situation. Prior to the integration, all entries in the database were manually submitted.