u/BeckoningVoice

Trump's statement:

>Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea. These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful. Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises! While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, “No thanks!” Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP

OTTAWA, July 16 (Reuters) - Canada will not share with the United States toll revenues from a new $4.7 billion bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, ‌until Canada recoups its initial investment, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday.

The delayed opening, opens new tab of the Gordie Howe bridge, paid for by Canada, has increased tensions and incurred economic costs for both the United States and Canada at a time the two neighbours are trying to work out an updated trade agreement. Some U.S. politicians are also angry about ​how Canada is handling ongoing wildfires.

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had secured "a much better deal" for the U.S. to allow ​the bridge's opening, set for July 27. Political opponents criticized Carney for caving to the U.S. after American officials ⁠said they "went from getting no revenue" to getting significant revenue.

But at a press briefing on Thursday, Carney said the underlying agreement with Michigan on the ​Gordie Howe bridge remained unchanged from 2012, when Canada agreed to front the cost of the bridge. According to that deal, Canada was entitled to collect ​all toll profits until it recovered the costs of its bridge investment.

"Any sharing of the toll revenue won't happen until all of the debt is repaid," said Carney. He added that Canada would split net revenues with the U.S. during the first 15 years after operational costs, including maintenance and snow removal.

"We expect that after those costs, for ​the first few years, net revenue will be modest," he said. "When the splitting begins, all of the portions that go to the U.S. government will ​be reinvested in economic development."

The details of the agreement between Canada and the U.S. have not been publicly released. Two sources told Reuters a deal had been reached ‌last week ⁠and that the U.S. would get 50% of toll revenue profits and that it would be able to veto any toll hike 10% higher than current tolls.

Michigan Republicans also criticized Carney this week for Canada's management of wildfires, as smoke from blazes in northern Ontario reached swathes of the United States from the Midwest to the Northeast.

State Representatives Jack Bergman, John James, Lisa McClain, and John Moolenaar accused the prime minister of failing to address "chronic under-investment in forest ​thinning, fuel reduction, and prescribed burns, along ​with inadequate enforcement against arson."

Asked ⁠to respond, Carney said the United States could do more to combat climate change that is leading to warmer temperatures and more extreme temperatures around the world.

"We need a contribution from the Americans in the fight against climate change ... Climate ​change is the responsibility of everyone, really, everyone, including the United States," he said.

BRIDGE DEAL COULD BE SEEN ​AS A WIN ⁠FOR CANADA

Fen Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University, said the bridge deal was a victory for Canada.

"If you do the math on when Canada will be splitting the revenues, there won't be very much left to split." He said it was to Carney's advantage that Americans believed they had forced a Canadian concession.

"It's ⁠better to ​let Trump think he's gotten a win, otherwise he can be very vindictive."

Opposition Conservative Member of ​Parliament Shuvaloy Majumdar called it a "terrible deal" for Canada in a letter sent to the government last week.

"Canadians deserve the full agreement, a complete accounting of its costs and clear answers ​about what was given away," Majumdar wrote.

Relevant excerpt: >In the days leading up to the election, thousands of Israelis citizens living abroad are planning to fly into Israel to vote. The potential turnout could reach the tens of thousands, with the vast majority expected to vote for parties unlikely to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

> Since the election was announced earlier this week, social media platforms have been flooded with videos and posts of expats announcing they have already purchased tickets to fly back to Israel, or intend to do so – either by commercial airline or group-chartered flights. Several organizations and initiatives are involved, including FLY&VOTE, launched by the "AID Coalition."

>A source close to the top officials at the Transportation Ministry told Haaretz that senior figures in the ministry are concerned about the prospect of many Israeli expats returning to the country to vote for opposition parties on October 27, and are discussing – informally, for now – possible ways to prevent, or at least significantly limit, charter flights to Israel ahead of the election.

>While such an order is not as simple as refusing to add trains to the schedule, it is not impossible either, according to two senior sources familiar with the issue.

>The most relevant option would be to restrict designated landing slots in Israeli airports on the days leading up to the election. The Israel Airports Authority determines the available slots at any given moment to manage congestion at Ben-Gurion International Airport. No aircraft is permitted to take off for Israel without first reserving a slot.

>In such a scenario where the government seeks to block expats from flooding into Israel, these landing slots could prove a significant bargaining chip. At the moment, the ministry does not have any defined operational plans, and according to the source who spoke with Haaretz, the discussions remain at the level of "What can we do?"

>Another option under deliberation, which could perhaps prove more relevant, involves parking spaces at the Ben-Gurion International Airport, which currently faces a shortage of parking spots due to U.S. military refueling aircraft occupying several dozens of them. It is entirely feasible to assume they will still be stationed there during the final week of October, as many speculate that U.S. President Donald Trump will wait for the U.S. midterm elections, which are set for a week after Israel's election, before resuming the war with Iran.

>A source close to the top officials at the Transportation Ministry told Haaretz that senior figures in the ministry are concerned about the prospect of many Israeli expats returning to the country to vote for opposition parties on October 27, and are discussing – informally, for now – possible ways to prevent, or at least significantly limit, charter flights to Israel ahead of the election.

>If the number of available parking spots remains limited, the Israel Airport Authority would clearly prioritize Israeli airlines first, foreign carriers second, and charter flights would be last.

>Such restrictions on charter flights could prove to be just another way to disrupt the election – and given the government's track record, it could very well utilize this tool.

>The AID Coalition recently surveyed 4,500 Israelis living abroad. Approximately 45 percent said they would "do everything" to be able to vote. Seventy-three percent expressed some desire to come to Israel and cast their ballots, and 84 percent said that this election was the most fateful in the country's history.

>Israel does not allow for absentee voting except for diplomatic personnel who can cast their ballot at embassies and consulates. If the government, whose anxiety is growing by the day, manages to block the half a million expats from returning to Israel to vote, the potential impact could be significant.

>Israel's Transportation Ministry did not respond to this report.