Sunday, April 27, 2025

Monday Briefing: Canadians head to the polls

Plus, the fate of Ukraine talks.
Morning Briefing: Europe Edition

April 28, 2025

Good morning. We're covering elections in Canada and a possible timeline for Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

Plus: When a child's life is the family business.

Pierre Poilievre, in a dark business suit, shakes hands with Mark Carney, who is also wearing a dark business suit, on a debate stage.
Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney after their debate this month. Pool photo by Christopher Katsarov

In Canada's election, the U.S. is front of mind

Canadians are holding parliamentary elections today to determine who will lead their government: the Liberal Party under Prime Minister Mark Carney, a former banker, or the Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, a career politician on the party's right.

One issue has consumed voters: President Trump. His tariff attack on Canada and his repeated calls for the annexation of the country as the 51st state have dominated the race.

To learn about what's at stake, we reached out to Matina Stevis-Gridneff, our Canada bureau chief.

What are the biggest issues in the elections?

Canadians are thinking about the economy, and about Trump. The two are, to a great degree, intertwined: Canada's economy is in a relatively weak spot as it's getting hit by tariffs. Some voters want to punish the Liberal Party, which has been in charge for the past decade, and hold it accountable for leaving the country in a weakened spot.

Those voters are likely to cast a ballot for the Conservative Party. The Conservatives are promising change, smaller government, tax cuts and deregulation. But other voters — and polls suggest they may be the majority — are predominantly worried about how Canada stands up to the U.S. This relates to tariffs, but it extends beyond the purely economic, to the political and even existential spheres, given that Trump has threatened to annex Canada.

Voters motivated by that mind-set are likelier to pick the Liberal Party. Mark Carney is a seasoned international economic policymaker and private-sector executive, and his experience in economic turmoil has led many Canadians to believe he's the right person to trust in this crisis.

What will you be watching for on Election Day, and what has stood out for you so far?

I'll be looking to see if the Liberals win, as polls are predicting, and if they can secure a majority government. For me that will indicate that Trump is a potent factor in the politics of America's allies, who are all reeling by the change of policy and attitude in the White House.

The sharp reversal of fortunes for the Liberal Party which, until early his year, seemed poised to face a crushing defeat, has been stunning to watch. And in that context, the rise of Carney from elite economist to prime minister in the blink of an eye, and with no previous political experience, has been really surprising.

Results: Most polls will close at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time today, and results will most likely come later in the evening. Here's what else to know.

More on Trump

Marco Rubio speaking with his hand raised in the Oval Office.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, last week. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

Fate of Ukraine talks will be decided this week, Rubio said

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that the Trump administration would decide this week whether to continue pursuing a negotiated settlement in Russia's invasion of Ukraine or turn its attention elsewhere.

"We're close, but we're not close enough," he said in a television interview. It wasn't clear if this was a negotiating tactic or if Trump and his aides were really close to walking away.

A glimmer of hope: On Saturday, Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine spoke privately for about 15 minutes in Rome. Trump later questioned why Russia had continued attacking Ukraine while the U.S. was trying to broker an end to the war. Zelensky said that he and Trump talked about a "reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war."

Related:

  • Moscow claimed it had retaken the last village held by Ukraine in the Kursk region of Russia. Ukraine denied that it had been pushed out.
  • North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, has ordered a monument for its soldiers who were killed fighting for Russia, state media reported, confirming for the first time the nation's military role in the war against Ukraine.
Thousands of people line a street to watch as the funeral procession for Pope Francis passes by the Temple of Venus and Rome.
Pope Francis' funeral procession passed the Temple of Venus and Rome on its way to the Basilica. Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times

World leaders gathered for the pope's funeral

Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday in Rome, in a funeral that drew world leaders and hundreds of thousands of faithful. The procession was "solemn and majestic," wrote Jason Horowitz, our Rome bureau chief. See the attendees.

Even before the pope was entombed, conservative cardinals, who felt Francis had endangered the church's traditions, had already begun politicking to sway the conclave electing the next pope. Here are some possible contenders.

MORE TOP NEWS

A large police vehicle along with officers stand on a street beyond piles of debris and a line of vendor trucks.
Chris Helgren/Reuters

Middle East

SPORTS NEWS

MORNING READ

A young man in a green shirt and gray sweatpants sits on a bed with shelves of toys in the background.
Maggie Shannon for The New York Times

Evan Lee, better known as EvanTube, still had his baby teeth when he became an influencer and transformed his family's fortunes. Now 19, he spoke to us about what that exposure meant and what it's like to grow up in the child influencer economy.

Lives lived: Virginia Giuffre, a victim of Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking ring who was injured in an automobile crash last month, died at 41.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

ARTS AND IDEAS

Devin Oktar Yalkin for The New York Times

Isabel Allende's next book

At 82, Isabel Allende is one of the world's best-selling Spanish-language authors — beloved for her tales of women in tough spots who make it through. Her own story, of fleeing Chile's military coup at age 31, has similar themes.

Allende's latest novel, "My Name Is Emilia del Valle," which comes out next month, takes place during the 1891 Chilean civil war. She spoke to The Times about leaving Chile, why she has never stopped longing for and thinking about her past, and how fear changes society. Read our interview.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Gluten-Free Yellow Cake
Julia Gartland for The New York Times

Bake: This gluten-free sheet cake is made with rice, millet and oat flours.

Watch: "The Gardener" is a great pop-goth murder series for fans of "Dexter," "You" and "Wednesday."

Rest: Getting quality sleep is critical for a healthy brain. This is how you achieve it.

Cultivate: Here's how to make basil and other fresh herbs last much longer.

Compete: Try your hand at our Flashback history quiz.

Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here.

That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha

P.S. Natalie Kitroeff and Rachel Abrams will be joining Michael Barbaro as co-hosts of "The Daily."

Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

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