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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a memorandum of understanding to build a pipeline more than 1,000 kilometers long to transport oil to the Pacific Ocean, in order to partially reduce his country’s dependence on the United States for its exports.During the signing ceremony, Carney praised the agreement, saying it would make Canada stronger and more independent, and that the relationship with the United States, once very close, has now become a point of weakness.For her part, Premier of Alberta Danielle Smith said that the agreement with the province of Alberta stipulates that Ottawa will support the construction of the pipeline, which is planned to transport one million barrels of oil per day from Alberta to an export terminal on the west coast, from where the oil will be shipped to Asia.She added that the pipeline will mean that the province and the country will no longer depend on a single customer.The project comes amid growing tensions between Ottawa and Washington since the election of President Donald Trump, who imposed tariffs on his neighbor and publicly called for annexing it to his country. 

Britain, Australia, Canada and Portugal on Sunday recognised a Palestinian state in a coordinated, historic shift in decades of Western foreign policy, triggering swift anger from Israel.Other countries, including France, are due to follow Monday at the annual UN General Assembly opening in New York.Israel has come under huge international pressure over its war against Hamas in Gaza, which has sparked a dire humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the statehood moves, later vowing to expand Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.Netanyahu spoke after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain was formally recognising the State of Palestine "to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution".The UK and Canada became the first members of the Group of Seven advanced economies to take the step, with Australia following suit.Portugal said Sunday it recognises a Palestinian state, making it the latest Western nation to make the symbolic move as the war in Gaza shows no sign of ending."Recognizing the State of Palestine is therefore the fulfilment of a fundamental, consistent, and widely agreed policy," Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel told reporters in New York."Portugal advocates the two-state solution as the only path to a just and lasting peace, one that promotes coexistence and peaceful relations between Israel and Palestine," he added.Three-quarters of UN members now recognise Palestinian statehood, with at least 144 of the 193 member countries having taken the step.Canada "offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future", Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X.Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the move "recognises the legitimate and long held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own".Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas hailed the recognitions as "an important and necessary step toward achieving a just and lasting peace".French President Emmanuel Macron insisted in an interview with a US television network that releasing the hostages captured in 2023 would be "a requirement very clearly before opening, for instance, an embassy in Palestine".It is a watershed moment for Palestinians and their ambitions for statehood, with the most powerful Western nations having long argued it should only come as part of a negotiated peace deal with Israel.Although a largely symbolic move, it puts those countries at odds with the US and Israel.US President Donald Trump said last week after talks with Starmer during a state visit to the UK that "one of our few disagreements" was over Palestinian statehood.A growing number of longtime Israeli allies have shifted their long-held positions as Israel has intensified its Gaza offensive.The Gaza Strip has suffered vast destruction, with a growing international outcry over the besieged coastal territory's spiralling death toll and a UN-declared famine.The UK government has come under increasing public pressure to act, with thousands of people rallying every month on the streets. A poll released by YouGov on Friday showed two-thirds of British people aged 18-25 supported Palestinian statehood.

Canada is evaluating its relationship with Israel after the attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar, foreign minister Anita Anand said on Wednesday, in the latest sign of unhappiness with the Israeli government.Anand reiterated that Canada considered the attack to be unacceptable, especially given Qatari attempts to facilitate peace in the Middle East.Anand made her comments when asked whether Canada might follow the lead of the European Commission, which said it would propose the suspension of trade-related measures in a European Union agreement with Israel."We are evaluating our relationship with Israel," Anand told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the ruling Liberal Party in Edmonton.Asked specifically whether Canada was considering any kinds of sanctions against Israel, she replied: "We will continue to evaluate our next steps."Canada has noticeably hardened its line on Israel under Prime Minister Mark Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau in January. Carney announced in July that Canada would recognise Palestinian statehood, angering Israel.Carney on Tuesday condemned the Israeli airstrike, calling it "an intolerable expansion of violence" that risked escalating conflict throughout the region.He said last month that Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City was "wrong".