President Joe Biden plans to have a brief meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's biggest political rival during an official visit to Canada that begins on Thursday, a senior administration official said.
The official said Biden will have a "pull aside" with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who was elected last year to spearhead the party's bid to oust the Liberals and Trudeau. It's not uncommon for a US president to meet with the opposition leader during visits to Canada.
Biden is also expected to meet and say hello to all the opposition leaders as part of the welcoming ceremony on Thursday.
Biden is making a long-delayed visit to close ally Canada this week to express unity on Ukraine and the environment, but the pair are unlikely to make progress on tougher trade disputes.
Biden will be in Ottawa, the capital, on Thursday and Friday to address Parliament and meet with Trudeau.
US presidents traditionally make their first international trip to Canada, but delays - in part caused by COVID-19 - mean that Biden has already visited almost 20 other nations. He did hold his first bilateral meeting as president with Trudeau, albeit virtually.
A grand jury has charged 18 people with allegedly participating in an Arizona fake elector scheme to re-elect then-US President Donald Trump in 2020, the state's attorney general said on Wednesday.
Australian police said on Thursday they charged five teenagers with terrorism-related offences in investigations following the stabbing of an Assyrian Christian bishop while he was giving a livestreamed sermon earlier this month.
India is inspecting facilities of spice makers MDH and Everest for compliance with quality standards after sales of some of their products were halted in Hong Kong and Singapore for allegedly containing high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide.
Israel is poised to send troops into Rafah, the Gazan city it sees as the last bastion of Hamas, Israeli media reported on Wednesday, saying preparations were under way to evacuate war-displaced Palestinian civilians who have been sheltering there.
A Russian court on Wednesday ordered one of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's deputies be kept in custody on suspicion of taking bribes, the highest-profile corruption case since President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022.
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