Big Headlines: Trump threatens NATO allies and 'One Battle After Another' cleans up at the Oscars

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Trump threatens the world's most powerful political alliance, saying refusal to help open

the state of Hormuz and bring down oil prices could be the end of NATO.

Hi, I'm Vergeshtave.

This is Big Headlines, everything you need to know to be in the know in just five minutes.

With the war in the Middle East now into its third week and oil prices soaring, Donald Trump

is demanding other countries get involved in U.S.-led military operations to keep oil

moving through the state of Hormuz a critical ship in Corridor now being targeted by Iran.

Speaking on board, Air Force One over the weekend, Trump called on NATO allies, a small

endeavor because Trump says the U.S. has destroyed almost all of Iran's military power, which

Tehran denies.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump added refusal to help could threaten

the entire future of NATO.

He says he's approached seven countries specifically, though he didn't name them.

Some world leaders are now responding to the pressure this morning.

UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer says he's working with allies to discuss a plan to reopen

shipping in the street, but added his country will not be dragged into the wider war.

Prime Minister Mark Carney met today with Starmer.

He greeted Carney at 10 Downing Street in London and wished him a happy 61st birthday.

Thank you for today.

I think the opportunity we've got to put together our values and apply them to a very

volatile world is really important this morning.

Heading into their meeting, both remarked the world has become a more challenging place

since their first meeting a year ago.

The two were expected to discuss the war in Iran, collective security and economic shifts.

Carney is also scheduled to meet with King Charles before beginning his vacation.

This comes after he wrapped up his first official visit to Norway over the weekend, meeting

with leaders and agreeing to work on deepening economic ties.

Small business owners are grappling with how to handle higher fuel costs stemming from

the war in Iran.

The President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says most of his organization's

members are absorbing the cost for now.

Two-thirds of our membership have been just eating the costs of this, which has negative

impacts on its own.

It weakens them, but beyond that, about a third of business owners have had to increase

pricing for their consumers.

They do that reluctantly because they know that consumers are not swimming in cash either.

Dan Kelly adds that between 10 and 15 percent of his members have had to reduce staff hours

or workers altogether because of the rising energy costs.

Also making big headlines, statistics Canada says the annual inflation rate dipped below

2 percent last month.

The agency says February inflation came in at 1.8 percent year over year, down half a percentage

point from January figures.

It says the end of last year's federal tax holiday helped to take some steam out of

the yearly price comparisons.

Hollywood's biggest night sees director Paul Thomas Anderson and his film One Battle After

Another lead the way at the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

The action dramedy picked up six Oscars in total, including Best Picture and Best Director,

along with a supporting actor win for Sean Penn.

Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for Centers.

Best actress went to Jesse Buckley for Hamnet and Canadian Maggie Kang won Best animated

feature for the hit K-pop Demon Hunters, and some mega tributes for all the Hollywood

legends lost this year and emotional Rachel McAdams.

I fellow Canadian Catherine O'Hara, she made us laugh until we cried.

And the icon Diane Keaton.

The huge in-memorium also focused on Rob Reiner and Robert Redford.

If you haven't listened yet today on the big story, will Canada's immigration system

regret relying on AI?

Host Maria Kustain speaks to Josh Shack now, a family lawyer and CEO of Visto.ai.

Streamlining those administrative tasks.

What do you make of how the government is choosing to kick off their strategy?

Yeah, I like seeing and I've been critical of IRCC, right?

Especially up until 2022, 2023, don't get me wrong.

I like seeing and hearing when governments are being a little forward thinking and tech

forward and stuff like that.

I'm obviously biased because I build and use AI myself as a lawyer.

But I think it's, I like seeing the forward thinking.

I just hope that it can be applied really well.

I like that number one, they're largely not using it to make final decisions, right?

So some of what we know, because the thing is half of this argument is we don't know

what we don't know, right?

IRCC has shared some information and their high level strategy and the high level of

how they're using it.

But at the same time, and it's an interesting debate of like should they or should they

not show us what's in the black box.

You can listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.

Now you're in the know, thanks for listening.

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I'm Rajesh Dave, all talk to you tomorrow.