Health Policy & Pharma: Health Canada has approved GSK’s Nucala (mepolizumab) as an add-on maintenance treatment for adults with COPD who have raised blood eosinophils and are not adequately controlled on standard inhaled therapy, with the decision backed by Phase III MATINEE, METREX and METREO trial results. Public Safety & Community Support: The federal government is investing $3 million over two years to help Fierté Canada Pride strengthen safety and security for Pride festivals, citing rising hate and harassment risks and the cost of security and insurance. Trade & Macro: Canada’s merchandise trade surplus rose again in April, with economists saying higher energy prices boosted the headline numbers while other areas show more uneven momentum. Retail Expansion: UNIQLO will open five new stores across Canada this fall, adding locations in Winnipeg, Brossard, Tsawwassen, Richmond Hill and Waterloo. Aviation & Regulation: Peel Regional Police have charged a former Air Canada pilot accused of flying as an airline captain for years without the required airline transport pilot licence, while Air Canada says safety wasn’t compromised and no other cases were found in its audit. Tech & Investment: Nuvei is in advanced talks to buy Payoneer for about $2.7 billion, aiming to scale cross-border and B2B payments. EV & Capital Markets: Hypercharge was named co-winner of the Canada Growth Cup at Peterson Capital’s Growth Conference, following its acquisition that expanded its EV charging footprint. Data, Energy & AI Infrastructure: Alberta is pitching cheap natural gas to attract data centres for the AI boom, a move critics say could clash with Canada’s push for cleaner power to run new capacity. Elections Compliance: The Commissioner of Canada Elections has published six administrative monetary penalties tied to Canada Elections Act violations, including political financing breaches. Sanctions & Foreign Policy: Canada has added more individuals and entities tied to “extremist settler violence” in the West Bank, drawing pushback from Israel.