1. Britain’s King Charles has opened Canada’s new session of parliament as the country’s head of state, saying the government will protect Canadians and their sovereign rights “from wherever challenges may come at home or abroad.” His speech follows repeated claims from US President Donald Trump that Canada should become the 51st US state. 2. American students at Harvard University have held a rally in support of their classmates, protesting the US administration’s move to prevent international students from enrolling. The government under President Donald Trump has revoked Harvard’s right to enroll foreign students, accusing its administrators of fostering violence and antisemitism. International students already enrolled have been told to transfer to a different university or lose their legal status in the United States.
3. The US state of Hawaii has decided to raise the tax on hotel and other accommodation stays to fund climate change measures. Starting in January next year, the state’s Transient Accommodation Tax will be raised from the current 10.25 percent to 11 percent.