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- Trump poised to grant pardons for pollution violations while considering clemency for Diddy and others
- British woman arrested for allegedly stabbing husband with machete in Thailand
- European Commission launches €325 million defence projects for member states
- Iran begins week of funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
- Interpol names Ukrainian woman Anastasiia Berezovska as suspect in Monaco bombing
- B.C. premier Eby likens condo conversion plan to liquidation below costs
- Trump calls US commitment to NATO “ridiculous” ahead of summit in Ankara
- Hosepipe ban imposed for one million people in Hampshire and Isle of Wight
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Trump poised to grant pardons for pollution violations while considering clemency for Diddy and others
7:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Trump likely to pardon pollution violators as he privately weighs clemency for Diddy, other high-profile figures: sources
President Trump is preparing to grant pardons for individuals convicted of emissions violations, while discussions continue regarding clemency for figures including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Prakazrel “Pras” Michel. Combs is currently serving a sentence in Fort Dix, New Jersey, for prostitution-related offences, although he is reportedly not expected to be included in the upcoming pardons list.
President Trump is expected to convene a meeting on Friday to finalise recommendations for pardons, with the list primarily focused on Clean Air Act violations. The Justice Department had recently ordered a cessation of prosecutions related to “defeat devices,” marking a significant shift in environmental enforcement practices under the current administration.
President Trump is considering a series of pardons for individuals convicted of emissions violations, with official discussions surrounding clemency still ongoing. The White House has indicated that the president remains the ultimate decision-maker on any pardons, whilst lobbying efforts for such clemency have intensified among those seeking to mitigate legal consequences related to air quality infractions.
What remains unclear — It is not yet known how many individuals will receive clemency from President Trump following his upcoming decision on pardons.
Trump poised to grant pardons for pollution violations while considering clemency for Diddy and others
President Trump is poised to pardon a slate of people convicted of emissions and clean air-related violations, and is still discussing other potential acts of clemency, including for Sean “Diddy” Combs or several other well-known figures, according to sources familiar with his plans.
The president was scheduled to have a meeting Friday afternoon on the topic of pardons and planned to decide based on recommendations from advisers, two of the sources said.
Lobbying for pardons for people in legal trouble has reached a fever pitch in recent weeks.
But neither Combs nor other high-profile cases were expected to be on the recommendations list from the pardons team, one of the sources said.
Combs is serving a sentence of just over four years in the federal prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey, after he was convicted last year of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which were the more serious charges against him.
Mr. Trump hadn’t committed on Friday morning to a firm number of people who will receive clemency. He has been privately discussing whether to grant requests, including from Combs, one of the sources said.
“President Trump is the ultimate decider on any clemency related actions,” a White House official told WTX US News in a statement.
The president told the New York Times in January that Combs had written a letter to him to ask for a pardon but said he was not considering the request.
Another person who has been seeking a pardon is Grammy Award-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of The Fugees hip-hop group. Michel is currently in federal prison serving a 14-year sentence, after he was convicted of criminal charges that he conspired with Malaysian financier Jho Low to orchestrate a series of foreign lobbying campaigns aimed at influencing the U.S. government under two presidents.
Low is also accused by the U.S. of embezzling $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign wealth fund. Several sources familiar with the matter told WTX US News Low is also seeking a pardon.
Mr. Trump had not yet decided whether Michel or Low should receive clemency, one of the sources said.
Friday’s list from the pardons team was expected to be exclusively related to Clean Air Act violations.
Last year, Mr. Trump pardoned Wyoming mechanic Troy Lake, who served seven months in prison for violating federal emissions laws for disabling air pollution-control equipment on diesel engines.
Mr. Trump’s pardon of Lake was helped along by Wyoming political consultant and lobbyist Jeff Daugherty, who worked with Wyoming Republicans to get on the case on the radar of the White House, said Stewart Cables, an attorney who now works with Daugherty on other clemency cases.
“We think this type of case is an example of government overreach,” Cables told WTX US News on Friday. “That’s why we are trying to get these pardons.”
Earlier this year, WTX US News was the first to report that the Justice Department had ordered federal prosecutors to drop all remaining prosecutions and investigations targeting others like Lake in connection with the sale of illicit “defeat devices” that are used to tamper with pollution control systems in diesel-powered vehicles.
The edict, issued by then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, marked the first time that the Justice Department formally took steps to scale back environmental criminal enforcement since Mr. Trump took office in 2025. Blanche said at the time he was dismissing the cases “to ensure consistent and fair prosecution under the law, as well as to ensure the best use of Department resources.”
It came about after lawyers for some of the defendants had argued that the violations could not be prosecuted as crimes under the Clean Air Act, and could only be pursued as civil offenses.
Although the EPA and the Justice Department indicated that they intended to pursue only civil violations in connection with the defeat devices, the White House last month ordered them to scale back even further.
In a June 29 executive order, the president called on the EPA to deprioritize civil enforcement of tampering with emissions control devices.
Clemency has been a fixture of Mr. Trump’s second term. On his first day in office, the president granted pardons or prison sentence commutations for over 1,500 people who were charged or convicted in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Since then, he has granted clemency to a number of his allies who faced prosecution, as well as those who hired lawyers and lobbyists close to Mr. Trump.
That had led to growing scrutiny from Democrats in Congress, who have launched an investigation into Mr. Trump’s clemency over concerns about alleged “pay-to-play” dynamics, WTX US News first reported. The probe is expected to ramp up should Democrats win a majority in either chamber of Congress in the midterm elections this year.
British woman arrested for allegedly stabbing husband with machete in Thailand
6:00 pm
Get you up to speed: British businessman ‘stabbed to death with zombie knife by wife’ in Thailand | News World
Thomas David Powell, 33, was found dead from multiple stab wounds at his villa in Pattaya, Thailand, on 2 July, allegedly attacked by his wife, Isabelle Violet Carreras, 20. Officers discovered a 20-inch zombie knife in the sink and took Carreras into custody as inquiries continue.
Authorities reported that the victim’s body was likely discovered six hours after his death, indicating a delay in reporting the incident. The investigation continues as police gather evidence, including questioning the suspect, who has denied involvement despite indications of a cleanup attempt at the scene.
Thai police are treating the incident as a murder case, with Colonel Nattapon Phongsuksakul stating that the victim’s stab wounds make the woman’s denial of guilt hard to believe. Meanwhile, authorities are considering measures to restrict cannabis use in light of recent incidents, despite the country’s recent decriminalisation of the substance.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain how much time passed between the alleged incident and the police’s arrival at the scene.
British woman arrested for allegedly stabbing husband with machete in Thailand
A British woman has been arrested in Thailand on suspicion of killing her husband with a zombie knife at their luxury home (Picture: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress)
A British woman has been arrested in Thailand after allegedly stabbing her husband to death with a ‘zombie knife’.
Authorities discovered the huge 20-inch blade at the couple’s luxury holiday home in Pattaya City, Bang Lamung district.
Officers were alerted when a friend sounded the alarm after failing to reach the businessman, The Sun reported.
They reported seeing blood stains on furniture and in the bathroom when they arrived at the property, where they discovered the 33-year-old man dead in the shower.
A wiped-clean zombie knife was found in a sink, and the wife had cuts on her fingers as she was questioned by police.
She is now being held in custody as enquiries continue.
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Officers found blood stains in the bathroom, where they also discovered a 20-inch zombie knife in the sink (Picture: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress)
Following an initial examination, it’s believed the man had died at least six hours before officers arrived on the scene.
The incident is being treated as a murder case.
Police Colonel Nattapon Phongsuksakul said the woman had denied murdering her husband, but that it was ‘difficult to accept that claim’ because of the stab wounds found on the victim’s back.
He added there was evidence the wife had attempted to clean up the stains before police arrived at the home.
Neighbours reported that the pair had moved in two weeks ago and were known to be users of cannabis.
Despite becoming the first country in Asia to decriminalise marijuana, Thailand is now considering restricting its use to those with a valid medical certificate.
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European Commission launches €325 million defence projects for member states
4:00 pm
European Commission launches €325 million defence projects for member states
Defence projects announced
The European Commission has introduced five large-scale defence projects, with €325 million allocated to enhance member states’ military capabilities, including drones and missile defence systems.
The European Commission has introduced five large-scale defence projects, with €325 million allocated to enhance member states’ military capabilities, including drones and missile defence systems.
Funding Allocation
€325 million has been allocated to support five large-scale defence projects, enhancing military capabilities among 18 member states and Ukraine.
€325 million has been allocated to support five large-scale defence projects, enhancing military capabilities among 18 member states and Ukraine.
Official Statement
“There is a real need to move faster, produce together and invest in security. And that is exactly what we are doing,” said Henna Virkkunen, European Commissioner for Tech Sovereignty.
“There is a real need to move faster, produce together and invest in security. And that is exactly what we are doing,” said Henna Virkkunen, European Commissioner for Tech Sovereignty.
European Commission attempts to spur EU defence teamwork with five new major projects
Published on
The European Commission has unveiled a slate of new large-scale defence projects to help member states strengthen their defence capabilities through teamwork.
Presented on Friday, the five projects focus on drones and counter-drone systems, maritime and seabed defence, space, air power and missile defence.
Special emphasis will be placed on beefing up the continent’s eastern flank. A series of drone incursions has lately prompted questions about how the nine countries spanning from Finland to Bulgaria can strengthen their ability to deter and respond to potential threats.
The Commission has allocated €325 million to support the establishment and deployment of the projects, with 18 member states participating in all of them and Ukraine participating in four.
The announcement follows renewed warnings from the European defence Agency (EDA) that member states are continuing to buy military equipment largely on their own rather than together.
According to a recent EDA publication, collaborative procurement accounted for just 24 percent of defence investment in 2025 and remains “unevenly distributed” across countries and capability areas.
The agency said national approaches still dominate procurement decisions, while equipment acquisition and replacement cycles remain “largely unsynchronised”, limiting opportunities for joint investment.
Last month, the long-hailed Franco-German Future Combat Air System fighter jet development program was scrapped after major commercial disputes between the two major companies behind it, Dassault and Airbus.
Despite this, European Investment Bank President Nadia Calviño last week trumpeted a record-breaking €3 billion loan for aerospace giant Airbus to boost the company’s commercial projects. The loan shows how Europe is “ramping up its capacity and strategic autonomy”, she said.
European Commissioner for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said Europe must accelerate joint production and investment in defence, in turn demanding an injection of cash.
“There is a real need to move faster, produce together and invest in security. And that is exactly what we are doing,” she said.
Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said the five joint projects will help improve the EU’s military readiness while strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy.
“With a combined funding ambition of around €190 billion by 2036, they will play a key role in strengthening the member states’ capabilities and keep Europe and Europeans safe,” he said.
The Commission’s announcement comes days before the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
The meeting is expected to focus on how allies intend to meet the alliance’s new defence spending target of 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035, a commitment spearheaded by US President Donald Trump.
Iran begins week of funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
3:03 pm
Media Lens: Iran begins week of funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Iran begins a week of funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The events take place in Tehran as the country mourns its former supreme leader.
Quick links: What has happened | Status quo | Confirmed facts | Preconceptions | Elisions | One story, four angles | Related links
What has happened
Iran has commenced a week-long series of funeral ceremonies for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. The ceremonies include public viewings of his coffin, where significant crowds have gathered to pay their respects amidst a backdrop of paused international peace talks.
The funeral events aim to honor Khamenei, who served as Iran’s Supreme Leader for over three decades, shaping the country’s political and religious landscape. This week of mourning reflects the deep impact of his leadership on Iran and the broader geopolitical implications in the region.
Status quo
Iran is currently observing a week of funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s recently deceased Supreme Leader. These ceremonies are significant events in Iran, marked by various public displays and rituals, including the display of Khamenei’s coffin. The state of the nation is heightened, as these proceedings coincide with paused peace talks with other countries, intensifying the focus on domestic and international reactions.
Confirmed facts
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was Iran’s supreme leader.
- A week of funeral ceremonies for Khamenei is currently taking place in Iran.
- Khamenei’s coffin is on display to the public as part of these ceremonies.
- Peace talks related to Iran have been paused during this period.
Preconceptions
- CBS News prioritizes the impact of the funeral ceremonies, focusing on the sentiment surrounding the display of Khamenei’s coffin and its symbolism regarding ongoing peace talks.
- CNN emphasizes a defiant message towards foreign leaders, particularly Trump, framing the funeral as a political statement rather than merely a national mourning.
- The Times of Israel highlights the state-level arrangements for the ceremonies, underscoring the coordination and public participation involved.
- NBC News reduces coverage of the event’s political implications, instead showcasing present public figures and military preparations, centering more on the visuals and immediate preparations.
- All publications feature Khamenei’s death prominently, but the focus varies from editorial tone to the level of detail regarding geopolitical ramifications.
Elisions
- Coverage of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral lacks specific insights into international reactions, particularly from key stakeholders like the U.S. and EU, which are either omitted or underrepresented in sources like CBS News and CNN compared to broader regional analyses available in publications like The Times of Israel.
- There is a notable absence of detailed reporting on the potential implications for Iran’s internal politics post-funeral across mainstream sources, unlike specialized outlets that address shifts in power dynamics and public sentiment among Iranian citizens.
- Contrary to some sources offering extensive visuals and emotional narratives of the funeral events, others, such as NBC News, focus heavily on logistical aspects without emotional context or personal stories from attendees, creating a gap in the human interest angle.
One story, four angles
CBS News – U.S.-Iran Latest: Slain supreme leader’s coffin on display as Iran gears up for dayslong funeral, with peace talks paused
Publication: CBS News | Intensity: (7/10) | Sentiment: Neutral | Legal precision: Medium
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Espresso Shot: The headline attracts attention to the visual of Khamenei’s coffin, suggesting a significant public display and raises the idea of political implications, exemplified by “funeral, with peace talks paused.”
Key differences:
- Emphasis on visuals: CBS highlights the coffin display, suggesting a focus on spectacle versus sentiment, compared to others that list ceremonies.
- Political ramifications: The mention of paused peace talks captures immediate geopolitical concern, unlike others that focus on public mourning.
- Neutral tone: Language is less emotive, avoiding terms like “sorrow” or “grief,” which are present in competing pieces.
Bias: Selection: Focuses on the funeral as a spectacle rather than emotional significance | Language: Neutral and clinical | Omission: Lacks detail on personal impact or societal responses.
Assessment: Readers first believe the event is a critical political moment rather than a solely human tragedy.
CNN – Iran sends defiant message to Trump with colossal funeral for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
Publication: CNN | Intensity: (8/10) | Sentiment: Negative | Legal precision: Medium
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Espresso Shot: The wording focuses heavily on defiance, making the reader consider the funeral a political statement, illustrated by “sends defiant message to Trump.”
Key differences:
- Defiance framing: CNN characterizes the funeral as a political act, contrasting with CBS’s more descriptive approach.
- Language choice: Words like “colossal” heighten the sense of magnitude, while CBS uses neutral visuals, suggesting different narrative styles.
- Contextual framing: CNN suggests ramifications beyond the ceremony, hinting at geopolitics, more than emotional resonance from the public gatherings.
Bias: Selection: Highlights political implications over personal loss | Language: More emotive and charged | Omission: Less focus on public mourning, prioritizing geopolitical commentary.
Assessment: Readers are made to believe the funeral is a significant act of resistance rather than a community event.
NBC News – Powerful Iranian general seen in public amid preparation for supreme leader’s vast funeral
Publication: NBC News | Intensity: (6/10) | Sentiment: Neutral | Legal precision: Medium
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Espresso Shot: The focus is drawn to the presence of a high-ranking general, hinting at military influences during the funeral, highlighted in “Powerful Iranian general seen in public.”
Key differences:
- Military emphasis: NBC’s focus on the general introduces a different narrative angle emphasizing military power compared to emotional responses in other articles.
- Public spectacle: The term ‘vast funeral’ mirrors CBS, yet NBC positions it against a backdrop of military authority.
- Sufficient neutrality: Unlike CNN’s charged language, NBC maintains a more reserved tone, not implying direct political statements.
Bias: Selection: Focuses on military presence rather than civilian reactions | Language: More restrained | Omission: Lacks in-depth exploration of public feelings or tributes.
Assessment: Readers are led to believe that military dynamics overshadow civilian mourning during the funeral.
The Times of Israel – Khamenei lies in state in Tehran as Iran begins week of mass funeral ceremonies
Publication: The Times of Israel | Intensity: (7/10) | Sentiment: Neutral | Legal precision: Medium
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Espresso Shot: The headline focuses on Khamenei’s body lying in state, suggesting a respectful memorial, reinforced by “mass funeral ceremonies” indicating a solemn gathering.
Key differences:
- Respectful tone: The phrasing “lies in state” evokes a sense of reverence, differing from the political angles in CNN and NBC.
- Collective mourning: By using “mass funeral ceremonies,” it highlights communal participation, unlike CBS’s singular focus on the coffin.
- Balanced perspective: The language is measured and respectful, contrasting CNN’s more defiant framing.
Bias: Selection: Greater focus on the ceremonial aspects rather than political implications | Language: Respectful and somber | Omission: Limited discussion on political messages or military presence during events.
Assessment: Readers are encouraged to believe this ceremony represents collective national mourning rather than merely political symbolism.
The framing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral highlights a stark contrast in tone among publications. CBS News offers a more subdued presentation of the event as a ceremonial observance, while CNN escalates tensions by portraying Iran’s actions as a direct defiance against Trump. The Times of Israel focuses on the state’s somber aspects, while NBC News emphasizes the funeral’s grandeur amidst political implications. In this landscape, CNN’s framing is the most escalatory, contrasting with CBS News’s more neutral tone. The facts do not change. What changes is where scrutiny lands.
Related links
CBS News
CNN
Iran sends defiant message to Trump with colossal funeral for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
The Times of Israel
Khamenei lies in state in Tehran as Iran begins week of mass funeral ceremonies
NBC News
Powerful Iranian general seen in public amid preparation for supreme leader’s vast funeral
Interpol names Ukrainian woman Anastasiia Berezovska as suspect in Monaco bombing
2:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Interpol names Ukrainian woman as suspect in Monaco bombing
Anastasiia Berezovska, a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman, has been named as the chief suspect in a bomb attack that injured Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner, and son in Monaco. The attack, which targeted the family at an apartment building entrance, involved an explosive device detonated from a distance, and the suspect is currently on the run.
Monaco authorities have launched a judicial investigation into the bombing, which included identifying a rented vehicle used by the suspect and her escape route across several European countries. The German criminal police have secured evidence from the suspect’s rented flat and vehicle, which will be shared with Monegasque authorities as the investigation continues.
Monaco’s Prince Albert II condemned the bombing as “an odious act” and confirmed that all public services are mobilised to enhance security. Meanwhile, German authorities have reported securing evidence during a search of the suspect’s rented accommodations, which will be forwarded to Monaco as the investigation continues.
What remains unclear — Investigators have not confirmed whether Anastasiia Berezovska acted alone or had accomplices in the bombing.
Interpol names Ukrainian woman Anastasiia Berezovska as suspect in Monaco bombing
News|CrimeInterpol names Ukrainian woman as suspect in Monaco bombing
Anastasiia Berezovska is named as the chief suspect responsible for injuring Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner and son.
Published On 3 Jul 20263 Jul 2026
Interpol has identified a Ukrainian woman as the main suspect in a bomb attack in Monaco that reportedly targeted a Ukrainian tycoon with links to Russia, according to officials.
The police organisation named Anastasiia Berezovska, 39, on Friday as the chief suspect in an Interpol Red Notice posted on its website seeking her arrest.
The notice said that she was being sought by Monaco for attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent and criminal conspiracy.
This undated handout Interpol Red Notice image released on July 3, 2026, allegedly shows Ukraine national Anastasiia Berezovska, identified as a suspect in a probe into a bombing in Monaco [AFP]
Monaco authorities have not identified any of the three people wounded in Monday’s explosion at an apartment building entrance, but said that they are a family and appear to have been specifically targeted.
Media reports named Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner and son as the wounded.
Yermolaiev has said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship nearly a decade ago and was targeted by Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 for his ties to Russia.
His partner was still in a critical condition, prosecutors said on Friday, also mentioning two other “collateral victims” who were slightly injured in the attack.
Morgan Raymond, the deputy prosecutor in Monaco, said the bomb was detonated from a distance, using a remote control. The remains of the bomb are being analysed in France, he said.
He added that the suspect was initially identified as a heavily built person appearing to be male, wearing a dark long-sleeved top, light-coloured shorts and a black bucket hat. A broader review of CCTV footage from previous days and testimony from a witness revealed that the suspect was in fact a woman disguised as a man.
The judicial investigation also focused on whether the suspect had accomplices or acted on behalf of someone else.
“The relative sophistication of the explosive device and the modus operandi suggest that the person who planted the device did not act alone,” Raymond said.
Two male individuals were taken into police custody as part of the investigation, but both were subsequently released.
Investigators also identified a rented vehicle fitted with German license plates used by the suspect in Monaco. The suspect’s escape route from France and then across several European countries to her country of residence was traced.
Raymond said that her last known address is in Germany, “a country with which judicial cooperation is particularly active”.
German criminal police issued a statement saying they had searched the rented flat and car of a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman, without naming her, as part of the investigation.
“Evidence was secured which will be handed over to the Monegasque authorities,” they said, adding: “The wanted woman is currently on the run.”
The attack shocked the country situated on the Mediterranean coast, known for its high concentration of wealthy residents. Monaco’s Prince Albert II described it as “an odious act” and said all public services were mobilised to ensure security.
Ukraine is believed to have carried out attacks and targeted killings of Russian figures over the course of the war, although those attacks have largely been confined to Ukrainian or Russian territory.
In December 2024, Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for killing the head of nuclear, biological and chemical military protection forces for the Russian military.
Western intelligence officials have recently said that Russia has ramped up a campaign of targeted killings since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
B.C. premier Eby likens condo conversion plan to liquidation below costs
12:00 pm
Get you up to speed: B.C.’s Eby compares condo plan to ‘liquidation’ at below construction costs
The federal and provincial governments announced a plan to convert unsold condos in British Columbia as part of a $5-billion infrastructure spending initiative. This plan was revealed last month but did not include immediate details on implementation.
The plan to convert unsold condos in British Columbia aligns with a $5-billion infrastructure spending initiative announced by federal and provincial governments last month. Specific timelines for the conversion process have yet to be detailed by officials.
Federal and provincial governments are moving forward with a plan to convert unsold condos in British Columbia as part of a broader $5-billion infrastructure spending initiative announced last month. The planned measures aim to address housing supply issues, with authorities indicating that further details will be released in the coming weeks.
What remains unclear — Details on how the conversion of unsold condos will be implemented have not been specified.
B.C. premier Eby likens condo conversion plan to liquidation below costs
The plan on conversion of unsold condos in B.C. was part of $5-billion infrastructure spending announcement the federal and provincial governments announced last month.
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