5 things you need to know this morning: May 13, 2025

Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.

Five things you need to know

1. Honda postponing $15B electric vehicle investment in Ontario

Honda has said it will postpone for two years a much-publicized $15 billion electric vehicle project in Ontario, citing a "recent slowdown" in the EV market. The project was expected to create 1,000 jobs and produce up to 240,000 vehicles a year starting in 2028. The federal government had pledged to subsidize the investment with about $2.5 billion, while Ontario promised another $2.5 billion.

Honda said it would put on hold for "approximately two years" a plan announced with great fanfare from Canadian politicians in April 2024 to build an EV supply chain in Ontario.
The decision comes amid uncertainty with respect to planned U.S. tariffs. https://t.co/2a1ibSbUJ9

— CBC News (@CBCNews) May 13, 2025

2. Carney told to 'pick a lane' – bringing down emissions or boosting energy sector

Mark Carney has been told to "pick a lane" by a climate activist organization after the prime minister pledged to focus on both bringing down emissions and boosting Canada's energy sector. Caroline Brouillette, the executive director of Climate Action Network, said Carney went for an "all of the above" strategy during the election, adding: “I think that in 2025 we don't have the luxury of not picking a lane, both from an environmental side of things but also from an economic side of things.”

Carney needs to ‘pick a lane’ on climate priorities and energy boost, activist says https://t.co/umT7gvYgdb

— CTV National News (@CTVNationalNews) May 13, 2025

3. Trump signs US$142B arms deal with Saudi Arabia

US President Donald Trump has signed a US$142 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia. The US said it will give the Saudis "state-of-the-art warfighting equipment," while the Saudis said they will invest US$20 billion in AI in the US.

LIVE NOW: Political and business leaders join Trump at the Saudi Royal Court pic.twitter.com/kNceIa9iMX

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 13, 2025

4. Nissan cuts another 11,000 workers amid falling sales

In more Japanese carmaker news, Nissan has said it will cut another 11,000 jobs around the world and shut seven factories as it continues to suffer from weak sales. The cuts mean the company has now let go 15 per cent of its workforce, or 20,000 people, over the past year.

BREAKING: Nissan to more than double planned job cuts to 20,000 globallyhttps://t.co/1JgtnNel5m pic.twitter.com/4lZkMpB7Cm

— Nikkei Asia (@NikkeiAsia) May 12, 2025

5. Man freed after 38 years in jail thanks to DNA evidence

A man who has served almost 38 years in prison for murder has been released after new DNA evidence led to his conviction being quashed. Peter Sullivan, who was jailed over the killing of a 21-year-old woman in the UK in 1986, wept when he was told he would go free, adding in a statement that he was "not angry" or "bitter."

Man who has served 38 years in UK prison for murder has conviction quashed by Court of Appeal after new DNA evidence emerged https://t.co/hiBFVGh1NT

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) May 13, 2025