Good morning. Court records contain new detail on the Canadian work history of a recently arrested NATO intern. More on that below, along with negotiations on trade and mediations with Iran.

A NATO intern arrested by Belgian authorities on suspicion of spying has a more extensive work history with the Canadian government than previously reported, according to records she filed in court.

The background: In 2023, the Public Service Commission of Canada found that Biwei Zhang, who also went by Claire Zhang, committed fraud when she wrote a standardized exam twice under two different e-mail accounts for the same Canada Border Services Agency job. A work history she filed in Federal Court in connection with that case dates back to 2017 and includes stints at the National Research Council, Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada.

The investigation: The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has been aiding Belgian authorities in their investigation, according to a senior government source.

The Decibel podcast: Investigative journalist Greg Mercer joins the show to explain some of the details.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada is ready to “get tougher” with the United States if there is no trade deal before President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs takes effect in two weeks. Carney did not specify what specific retaliatory measures he is weighing, saying only that Canada “has options.”

In Washington: Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Janice Charette, Canada’s chief negotiator, have met with Jay Timmons, chief executive officer of the National Association of Manufacturers, a U.S. industry group, as well as Republican senators Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee.

The wildfire season in B.C. has already taken a toll on communities, and many fires are still out of control. Officials reported 120 properties lost in the south Cariboo region, 230 homes destroyed in the North Okanagan and thousands of displaced evacuees. Fires continue to rage near communities in the province’s southern Interior, including Clinton, Vernon, Boston Bar and Kimberley.

Foreign firefighters: There are currently around 200 Mexican firefighters in Canada, split between Ontario and B.C., assisting local wildland firefighters. Around 200 more firefighters from Mexico will join the B.C. firefighting effort along with 40 others from New Zealand and Australia.

Iran said it is in the “final stage” of drafting an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. President Donald Trump has said a deal could be announced this week. An agreement could reopen the critical waterway, help bring an end to the war and ease pressure on the world economy.

The details: Oil prices edged lower on Wednesday on hopes of a de-escalation ​in the Iran war. But losses were capped by a maritime embargo declared by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Saudi ports and vessels, heightening ⁠risks to the ​Red Sea shipping traffic.

The dilapidated official residence of the prime minister has stood vacant for a decade. The house at 24 Sussex Dr. was given its title almost by accident and its architecture has been seriously rebuilt twice. With another renovation on the horizon, architecture critic Alex Bozikovic took