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2 Albertans accused of threatening to kill Trudeau, Freeland, Singh
Men from Edmonton and Calgary are accused of threatening to kill some of Canada's top government leaders.
Toyota set up a new leadership team Thursday in what the Japanese automaker said was a move to stay abreast of social changes like electrification and becoming a wider "mobility company."
Chief Executive and President Akio Toyoda, grandson of the company's founder, will become chairman. He was prominent in the announcement and appeared to be still very much in control. He has been stressing the concept of "mobility," which reflects his view that people may opt for various ways to get around, other than owning cars.
Chief branding officer Koji Sato, who has been managing the Lexus luxury division and Toyota motor racing, becomes Toyota's president and CEO.
"I am going to give it my all," Sato said. "The new team will lead the shift in the transition to a mobility company to provide the freedom of mobility to all people."
Sato, 53, appeared in an online news conference with Toyoda and Takeshi Uchiyamada, who is seen as the "father" of the Prius hybrid model and is giving up the title of chairman.
The appointments still need shareholders' approval, scheduled for the next general meeting. Toyoda said Uchiyamada's decision to quit as chairman propelled him to take that job and give up the presidency.
Toyota Motor Corp. announced the leadership reshuffle without any forewarning, but it had a lively promotional video prepared to highlight Toyoda and Sato's love for electric vehicles and fast cars.
Toyoda, who took over as CEO of Toyota in 2009, and is an avid racer, has seen the company through various hard times, like the global financial crisis and the massive recall scandal in the U.S., over "unintended acceleration," in 2010, when he appeared before Congress.
Although Toyota is the top Japanese company in terms of market value, it has been criticized in recent years as falling behind in the industry's move toward electric vehicles amid a growing concern about climate change.
The handover appears to be the company's effort to give the leadership team a younger face, while maintaining the general vision and philosophy of the company, famed for founding "just in time" manufacturing and for quality products.
Like other automakers, Toyota has contended with a supply crunch in semiconductors and other parts, because of production snags caused by disruptions from the pandemic. The problem hurt Toyota, which also makes the Camry sedan and bZ4X electric car, because it could not keep up with customer demand.
Toyota has recently indicated it will be more aggressive about electric vehicles and has shown prototypes at events. Earlier it had said that a scarcity of charging stations might slow adoption of EVs. Most of the cars now on the roads are still not electric.
Toyoda had earlier hinted he was thinking about who might succeed him. He has also often spoken of his concerns about the future of the car industry.
Hisao Inoue, who has written books about Toyota, said its leadership is facing a lot of challenges, likely more daunting than what Toyoda faced as CEO, because the auto industry is undergoing a "once in a century transformation."
"A fundamental change is in order," he said.
Toyota, like other manufacturers, is saddled with higher prices because of recent inflationary pressures. It has scored such success with its Prius and other hybrids, which switch back and forth between an electric motor and gas engine, that it has tended to lag in pushing EVs, said Inoue.
Toyoda said he has made it through times "when there was no right answer," with sheer passion.
"We have managed to survive somehow," he said.
Men from Edmonton and Calgary are accused of threatening to kill some of Canada's top government leaders.
New Zealand's coroner has ruled that four of its citizens died after ordering products from an Ontario man who is facing murder charges for selling poisonous substances.
The name of Calgary’s new event centre was unveiled on Monday. The arena will be called Scotia Place.
A Toronto woman who allegedly took 'intimate' photos of an individual who was getting a massage has been charged with voyeurism, police say.
Nova Scotia RCMP has identified one of the bodies found on Sable Island earlier this month.
Ottawa Coun. Matthew Luloff is facing a charge of impaired driving, according to his lawyer. The Conservative Party tells CTV News Ottawa that Luloff resigned his candidacy on July 10 'due to a personal matter.'
Canadian athletes attempting to reach the podium at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will also be looking fashionable for the entire world to see.
U.S. President Joe Biden's endorsement of Vice-President Kamala Harris as his possible replacement stirred excitement among Democrats, but one analyst has concerns about what a potential Harris presidency would mean for Canada.
No one knows the importance of selecting the right running mate better than Vice President Kamala Harris.
A swarm of bees living in a lamppost in Winnipeg’s Sage Creek neighbourhood has found a new home for its hive.
Around 100 acres of Manitoba Crown Land near the Saskatchewan border is being returned to the Métis community.
Nova Scotia is suspending the licensed Cape Breton moose hunt for three years due to what the province is calling a “significant drop” in the population.
A well-known childhood prank known as 'nicky nicky nine doors,' or 'ding dong ditch,' has escalated into a more serious game that could lead to charges for some Surrey, B.C. teens.
It's been more than a month since their good friend was seriously hurt in an accident and two teens from Riverview, N.B., are still having a hard time dealing with it.
Halifax bridges have collected thousands of coins from around the world.
A donated clawfoot bathtub has become the preferred lounging spot for a pair of B.C. grizzly bears, who have been taking turns relaxing and reclining in it – with minimal sibling squabbling – for the past year.
A pair of cemetery investigators are cleaning and preserving as many gravestones they have permission to work on, as they conduct their research and document gravestones.
After more than three years, a B.C. woman has been reunited with a lost family heirloom.