National News

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports on Aug. 1 in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on social media Thursday night, evidently setting a new date for bilateral negotiations between the two countries. 

Canada and the United States had committed to working on a new economic and security agreement with a July 21 deadline for a deal. The boosted tariff pressures call into question progress toward the initial time frame.

Ottawa says it will work to align its flight security regulations with those in the U.S. after Washington dropped a rule that required passengers to remove their shoes during security screenings.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that passengers at American airports no longer need to remove their shoes because officials have found other ways to keep travellers safe.

Canada does not require passengers flying domestically or to non-U.S. destinations to take off their shoes for screening, unless a security officer decides it's necessary.

Six Republican lawmakers have sent a letter to Canada's ambassador calling for action on the wildfires sending smoke billowing across the international border into their states.

In a Tuesday letter to Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman, representatives Tom Tiffany, Brad Finstad, Tom Emmer, Michelle Fischbach, Glenn Grothman and Pete Stauber of Wisconsin and Minnesota said their constituents are coping with suffocating smoke from Canadian wildfires.

Red Deer Minor Hockey says it is conducting an internal investigation after a video surfaced showing one of its coaches, former NHL player Nick Tarnasky, involved in a fight at a golf course.

The incident took place recently at Alberta Springs Golf Resort, just outside Red Deer.

Ottawa is expected to miss its 2026 deadline to implement $10-a-day child care services across the country, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said in a new report published on Wednesday.

The analysis concluded that just six provinces and territories are meeting that fee target now.

David Macdonald, an economist with the centre, said even though fees have dropped significantly everywhere, the federal government is unlikely to meet its self-imposed deadline.

Two active members of the Canadian Armed Forces are among four people arrested and charged on Tuesday for allegedly participating in an anti-government plot to forcibly take possession of land in the Quebec City area.

Three of the suspects, motivated by "violent extremism," planned to start a militia and "took concrete actions" to facilitate terrorist activity, the RCMP said. Two 24-year-olds and a 25-year-old allegedly took part in military-style training that included shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises, using a variety of firearms and high-capacity magazines. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is headed off to Japan and Malaysia as the Carney government shapes its diplomatic and trade approach to the Indo-Pacific region.

Anand will meet with her Japanese counterpart in Tokyo this week as the two finalize an agreement on sharing defence information and boosting trade.

On Thursday and Friday, Anand will take part in a meeting with the Association of South East Asian Nations, or ASEAN, in Malaysia.

Ryan Ness of the Canadian Climate Institute says he's been following the "terrible tragedy" of deadly flash flooding unfolding in Texas, where more than 100 people have died.

But he's also worried Canada isn't doing enough to prevent such disasters here, saying the country needs to invest in flood mapping, infrastructure and early warning systems.

"Luckily, there are many ways that we can protect ourselves, but we have to make the effort," said Ness, who is the research director for adaptation at the policy research organization.

A new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is dismissing moves by the federal government and Canada's premiers to break down internal trade barriers as little more than "political theatre."

It lands just ahead of the country’s internal trade ministers meeting in Quebec City this week, where they are expected to talk about their next steps as they rush to remove rules hampering cross-provincial trade.

Canada’s top soldier is looking forward to a boost in military spending that includes a pay raise for military personnel at a time when uncertainty on the world stage is high.

NATO leaders — including Canada — have approved a plan to dramatically increase defence spending across the Western alliance to five per cent of gross domestic product over the next decade.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the move to five per cent of GDP — 3.5 per cent for core military spending and 1.5 per cent for defence-related infrastructure — will take place over the next 10 years.