National News

A Canadian is among three climbers missing after they'd planned to climb New Zealand's highest peak.

A news release from the New Zealand Police says two Americans, Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, and the unnamed Canadian flew into Plateau Hut on Saturday morning and planned to summit Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook.

But the release says they didn't meet their planned flight out on Monday morning, and were reported overdue.

It says searchers located several climbing-related items which are believed to have belonged to the three men.

The Assembly of First Nations is hosting a special chiefs assembly in Ottawa today with child welfare, economic reconciliation and First Nations policing on the agenda.

The gathering comes after a testy October assembly where chiefs were divided on how to reform the First Nations child welfare system.

Excavation and sifting started Monday of a section of a landfill believed to hold the remains of two slain First Nations women.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said he was at the site when the first truck moved a load of refuse from the area to a Quonset hut, where searchers are manually sifting through it in the hope of finding the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran. 

Police believe the remains of the women were sent to the Prairie Green landfill north of Winnipeg in May 2022.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has demanded the federal government present a plan before Parliament to beef up border security as U.S. president-elect Donald Trump threatens to impose stiff tariffs on Canada.

Canada Post has presented the union representing some 55,000 striking postal workers with a framework to reach negotiated agreements, the corporation said.

A statement issued Sunday said the framework includes proposals to bring greater flexibility to Canada Post's delivery model and shows "movement on other key issues" in the labour dispute that's stretching into the holiday season.

President-elect Donald Trump called his meeting with Justin Trudeau productive and said the prime minister made a commitment to work with the United States to end the drug crisis amid the threat of stiff tariffs.

The Manitoba Métis Federation will be the first Métis group to sign a modern treaty with the federal government, bringing a near conclusion to a more than 150-year fight for recognition.

"I need to get some chapstick because I can't stop smiling," said Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand.

"This is one of the great times in our history, one of the truly historical moments that will live on forever."

The Liberals' GST holiday bill is one step closer to becoming law after it was passed by a majority of the House of Commons late Thursday night. 

The two-month tax break covers dozens of items, including children's clothes and toys, video games and consoles, Christmas trees, restaurant and catered meals, wine, beer, candy and snacks. It would take effect on Dec. 14 and run until Feb. 15, 2025.

A Canadian soldier deployed to Europe has died of medical complications.

The Canadian Armed Forces says Lt.-Col. Kent Miller was serving in Casteau, Belgium, when he died Monday.

It says he was serving under Operation Unifier, an Armed Forces program that trains Ukrainian military and security personnel in battlefield tactics and advanced military skills.

The military says Miller was an engineering officer with 24 years of experience in the Armed Forces.

Unity among provinces and the federal government is critical in the face of the grave challenge posed by the threat of massive new import tariffs from Canada's closest trading partner, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday following an emergency first ministers' meeting.