National News

A $30-billion federal funding initiative launched in 2021 to bring $10-a-day child care across Canada has created a fraction of the new spaces expected in the first year of operation in three provinces that were assessed, a new report said.

An analysis by public-policy group Cardus said the roll out of child-care expansion programs in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have all stumbled with a "slow start" and "underwhelming results."

Dr. Ehab Bader had travelled from London, Ont., to Gaza for a family visit, to see his aging parents.

Now trapped in the besieged Palestinian territory, he is volunteering at Gaza's largest hospital, which is overwhelmed by people in urgent need of life-saving care as medical supplies run short.

"People are waiting outside, severely injured and sometimes you have to choose unfortunately, who do you serve," the neonatologist told The Canadian Press, speaking from his parents' home in Gaza City.

The Saskatchewan government tabled legislation Thursday invoking the notwithstanding clause to prevent children under 16 from changing their names or pronouns at school without parental consent.

A judge granted an injunction at the end of September pausing the Saskatchewan Party government's pronoun policy until a constitutional challenge could be heard later this year. 

Lawyers for UR Pride, a LGBTQ organization in Regina, sought the injunction, arguing the policy could cause teachers to out or misgender children and that it violates Charter rights.

Major grocers in Canada are not yet confirming whether they have committed to special promotions to stabilize grocery prices, as was recently promised by the federal government. 

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced last week that the grocers have presented initial plans to stabilize prices, which include discounts, price freezes and price-matching campaigns.

The Canadian Press has reached out to the grocers —  Loblaw, Empire, Metro, Walmart and Costco — to confirm what exactly each of them has promised to do. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed Tuesday that Ottawa is planning to airlift Canadians out of Tel Aviv in "the coming days," as conflict between Israel and Hamas escalates. 

Joly said the government aims to conduct the evacuation using aircraft from the Canadian Armed Forces, and it is working on additional options for people who are unable to reach the airport in Tel Aviv.

On the day politicians returned to debate legislation over the Saskatchewan Party government's pronoun policy in schools, Memphis Hartman reminded people he's a human being.

The 17-year-old student, who is transgender, told hundreds at a rally outside the legislature he's grateful he received support from his family and teachers. 

"Trans people have existed and they will continue to exist in your classroom, whether you use their name or not," Hartman told the crowd. 

A man from Montreal is believed to be among the victims of an attack by Hamas militants on Israel over the weekend, according to his family.

Alain Haim Look said in a social media post that his son Alexandre Look was killed in Israel on Saturday while trying to save those around them.

"Like a real warrior, he left like a hero in wanting to protect the people he was with," the father wrote on Facebook. 

"Alex was a force of nature, endowed with a unique charisma and unparalleled generosity. The world will never be the same without you."

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators spilled onto streets in several Canadian cities on Thanksgiving Day while the prime minister and Opposition leader spoke at a vigil at a Jewish community centre, following a weekend of deadly fighting in the Middle East.

Protesters gathered at Nathan Phillips Square in front of Toronto City Hall on Monday afternoon, many draped in or waving Palestinian flags as the crowd chanted, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," in a demonstration that was denounced by the city's mayor. 

Some Canadians said they were stuck in Israel amid deadly fighting Sunday, as airlines cancelled flights out of the country and reaching the Canadian Embassy on a holiday weekend proved difficult.

Global Affairs Canada, meanwhile, said in a statement Sunday afternoon that it was aware of reports of one Canadian who has died amid the fighting and two others who are missing.

No further information about the identity of the Canadian who reportedly died, or the others who were missing, was included in the statement. 

Canadian politicians condemned an unprecedented Saturday attack Hamas militants waged on Israel that is being called the deadliest in the country in years.

Hours after the militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters to infiltrate the heavily fortified border by air, land and sea, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada strongly condemns the attacks and called for civilian life to be protected.