National News

Negotiations to end a strike by grain terminal workers in Metro Vancouver have stalled, with the employers' association saying it's "disappointed" with the results of two days of talks. 

A statement from the Western Grain Elevator Association says the employer bargaining unit had increased its offer to settle "outstanding issues," but that was rejected.

Global Affairs Canada began booking blocks of seats on the few remaining commercial flights leaving Lebanon on Friday as it issued another urgent plea for any Canadians in the country to leave immediately.

"Canadians need to leave now and we are helping with that," Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said in a statement on X late Friday afternoon.

"Canada has secured seats for Canadians on the limited commercial flights available. If a seat is available, please take it."

A former parliamentarian is suspected of "having worked to influence parliamentary business" on behalf of an unnamed foreign government, Canada's spy service told a federal inquiry Friday.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service also cited indications that an unspecified foreign government engaged in meddling to reduce the likelihood of a specific Liberal candidate of being elected federally.

A coalition of disability rights organizations has launched a Charter challenge against a part of Canada's law on medical assistance in dying, calling it an "abandonment” of people with disabilities. 

The group announced Thursday that it had filed a notice of application to challenge what's known as track two of the MAID law, which it argues has resulted in premature deaths.  

An NDP MP has introduced a bill that would criminalize residential school denialism, saying it would help stop harm caused toward survivors, their families and communities.

If the bill is passed, people could be charged under the Criminal Code for promoting hatred against Indigenous Peoples by condoning, justifying or downplaying the historical and lasting impact of residential schools.

Canada's foreign ministry expressed alarm about its shrinking ability to counter foreign disinformation online due to limited access to data and the evolving tactics of adversaries, a newly released memo shows. 

The memo, tabled Wednesday at a federal inquiry into foreign interference, noted Canada had led the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism to identify and respond to threats to democracy through open-source data analytics. 

The Liberal minority government has survived a vote of non-confidence in the House of Commons by a count of 211-120.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre put forward the motion asking MPs to declare they did not have confidence in the prime minister or his government.

Poilievre failed to get the support of other opposition parties to bring the government down.

The Bloc Québécois and the NDP voted against the motion.

If the non-confidence motion had passed it would have defeated the government and very likely triggered an immediate election campaign.

At least two Canadians have died in the escalating violence in Lebanon, which has members of Parliament discussing a possible evacuation of Canadian citizens from the country.

"We are devastated by the loss of two Canadians, but the entire Lebanese people are (also) suffering right now — women, children, innocents," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"This is a horrific situation," he told reporters on Parliament Hill, repeating his earlier calls for both Israel and Hezbollah to de-escalate.

The federal Liberals are creating a new agency to beef up Canada's ability to handle rapidly spreading infectious diseases and protect from future pandemics.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the agency is meant to preserve the "top-gun team" of public servants that helped steer Canadians through COVID-19.

Health Emergency Readiness Canada is being tasked with boosting Canada's life-sciences sector and ensuring Canadians get faster access to vaccines, medical therapies and diagnostics by accelerating the transition from research to commercialization.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre delivered a campaign-style speech in the House of Commons as he asked other members of Parliament to support a motion that could trigger an early election. 

Poilievre outlined his plans to increase revenue and reduce interest rates and debt, cut development taxes and restore what he calls "the promise of Canada."

The non-confidence motion Poilievre has put forward is the first test for the minority government since the NDP ended its supply-and-confidence deal with the Liberals earlier this month.