National News

The FBI says a deadly car crash and explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between New York state and Ontario shows no sign of terrorist involvement and there were no explosive materials at the scene, and the case has been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation.

Four of the busiest border crossing points between Canada and the United States are closed after a vehicle exploded at a U.S. checkpoint in Niagara Falls. 

The FBI confirmed it is investigating an explosion, which took place on the U.S. side of the Rainbow Bridge crossing in upstate New York.

Videos posted to social media show smoke and flames emanating from the checkpoint complex at the crossing, which spans the Niagara River. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that she had been fully briefed and was monitoring the situation closely. 

Another Canadian astronaut will be heading to the International Space Station. 

Joshua Kutryk has been assigned to a six-month mission that will launch no earlier than the beginning of 2025.

François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of innovation, science and industry, made the announcement today at the Canadian Space Agency headquarters, near Montreal.

As well, Champagne says Jenni Gibbons has been assigned as the backup astronaut for the historic Artemis II mission to the Moon.

There is hope more Canadians will soon be able to leave the Gaza Strip, after Qatar announced a truce−for−hostages deal between Israel and Hamas that would bring a four−day halt in fighting in the devastating six−week war.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry −− which had led weeks of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas −− said it would announce within a day when the clock will start ticking on the truce, during which 50 hostages will be released in stages in exchange for what Hamas said would be 150 Palestinians prisoners held by Israel.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled her fall economic statement on Tuesday, updating Canadians on the country's financial health and introducing some new measures to target the housing crisis. 

Here are the highlights. 

— $20.8 billion: New federal spending since the spring budget.

— $488.7 billion: Total government spending for the current fiscal year, through the end of March 2024. 

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled a fall economic statement on Tuesday that aims to support middle-class Canadians amid soaring consumer prices and looming mortgage renewals. 

She announced $168 million in new spending over six years for programs focused on at saving Canadians money. 

Here's what the government proposes to do. 

Competition and trade 

The Liberals have proposed several amendments to the Competition Act in an attempt to improve consumer choice and lower prices.

Nearly a dozen members of the family of Pauline Brazeau were in Cochrane Provincial Court today (Nov. 21) in hopes of getting a glimpse of her accused murderer of nearly 47 years ago.

Ronald James Edward, 74, did not make an appearance. Instead, newly-appointed counsel Pawel Milczarek appeared before Justice Marian De Souza to request disclosure documents from the Crown.

The case returns to Cochrane court on Dec. 5, and Brazeau's family intends to return in hopes of finally seeing the accused. 

A company that runs a commercial kitchen at the centre of an E. coli outbreak at multiple Calgary daycares has entered a not guilty plea to municipal bylaw charges.

The City of Calgary charged Fueling Minds Inc. and its two directors, Faisal Alimohd and Anil Karim, in September with serving food at child care centres without a food services business licence. They face 12 charges and a total fine of up to $120,000.

The federal government will appeal a recent Federal Court ruling that struck down a cabinet order underlying Ottawa's ban of some single-use plastics, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Monday.

The Nov. 16 decision said Ottawa had overstepped by labelling all "plastic manufactured items" as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

Evidence shows "thousands" of different items in that category have different uses and chemical makeups, and there is no evidence all of them can harm human health or the environment, Justice Angela Furlanetto found. 

Premier Scott Moe says a Saskatchewan Party legislature member has been kicked out of caucus and stripped of his appointments after being charged with obtaining sexual services.

Moe said he learned Friday of the charge against backbencher Ryan Domotor and took immediate action.

"Those in public office should be working to support vulnerable women, not exploit them,” Moe said in a statement.

“There is absolutely no place in our government, nor frankly in the assembly, for someone who has been charged with such a crime.”