The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to so-called "discretionary" travel like vacations and shopping trips since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the continent in mid-March, an agreement that had been set to expire July 21.The extension comes with COVID-19 resurgent across the U.S. — cases are on the rise in all 50 states, and southern states like Florida, Arizona and California are facing a fresh crisis with overcrowded hospital wards, refrigerated truck trailers serving as makeshift morgues and another shortage of personal protective medical gear.The escalating emergency has also expos

The first of multiple parliamentary investigations of the federal government's aborted deal with WE Charity to run a volunteering program begins this afternoon.The House of Commons finance committee is set to hear from Youth Minister Bardish Chagger and some senior public servants as it probes how WE got a sole-sourced contract to administer the $900-million program.The Canada Student Service Grant is aimed at students who haven't been able to find work this summer, offering up to $5,000 toward education costs in exchange for 500 hours of volunteering.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has admitte

There are 108,829 confirmed cases in Canada. Quebec: 56,859 confirmed (including 5,636 deaths, 26,097 resolved) Ontario: 37,052 confirmed (including 2,732 deaths, 32,920 resolved) Alberta: 8,994 confirmed (including 163 deaths, 8,127 resolved) British Columbia: 3,149 confirmed (including 189 deaths, 2,753 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,067 confirmed (including 63 deaths, 1,002 resolved) Saskatchewan: 881 confirmed (including 15 deaths, 791 resolved) Manitoba: 319 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 318 resolved), 11 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 262 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 258 resolved)

BC health officials say they're concerned about the increase in new cases of COVID-19 in the province. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement that they're worried COVID-19 is silently circulating in communities. The province has logged 21 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of three-thousand 149. While infections early in the pandemic were concentrated in long-term care and assisted living facilities, health officials say most of the new cases are in the broader community. The statement says residents need to do their part by layering

After many Twitter accounts belonging to Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Gates among others were on Wednesday hacked to promote a bitcoin scam, the microblogging site said it is investigating the incident and taking steps to fix it.In a first response after the incident, Twitter Support tweeted: "We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter. We are investigating and taking steps to fix it. We will update everyone shortly."A number of high profile Twitter accounts including that of US presidential hopeful Joe Biden, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates and

Police are investigating after a body was found in a wooded area on the boundary between Langley, B.C., and Surrey on Wednesday morning. Surrey RCMP say in a news release that officers and members of the Langley fire department responded to a report of a brush fire shortly before 11 a.m. They say the fire was put out and a body was found. The cause of the person's death is not known but police says it's suspicious. The Mounties did not provide information about the identity of the person found dead. Surrey RCMP's general investigation unit has taken over the investigation.

A former Canadian Football League player was sentenced Wednesday to three months in prison for hiring someone take the SATs in place of his two sons.David Sidoo, who played professional football for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and B.C. Lions, lowered his head into his hands and cried as U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton chided him for his actions. Sidoo told the judge he's "deeply ashamed.""I make no excuses. I broke the law. I pled guilty to a crime and now I must pay for my actions," Sidoo said.Sidoo appeared before the Boston federal court judges via videoconference because of the coron

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot amid political turmoil in the state claimed that horse trading attempts were made. "We had to keep people at a hotel for 10 days, if we had not done that, the same thing that is happening in Manesar now would have happened back then," said CM Gehlot. Speaking good English, being handsome isn't everything: Ashok GehlotTaking a dig at sacked Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot amid the political tussle in the state, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on July 14 said that speaking good English, giving good bytes and being handsome isn't everything. He said,

The leader of the Bloc Quebecois is categorically denying allegations that were made against him Tuesday night in an anonymous Facebook post.Yves-Francois Blanchet reacted today through his spokeswoman, Carolane Landry.Landry says in a statement that Blanchet "unequivocally denies" the allegations, adding the Bloc leader is inviting the person who published the post to make an official complaint to authorities.Landry says it is Blanchet's continued wish that the justice system be used to protect real victims of criminal acts.She says Blanchet will continue his professional activities as Bloc l