Canada is joining the United States, the United Kingdon and Australia in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights concerns. The announcement came after the White House, the Australian government and the UK government confirmed diplomatic boycotts of the Winter Olympics in February to protest Chinese human rights abuses. China has vowed to react with ``firm countermeasures.'' Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government has been talks with allies about it in recent months. The diplomatic moves by Canada, the U.S., Britain and Australia do not affect t

Military police say they have charged the former head of human resources for the Canadian Armed Forces with one count of sexual assault. Vice-Admiral Haydn Edmundson has also been charged with one count of indecent acts. Edmundson stepped down as head of military personnel command in March due to a police investigation after a CBC report of alleged sexual assault. He has denied the allegations. The charges come weeks after Defence Minister Anita Anand announced she had accepted a call to have the investigation and prosecution of military sexual assault cases transferred to civilian authoritie

A government bill seeking to ban conversion therapy has cleared the House of Commons and is on its way to the Senate. Bill C-4 was fast-tracked through the legislative stages in the House of Commons with the unanimous consent of all MPs after Conservative Rob Moore introduced a motion to do so. Erin O'Toole had been set to once again allow his caucus to have a free vote on the bill, but also pledged that his MPs would work to get it passed quickly. The so-called therapy is widely discredited as a harmful practice, aimed at trying to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos is expanding the COVID-19 travel ban and ordering new border testing rules as Canada tries to keep the new Omicron variant from spreading. Duclos is adding Malawi, Egypt and Nigeria to the banned travellers country list, and stepping up testing for air travellers who fly into Canada from anywhere but the United States. At least six cases of the new variant are now confirmed in Canada, so far all in people who had recently travelled from Nigeria. Duclos says we still don't know very much about the threat this new variant poses. The federal government is bannin

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada may need to do more at the border to protect against the Omicron variant of COVID-19 coming to Canada. The government has already banned foreign nationals who have recently travelled to several southern African countries. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters public health advice will guide their actions.The World Health Organization warned against the potentially dangerous impact of the Omicron variant again today, though there are still many questions about its transmissibility and the severity of illness it causes.

Unvaccinated travellers over the age of 12 won't be able to board a plane or train in Canada beginning today, and a negative COVID-19 test will no longer serve as a substitute for most people. The policy came into effect on Oct. 30, but the federal government allowed a short transition period for unvaccinated travellers who could board as long as they provided a negative molecular COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before their trip. The stringent new requirement comes into effect as Canada reacts to the emergence of the new, highly mutated Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Ontario has reported two more cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 virus. Ontario had earlier reported Canada's first two cases of the Omicron variant of concern on the weekend. The total number of cases detected in Ontario has now reached 4. The province said today the two infected people were recently in Nigeria and were tested for the virus in Montreal before travelling on to Ottawa. Quebec health officials have also confirmed a case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Health Minister Christian Dubé made the announcement today at a news conference. Dubé says 115 people who recently tr

Quebec health officials have confirmed a case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Health Minister Christian Dubé made the announcement today at a news conference. Dubé says 115 people who recently travelled to the province, principally from countries in southern Africa, have been asked to take a PCR test and to isolate. Ontario reported Canada's first two cases of the Omicron variant of concern on the weekend. The province said today the two infected people were recently in Nigeria and were tested for the virus in Montreal before travelling on to Ottawa.

Canada has banned visitors from southern Africa after the discovery of a new variant of concern in the region. The new variant, deemed Omicron, first emerged in South Africa and coincided with a steep rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in that region in recent weeks, according to the World Health Organization. The ban will apply to foreign nationals who transited through a list of seven countries in the last 14 days, including South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Namibia and eSwatini. Those already in Canada who recently travelled through the region will need to quarantine