Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government is making every effort to ensure Canada has the best possible response to the coronavirus outbreak in China. He spoke to reporters just as the World Health Organization announced it would not yet declare the virus a global emergency. Health Minister Patty Hajdu says several people in Canada are under observation for signs they may have contracted the coronavirus from China, but that the risk to Canadians remains low.

The World Health Organization says a viral illness in China that has sickened hundreds of people is not yet a global health emergency. The decision came after Chinese authorities moved to lock down three cities on Thursday and cancelled major events in the capital, Beijing, during the Lunar New Year holiday period to try to contain the new virus. The United Nations health agency announced the decision after independent experts spent two days assessing information about the spread of the newly identified coronavirus. WHO defines a global emergency as an ``extraordinary event'' that constitu

The federal government and Mastercard are working together to develop technologies and standards aimed at ensuring safe and secure use of any device connected to the internet. Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Navdeep Bains and Ajay Banga, CEO of Mastercard say the strategies will be developed at a new centre to be built in Vancouver. The Intelligence and Cyber Centre is to be funded by a $510-million investment from Mastercard and $49 million from Canada. The centre's goal is to ensure any internet-enabled device, ranging from phones and tablets to computers and vehicles, can be u

Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says several people in Canada are being monitored for signs they may have contracted a coronavirus from China.Hajdu says five or six people, including at least one in Quebec and another in Vancouver, are under observation but stresses the risk to Canadians remains low. She says there are no confirmed cases in Canada yet.At least 500 people in China are infected with the virus and 17 people have died.The city at the centre of the outbreak, Wuhan, is under quarantine as health officials scramble to understand the virus and keep it from spreading.The World Heal

A longtime public servant whose decades-long career has spanned portfolios from defence to foreign affairs is being tapped to be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's third national security adviser in as many years.Vincent Rigby takes over the position after Trudeau's former national security adviser, Greta Bossenmaier, announced her retirement in November following a 35-year career in the federal public service. Rigby brings a variety of different experiences to the new role, including stints at the Department of National Defence, Public Safety Canada, the Privy Council Office and Global Affairs

The agency responsible for approving and assessing energy development in Alberta is laying off staff as it deals with budget cuts.The Alberta Energy Regulator says it laid off ``a couple of dozen'' staff yesterday with more to come by the end of February.Gordon Lambert, interim CEO, says the changes are part of a restructuring that aims to make the regulator more effective, efficient, and resilient.Last October the government announced that the AER would lose about 22 percent of its operating budget.Lambert says while it is a difficult time for staff, the AER will continue to protect public s

Former Quebec premier Jean Charest has decided not to seek the federal Conservative leadership. In an interview with Radio-Canada today, he says the odds are stacked against someone from outside the party like he is. Charest had been testing the waters for a leadership attempt since current Conservative leader Andrew Scheer announced his intention to resign.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will move next week to formally approve North America's new, long-delayed free trade pact.Trudeau says the government will introduce a ways and means motion Jan. 27 when Parliament resumes, and will table legislation to ratify the deal two days later.Trudeau says millions of Canadians depend on stable, reliable trade with their largest trading partners.That will effectively remove the final legal hurdle in preserving continent-wide trade after President Donald Trump foisted the acrimonious renegotiation of the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agre

Quebec's immigration minister has acknowledged the province's system to sponsor refugees needs reform after hundreds of people camped out in his department's Montreal offices over the weekend, hoping to claim one of the few available applications.The government said it would only accept 750 privately-sponsored refugee applications for the entire province.Most were reserved for organizations seeking to bring an asylum seeker to Quebec, while just 100 applications were reserved for groups of two to five people hoping to sponsor a refugee. The Immigration Department held to a first-come, first-s