President Donald Trump has signed a long-delayed government funding bill, formally ending the United States’ record 43-day shutdown that left hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay and disrupted key public services. The bill cleared the U.S. House of Representatives late Thursday by a narrow 222–209 vote, largely along party lines. Democrats had pressed to include an extension of an enhanced tax credit that reduces health insurance costs under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans rejected that demand, arguing the issue should be debated separately, allowing the spending mea

Canada’s provincial and territorial leaders say they plan to focus on infrastructure spending and trade relations when they meet virtually with Prime Minister Mark Carney next week. In a joint letter sent to Carney on Wednesday, the premiers outlined priorities for the upcoming meeting, highlighting the need for federal support to strengthen infrastructure across regions and to navigate ongoing trade negotiations with the United States. The letter also calls for discussions on expanding trade opportunities with China and India. The meeting, set for Monday, will be the latest in a series of f

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the federal government will unveil the next group of projects under review by the Major Projects Office later this week. Speaking to reporters in Fredericton on Tuesday, Carney said the announcement will be made Thursday, marking the second round of projects being evaluated for potential national interest designation. The first batch of five projects was announced two months ago, prompting criticism from the Conservative opposition, who argued that many of the selected developments were already progressing and did not require special federal attention. None of t

Canada’s labour market showed unexpected strength in October, adding 67,000 jobs and marking the second straight month of stronger-than-forecast employment growth, according to Statistics Canada. The federal agency said the gains were concentrated in part-time positions, with the private sector recording its first employment increase since June. Ontario led the way with 55,000 new jobs, driven largely by growth in wholesale and retail trade as well as transportation and warehousing. Younger Canadians also saw long-awaited improvement. Employment among workers aged 15 to 24 rose by 21,000 in

The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear an appeal from the owners of a British Columbia ostrich farm challenging a federal order to destroy hundreds of their birds following an avian flu outbreak. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) directed the cull on December 31, 2024, after detecting the virus on the property near Edgewood in B.C.’s southern Interior. The farm owners sought to overturn the order, arguing that the surviving ostriches showed no symptoms of infection and should not be euthanized. Federal officials maintained that even apparently healthy birds can carry and tr

The Carney government presented its first budget today, nearly seven months after taking office. The 406-page budget promises to make Canada stronger. It also outlines that Canada's deficit this year will be $78.3 billion. However, the budget deficit is projected to reach $56.6 billion by 2029-2030. This budget is promising $141 billion in new spending over the next five years in new measures and promises that this spending will result in $51.2 billion in savings. The government's largest expenditure includes defense spending, which includes $20.4 billion in military recruitment and retention

Canada’s economy lost ground in August, with national output falling 0.3 per cent as both goods-producing and service sectors declined, according to new figures from Statistics Canada. The agency said the drop largely erased July’s modest 0.3 per cent gain, which has been revised slightly upward. The August downturn was tied in part to an Air Canada flight attendants’ work stoppage that disrupted air transportation, along with weaker results in manufacturing, wholesale trade, and mining and quarrying industries. Retail trade was the main bright spot, showing growth that partially offset

Students across Alberta left their classrooms on Thursday to rally at the provincial legislature, protesting the government’s decision to force striking teachers back to work. Many wore red clothing and carried homemade signs to show solidarity with educators. The walkouts, coordinated through social media, spread to several schools as students voiced frustration with what they described as an attack on teachers’ rights. The demonstrations followed the provincial government’s move to fast-track a back-to-work bill through the legislature earlier this week. Premier Danielle Smith’s gove

Statistics Canada says the country’s rate of police-reported drug crime has increased for the first time in more than a decade, marking a 13 per cent jump between 2023 and 2024. The new data shows the rise was driven by higher numbers of possession and trafficking charges involving cannabis, cocaine and opioids other than heroin. Despite the recent uptick, the national rate remains well below its historical peak. The 2024 figure stood at 128 incidents per 100,000 people – down 61 per cent from a high of 330 in 2011. The Northwest Territories recorded the highest rate of drug crime last yea