Surrey City Council has postponed a vote on a recommendation to increase the salaries of the mayor and councillors by 8% until the first council meeting in 2025, scheduled for January 13. The proposal was set to be voted on Monday night, but Mayor Brenda Locke was not present for the vote. Councillor Harry Bains, who chaired the meeting in her absence, requested that the item be removed from the agenda. He explained that the vote should involve all council members, and staff were instructed to bring the report back to the next meeting. Notably, if the Surrey City Council votes in favor of the

Canadian inflation has fallen below the central bank's 2% target for the second time in three months. Statistics Canada reported today that inflation in November was 1.9%. The agency noted that gasoline prices remained stable last month. Additionally, Black Friday sales helped bring down prices in November. Grocery prices increased by 2.6% year-over-year, but this was slightly lower than the 2.7% increase seen in October. This is the first of two inflation reports to be released before the Bank of Canada's next decision on interest rates, scheduled for January 29, 2025. Governor Tiff Macklem

Israel and Hamas may reach an agreement on a Gaza ceasefire in the coming days. Reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to travel to Cairo to negotiate a ceasefire. Meanwhile, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated in an interview that the U.S. believes a ceasefire in Gaza is imminent. However, Kirby did not confirm whether Netanyahu’s trip to Cairo is related to ceasefire discussions. At the same time, Hamas stated in a release that a ceasefire and agreement on hostages could be possible if Israel stops imposing new condition

Canada Post trucks, conveyors and mail carriers are moving again after a month-long strike by more than 55,000 postal workers left letters and parcels in limbo. The Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered postal workers back on the job following hearings over the weekend to determine whether the two sides stood too far apart to reach a deal by year's end. The hearings came after a directive to the labour board from Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon, who said Friday he was giving the two sides a "timeout" as negotiations seemed to have stalled. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is contestin

Twelve Indian nationals were found dead at a restaurant in Georgia's mountain resort of Gudauri, Of these, 10 were residents of Punjab. Georgia's internal affairs ministry statement said 11 victims were foreigners while one victim was a citizen. No signs of injuries or signs of violence were detected in an initial inspection. All victims died from carbon monoxide poisoning. It added that the bodies of all victims, employees in the same Indian restaurant, were found in bedrooms on the second floor of the facility. A power generator was placed in an indoor area, a closed space near the bedroom

A lawyer challenging a new Alberta law affecting transgender youth says he is dismayed by Premier Danielle Smith's intention to use the notwithstanding clause if required. The new law bans doctors from providing gender-affirming treatment such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for those under 16, and prohibits gender-affirming ``top'' surgeries for minors. For months Smith has dismissed the notwithstanding clause question as moot given she believes the new restrictions would withstand a legal challenge. But on her Saturday radio show Smith confirmed she would invoke the notwithstanding

The head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defence Forces, Lt. General Igor Kirillov, was killed early Tuesday by an explosive device planted close to a residential apartment block in Moscow, Russia’s Investigative Committee said. Kirillov’s assistant also died in the blast. Kirillov was sentenced in absentia by a Ukrainian court Monday for the use of banned chemical weapons during Russia’s military operation in Ukraine that started in Feb. 2022.

Chrystia Freeland resigned from her position as Finance Minister on Monday, sharing her resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media. In the letter, Freeland expressed pride in her work for Canada but explained her decision to step down after Trudeau indicated he no longer wanted her as Finance Minister and offered her a different Cabinet role. Freeland stated that a minister must have the Prime Minister's full confidence, which she felt she no longer possessed. She highlighted key disagreements with Trudeau over handling U.S. economic nationalism and potential

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has called for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation. Speaking in the House of Commons, Singh stated that Canadians are struggling to afford basic necessities like groceries and are increasingly unable to purchase homes. Singh criticized Trudeau for being preoccupied with personal matters while Canada faces significant challenges, including threats to thousands of jobs from U.S. policies. Singh posed the question: "Will the Prime Minister step down?" This marks the first time Jagmeet Singh has directly demanded Trudeau's resignation in the House of Commons. Me