The death toll in the Gaza Strip fromthe 13-month-old warbetween Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000, local health officials said Thursday. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Health Ministry said 44,056 people have been killed and 104,268 wounded since the start of the war. It has said the real toll is higher because thousands of bodies are buried under rubble or i

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials,accusing them of war crimesand crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza and the October 2023 attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory. The decision turns Netanyahu and the others into internationally wanted suspects and is likely tofurther isolate themand complicate efforts to negotiate a cease-fire to end the 13-month conflict. But its practical implications could be limited since Israel and its m

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce on Thursday a temporary GST break for certain essential items to help ease affordability pressures. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says in a statement that the announcement is in response to his party's demands to permanently lift the goods and services tax on a range of expenses, including home heating and grocery-store meals. The Globe and Mail has reported that the prime minister is set to announce a multibillion-dollar package of affordability measures, including the GST break. Trudeau is scheduled to make an announcement alongside Finance Mi

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has written to premiers across Canada, demanding the removal of provincial sales tax on everyday items. He stated that working people are facing inflation on everything from cell phone bills to groceries. Singh emphasized that his proposal to reduce the GST at the federal level and exempt sales tax at the provincial level could provide significant relief to the public. Singh also mentioned that if his party forms the government at the federal level, he will remove the GST on groceries, diapers, children's clothing, cell phones, and internet bills. This will be offset

Alberta’s government has appointed former prime minister Stephen Harper as chairman of the board of the $169-billion public-sector pension fund manager Alberta Investment Management Corp., and added deputy minister of the province’s finance ministry as a permanent director. Mr. Harper is taking the role unpaid after Alberta’s government dismissed AIMCo's entire 10-member board of director and four senior leader, including its chief executive officer, on November 7. The province also named four other members of the board on Wednesday. Three of them are returning less than two weeks after

Randy Boissonnault is leaving his post as employment minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet after weeks of questions about the Edmonton MP's past claims of Indigenous identity.

Thousands of Canadians' passports are stuck as the Canada Post strike continues. Service Canada has put 85,000 passports on hold. The Department of Employment and Social Development stated that Service Canada stopped sending passports on November 8, a week before the strike began, in anticipation that they could get stuck in transit. Spokesperson Mila Roy said that if someone mailed their passport application just before the strike started, Service Canada may not have received it. As a result, these individuals will also need to wait for the strike to end and for postal services to be restore

The union representing port supervisors in British Columbia is formally challenging the legal and constitutional authority of the federal labour minister to order them back to work. In a legal document dated Tuesday, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 says it's questioning whether the order issued by Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon last week violates the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike. The union says these rights are protecting by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It says the questions will be considered by a panel of the Canada Industrial Relation

Canada has tightened security screening for passengers flying to India. In addition, reports indicate that Air Canada has instructed passengers traveling to India to arrive at the airport at least 4 hours before their scheduled departure time. Federal Transport Minister Anita Anand stated that the decision to tighten security screening was made out of an abundance of caution and is temporary. However, the specific reason for the decision was not provided. In October, an Air India flight from New Delhi to Chicago made an emergency landing at Canada's Iqaluit Airport due to a bomb threat, thoug