The Liberal Party of Canada will choose its next leader and the country's next prime minister on March 9, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to step down as leader and prime minister after holding the reins for nine years. "After a robust and secure nationwide process, the Liberal Party of Canada will choose a new leader on March 9, and be ready to fight and win the 2025 election," the party said in a statement. The party's national council announced the date after a series of meetings this week. The entry fee for potential candidates has been set at CAD $350,000 (approximately $2

Ontario MP Chandra Arya is the second Liberal to announce he wants to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader of the Liberal party. Arya posted on social media Wednesday morning that he wants to campaign on running a "small, more efficient government" and on offering "bold political decisions" to solve the country's problems. Arya joins former Montreal MP and businessman Frank Baylis as the only two declared candidates in the race so far. Higher-profile Liberals said to be considering leadership bids include former central banker Mark Carney, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland a

Several ministers from Canada’s ruling Liberal Party are preparing to join the leadership race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, awaiting the official election rules before making formal announcements. So far, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, and Employment Minister Steven MacKinnon have expressed their interest in running for the leadership. Former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, former B.C. Premier Christy Clark, and House Leader Karina Gould are also seeking support for the

A wildfire in the Los Angeles area of California has destroyed nearly 2,000 buildings and homes. The fire is so intense that it has forced evacuations from the homes of Hollywood stars and even Vice President Kamala Harris. So far, five people have died in the fire. About 300,000 people have been instructed to evacuate to safe areas. The fire has spread a blanket of smoke over the entire region. Among the stars whose homes have been destroyed are Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes, and Paris Hilton. Billy Crystal and his wife, Janice, lost their 45-year-old home in the Palisades fire. It is believed tha

Alberta is preparing to send water bombers, night-vision helicopters and incident command team support to help battle wildfires ravaging parts of Los Angeles. Premier Danielle Smith says on X that neighbours are always there for each other in times of need and the province will assist its American friends in this crisis. Water-bombing pilots and crews from Quebec and a British Columbia company are already fighting the wind-whipped flames in the Southern California city. Officials have said hurricane-force winds began igniting one neighbourhood after another on Wednesday in the coastal neighbou

Canada has been included in the top 5 "losers" in the new global passport ranking, while Singapore has maintained its position as the country with the most powerful passport in the world. According to the Henley Passport Index, Canada is ranked seventh out of 199 passports, down three places over the past decade. Canada is tied for seventh place with Malta and Poland, whose passports offer visa-free access to 188 destinations. Singapore, meanwhile, is the only country whose passport provides visa-free access to 195 destinations. Japan ranks second in the Henley Passport Index, while Finland,

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced today that he will not be joining the Liberal Party’s leadership race. LeBlanc expressed his gratitude for the support he has received within the party but confirmed that he will not be a candidate in the upcoming leadership contest for the Liberal Party of Canada. This comes in the wake of Trudeau’s announcement that he will step down, prompting the party to choose a new leader. The leadership election campaign is expected to begin soon. Trudeau recently appointed LeBlanc as Finance Minister, and he had been con

A pair of Quebec water bombers and their crews are in California helping fight the massive wildfires tearing through the Los Angeles area. Stéphane Caron of Quebec's forest fire protection agency — SOPFEU — says the two planes are sent to the U.S. each fall as part of an annual contract, the length of which was extended this year because of the emergency. He says each plane is dispatched from Quebec with its own crew composed of a pilot, co-pilot and technician. Thousands of firefighters are battling at least four blazes that have killed at least two people and destroyed more than 1,000 s

Police in Calgary have laid more charges against a man accused of sexually assaulting a newcomer to Canada whose family he was volunteering to help. The latest charges include one allegation dating back almost six decades. Police charged an 83-year-old man in November after a complainant came to a police station to report multiple sexual assaults between December 2023 and June 2024. Police said the accused had been assigned to a newcomer family through a local organization, and they allege he took advantage of the complainant's immigration status to commit the assaults. Polic