Quebec's new rule banning cellphones in classrooms will be in effect when students return from the holiday break, making the province the second to implement such a measure, after Ontario.The directive, which aims to reduce distractions in class, enters into force Dec 31 and applies to public elementary and secondary schools, but it offers teachers flexibility to let students use phones for specific pedagogical purposes. Many Quebec schools already had rules limiting cellphones in classes before Education Minister Bernard Drainville introduced the ban in August, but some child advocates say i

Manitoba is set to join other provinces in increasing the tax on vaping products. The N-D-P government plans to double an existing federal excise tax on vaping products in its spring budget. The goal is to implement the increase by July 1st. Premier Wab Kinew says the move is intended to educate young people on the dangers of vaping and keep Manitoba in line with what provinces like Saskatchewan and Ontario are doing about vaping The Manitoba Lung Association is welcoming the province's plan to join Ottawa and other provincial governments, in taxing vape products next year. The governing N-D-P

An American Israeli man who was taken hostage with his Canadian wife by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel has reportedly been confirmed dead.ABC News reports that the Israeli group Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum has learned 73-year-old Gadi Hagi was taken from a kibbutz, killed and his body was taken by Hamas into GazaThe dual citizen was married to 70-year-old Judih Weinstein Haggai, who holds U.S., Israeli and Canadian citizenships and is still believed to be among the remaining hostages.Her family has said she was born in New York state and moved to Toronto when she was

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an interview broadcast on Friday that if Republican candidate Donald Trump wins the 2024 American elections, it could damage the global effort to fight climate change. This comment of Trudeau has come after Trump said last week that if he becomes the president again, he will withdraw the 3 billion American dollars given in the global fund for developing countries in relation to climate change. In an interview with Canadian Broadcasting Corp, Turdeau said that Trump's statement is truly alarming, especially at a time when it is so important to move forward

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is heading to Jamaica next week for a family vacation over the holiday break. The Prime Minister's Office says Trudeau will travel with his immediate family to the Caribbean country from Dec 26 to Jan 4. Jamaica is a frequent vacation spot for Trudeau, who spent time there in August as well as after Christmas last year. He will be travelling with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, after the pair announced earlier this year they were separating following 18 years of marriage. At the time, the Prime Minister's Office said Canadians could expect to see the family together, an

After many delays, the U.N. Security Council adopted a watered-down resolution Friday calling for immediately speeding up aid deliveries to desperate civilians in Gaza but without the original call for an "urgent suspension of hostilities" between Israel and Hamas. The vote in the 15-member council was 13-0 with the United States and Russia abstaining. The vote followed a U.S. veto of a Russian amendment that would have restored the call for a suspension of hostilities. That vote was 10 members in favor, the U.S. against and four abstentions. The revised text was negotiated during a week and

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has approved RBC's $13.5-billion takeover of HSBC Canada despite calls from opposition politicians and other groups to block it. Freeland's approval was the last hurdle for the deal, after the Competition Bureau approved it in September. The minister's approval comes with conditions on RBC, including that HSBC's Canadian workforce be protected and that banking services continue to be provided at a minimum of 33 HSBC branches for four years. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had called for the deal to be blocked, saying Canada's banking sector is overly con

Montreal's Concordia University has announced financial support of up to $4,000 for new Canadian undergraduate students from outside Quebec starting next fall. The school says it is introducing the Canada Scholars Awards to address concerns that a government-imposed $3,000 tuition increase for out-of-province students will deter them from coming to Quebec. The value of the award will depend on high school students' average grade at the time of admission to Concordia, ranging from $1,500 for a B-minus to $4,000 for an A-plus. The university says students will be automatically considered for the

The economy was flat for a third straight month in October as services-producing industries rose 0.1 per cent and goods-producing industries didn't change. Real estate agent and broker activities fell 6.8 per cent in October, the largest monthly decrease since April 2022, as most of the country's largest housing markets continued to cool off. Statistics Canada is forecasting real gross domestic product for November increased 0.1 per cent.