Hamas released 24 hostages who had been held captive in Gaza for weeks, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison in the first stage of a swap under a four-day cease-fire deal. The hostages freed Friday included 13 Israelis, 10 people from Thailand and one from the Philippines, according to Qatar. The agreement opened the way for sorely needed aid to flow into Gaza for beleaguered residents. It was also a moment of hope for families in Israel and elsewhere worried about loved ones taken captive during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, which triggered the war. With the truce's start Friday morning, Gaza

NextStar Energy expects upwards of 900 foreign workers to help build its heavily-subsidized battery plant in Windsor, Ontario. The company says the temporary global staff will be part of the roughly 1600 technicians its external suppliers will use to assemble, install and test specialized equipment. Labour leaders and politicians have expressed concerns about how many local jobs would be created by the plant. NextStar says it's still committed to creating 2500 full-time jobs for Canadians to run the plant once complete.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is still rejecting demands for Canada to call for a full ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, but he says a deal to temporarily halt hostilities this week so Hamas can release hostages represents progress. Trudeau says the world needs a lasting peace in the region, including a two-state solution. He made the comments today at a news conference in St. John's, saying that that will require many steps, but that the humanitarian pause that started today is progress. The militant group has so far freed 24 people, including 13 Israeli women and children, 10 people from T

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the Conservatives for voting against a bill to implement a free trade agreement with Ukraine, saying it's troubling to see support for the embattled country slipping.Trudeau accused the Tories of turning their backs on something Ukraine needs because of American-style partisanship, speaking with reporters in St. John's at the Canada-EU Summit this morningTrudeau says he has boasted in the past to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that supporting Ukraine is not a political debate in Canada.Conservative MPs voted against a bill to implemen

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities says new research it commissioned finds municipalities would need $600 billion in infrastructure funding to help build 5.8 million homes by 2030. That's the number of homes the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. says Canada needs to build to restore affordability. Canadian municipalities are voicing their disappointment that the federal Liberals didn't include a new infrastructure funding model in its fall economic statement this week, despite the prime minister promising one would come in the fall. The federation held a news conference in Ottawa toda

The Public Health Agency of Canada says Malichita brand cantaloupes have likely caused a salmonella outbreak acrossfive provinces.It says as of Wednesday, there have been 26 confirmed cases in B.C., Ontario, Quebec, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador.Six people have been hospitalized.The agency says if people aren't sure what brand of cantaloupe they have, they should throw it out.The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued food recalls earlier this month, includingfor whole cantaloupes, pre-cut cantaloupes and fruit trays that used the Malichita brand.It has also recalled some pre-cut pineap

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a visit to Toronto on Thursday.Poilievre said Canada has become a dangerous place in Trudeau's eight-year reign, with hate crimes rising to 150 percent.He said that the economy is in shambles and Canadians are being pitted against each other.Poilievre said Trudeau's weak law has allowed criminals and other violent elements to freely roam on the streets and attack people.It is worth noting that Poilievre is also constantly raising the issue of home heating, citing a recent survey that 70 perc

A spokesman for Qatar's Foreign Ministry hopes the momentum of the deal between Israel and Hamas will lead to an end of theviolence. The deal entails a temporary four-day ceasefire which will see the release of dozens of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. The cease-fire will start at 7 a.m. local time tomorrow, with 13 women and children held by Hamas freed in the afternoon. Officials say three Palestinian prisoners would be freed for every hostage. The deal includes increased aid that will start to enter Gaza.

One of British Columbia's first measures to combat the housing crisis is being expanded to include 13 more communities. Finance Minister Katrine Conroy says the New Democrat government's speculation and vacancy tax will now apply to 59 B.C. cities and towns. Vernon, Penticton, Courtenay and Kamloops are among the 13 communities that have been added, and starting in 2025 residential property owners will have to declare how they used the home in 2024. The levy aims to get more people into empty homes and has collected $313 million since it was first introduced in 2018. Conroy says independent d