Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a temporary increase to the federal GST credit on Monday, positioning the move as targeted relief for Canadians struggling with the rising cost of groceries and other essentials. The measure includes a 25 per cent increase to the GST credit, rebranded as the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. The enhanced credit is set to begin this year and remain in place for five years, aimed primarily at lower-income households most affected by food inflation. In addition to the annual increase, the federal government will issue a one-time payment in 2026 valued a

Nearly 10,000 federal public servants across multiple departments have been notified in recent days that their positions could be affected by upcoming workforce reductions, according to the unions representing them. The Public Service Alliance of Canada says more than 5,000 of its members received workforce adjustment notices over the past week. Those notices were issued to employees working in several federal departments, including Global Affairs Canada, Transport Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and Health Canada. Workforce adjustment notices signal that positions

Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wadding has been arrested in connection with an international drug trafficking operation, U.S. authorities say. Wadding had been living under the protection of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel prior to his capture. According to reports, the 44-year-old is accused of running a large-scale drug smuggling network in the United States, moving an estimated 60 metric tons of cocaine annually from Mexico to the Los Angeles area using semi-trucks. The FBI added Wadding to its 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list in March last year. A $15 million reward was offered for inform

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has brushed aside Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent remarks at the World Economic Forum, calling them “political noise” and cautioning that Canada’s growing trade engagement with China could complicate future negotiations with Washington. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Lutnick said Canada already holds “the second-best deal in the world” under existing North American trade arrangements and suggested Carney was unfairly criticizing the United States. Lutnick also warned that Ottawa’s recent agreement with China could disrupt the upcomin

A Surrey man has been sentenced to five years in prison for sex offences involving a minor he contacted through the social media platform Snapchat, according to the RCMP in Campbell River. Police say 33-year-old Dillon Caleb Partanen pleaded guilty on Jan. 13 to charges that include sexual interference and possession of child sexual exploitation material. As part of his sentence, Partanen has also been ordered to register with the National Sex Offender Registry and provide a DNA sample. The case dates back to 2023, when investigators say Partanen began communicating online with an unidentified

Canada’s international trade minister says rebuilding and expanding economic ties with India will be a key focus of the federal government’s trade diversification strategy in the months ahead. International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said it is important for Canada to engage India on expanding trade opportunities, particularly in sectors such as agriculture and energy, as Ottawa looks to reduce reliance on traditional markets and strengthen links in the Indo-Pacific region. Sidhu confirmed that formal negotiations toward a new economic agreement between the two countries are expected to

Surrey Police Service is investigating an early morning shooting that damaged a business and several vehicles in the city’s Newton neighbourhood. Police say officers were called to the 7200 block of King George Boulevard around 4:30 am after reports of gunfire. When members arrived, they found evidence of shots fired at a commercial property and nearby vehicles. The business was closed at the time, and no injuries were reported. The Surrey Police Service Frontline Investigative Support Team attended the scene, and the Major Crime Section has now taken over the investigation. Officers remain

Friends of a Canadian woman found dead on a remote Australian beach say the news has left them stunned and grieving, as authorities continue to investigate what happened. Police in Queensland say the body of a 19-year-old woman was discovered on a beach on K’gari, also known as Fraser Island, and that it appeared to have been interfered with by a pack of about 10 dingoes. Officials have not publicly confirmed the woman’s identity, though Australian media have reported she was Canadian. Brianna Falk, a close friend from Campbell River, B.C., says she first learned something was wrong while

U.S. President Donald Trump is continuing to talk about taking over Greenland as he heads to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, where he is scheduled to speak Wednesday and meet with other world leaders. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says that Trump's tariff threat on European countries opposed to a Greenlandic takeover are "a mistake" and bring up questions of the president's trustworthiness after promises last year to not impose further tariffs on EU nations. Trump went on a posting blitz on his social media platform, Truth Social, in the early morning hour