US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19.Trump tweeted the update early this morning. Trump's positive test comes just hours after the White House announced that senior aide Hope Hicks came down with the virus after travelling with the president several times this week.It also comes after he spent much of the last year downplaying the threat of COVID-19.Trump's White House doctor has issued a statement saying the president will continue carrying out his duties ``without disruption'' after contracting COVID-19.Dr. Sean Conley, the physician to th

The federal Liberals have re-introduced a bill that would ban forcing children or adults to undergo therapy aimed at altering their sexual orientation or gender identity. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today called on the opposition parties to support the legislation. Justice Minister David Lametti says conversion therapy is based on a false premise that being gay, bisexual or trans is wrong and the legislation will prevent it from happening. The Conservative opposition has already indicated it's prepared to back the bill. PM concerned about the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in QuebecPrime Min

The Canada Infrastructure Bank plans to invest $10 billion in projects that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls a win-win. The investments are expected to create 60 thousand jobs while contributing to the fight against climate change. The bank will invest $1.5 billion in agricultural infrastructure in Western Canada, $2.5 billion in clean power projects and $1.5 billion to buy zero-emission buses. Another $2 billion will be spent to expand access to high-speed Internet service across the country.

British Columbia has confirmed 125 new cases of COVID-19 in the past day. The number of active cases ticked up by 16 to 1,284, including 72 people who are in hospital. In a joint statement, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and deputy health minister Stephen Brown say public health workers are monitoring more than 3,200 people who were exposed to a known case. They say outbreaks are ongoing at 14 long-term care or assisted-living homes and three acute-care facilities. B.C. has recorded 9,138 cases of COVID-19 so far and 7,591 people who tested positive for the illness have recovered.

The vote was unanimous, 306 for and none against, as MP's passed legislation authorizing new pandemic benefits for workers still struggling in the COVID-19 era.Bill C-4 includes a replacement program for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit reworking the existing employment insurance program to be more flexible and generous.The Senate is expected to gather today to debate and pass the emergency aid legislation swiftly. Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet says Parliament unanimously passed a COVID-19 aid bill for workers in what he calls a ``shut up'' procedure.Blanchet says M-Ps wer

The federal government has reached an agreement with American company Abbott to buy 7.9 million rapid-test devices once they are approved by Health Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, is pushing back against calls for Ottawa to quickly approve rapid tests for COVID-19, saying the decision is ultimately up to federal scientists. Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says rolling out inaccurate COVID-19 tests can lead to further infections if there is a large number of false negatives. Public Procurement Minister Anita Anand says with the numbers of COVID-19 cases r

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will commit an additional $400 million in development and humanitarian spending to combat COVID-19. Trudeau says the new money will go to trusted partners that are fighting COVID-19 around the world.Trudeau made the pledge during a videoconference at the United Nations that he co-hosted with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness.It was the second time since the spring the three held a meeting of the UN’s High-Level Event on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond.Trudeau says Canada will i

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole and Bloc Quebecois chief Yves-Francois Blanchet are expected to take their seats in the House of Commons this week after being benched due to COVID-19.The two opposition leaders were absent from the Commons last week as both were in isolation after contracting COVID-19.Their formal replies to the Liberals' speech from the throne will come as Parliament is set to debate new COVID-19 relief measures over the coming days and potentially pass them into law.The government plans to set up a new pandemic-benefits regime under the umbrella of the existing employment i

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is very disappointed that Sikh RCMP officers have been reassigned during the pandemic because their religiously mandated facial hair makes it difficult to properly wear a face covering. The World Sikh Organization of Canada says officers have been placed on desk duty for almost six months, as the RCMP found the N100 mask does not seal with facial hair. The organization says no attempt has been made to accommodate Sikh officers with other protective coverings that would work with facial hair. Trudeau says health and safety regulations are extremely importan