The U.N. migration agency says a boat carrying dozens of migrants trying to reach Europe capsized off the coast of Libya, leaving more than 60 people dead, including women and children. The shipwreck was the latest tragedy in this part of the Mediterranean Sea, a key route for migrants seeking a better life in Europe. The agency said the boat was carrying 86 migrants when strong waves swamped it off the town of Zuwara on Libya's western coast and that 61 migrants drowned, according to survivors. Libya has in recent years emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and po

Every new car sold in Canada from 2035 will be electric or zero emission. The federal government is going to announce new rules in this regard. According to sources, the new regulation, known as the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard, could be announced this week. The waiting time for buyers is also being reduced under these rules. A zero-emission vehicle is bound to boost sales of battery-powered electric cars, plug-in cars and hydrogen models. According to sources, the government intends to increase the share of zero-emission vehicles to 20 per cent in total car sales from 2026 and take

One man is dead after a police-involved shooting in Abbotsford, British Columbia, on Sunday night. Police say the shooting happened in the 1700 block of Riverside Road, and the section between Marshall and King roads has been closed due to the ongoing investigation. Abbotsford Police say in a statement that one man died in the incident, although his name and other details surrounding the shooting have not been released. No police officers were injured in the incident. Police say they have notified B.C's Independent Investigations Office, and the watchdog agency is leading the investigation in

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says he expects 2024 to be a transition year as higher interest rates slow down the economy, making way for lower inflation. In his final speech of the year, the governor lays out his expectations for a softer economy next year and offers some criteria that must be met for the central bank to start discussing rate cuts. Macklem says higher borrowing costs will restrain spending, limit growth and employment, a price that the economy needs to pay to get inflation down. Once the central bank is sure inflation is on a clear path back to two per cent, Macklem

Alberta has increased the mandatory crash reporting limit from $2,000 to $5,000. Alberta residents will now only report a vehicle accident to police if the damage exceeds $5,000. This rule will come into effect from January 1, 2024. According to Alberta Transportation, this will prevent fraud when reselling damaged vehicles. This will save time to settle the minor collision report but if there is any death or injury during the accident then it has to be reported. According to the Transportation Minister, this will reduce the burden on the justice system. After about a decade it has been chan

The federal government is considering whether to pause its original plan to broaden the rules that govern medically assisted dying so they include patients whose only underlying condition is a mental disorder. "We're weighing our options," Justice Minister Arif Virani said Thursday. It would be the second time the federal Liberals have hit pause on the plan. The first came in February, when the government decided to impose a one-year delay amid widespread public and political concern. That decision established a new deadline of March 2024, one that now appears in jeopardy. Cabinet will consid

The Speaker of the House of Commons has once again apologized for filming a video played at a partisan event, after a parliamentary committee called on him to show more contrition. Speaker Greg Fergus says he made a "serious mistake" in recording a video in tribute to the outgoing interim leader of the Ontario Liberals. He was wearing his ceremonial robes in the video, which was shot in his Parliament Hill office and played at the provincial party's recent leadership convention. The procedure and House affairs committee said in a report released Thursday that there should be clearer guidelines

The final regulations for the Online News Act show the amount of funding both private broadcasters and the CBC will get through Ottawa's 100-million-deal with Google will be limited. The regulation shows private broadcasters will receive at most 30-million-dollars from the fund, while CBC/Radio-Canada will see no more than 7 million dollars. The rest of the money is earmarked for other qualifying news outlets like newspapers and digital platforms Last month Google agreed to contribute 100-million-dollars a year to Canadian news publishers, indexed to inflation, leaving it exempt from havin

Senators have passed a government bill that cements restrictions on handguns, increases penalties for firearm trafficking and aims to curb homemade ghost guns. The legislation also includes a ban on assault-style firearms that fall under a new technical definition. Senators voted 60 to 24 in favour of the bill at third reading today. Upon introducing the bill last year, the Liberals announced a plan to implement a freeze on importing, buying, selling or otherwise transferring handguns to help reduce firearm-related violence. Federal regulations aimed at capping the number of handguns in Cana