Canada & World

The weight-loss drug Wegovy is shown in this undated handout photo. The makers of Ozempic say the weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday, May 6. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Novo Nordisk Canada Inc. *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Weight loss drug Wegovy arriving in Canada next week

Drug to be used to treat obesity and related medical conditions, not intended for ‘cosmetic’ use

Federal public servants will have to work from their offices at least three days a week as of Sept. 9. President of the Treasury Board Anita Anand rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Thursday, April 18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle

3-days-in-the-office mandate blindsides federal government workers

Public Service Alliance of Canada outraged about new policies regarding work from home

The future site of Thunderhead: Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument is marked out in the dirt by a translucent ring behind political leaders and members of the LGBT Purge Fund as they participate in a ground breaking ceremony in Ottawa, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Clouds part as national LBGTQ monument work begins in Ottawa

Monument inspired by ‘those whose storms renew the land and make things right’

Leader of the Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre rises in response to the Speaker asking him to withdraw language during Question Period, Tuesday, April 30, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Conservatives say Trudeau stepped over the line, speaker should resign

Opposition wants Greg Fergus to step aside after he allowed comments by PM, booted Poilievre

Leader of the Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre rises in response to the Speaker asking him to withdraw language during Question Period, Tuesday, April 30, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Kristie Mar, shown in a handout photo, started caring for her ill mother at 16 and is hoping a national caregiver strategy will recognize those who often put their own lives on hold to look after their loved ones. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO

Canada’s caregivers need respite, home support and compensation: report

National strategy must recognize caregivers as ‘backbone’ of society: centre

Kristie Mar, shown in a handout photo, started caring for her ill mother at 16 and is hoping a national caregiver strategy will recognize those who often put their own lives on hold to look after their loved ones. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rises during Question Period, Wednesday, April 17, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Poilievre tossed from the house after calling Trudeau a ‘wacko’

Speaker ejected opposition leader after giving him multiple chances to withdraw comment

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rises during Question Period, Wednesday, April 17, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland waits for the start of a TV interview after tabling the federal budget on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Freeland tabled a motion to introduce the federal budget in the House of Commons today, but the document does not include the government’s proposed capital gains tax changes. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Capital gains changes not included in Freeland’s proposed budget legislation

Changes expected to come in separate legislation, forcing to opposition to address them directly

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland waits for the start of a TV interview after tabling the federal budget on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Freeland tabled a motion to introduce the federal budget in the House of Commons today, but the document does not include the government’s proposed capital gains tax changes. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Federal Environment Commissioner Jerry V. DeMarco holds a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday, April 20, 2023. DeMarco is giving the federal government a failing grade on reducing their financial liability in remediating contaminated sites in the north — and says they’re leaving some Indigenous Peoples out of the process altogether. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Canada’s failures on contaminated sites putting the North at risk: audit

Indigenous peoples could bear the brunt as financial liabilities continue to grow

Federal Environment Commissioner Jerry V. DeMarco holds a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday, April 20, 2023. DeMarco is giving the federal government a failing grade on reducing their financial liability in remediating contaminated sites in the north — and says they’re leaving some Indigenous Peoples out of the process altogether. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Pro-Palestinian activists are seen in their encampment set up on McGill University’s campus in Montreal, Monday, April 29, 2024. The university says it will make efforts to de-escalate before asking for police help with a camp that’s been set up on campus by pro-Palestinian activists. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Police ponder move after McGill asks for help with pro-Palestinian encampment

Activists at Montreal university have said they have no intention of dismantling their tents soon

Pro-Palestinian activists are seen in their encampment set up on McGill University’s campus in Montreal, Monday, April 29, 2024. The university says it will make efforts to de-escalate before asking for police help with a camp that’s been set up on campus by pro-Palestinian activists. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a press conference in Oakville, Ontario, on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Trudeau turns to podcasts in bid to get his message to take hold

PM recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a press conference in Oakville, Ontario, on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
Pro-Palestinian student activists in Montreal have set up camp on the grounds of McGill University, following a wave of similar protests on campuses across the United States. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at an encampment at McGill University in Montreal, Saturday, April 27, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Pro-Palestinian encampment grows at Montreal’s McGill university

More than 2 dozen tents were set up as of Sunday afternoon

Pro-Palestinian student activists in Montreal have set up camp on the grounds of McGill University, following a wave of similar protests on campuses across the United States. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at an encampment at McGill University in Montreal, Saturday, April 27, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Minister of the French Language Jean-François Roberge holds a press conference concerning the Plan for the French language in Montreal, Sunday, April 28, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Quebec unveils $603-million 5-year plan to protect French language

Strategy includes 21 measures, including increasing the number of immigrants who speak French

Minister of the French Language Jean-François Roberge holds a press conference concerning the Plan for the French language in Montreal, Sunday, April 28, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Corporate boardrooms. Military barracks. Federal government offices. They’re not locales with a reputation for fostering diversity. Anita Anand has been trying to change that. Anand listens to a speaker during a news conference, in Ottawa, Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Corporate boardrooms. Military barracks. Federal government offices. They’re not locales with a reputation for fostering diversity. Anita Anand has been trying to change that. Anand listens to a speaker during a news conference, in Ottawa, Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country’s smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right. An aerial view of houses in Oshawa, Ont., is shown on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg

Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit

Housing advocate urged every province to adopt legislation recognizing housing as a human right

As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country’s smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right. An aerial view of houses in Oshawa, Ont., is shown on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg
Mykyta Zakharchenko, 18, poses for a portrait in Ottawa, in a Thursday, April 25, 2024 handout photo. Men eligible for military service in Ukraine will lose access to administrative services abroad, the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced in a social media post Tuesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Simon Hopkins

Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze

Men eligible for military service in Ukraine will lose access to administrative services abroad

Mykyta Zakharchenko, 18, poses for a portrait in Ottawa, in a Thursday, April 25, 2024 handout photo. Men eligible for military service in Ukraine will lose access to administrative services abroad, the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced in a social media post Tuesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Simon Hopkins
Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault speaks as Inger Andersen, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme during a press conference during the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) in Ottawa on Monday, April 22, 2024. Guilbeault says the world can solve its plastic problem without insisting on hard caps on plastic production. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Cap on plastic production may be too complicated for global treaty: Guilbeault

Canada began phasing in a ban on single-use plastic items in 2022

Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault speaks as Inger Andersen, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme during a press conference during the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) in Ottawa on Monday, April 22, 2024. Guilbeault says the world can solve its plastic problem without insisting on hard caps on plastic production. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Ottawa has plans to ensure Canadian aid can finally flow to Afghanistan this year. But by the time its new system is fully up and running, the Taliban will have been in control of the country for about three years. A woman wearing a burqa begs while carrying her daughter inside a tea shop in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 8, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Rodrigo Abd

Canada still bars Afghanistan aid, but plans coming this year

The U.S., U.K. created carve-outs to their own terrorism laws by February 2022 to allow aid to flow

Ottawa has plans to ensure Canadian aid can finally flow to Afghanistan this year. But by the time its new system is fully up and running, the Taliban will have been in control of the country for about three years. A woman wearing a burqa begs while carrying her daughter inside a tea shop in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 8, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Rodrigo Abd
The head of Canada’s biggest trucking firm says the U.S. election is softening an already weak market for freight. A transport truck carries a cargo container at port in Vancouver, on Friday, July 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

U.S. election uncertainty making freight market worse, TFI CEO says

A tough trucking environment in general has also hurt transport companies

The head of Canada’s biggest trucking firm says the U.S. election is softening an already weak market for freight. A transport truck carries a cargo container at port in Vancouver, on Friday, July 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Dried stigmas of the crocus flowers are grouped together after being separated from the petals in Shaar-i-Shalli village, south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, on Oct. 30, 2022. When Matthew Roy moved from New Hampshire in 2020 to start a farm in southwestern Nova Scotia, one of the new crops he zeroed in on was saffron.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Dar Yasin

Red gold: Climate change plays role as saffron cultivation comes to Nova Scotia

Saffron is traditionally grown in Iran, India, Afghanistan, Spain and a handful of other countries

Dried stigmas of the crocus flowers are grouped together after being separated from the petals in Shaar-i-Shalli village, south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, on Oct. 30, 2022. When Matthew Roy moved from New Hampshire in 2020 to start a farm in southwestern Nova Scotia, one of the new crops he zeroed in on was saffron.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Dar Yasin
Defence Minister Bill Blair speaks during a media availability in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Thursday, March 21, 2024. Blair says the financial assistance to Ukraine is being made in collaboration with the United Kingdom. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Canada allocates millions for drone production, ammunition to support Ukraine

Defence Minister Bill Blair says financial assistance is in collaboration with the United Kingdom

Defence Minister Bill Blair speaks during a media availability in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Thursday, March 21, 2024. Blair says the financial assistance to Ukraine is being made in collaboration with the United Kingdom. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang