OTTAWA — Final submissions are underway at Sen. Mike Duffy’s fraud, breach of trust and bribery trial. Crown prosecutor Mark Holmes is focusing on what he calls a slush fund, Senate money paid by Duffy to a friend’s company that was then used to pay for all manner of theRead More

OTTAWA — The federal government is projecting a deficit of at least $18.4 billion next year, a shortfall that’s nearly five times projections from just three months ago and well past the $10-billion limit promised by the Liberals. When the government unveils its maiden budget on March 22, the deficitRead More

Ontario , A special weather statement has been issued for southern Ontario ahead of a “major storm system” that is expected to hit the province on Wednesday and Thursday. According to Environment Canada, a low pressure system over the southern United States will reach southern Ontario Wednesday, and will likelyRead More

TORONTO – A major downtown Toronto hospital says its emergency room — closed earlier this week due to flooding — will remain unavailable to walk-in patients this weekend. A spokesman says St. Michael’s emergency department is only able to accept patients arriving by ambulance. Geoff Koehler says Friday and SaturdayRead More

KYLE, Texas — Authorities say four people who died in a collision in Texas early Friday morning appear to be from Kitchener, Ont. Police say the collision was triggered by a vehicle travelling the wrong way on Interstate 35, in the community of Kyle, south of Austin. Justice of theRead More

TORONTO — Ontario has its first confirmed case of Zika virus in a person who had travelled to Colombia. Public Health Ontario announced Friday that it had received positive test results Tuesday, but wouldn’t say if the person is a man or woman. However, Ontario’s health ministry did confirm theRead More

OTTAWA — Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has ruled out cutting the size of the Canadian military, despite the country’s bleak economic and fiscal picture. In fact, Sajjan says he eventually wants to see the force grow, but for now the Liberals will concentrate on filling the ranks to the existingRead More

WASHINGTON – United States President Barack Obama celebrated his hometown Chicago Blackhawks for winning another Stanley Cup on Thursday and joked about doing some gloating when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Washington next month. With the team huddled behind him at the White House, Obama mentioned the state visit onRead More

OTTAWA — Canada’s annual inflation rate hit two per cent last month as prices for fresh fruits and vegetables continued their surge, the federal statistics agency said Friday. Statistics Canada’s January year-over-year inflation number was up from 1.6 per cent in December. The agency’s latest consumer price index found theRead More

TORONTO — North American stock markets fell in early morning trading today, with the Toronto Stock Exchange dropping more than its U.S. counterparts. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX index was down 164.10 points or 1.3 per cent after 10 minutes of trading at 12,767.26. The Canadian dollar also took aRead More