Politics

Iceland has asked the United States to verify reports that U.S. ambassador nominee Billy Long joked Iceland would be the "52nd state"; Long apologized and his nomination has been submitted to the U.S. Senate.

President Trump thanked Iran for canceling planned executions he said involved more than 800 political prisoners, and several Middle Eastern allies urged the United States to hold off on military strikes; the White House said all options remain on the table.

Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19-year-old Babson College freshman, was deported to Honduras in November despite a Massachusetts judge's order that she remain in the U.S., and a government lawyer has apologized. Her attorney has asked a federal judge to order the administration to identify steps to return her within 14 days.

The ACLU of Minnesota has filed a class-action lawsuit saying ICE and other federal agents engaged in racial profiling and unlawful seizures in Minneapolis; the Department of Homeland Security says the deployments target fraud, theft and drug trafficking.

Nova Scotia seafood groups welcomed a deal in which China will temporarily lift anti-discrimination tariffs on Canadian lobster after Canada agreed to allow 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into its market annually.

The Federal Court of Appeal will decide whether the federal government lawfully invoked the Emergencies Act to address the 2022 convoy protests; the appeal reviews a 2024 Federal Court ruling that found the invocation unreasonable and an infringement of Charter rights.

Police say 42 kilograms of suspected heroin were seized from a tractor-trailer at the Peace Bridge port of entry on Dec. 18, 2025; the tractor-trailer and two cellphones were also seized.

The Federal Court of Appeal unanimously upheld a 2024 ruling that the 2022 invocation of the Emergencies Act by the Trudeau government was unreasonable and infringed Charter rights; legal experts say the government will probably seek Supreme Court review, with an application due by mid-March.

Opinion columnist Charles Blow said the Trump administration is using Nazi and white supremacist imagery to recruit ICE agents and argued this is part of a political tactic of creating crises and responding with increased enforcement.

Michael Kovrig, who was detained in China for 1,000 days, told CBC he hopes Canadian officials remain mindful of security and influence risks as Prime Minister Mark Carney visits Beijing and pursues cooperation on energy.

Tens of thousands gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana to protest a Jan. 3 raid in Venezuela that officials say killed 32 Cuban officers; their remains arrived and burials were scheduled after memorials.

President Trump said he might invoke the Insurrection Act after officials reported a federal officer shot a person during a confrontation in Minneapolis; federal agents remain in the city amid ongoing protests, and no formal military deployment order has been announced.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to Beijing produced an agreement to lower tariffs, reportedly expanding Canadian canola exports and allowing Chinese electric vehicles into the Canadian market; the accord also frames cooperation on energy and renewable technology.

The John Howard Society of Brandon will open a 24-unit transitional housing building to help men released from corrections or experiencing homelessness move toward stable housing, with placements routed through the city's co‑ordinated access system and an expected intake in late February.

The Prime Minister is on a trade mission to China this week as Canada seeks deeper trade ties while aiming to avoid over-dependence on either China or the United States.

Premier François Legault's resignation has reopened debate over the Coalition Avenir Québec's 'third way' nationalism, with the Parti Québécois leading polls and a scheduled Oct. 5 election ahead.

Denmark's and Greenland's foreign ministers said they held a frank but constructive discussion with U.S. officials about Greenland, and they criticized a year of U.S. rhetoric about acquiring the island for national security purposes.

François Legault announced he will step down as leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec after polling showed the party at about 10 per cent, and critics say his emphasis on identity-related laws diverted attention from health, education and economic issues.

About 600,000 Venezuelans live in Spain and many are closely following events after U.S. forces deposed Nicolás Maduro, expressing mixed feelings about justice, safety and the prospect of returning home.

Prime Minister Mark Carney met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing as part of a four-day visit; talks focus on agriculture, energy and finance and aim to address tariffs arising from a 2024 dispute over electric vehicles and retaliatory levies on Canadian farm exports.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gave President Donald Trump the medal from her Nobel Peace Prize during a closed-door White House meeting, while the White House praised acting Venezuelan president Delcy Rodríguez and said there is no timetable for a return to democratic elections.

Economy, Energy and Innovation Minister Christine Fréchette said she is considering a bid for the Coalition Avenir Québec leadership and expects to decide within days; Premier François Legault announced he will step down as CAQ leader but will remain premier until a successor is chosen.

Alberta has ordered a public fatality inquiry into the death of Prashant Sreekumar, who died after spending eight hours in the Grey Nuns emergency department; a provincial judge will review the case and may issue public findings and recommendations.

A 2025 point-in-time count in Regina recorded 767 people experiencing homelessness, down from 824 in 2024; local advocates and outreach workers say the count likely underestimates people in hidden locations and on the streets.

Machado said she presented President Trump with a Nobel Peace Prize medal and referenced a 200-year-old medal that General Lafayette gave to Simon Bolivar as a sign of historical ties between the United States and Venezuela.

Masih Alinejad testified to the U.N. Security Council urging concrete action over reported lethal force against protesters in Iran and criticized limited public comment from the U.N. Secretary‑General. She reported an internet shutdown, cited media casualty estimates, and said dissidents face threats at home and abroad, including alleged assassination attempts linked to the IRGC.

Reports say federal immigration agents used aggressive crowd-control tactics during protests after a deadly officer-involved shooting, and the ACLU has filed for an emergency injunction to limit how federal agents operate.

Organizers with Stay Free Alberta reported strong turnout at a Red Deer petition event as they seek about 177,000 signatures by early May to request a referendum on separation; a court hearing on Jan. 16 will consider a legal challenge to the referendum law.

Saskatchewan has charged a woman with providing immigration services without a licence in a case linked to a Chinese family's complaints; the accused is due in Saskatoon provincial court on Feb. 18.

President Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy federal troops to Minneapolis after protests tied to federal officers, including the reported shooting death of Renee Good; legal experts say the law's usual triggers do not appear to apply.