National News

TORONTO — A former top intelligence agent who alleges Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler sent a hit squad to Canada to kill him urged a court on Friday to free up his assets, saying the judge who froze them wasn't given all the relevant facts.

EDMONTON — A man who admitted to assaulting his girlfriend and killing her two daughters in "an act of extreme violence" has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 17 years.

OTTAWA — Canada's struggling COVID-19 vaccination efforts saw multiple positive signs Friday, with further evidence one dose of a leading vaccine could be almost as good as two, news that Pfizer's vaccine might not need to be kept extraordinarily col

OTTAWA — The sounds of baseballs hitting bats and gloves are fewer these days at Robert Johnston's training centre in Toronto because of public health restrictions.

OTTAWA — The hunt is on for a new judge to sit on Canada's highest court, in preparation for the mandatory retirement of Justice Rosalie Abella. Abella, the longest-serving Supreme Court justice, will retire July 1, on her 75th birthday.

TORONTO — Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault's promise to introduce legislation that would force tech giants like Facebook to pay Canadian media companies for their content is taking far too long, experts say.

PORT HAWKESBURY, N.S. — Lionel Desmond experienced severe mental decline and horrible visions after he served as an infantryman in the Afghanistan war, a fatality inquiry in Nova Scotia learned Friday.

OTTAWA — The federal government has agreed to boost its funding for vaccine rollouts in lower-income countries, pledging $75 million more to the COVAX international vaccine-sharing program as other wealthy countries step up their commitments as well.

Quebec's auditor general says the province has underestimated the size of its debt by $12 billion. Guylaine Leclerc told a legislative committee today she plans to table a report on the situation in March.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signalled Friday the federal government won't let provincial opposition stand in the way of municipalities that want to work with Ottawa to ban handguns.