National News

FREDERICTON — A photo of federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay eating lobster in Malaysia during an official trip has some people seeing red.

OTTAWA — Pushing a grocery cart up and down the aisles of Loblaws, Jagmeet Singh has to admit it's all a little bit awkward. After all, the NDP leader has lambasted the grocery giant and its former president Galen Weston Jr.

MONTREAL — A court-ordered psychiatric evaluation has concluded the man charged with killing two women and seriously injuring a third in a stabbing attack west of Montreal is not currently fit to stand trial.

LONDON, Ont. — The killing of four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont., was ruled an act of terrorism on Thursday as a judge sentenced the man responsible to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

OTTAWA — Retail sales in December came in slightly stronger than economists were expecting, driven by strong sales for new cars and parts. Statistics Canada reported retail sales rose 0.9 per cent to $67.

QUEBEC — The Quebec government will present a budget on March 12 that is expected to have a larger deficit than originally estimated.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today...

VANCOUVER — B.C.'s premier and minister of labour are sharing their heartfelt condolences after a worker was killed in Vancouver's Oakridge neighbourhood when a load from a crane fell on a building under construction.

VICTORIA — The British Columbia government is scrapping a plan that was to allow shared decision-making with First Nations about the use of public land, a move one Indigenous leader describes as a step back for reconciliation.

OTTAWA — Provincial, territorial and federal emergency response ministers have wrapped up two days of meetings in Ottawa. That included talks on the upcoming wildfire season, which is already getting an early start in Alberta.