Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
France's parliament on Monday started debating a fiercely contested pension bill that's triggered recent strikes and large street demonstrations, with more protests set to come this week.
The lower house, the National Assembly, began debating the plans that would raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64. The parliamentary session comes one day before Tuesday's third round of protests called by eight main workers' unions, with more demonstrations planned Saturday.
French President Emmanuel Macron's government is now facing a harsh political battle at parliament that could span weeks or months.
Macron vowed to go ahead with the changes -- his second presidential term's flagship legislation -- which he described last week as "indispensable when you compare to (other countries) in Europe."
Faced with opinion polls repeatedly showing that a growing majority of people are against the reform, and his own popularity shrinking, Macron argues that it was a key electoral promise he made when he was reelected in April -- and even when he swept to power in 2017 -- and therefore it is legitimate for him to go ahead with the changes.
Yet leftist opposition leaders say many voters picked him to reject far-right rival Marine Le Pen in the run-off ballot last year, while disagreeing with his electoral platform.
Last week, an estimated 1.27 million people took to the streets, according to authorities, more than in the first big protest day on Jan. 19. Unions and political opponents hope massive mobilization will force the government to revise its plans.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said "we are asking French people for a collective effort. I understand it provokes reactions, reluctance and concerns," in an interview Sunday to the Journal du Dimanche newspaper. She argued the plan aims at "saving" the French pension system, which is expected to dive in a deficit in the coming decade amid France's aging population.
More than 20,000 amendments have been proposed by opposition lawmakers at the National Assembly -- mostly by the left-wing Nupes coalition, whose members seek to demonstrate their vehement opposition.
In a parliamentary election in June, Macron's centrist alliance won the most seats but lost its majority in the National Assembly.
The situation led the centrists to try to forge an alliance with The Republicans party over pension changes, since the conservatives in recent years have pushed to raise the retirement age and appear inclined to vote in favor of the bill.
Eric Ciotti, the president of The Republicans and a lawmaker, said in an interview Saturday with Le Parisien newspaper that a "very large majority" of the conservatives will approve it on the condition that the government listens to their "accurate proposals."
Such a scenario would allow the text to pass both at the National Assembly and the Senate, where The Republicans have a majority.
The bill would gradually increase the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030 and accelerate a planned measure providing that people must have worked for at least 43 years to be entitled to a full pension. It would also raise the minimum pension for a full career to 1,200 euros (US$1,298) per month, among other measures.
It would allow early retirement for those who have started working between the ages of 16 and 19, and workers with major health issues.
In response to a demand from The Republicans, Borne told the Journal du Dimanche weekly newspaper that she agrees with extending early retirement to those who have started working at age 20 and would therefore be able to leave at 63.
Some technical obstacles may also get in the way of Macron's plans.
Instead of a regular bill, the government chose to introduce the changes through a social security budget bill, which accelerates the legislative process.
If the National Assembly doesn't hold a vote during the first hearing scheduled for Feb. 17, the bill would still be sent to the Senate. And if both houses don't manage to vote before a 50-day deadline ending in March, the government would be entitled to pass the measure through decrees.
However, experts say the use of such power applied to a major reform could be widely perceived as a denial of democratic debate at parliament.
In addition, if the bill passes, the Constitutional Council is expected to rule on both the process and the substance of the text -- possibly reducing the scope of the changes if it considers they aren't in line with a budget bill.
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
The United Nations food agency warned Sudan's warring parties Friday that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan if they don't allow humanitarian aid into the vast western region.
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Golf is a sign of spring and summer and a major driver for seasonal tourism, experts say.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.