Canada to deploy CAF general, staff officers to join NATO headquarters in Latvia
Prime Minster Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday that Canada will send a Canadian Armed Forces general officer and six staff officers to NATO’s Multinational Division North Headquarters, based in Ādaži, Latvia.
The announcement comes after a closed-door meeting with Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš.
“They’ll be part of a first-of-its-kind unit in the northern Baltic Sea region to help plan, co-ordinate and integrate regional military activities that will serve as a continued and important part of our enhancements to NATO’s defence and deterrence capabilities,” said Trudeau.
The prime minister said it’s an ask long requested by Latvia that will help to defend against threats to democracy and global stability.
Canada has already deployed nearly 700 soldiers to Latvia as part of Operation Reassurance’s Forward Presence Battle Group.
Kariņš said the additional reinforcement is a “step absolutely in the right direction, and it’s very, very highly appreciated.”
Trudeau said the two discussed the changing security dynamic in the Baltic region and the need to reassess NATO’s risk posture.
“Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine shows…[it] is willing to make terrible strategic mistakes and act against all reasonable assumptions and miscalculate so much,” he said.
Karinš told CTV News Channel’s Power Play on Wednesday evening that Latvia and other Baltic states would like to see NATO’s presence there move from a “tripwire” to an “active, forward” defence posture.
“Thinking about our own defence, NATO's defence, what we need to do is to make it much more robust, we need to make it permanent. And we need to change it say from a tripwire defence … to an active forward defence,” he said.
Karinš said in doing so, Russians would be deterred from attempting to advance elsewhere in the future because it would be clear their advances would be stopped from the outset.
The Latvian prime minister repeated this call on Thursday.
“The approach or the proper response of NATO is a political decision to, in a sense, up our capabilities to lower the probability of any such attack in the Baltics,” he said.
Trudeau said these issues will be discussed further at the upcoming NATO Summit in Madrid starting on June 29.
IN DEPTH
'Anger that I haven't seen before': Singh harassment incident puts renewed spotlight on politicians' security
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's recent encounter with protesters at an Ontario election campaign stop, where he was verbally harassed, is casting a renewed spotlight on politicians' security, with Singh telling CTV News that he's witnessing a level of anger he hasn't seen before.
Settled debate or not? Canadian politicians weigh in on U.S. Supreme Court abortion rights leak
The stunning leak of a U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion rights seized political attention in Ottawa on Tuesday. In the House of Commons, MPs' persisting differing views were on display after a symbolic push to affirm abortion rights failed, and the Conservative caucus were told not to comment on the leak.
Where the six Conservative leadership candidates stand on key policy issues
Six candidates are on the ballot to become the Conservative Party's next leader. In holding rallies, doing media interviews, and participating in debates, each contender has been releasing details of their policy platforms. Here's a snapshot of where the candidates stand on the economy, housing, climate, defence and social issues.
Liberals' deal with NDP will keep Trudeau minority in power for 3 more years
The federal Liberals and New Democrats have finalized an agreement that, if maintained, would keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in power until June 2025, in exchange for progress on longstanding NDP priorities. Trudeau announced Tuesday morning that the confidence-and-supply agreement has been brokered, and is effective immediately.
Meet the six candidates on the ballot to be the next Conservative leader
Conservative Party members will be electing their new leader in September. Six candidates have secured their place on the ballot, after meeting all of the party's eligibility requirements. Here's a snapshot of who each candidate is, their political histories, and what kind of campaign they're running.
Opinion
OPINION | Don Martin: Premier Jason Kenney deserved a better death
There's a lesson for Canada's political leaders in the short life and quick death of Jason Kenney as premier of Alberta, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
OPINION | Don Martin: Ford on cruise control to victory in Ontario while Alberta votes on killing Kenney as UCP leader
It's becoming a make-or-break week for two Conservative premiers as their futures pivot on a pair of defining moments, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
OPINION | Don Martin: This is the candidate who stole the show in my view
In an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin weighs in on the Conservative leadership debate highlights and fumbles in Edmonton on Wednesday night.
OPINION | Don Martin: The thunder of overreaction as Rolling Blunder wheels toward Ottawa
As was the case with the Freedom Convoy, it’s the organizers of Rolling Thunder who are giving the event's modest purpose some ominous overtones, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion piece for CTVNews.ca.
OPINION | Don Martin: In the heart of Liberal-owned Toronto, an unlikely Conservative rock star takes the stage
Conservative leadership frontrunner Pierre Poilievre is attracting big crowds to large halls in unlikely locations. And if his early romp lasts, he'll be impossible to beat, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
ANALYSIS & INSIGHTS
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Gunman kills at least 19 children at Texas elementary school
An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, killing at least 19 children as he went from classroom to classroom, officials said, in the latest gruesome moment for a country scarred by a string of massacres. The attacker was killed by law enforcement.
Biden makes urgent call for new firearms restrictions after Texas school shooting
Lamenting a uniquely American tragedy, an anguished and angry U.S. President Joe Biden delivered an urgent call for new restrictions on firearms Tuesday night after a gunman shot and killed 19 children at a Texas elementary school.
Language law Bill 96 adopted, promising sweeping changes for Quebec
Bill 96, the provincial government's controversial legislation aimed at protecting the French language in Quebec, has been adopted in the National Assembly.
U.S. senator begs for gun compromise after Texas shooting
Connecticut U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, who came to Congress representing Sandy Hook, begged his colleagues to finally pass legislation addressing the nation's gun violence problem as the latest school shooting unfolded Tuesday in Uvalde, Texas.
Society 'may not survive' Putin's war, says billionaire George Soros
Russia's invasion of Ukraine may have marked the start of "a third world war," and Russian President Vladimir Putin must be defeated "as soon as possible" if the world wants to preserve civilization, said billionaire and philanthropist George Soros.
Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard denies rape allegations at sex assault trial
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has emphatically denied raping a teenager and a young woman nearly six years ago, testifying Tuesday that both encounters were consensual and "passionate."
Many Ontario residents could be waiting several days for power after storm
Provincial provider Hydro One said Tuesday afternoon that more than 142,000 customers in parts of Ontario were still without power after a devastating weekend storm.
RCMP suspend flights at Victoria International Airport after suspicious package discovered
Travellers who have a flight planned at Victoria International Airport (YYJ) on Tuesday afternoon are being warned of travel disruptions due to police activity.
Canada sending more artillery to Ukraine, 'crucial' to fight against Russia: Anand
Canada is sending an additional 20,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine for the Ukrainian military to use in its ongoing defence against the Russians. This ammunition—155mm calibre, as well as fuses and charge bags—is being donated, but comes at a cost of $98 million, according to the federal government.
Canada
-
Many Ontario residents could be waiting several days for power after storm
Provincial provider Hydro One said Tuesday afternoon that more than 142,000 customers in parts of Ontario were still without power after a devastating weekend storm.
-
Language law Bill 96 adopted, promising sweeping changes for Quebec
Bill 96, the provincial government's controversial legislation aimed at protecting the French language in Quebec, has been adopted in the National Assembly.
-
Mass shooting inquiry: Two senior Mounties exempted from cross-examination
Two lawyers are criticizing a decision Tuesday to allow senior RCMP witnesses to avoid cross-examination before the inquiry investigating the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia.
-
Trudeau waffles when asked if Canada exists on stolen land
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Kamloops on Monday as an invited guest of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc as the First Nation marked the first anniversary of the confirmation of 215 unmarked graves on the site of a former residential school.
-
International travel to Canada on the rise as pandemic restrictions lift: StatCan
International travel to Canada has continued to rise with the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions but remains below pre-pandemic levels, recent data from Statistics Canada shows.
-
Canada sending more artillery to Ukraine, 'crucial' to fight against Russia: Anand
Canada is sending an additional 20,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine for the Ukrainian military to use in its ongoing defence against the Russians. This ammunition—155mm calibre, as well as fuses and charge bags—is being donated, but comes at a cost of $98 million, according to the federal government.
World
-
Gunman kills at least 19 children at Texas elementary school
An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, killing at least 19 children as he went from classroom to classroom, officials said, in the latest gruesome moment for a country scarred by a string of massacres. The attacker was killed by law enforcement.
-
Biden makes urgent call for new firearms restrictions after Texas school shooting
Lamenting a uniquely American tragedy, an anguished and angry U.S. President Joe Biden delivered an urgent call for new restrictions on firearms Tuesday night after a gunman shot and killed 19 children at a Texas elementary school.
-
Satellite images appear to show Russian ships loading up with Ukrainian grain in Crimea
Russia's theft of Ukrainian grain appears to be ramping up as it continues its war on the country, according to new satellite photos of the Crimean port of Sevastopol.
-
Society 'may not survive' Putin's war, says billionaire George Soros
Russia's invasion of Ukraine may have marked the start of "a third world war," and Russian President Vladimir Putin must be defeated "as soon as possible" if the world wants to preserve civilization, said billionaire and philanthropist George Soros.
-
Biden: Leaders navigating 'dark hour' after Ukraine invasion
U.S. President Joe Biden told fellow Indo-Pacific leaders assembled for a four-country summit Tuesday that they were navigating 'a dark hour in our shared history' due to Russia's brutal war on Ukraine and he urged the group to make a greater effort to stop Vladimir Putin's aggression.
-
A look at some of the deadliest U.S. school shootings
There have been dozens of shootings and other attacks in U.S. schools and colleges over the years, but until the massacre at Colorado's Columbine High School in 1999, the number of dead tended to be in the single digits. Since then, the number of shootings that included schools have killed 10 or more people has mounted.
Politics
-
Canada sending more artillery to Ukraine, 'crucial' to fight against Russia: Anand
Canada is sending an additional 20,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine for the Ukrainian military to use in its ongoing defence against the Russians. This ammunition—155mm calibre, as well as fuses and charge bags—is being donated, but comes at a cost of $98 million, according to the federal government.
-
Expectations high for Jean Charest in French-language Conservative leadership debate
A former Conservative leadership candidate says expectations will be high for ex-Quebec premier Jean Charest when he takes the stage in his home province for the party's French-language debate this week.
-
Ottawa to release findings of military sexual misconduct report in 'coming days'
The findings of a highly-anticipated report about how to tackle sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will be made public in the 'coming days,' a spokesperson for Defence Minister Anita Anand says.
Health
-
Canada shipping vaccines to Quebec as province confirms 15 monkeypox cases
The federal government is sending vaccines and other 'therapeutics' to Quebec to deal with a recent outbreak of monkeypox that has grown to 15 confirmed cases.
-
Severity of COVID-19 infection linked to air pollution: Canadian study
An extensive study of thousands of COVID-19 patients in Ontario hospitals found links between the severity of their infections and the levels of common air pollutants they experience.
-
Baby formula: Health Canada monitoring 'potential' sunflower oil shortage
Health Canada says it is preparing for the possibility that a shortage of sunflower oil could further strain baby formula supplies in Canada.
Sci-Tech
-
Hubble identifies unusual wrinkle in expansion rate of the universe
Measuring the expansion rate of the universe was one of the Hubble Space Telescope's main goals when it was launched in 1990. Over the past 30 years, the space observatory has helped scientists discover and refine that accelerating rate -- as well as uncover a mysterious wrinkle that only brand-new physics may solve.
-
Here's what happened during Boeing's 'nail-biting' spacecraft docking
Boeing managed to dock a spacecraft at the International Space Station late last week, but it was not without several minor hangups.
-
World's fastest passenger jet goes supersonic in tests
The race to resume supersonic passenger flights nearly two decades after the retirement of Concorde was offered a glimmer of excitement on Monday when plane manufacturer Bombardier revealed high speed achievements while confirming the launch of its new business jet.
Entertainment
-
Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard denies rape allegations at sex assault trial
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has emphatically denied raping a teenager and a young woman nearly six years ago, testifying Tuesday that both encounters were consensual and "passionate."
-
Ice T and Coco criticized for having their 6-year-old in a stroller
Ice T and Coco's parenting decisions are theirs to make, but that isn't stopping people from weighing in online.
-
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger's second child has arrived
The 'Guardians of the Galaxy' actor and his author wife took to their respective Instagram accounts on Sunday night to share that they had welcomed a baby girl on Saturday.
Business
-
Snap sends shares tumbling with warning on economy and earnings
Snap Inc said the U.S. economy had worsened faster than expected in the last month and the social media company slashed its quarterly forecast, triggering an after-hours sell-off.
-
A new billionaire has been minted nearly every day during the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has been good for the wallets of the wealthy. Some 573 people have joined the billionaire ranks since 2020, bringing the worldwide total to 2,668, according to an analysis released by Oxfam on Sunday. That means a new billionaire was minted about every 30 hours, on average, so far during the pandemic.
-
Baby formula crisis another symptom of North American 'managed trade,' experts say
Canada depends on U.S. producers for its own supply of formula, and with the Biden administration again using emergency wartime measures to meet the moment, trade and food security experts alike are worried about the knock-on effects.
Lifestyle
-
The science behind why smoke seems to follow you around a campfire
Why does smoke seem to follow you around a campfire? B.C. research scientist Kerry Anderson told CTVNews.ca the answer actually boils down to physics.
-
You can get unlimited summer travel for US$9.50 a month in this European country
A whole month of unlimited transport in Germany is just US$9.50 -- that's a great deal at any time, but in a time of fuel price hikes, rocketing car rental rates and a worldwide cost of living crisis, it becomes unbeatable.
-
Princess Diana's 'priceless' wedding tiara exhibited for the first time in decades
This summer, auction house Sotheby's will display some of history's most influential tiaras -- many which have not been seen by the public in decades -- in a new exhibition called 'Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras.'
Sports
-
Calgary Stampeders suspend receiver Brendan Langley following airport brawl
The Calgary Stampeders have suspended receiver Brendan Langley indefinitely following his arrest at an airport in Newark, N.J.
-
Canada's Shapovalov upset by Denmark's Rune in 1st round of French Open
Canada's Denis Shapovalov has been bounced from the French Open.
-
Federal, provincial governments pledge $15M each for 2025 Invictus Games in B.C.
The federal and provincial governments are each committing $15 million in support of the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler.
Autos
-
Lawsuit accuses 3 automakers and parts maker in air bag case
A class action lawsuit is accusing three automakers and a parts manufacturer of knowingly selling vehicles containing air bag inflators that are at risk of exploding. Two deaths and at least four injuries have been linked to such explosions.
-
B.C.'s rejected licence plate list includes GAS LOL, BONDVLN, WE VAPE
Some of British Columbia's more creative vehicle owners received bad news over the last two years: you can't put everything on a licence plate.
-
Hyundai recalls 239,000 cars for exploding seat belt parts
Hyundai is recalling 239,000 cars in the U.S. because the seat belt pretensioners can explode and injure vehicle occupants. Three injuries have been reported, two in the U.S. and one in Singapore.
