A senator from the Netherlands' Party for Freedom was appointed Friday to investigate possible governing coalitions in the aftermath of the far-right party's election victory, while the party of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte said it would support a center-right administration in parliament but not join the next government.
The Party for Freedom, or PVV, led by veteran anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders, won 37 seats in the 150-seat lower house, indicating a seismic shift to the right for the Netherlands. Rutte's People's Party for Freedom and Democracy won 24, 10 fewer than in the previous election, according to a near complete count of Wednesday's votes.
After a meeting of party leaders at the parliament, PVV Senator Gom van Strien was appointed to investigate possible coalitions. Newly elected lawmakers will debate his findings on Dec. 6.
Dilan Yez-Zegerius, the new leader of People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, or VVD, said in a statement on X that after losing 10 seats in the election the longtime ruling party would "make possible and constructively support a center-right Cabinet with good policies" but would not join a government.
Wilders called the decision, which was announced before formal coalition talks had begun, "extremely disappointing."
The election result and appointment of Van Strien pave the way for Wilders to take the lead in forming a new coalition and potentially to succeed Rutte as prime minister. However, he will likely have to convince potential coalition partners that he would tone down some of his anti-Islam policies.
His party's election platform states that the Netherlands "is not an Islamic country. No Islamic schools, Qurans and mosques."
One potential coalition partner for Wilders is the recently formed New Social Contract party, or NSC, which won 20 seats. The party's centrist leader, Pieter Omtzigt, said he could not accept "unconstitutional" policies.
Article 1 of the Constitution of the Netherlands outlaws discrimination "on grounds of religion, belief, political opinion, race, gender, disability, sexual orientation or on any other grounds."
In an election-night victory speech, Wilders pledged not to push any policies that would breach Dutch law or the constitution.
From artificial intelligence running wild to collapsing ecosystems, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the near future.
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
A 29-year-old woman has been charged after police say she stole a septic truck from a Manitoba community and drove erratically on the highway.
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Shelters in Canada are not designed to meet the physical or mental health needs of the growing number of older adults who are homeless, a report released Tuesday says.
A 30-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with an alleged homicide in a Belleville, Ont. home early Tuesday morning.
From artificial intelligence running wild to collapsing ecosystems, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the near future.
A 29-year-old woman has been charged after police say she stole a septic truck from a Manitoba community and drove erratically on the highway.
Four Indian nationals accused in the murder of British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are all due in court Tuesday.
A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday seeks the removal of a Confederate monument marked as 'in appreciation of our faithful slaves' from outside of a North Carolina county courthouse.
A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the felony convictions of five retired military officers who had admitted to accepting bribes from a Malaysian contractor nicknamed 'Fat Leonard' in one of the navy's biggest corruption cases.
The United Nations suspended food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Tuesday due to a lack of supplies and an untenable security situation caused by Israel's expanding military operation.
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani pleaded not guilty Tuesday to nine felony charges stemming from his role in an effort to overturn Donald Trump's 2020 election loss in Arizona to Joe Biden.
Donald Trump 's presidential campaign said Tuesday it would begin accepting donations in cryptocurrency as part of an effort to build what it calls a 'crypto army' leading up to Election Day.
An independent commission investigating the deadliest shooting in Maine history plans to take up accusations in a report that contended self-dispatching police officers created “chaos” during the search for the gunman.
The Liberal government will bring its proposal to increase the inclusion rate on capital gains to the House of Commons before the parliamentary summer break, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Tuesday.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues the 'Team Canada' charm offensive to U.S. lawmakers and business leaders, Canada's ambassador to the United States downplayed the effect of another Trump presidency on Canada.
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A northern Ontario public health authority is again advising individuals to protect themselves from the West Nile virus.
Nestle will market a new, US$5 line of frozen pizzas and protein-enriched pastas in the United States which it says it designed specifically for people taking drugs such as Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss.
As we enter another wildfire season, Environment and Climate Change Canada is advising people to pay attention to air pollution levels and check the Air Quality Health Index – especially on smoky days.
Human testicles contain microplastics and nanoplastics at levels three times higher than animal testes and human placentas, a new small study found.
OpenAI on Monday said it plans to halt the use of one of its ChatGPT voices that 'Her' actor Scarlett Johansson says sounds 'eerily similar' to her own.
Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you're doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been accused of sexual assault in a new lawsuit filed on Tuesday by Crystal McKinney, a former model and winner of MTV's 1998 Model Mission competition show.
Misa Hylton, the mother of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' son Justin Combs, says her 'heart goes out' to Cassie Ventura in wake of the release of surveillance video footage showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura in 2016.
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
WestJet has pushed back its planned integration of Sunwing Airlines, a move that represents a setback for the Calgary-based company after acquiring the leisure carrier last year.
The organizers of a month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned stores say they've decided to extend the boycott past May.
Boeing Co. pledged $240 million toward a Montreal-area aerospace cluster, anchoring a provincial plan that aims to make Quebec a global launchpad for development of drones and greener aircraft.
A Barrie couple who lost their home in 2021 to a tornado that devastated a south-end neighbourhood spent an unforgettable day as guests at Buckingham Palace.
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Caitlin Clark signed a multiyear deal with Wilson Sporting Goods for a signature basketball line, the company announced Tuesday.
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
Craig Berube says the opportunity to help a team with a wealth of talent get over the hump in the playoffs was a driving force in becoming head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
California could eventually join the European Union in requiring all new cars to alert drivers when they break the speed limit.
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Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says federal opposition parties should be 'celebrating' the recently announced electric vehicle deals, despite their criticisms the Liberals refuse to make public the terms and conditions laid out in the contracts.
Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada Goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.
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A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.
A B.C. woman says her service dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.
Last month’s cyberattack on pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs that forced the closure of all its stores in Western Canada was orchestrated by a “sophisticated group of global cybercriminals” who are demanding a ransom—and say they’ll leak the company’s data if it doesn’t pay up.
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Another truck appears to have made contact with an overpass in the Lower Mainland, B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said Tuesday, though the owner of the vehicle involved says nothing was struck.
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Thousands of TTC workers could walk off the job starting on June 7 after the Ontario Ministry of Labour issued a no-board report to their union on Tuesday.
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Robert Pickton is clinging to life in a Quebec hospital after being attacked on Sunday in prison.
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Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says he is running the Ottawa Marathon this coming weekend to raise money for the sole survivor of a multiple homicide in Barrhaven earlier this year.
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A Quebec court judge has declared inoperable a portion of the province's language law that requires English-language court decisions to be immediately translated into French.
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The City of Edmonton says a new property tax subclass is helping in the cleanup of problem residential properties.
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Of the pivotal moments the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks encountered in Game 7 of their playoff series Monday night, the dying minutes of the decisive second-round showdown provided arguably the most drama.
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A 25-year-old Nova Scotia man is facing several child pornography and bestiality charges.
The trial of a Winnipeg man who has admitted to killing four women has heard he searched the internet to look up the definition of what it means to be a serial killer.
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Regina police are asking people to stay away from the 1200 block of Garnet Street Tuesday afternoon while an operation is underway.
Tuesday marked the final practice for the Moose Jaw Warriors before they head to Saginaw, Mich. for the 2024 Memorial Cup.
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A longtime member of the Toronto Paramedic Services is facing charges in relation to his conduct at a Kitchener, Ont. strip club.
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According to Environment Canada, rainfall has been recorded in Saskatoon for nearly half the month as showers, clouds and cool temperatures continue to dominate the forecast.
Three new wildland fires were reported in the Northeast Region on Monday, according to Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services.
The organizers of a month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned stores say they've decided to extend the boycott past May.
A driver involved in a rollover single-vehicle collision near Kapuskasing has been charged with impaired driving, dangerous driving and failing to remain.
Majorie Nowlan, 87, resides within sight of the future Volkswagen battery plant. But unlike most of the neighbours, her land wasn’t bought out.
The City of London has brought in a massive drilling machine to tunnel under Wharncliffe Road. It is part of a $7.3 million project.
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An Essa Township woman and her family are in a multi-year dispute with the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority over a secondary unit on her property to house her elderly parents.
Police are providing more details about two people found dead inside a Bradford West Gwillimbury home last week.
A Barrie couple who lost their home in 2021 to a tornado that devastated a south-end neighbourhood spent an unforgettable day as guests at Buckingham Palace.
As weather watchers warn of heat and humidity across southwestern Ontario this week, forecasters also are reminding residents about severe weather, including lightning and thunderstorms.
Melissa Rehorek, 20, was killed in September 1976 in Calgary.
Chris Ferrari and his son were inside their house in the 2500-block of Jos. St. Louis Avenue when fire broke out at approximately 4:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Opinion polls continue to show a two-way race in the lead up to the next provincial election, as the BC Conservatives continue to cut into the NDP's lead and BC United's popularity is shorn away.
Last month’s cyberattack on pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs that forced the closure of all its stores in Western Canada was orchestrated by a “sophisticated group of global cybercriminals” who are demanding a ransom—and say they’ll leak the company’s data if it doesn’t pay up.
Dr. Kathleen Ross, a family doctor in Metro Vancouver and president of the Canadian Medical Association, addressed the UN Tuesday – advocating for a Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.
One person is dead after a fight in Penticton early Sunday morning, according to authorities.
A suspect is at large after robbing a convenience store at gunpoint in Merritt, B.C., Friday, according to local police.
After four targeted shootings in four days, Mounties in Kamloops are taking the unusual step of warning the public about two men they believe are likely to be targeted in future violent incidents.
Lethbridge police hit the road over the May long weekend, as part of an ongoing traffic enforcement project.
New data released by the province shows that 124 people died in Lethbridge in 2023 due to a drug overdose, the most ever recorded.
With just over two minutes remaining in the first overtime, Mirko Buttazzoni scored to give the Bandits a 4-3 victory over the Sherwood Park Crusaders Saturday in Brooks.
Two people have been charged with viciously beating a victim this week in Sault Ste. Marie.
Sault police did nothing wrong when a senior in a mental health crisis fractured his finger, Ontario’s police watchdog has concluded.
A 57-year-old suspect in Sault Ste. Marie has been charged with mischief in connection with an incident last month.
79-year-old Madonna Wilkinson has been playing the accordion since she was 15, when she picked one up that had been left behind at one of her parents' rollicking parties in the oceanside town about 25 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L. She has played Sunday masses and St. Patrick's Day parties, and community events of all kinds.
Canada's new $10-a-day child care program is expanding, but there's growing evidence that demand for the program is rising even faster, leaving many parents on the outside looking in.
A new study shows an Atlantic salmon population in southern Newfoundland is disappearing, and it says nearby aquaculture operations are a likely contributor to the decline.
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