Politics

OTTAWA — A lawyer for a former RCMP intelligence official accused of breaching Canada's secrets law said Wednesday that government leaks of sensitive information "happen often.

CALGARY — The fuse is lit for fireworks in Ottawa after a Liberal member of Parliament accused Alberta Premier Danielle Smith of making false claims days before Smith is slated to appear before a federal environmental committee.

OTTAWA — Eight Ottawa residents will be allowed to testify at the criminal trial of two "Freedom Convoy" organizers, the presiding judge ruled Wednesday.

MONTREAL — Former Prince Edward Island premier James Lee has died at the age of 86. Lee, who went by Jim, was the province's 26th premier and held the office from 1981 to 1986.

HALIFAX — The Atlantic Loop is no longer part of Nova Scotia's plan to hit its 2030 renewable energy targets, Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton said Wednesday.

OTTAWA — Around 70 Canadians are stuck in the Gaza Strip and have asked for help, federal government officials said Wednesday, but the Canadian government has no way of reaching them without a humanitarian corridor.

TORONTO — A New Democrat member of Ontario's provincial parliament apologized Wednesday for a statement she made about the conflict between Israel and Hamas though she did not retract it, as publicly demanded by NDP Leader Marit Stiles.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — After Ohio Republicans bolstered their statehouse majority last year due to their dominating showing in the midterm elections, they split into rival camps over who should lead the lower chamber.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — In-person voting for a November ballot measure over abortion rights began Wednesday in Ohio, the latest state where voters will decide the issue after the U.S.

Ontario has seized nearly 100 raccoons from a rehab facility that is facing allegations it violated the provincial wildlife conservation act, but the animal welfare organization says it has done nothing wrong.