Beyond Local

OTTAWA — The Liberal government is assessing how painful China's retaliation would be if Canada decides to expel a diplomat accused of targeting Conservative MP Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong.

OTTAWA — The public-sector union representing Canada Revenue Agency employees struck a tentative deal with the federal government Thursday, ending a strike of 35,000 workers just after the tax season wrapped up.

NEW YORK (AP) — Jurors heard former President Donald Trump blast a woman who accused him of rape as a “nut job” and “mentally sick” in a video recording that was shown Thursday during the trial of her federal lawsuit .

MONTREAL — Quebec's human rights commission is investigating reports that the province's youth protection services failed to act on a suspected case of child genital mutilation.

CALGARY — United Conservative Leader Danielle Smith is accusing her chief political rival of not standing up for Albertans when it comes to the cost of living.

LONDON — A delegation of Indigenous leaders from Canada met with King Charles III on Thursday, where they talked about reconciliation and the need to build a strong relationship going forward.

CALGARY — Alberta’s United Conservative Party is facing questions over how it did the math behind its accusation that the NDP's net-zero electricity grid proposal would cost taxpayers $87 billion.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — At a time when Republican-led states are restricting or banning abortion and limiting gender-affirming care, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed measures into law on Wednesday to protect abortion rights and expand Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming treatment in the heavily Democratic state.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia claimed it foiled an attack by Ukrainian drones on the Kremlin early Wednesday, calling it an unsuccessful assassination attempt against President Vladimir Putin and promising retaliation for what it termed a “terrorist” act. The Ukrainian president denied it, saying: “We don't attack Putin or Moscow.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Text messages that helped lead Fox News to part ways with star host Tucker Carlson included one in which he declared that Trump supporters beating a protester was “not how white men fight,” according to The New York Times.