24News.ca

OTTAWA -- The Supreme Court of Canada is slated to rule Friday morning on the constitutionality of a federal law that forbids companies from making people undergo genetic testing before buying insurance or other services. The Genetic Non-Discrimination Act also outlaws the practice of requiring the disclosure of existing genetic test results as a condition for obtaining such services or entering into a contract. Source

OTTAWA -- Canadian troops have been forced to hitch a ride with the British military to get to and from Latvia due to a shortage of working planes. Canada has 540 troops in Latvia, where they form the core of a 1,500-strong multinational battlegroup established by NATO three years ago. Source

MANILA, PHILIPPINES -- Philippine lawmakers voted Friday to reject the license renewal of the country's largest TV network, one of the critical news agencies the president has repeatedly threatened, in a move that shut down a major news provider amid the coronavirus pandemic. Source

There are five seniors' care facilities in Canada where more than 40 per cent of residents died during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a CBC News investigation has found. Four of the residences with fatality rates higher than 40 per cent are in the Montreal area, and one is in Ontario. Source

Hello, Earthlings! This is our weekly newsletter on all things environmental, where we highlight trends and solutions that are moving us to a more sustainable world. (Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Thursday.) This week:Taking solar panels to the next levelFollow the sun: How dual-axis solar panels workHow grizzly bears have learned to live with humans Source

This column is an opinion by Vince Palace, the senior research scientist at the IISD Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ. To coin a now-hackneyed phrase, these are unprecedented times for humanity. Source

Canada's highest court will issue a ruling today that could strike down a federal law preventing third parties, such as employers and insurance companies, from demanding genetic information from individuals. The Supreme Court of Canada will decide whether the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act is an unconstitutional exercise of federal powers. Source

Tensions over Buy American rules appear destined to live on after this year — even if Donald Trump's presidency doesn't. It's one takeaway from trade policies laid out by U.S. election frontrunner Joe Biden, who in a speech Thursday promised to turn the page on numerous Trump-era practices. Source

The United States announced this week that it is formally withdrawing from the World Health Organization — ending more than 70 years of participation and cutting off its financial contribution, which is the largest among the agency's members. The decision comes after weeks of criticism from President Donald Trump for what he called the WHO's inadequate response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its promotion of "disinformation" from China about the virus. Source

KNIGHTSEN, CALIF. -- Two sheriff's deputies were shot late Thursday night and a suspect is dead in a shooting that followed an hourslong standoff in California, according to reports. The shooting was reported in Knightsen, an unincorporated area about 50 miles (81 kilometres) northeast of San Francisco. Source