Global National

Canada's front-line health workers continue to fight COVID-19's fifth wave, as a surge of Omicron infections keeps swamping hospitals. What's making this wave worse, who's being hospitalized, and the relief for some parents whose children are back in the classroom, as B.C. and Alberta resume in-person learning. Buckingham Palace is preparing to celebrate the Queen, as she faces an unprecedented anniversary on the throne. Plus, see the heart-stopping rescue of a pilot who crashed his plane onto a railroad, just before an even bigger disaster struck. And remembering Bob Saget: how the entertainer is being remembered both as a beloved television dad, and a comedian without boundaries.

Health workers and federal officials renew pleas to the unvaccinated to get the shot, as Omicron cases overwhelm Canada's hospitals and talk emerges about provinces potentially mandating vaccinations. As Ontario Premier Doug Ford faces pressure to reopen schools, we'll look at how these closures are affecting children and the already stressed health-care system. Nearly half of the Bearskin Lake First Nation in Ontario has been infected with COVID-19. The community's pleas for help and what the feds are promising. Also, the three white men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black jogger in Georgia, have been handed their prison sentences. Plus, a farewell to Sidney Poitier, a trailblazer of stage and screen. How the legendary actor changed the face of Hollywood.

As the Omicron variant drives Canada's COVID-19 case count higher, more children and infants are ending up in hospitals with the coronavirus. What pregnant people can do to better protect infants and how advice is evolving on how to use rapid tests. The mess, the misery and the mayhem in B.C., as parts of the province get another blast of winter. U.S. President Joe Biden says Donald Trump's threat to democracy is lingering, one year after the violent Capitol riots. The concerns Trump could again run for president. No COVID-19 vaccination means no entry to Australia for tennis champion Novak Djokovic, as he plays a heated match against the country's government. And how a cat named Smuckers got a baby bobcat out of a dangerous jam.

With long lineups for the short supply of COVID-19 rapid tests, Ottawa is promising to solve the problem. When tens of millions are supposed to arrive. Plus, see the maskless Sunwing passengers partying like there's no pandemic. The impending federal investigations and the problems the group faces in getting back home. Also, Kazakhstan's state of emergency: a deeper look at the country's fuel crisis that's spurred violent protests against its authoritarian government and why the world is watching closely. And pet peeve: Pope Francis pontificates on parenthood, saying people who have pets instead of children are "selfish."

Ottawa unveils its $40 billion compensation deal for Indigenous children harmed by Canada's child welfare system. How the federal government plans to divide the money, and the reaction to the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history. Two Ontario hospitals have declared a 'code orange.' What it means, as COVID-19 further strains hospitals. As Omicron cases escalate throughout Canada and around the world, does the more contagious variant also hold the key to downgrading the pandemic to an endemic? Plus, how a dangerous storm turned a Virginia highway into a parking lot for hundreds of drivers, stranding them overnight.

Some provinces are tightening restrictions, as Omicron keeps pushing COVID-19 caseloads to record highs. The steps Ontario is taking to curb the spread, how some Atlantic Canada provinces fear hospitals will be pushed to the brink, and how critics say provinces need to follow the advice already given to them to keep the virus out of classrooms. Also, the growing evidence former U.S. President Donald Trump stood by and did nothing as the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol unfolded. Plus, the secret legal deal between Virginia Roberts Giuffre and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein has been publicized. What this could mean for Giuffre's civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew, whom she's accusing of sexual assault. And from junk to artistic gems: one B.C. man's creative mission to reduce plastic waste.

Parents, teachers, and doctors are bracing for the end of the holidays as the school year returns with another surge of COVID-19 cases. A look at how families and schools are pushing for better pandemic measures and how the United States is also preparing for a post-holiday pandemic blizzard. Plus, why a teenager was forced to spend a stressful night at the airport after she was turned away at the boarding gate and the teams taking a stand for human rights against the human cost of the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup. As well, helping millions on the move - how world leaders can step up to address the global migrant crisis.

As Canada rings in the new year, provinces are offering a range of responses to the threat of the Omicron variant. We take a look at why some provinces are reducing isolation times and ramping up booster shots, and why one is still reluctant to reimpose restrictions. Plus, doctors in the United States fear the surge of new COVID-19 infections, after millions of Americans attended New Year's Eve festivities across the country. Also, Colorado residents return to ruins after wildfire forces tens of thousands to flee over the holidays. And we pay tribute to the cultural icons and the influential giants who left us in 2021.

Three provinces break daily new COVID-19 case records, while demand booms for vaccine boosters and rapid tests as Omicron further infiltrates Canada. How more provinces are beefing up restrictions and what travellers need to know. Plus, from Omicron testing times to treatment options, we take more of your questions to doctors. Also, staggering divorce settlement: the hefty sum United Arab Emirates prime minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum is being forced to fork over to his ex-wife and their children. And Christmas tree troubles: why the holiday staple is in short supply.

Canadians' holiday plans are being turned upside down, as Omicron fuels an explosion in COVID-19 cases, forcing provinces to ramp up restrictions. How Quebec changed rules hours after they kicked in, why the nationwide rush to get rapid antigen tests is causing frustration, and the fresh fears for residents and staff in long-term care homes. Plus, from boosters to symptoms, we take your Omicron questions to infectious diseases physician Dr. Anna Banerji. Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai resurfaces: what she's now saying about that sexual assault allegation against former Chinese vice premier Zhang Gaoli. And repairing history at the site of an infamous volcanic disaster: how Pompeii's ruins are being reconstructed by a robot.