Politics

TORONTO — Ontario renewed funding Thursday that helps rural and northern hospitals bolster emergency room staffing through the summer, but the program will end after this year, the government said.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A federal jury in Florida awarded $63.5 million on Thursday to a pair of businessmen who claimed a city of Miami commissioner used his office to harass them after they supported the commissioner's political opponent.

OTTAWA — A cross-party group of MPs and senators is hoping to grant honorary Canadian citizenship to Russian political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza in the coming weeks. "He embodies the movement for a democratic Russia," Ontario Sen.

OTTAWA — Two prominent gun-control groups are urging the Liberal government to proceed without delay in drafting regulations that will flesh out firearm legislation being reviewed by the Senate.

OTTAWA — Métis leaders urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government on Thursday to speed up its plans to introduce and pass self-government legislation before Parliament breaks for summer.

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — The British Columbia government is adding $17.25 million for ongoing efforts to save declining populations of wild Pacific salmon.

MONTREAL — Quebec's language law reform is continuing to draw criticism and legal challenges from the province's English community as more of its provisions come into effect Thursday, exactly a year after it received royal assent.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Legalized sports gambling starting next year in North Carolina now seems a better bet as the state House's top leader said Thursday he expected his chamber would accept alterations to its own proposal made by the Senate.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's police on Thursday arrested a top official in former premier Imran Khan's political party as authorities move to rein in the outspoken politician's supporters and allies.

OTTAWA — A senior government official says Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc is leading a process to determine Independent MP Han Dong's possible return to the Liberal caucus.