National

OTTAWA — A new survey suggests nearly half of Canadians visited with family or friends over the winter holiday period.

The natural regions Canada protects don't line up that well with where Canadians actually need them, research suggests.

Several politicians have admitted to leaving the country over the December holiday period, even as their constituents hunkered down at home, following public health guidance meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what's on the radar of our editors for the morning of Jan. 5 ... What we are watching in Canada ...

The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 9:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. There are 611,424 confirmed cases in Canada. _ Canada: 611,424 confirmed cases (77,466 active, 517,884 resolved, 16,074 deaths).

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Voters in Georgia will head to the polls Tuesday to determine who holds the balance of power on Capitol Hill for the next two years, the opening act in what promises to be an explosive week in U.S. politics.

A broken cellphone and a muddied wallet were the only possessions Alireza Ghandchi received from Iran after his wife and two children were killed in a Ukrainian plane crash last year. "No luggage, no dolls, no anything," he said.

OTTAWA — Airlines and travellers say a slew of questions remain about the federal government's decision to require passengers returning to Canada to show negative results on COVID-19 tests taken abroad.

EDMONTON — An Alberta mother says she's outraged by various politicians and staff who decided to travel abroad over the holidays, while a dream trip to Hawaii for her terminally ill son had to be postponed.

VICTORIA — Thousands of workers who would normally return to their jobs at industrial projects in northern British Columbia after the holiday break are spending more time at home in an effort to ease the strain on the region's health-care system.