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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation.

The 53-year-old said he will step down as leader of the country’s ruling Liberal Party, which he has led since 2013.

He says it will allow his party to choose a new leader as he suspends parliament until March due to political deadlock.

Chrystia Freeland, who today stepped down as finance minister and deputy prime minister, arrives for a national caucus meeting, in Ottawa, Ontario, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
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Chrystia Freeland, seen on the day she quit as finance minister and deputy prime minister in December. Pic: Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP

Follow live: Justin Trudeau announces resignation

Speaking to reporters in front of his residence at Rideau Cottage, in the country’s capital, Ottawa, he said “internal battles” mean that he “cannot be the best option” in the next election.

“I don’t easily back down faced with a fight, especially a very important one for our party and the country. But I do this job because the interests of Canadians and the well-being of democracy is something that I hold dear.

“A new prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party will carry its values and ideals into that next election. I am excited to see that process unfold in the months ahead.”

Former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, is among the favourites to succeed him.

Chrystia Freeland, whose stunning resignation as finance minister and deputy prime minister precipitated the current crisis, leads in the polls.

Other front-runners are the former premier of British Columbia, Christy Clark, current finance minister Dominic LeBlanc and minister of foreign affairs, Melanie Joly.

Mr Trudeau, who has been prime minister since 2015, faced calls to quit from a chorus of his MPs amid poor showings in opinion polls.

He came under further pressure after Ms Freeland quit in December because of policy disagreements, including over how to handle possible US tariffs imposed by Donald Trump‘s incoming administration.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, are seen following a family photo of G7 leaders and Outreach partners at the Hotel San Domenico during a G7 summit in Taormina, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool photo via AP)
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Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump in Italy in 2017. Pic: AP

Mr Trudeau’s resignation comes as the polls show his party is likely to suffer a heavy defeat to the official opposition Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October.

The Liberals must now name an interim leader to take over as prime minister ahead of a special leadership convention.

Mr Trudeau came to power 10 years ago following a decade of Conservative Party rule and was initially praised for returning the country to its liberal past.

But he has become deeply unpopular with voters in recent years over a range of issues, including the soaring cost of food and housing and surging immigration.

He is the eldest son of Pierre Trudeau, one of Canada’s most famous prime ministers, who led the country from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984.

The political upheaval comes at a difficult moment for Canada internationally.

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US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods if Ottawa does not stem what Mr Trump calls a flow of migrants and drugs into the US.

Many fewer of each cross into the US from Canada than from Mexico, which Mr Trump has also threatened.

In a social media post on Christmas Day, Mr Trump even suggested the US could take control of Canada, as well as Greenland and the Panama Canal.

Canada is a major exporter of oil and natural gas to the US, which also relies on its northern neighbour for steel, aluminium and autos.

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Ukraine war: 14 killed as Russian missile and drone attacks strike Kyiv – including American citizen

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Ukraine war: 14 killed as Russian missile and drone attacks strike Kyiv - including American citizen

Russian missile and drone attacks have killed 14 people in Kyiv overnight, according to Ukrainian officials.

A 62-year-old US citizen who suffered shrapnel wounds is among the dead.

At least 99 others were wounded in strikes that hollowed out a residential building and destroyed dozens of apartments.

Emergency workers carry an injured firefighter following Russia's combined missile and drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 17, 2025
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Pic: AP

Emergency workers were at the scene to rescue people from under the rubble.

Images show a firefighter was among those hurt, with injured residents evacuated from their homes.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as “one of the most terrifying attacks on Kyiv” – and said Russian forces had fired 440 drones and 32 missiles as civilians slept in their homes.

“[Putin] wants the war to go on,” he said. “It is troubling when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to it.”

Emergency workers evacuate an injured resident following Russia's combined missile and drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 17, 2025
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Pic: AP

Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, said 27 locations across the capital have been hit – including educational institutions and critical infrastructure.

He claimed the attack, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, was one of the largest on the capital since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Drones swarmed over the city, with an air raid alert remaining in force for seven hours.

One person was killed and 17 others injured as a result of separate Russian drone strikes in the port city of Odesa.

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

It comes as the G7 summit in Canada continues, which Ukraine’s leader is expected to attend.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to hold talks with Donald Trump – but the president has announced he is unexpectedly returning to Washington because of tensions in the Middle East.

Ukraine’s foreign minister says Moscow’s decision to attack Kyiv during the summit is a signal of disrespect to the US.

Moscow has launched a record number of drones and missiles in recent weeks, and says the attacks are in retaliation for a Ukrainian operation that targeted warplanes in airbases deep within Russian territory.

Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko says fires broke out in two of the city’s districts as a result of debris from drones shot down by the nation’s air defences.

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A multi-storey apartment in Kyiv was struck. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

On X, Ukraine’s foreign ministry wrote: “Russia’s campaign of terror against civilians continues. Its war against Ukraine escalates with increased brutality.

“The only way to stop Russia is tighter pressure – through sanctions, more defence support for Ukraine, and limiting Russia’s ability to keep sowing war.”

Olena Lapyshnak, who lived in one of the destroyed buildings, said: “It’s horrible, it’s scary, in one moment there is no life. I can only curse the Russians, that’s all I can say. They shouldn’t exist in this world.”

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Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London cancelled days after fatal crash

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Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London cancelled days after fatal crash

An Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London has been cancelled.

No explanation has been given for the cancellation so far, Sky News understands.

However, Indian-English language channel CNN News18 reported that the cancellation of the flight, which arrived from Delhi, was due to “technical issues”.

It comes after a UK-bound Air India flight catastrophically crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport in western India on Thursday, killing 229 passengers and 12 crew, with one person surviving the crash.

Among the victims were several British nationals, whose deaths in the crash have now been officially confirmed, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said as he shared his condolences on X.

Yesterday, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner – the same type as the aircraft involved in last week’s tragedy – had to return to Hong Kong mid-flight after a suspected technical issue.

Air India flight 159, which was cancelled on Tuesday, was also a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

It was due to depart from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.10pm local time (8.40am UK time). It was set to arrive at London’s Gatwick Airport at 6.25pm UK time.

Air India’s website shows the flight was initially delayed by one hour and 50 minutes before being cancelled.

As a result, passengers have been left stranded at the airport. The next flight from Ahmedabad to London is scheduled for 11.40am local time (7.10am UK time) on Wednesday.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

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Israeli tank shelling kills 51 people waiting for aid in Khan Younis, Hamas-run health ministry says

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Israeli tank shelling kills 51 people waiting for aid in Khan Younis, Hamas-run health ministry says

Israeli tank shellfire has killed at least 51 Palestinians in Khan Younis, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

Hundreds of others have been injured, with “dozens of critical cases” arriving at a medical complex.

It is feared that the number of fatalities will rise.

People react as casualties are brought to hospital. Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

The strikes took place as people waited for United Nations and commercial aid trucks in the southern Gaza city.

Witnesses said that Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on a nearby home before opening fire toward the crowd.

“Emergency, intensive care, and operating rooms are experiencing severe overcrowding,” a statement said.

Officials say medical staff “are operating with limited supplies of life-saving medicines” – with the ministry renewing an “urgent appeal” to increase aid.

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

Hours earlier, Donald Trump had joined other G7 leaders to call for a “de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza”.

The Israeli military is yet to comment on this incident.

On Monday, Gaza’s health ministry said at least 34 people were shot dead near food distribution centres.

This was the highest reported daily total since Israel and US-backed aid centres opened last month, with thousands of Palestinians moving through Israeli military-controlled areas to reach them.

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