A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.
Kremlin says Trump sent COVID tests to Russia during pandemic, denies report of Putin calls
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the administration of former U.S. president Donald Trump had sent COVID tests to Russia but it denied reports that Trump had spoken at all to Russian President Vladimir Putin since leaving office.
In his book "War," U.S. journalist Bob Woodward quoted an unnamed Trump aide as saying that Trump and Putin may have spoken as many as seven times since Trump left the White House in 2021, according to The Washington Post's summary of the book.
It details one incident when Trump ordered the aide away from his office at his Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago in early 2024 so he could conduct a private phone call with Putin.
"As for the calls, that's a lie," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters. "There were no calls, and they did not hold phone calls after Trump ceased to be president."
Also according to the Woodward book, Trump while still president in 2020 had sent coveted COVID tests to Putin during a crippling shortage in the United States and around the world.
"As for the tests, when the pandemic began, countries did not have enough equipment. And many countries then exchanged such gestures of support and sent each other shipments of various equipment they had," Peskov said.
In April 2020, Trump's administration accepted 60 tonnes of medical equipment from Russia.
"We sent a batch of artificial respiration devices, and several test devices came from America," Peskov said. "The first testers worked very poorly."
"It was a common practice at that time to exchange such support," he added.
'Made-up stories'
Trump's campaign dismissed the reports in Woodward鈥檚 book saying, "None of these made-up stories by Bob Woodward are true."
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that 20 current and former Trump and Biden administration officials and career intelligence officials said they did not know about any Trump-Putin talks since the Republican left the White House in January 2021 but that "it was not inconceivable."
Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris questioned why tests were sent to Russia during the pandemic.
"Everybody was scrambling to get these kits, these COVID test kits, and this guy, who's president of the United States, is sending them to Russia, this murderous dictator, for his personal use?" Harris told the Howard Stern show.
Woodward told CBS that the tests were precious assets at a time when COVID was "running wild" worldwide.
According to summaries of the book by the Post and the New York Times, U.S. President Joe Biden was privately scathing about several foreign leaders including Putin.
Biden called Putin the "epitome of evil" and used crude language about him, according to the Post summary.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; additional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington, editing by Gareth Jones)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.
'We all got through it': Canadian family stuck in Cuba recalls ordeal amid massive blackout
Ellen Francis says she and her family were having a great time at one of Cuba's famously stunning beaches and exploring the popular tourist town of Varadero when the situation turned into something like a scary movie.
Cooldown expected across Canada before above-seasonal temperatures return
Canada is getting served a smorgasbord of weather this week. The West saw its first sign of winter, while the eastern half of Canada experienced summer-like temperatures on Tuesday.
Man charged after attempting to force his way into the House of Commons: police
On the tenth anniversary of the shooting on Parliament Hill, a man was arrested and charged with trespassing as he attempted to push past security guards into the House of Commons.
One dead in multistate E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald's Quarter Pounders, CDC says
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert Tuesday regarding an E. coli outbreak that it says is linked with McDonald鈥檚 Quarter Pounders.
Former Conservative leader says Trudeau 'should move on' amid efforts to oust him
Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'should move on,' as he faces growing inner-caucus turmoil.
Kevin Vickers says 'not a day that goes by' he doesn't think about Parliament Hill shooting
On the 10-year anniversary of the deadly Parliament Hill shooting, former sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers says there's 'not a day that goes by' where he doesn't think about it.
With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.
Local Spotlight
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.
A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥