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alberta-proposes-law-to-add-citizenship-status-and-health-numbers-to-drivers-licences
AlbertaNov 18, 2025

Alberta proposes law to add citizenship status and health numbers to driver’s licences

Alberta has introduced legislation that would require citizenship status and provincial health numbers to be displayed on all driver’s licences and government ID cards. The proposal formalizes a plan the province first signalled earlier this year, prompting debate about how much personal information should appear on identification used for everyday transactions. Privacy advocates previously warned that the change could expose a person’s citizenship status in routine situations such as age verification at stores or restaurants. Government officials argue the measure will make it easier for
calgary-committee-backs-motion-to-scrap-blanket-rezoning-ahead-of-full-council-vote
AlbertaNov 17, 2025

Calgary committee backs motion to scrap blanket rezoning ahead of full council vote

Calgary’s executive committee has endorsed a motion from Mayor Jeromy Farkas to roll back the city’s blanket rezoning bylaw, setting the stage for a final decision by full council on December 15. The move begins the formal process to undo a housing policy approved earlier this year under former mayor Jyoti Gondek. The bylaw, adopted in April 2024, allowed fourplexes and rowhouses on all residential lots without requiring individual public hearings or neighbourhood-level consultation. Council approved the changes despite strong opposition from residents who argued the citywide approach w
alberta-cabinet-minister-apologizes-after-voicemail-with-expletive-becomes-public
AlbertaNov 17, 2025

Alberta cabinet minister apologizes after voicemail with expletive becomes public

Alberta cabinet minister Tanya Fir has issued a public apology after a voicemail she left for a Calgary constituent captured her using an expletive once she believed the call had ended. Fir, who serves as minister of arts, culture and Status of Women, acknowledged the remark in a written statement and described it as a lapse in judgment. The voicemail, released over the weekend by Alberta columnist Doug Firby, begins with Fir returning a constituent’s call and referencing feedback she had received. After offering a goodbye, the line remains open as she turns to speak with someone nearby. In
WorldNov 17, 2025

Australian Paralympic champion Paige Greco dies at age 28

Australian para-cyclist Paige Greco, a gold medalist from the Tokyo Paralympics, has died following what officials described as a sudden medical episode at her home in Adelaide on Sunday. She was 28. Greco, who lived with cerebral palsy, captured international attention in 2021 when she won the first gold medal awarded at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, breaking her own world record on the track. She went on to earn two bronze medals in the road race and individual time trial. Paralympics Australia and the national cycling federation said her family is grieving the unexpected loss, remembering her
langley-rcmp-search-for-two-suspects-after-hit-and-run-involving-unmarked-police-vehicle
BCNov 17, 2025

Langley RCMP search for two suspects after hit and run involving unmarked police vehicle

Police in Langley say they are looking for two people who ran from the scene of a hit and run that involved an unmarked Abbotsford Police vehicle late Friday evening. The collision took place around 7:20 p.m. in the 5200 block of 264 Street, an area that links rural Langley to several major Fraser Valley routes. Investigators say a white GMC Canyon pickup struck the unmarked vehicle, injuring the officer inside. The officer was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released. Members of both Langley RCMP and the Abbotsford Police Department responded to the sce
surrey-police-ask-for-public-help-to-find-missing-84-year-old-man
CanadaNov 17, 2025

Surrey police ask for public help to find missing 84-year-old man

Surrey Police Service is asking the public for help to locate 84-year-old Won Kil Kim, who has been missing since early Sunday morning. Police say he was last seen around 7 a.m. on November 16 in the 10300 block of 155A Street in northeast Surrey. Family members told officers Kim had planned to travel to a church in Burnaby before heading to the Grouse Mountain area for a hike, but investigators say it is not clear whether he reached either location. Police note that he may have been carrying two hiking poles, though his clothing is unknown. Kim is described as a Korean man, about five foot fi
canadian-home-sales-slip-year-over-year-in-october-as-economists-anticipate-stronger-activity-in-2026
CanadaNov 17, 2025

Canadian home sales slip year over year in October as economists anticipate stronger activity in 2026

Canadian home sales were lower last month compared with the previous year, as rising inventories and cautious buyers continued to shape market conditions heading into winter. New figures from the Canadian Real Estate Association show 42,068 residential properties changed hands in October, a 4.3 per cent decline from October 2024. Despite the annual drop, monthly activity inched higher. Sales increased 0.9 per cent from September, marking the sixth monthly gain in seven months. Analysts say that pattern suggests the market may be stabilizing after several years of volatility driven by interest
canadas-inflation-rate-eases-to-2-2-percent-in-october-as-fuel-and-food-costs-decline
CanadaNov 17, 2025

Canada’s inflation rate eases to 2.2 percent in October as fuel and food costs decline

Canada’s inflation rate slowed to 2.2 percent in October, with Statistics Canada reporting that lower gasoline and grocery prices played a leading role in easing overall consumer costs. The agency says fuel prices dropped more sharply than in September as retailers shifted to less expensive winter fuel blends. Grocery prices also moved downward, falling 0.6 percent from the previous month. Statistics Canada notes that this was the most significant month to month decline in more than five years, offering some relief to households facing persistent affordability pressures. Annual food inflatio
WorldNov 17, 2025

Bangladesh tribunal issues death sentences against ousted prime minister in student-protest crackdown case

A special tribunal in Bangladesh has imposed death sentences on former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and ex-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, holding them responsible for a violent state response to a student uprising last year, according to the court’s decision released Monday. Both former officials were tried in absentia after leaving for India, which has said it will not extradite them. The International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka ruled that the pair authorized actions that contributed to widespread casualties during nationwide demonstrations over a contested public-sector quota system. The pr

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how-to-build-a-successful-business-exclusive-with-dragons-den-star-manjit-minhas
BCApr 17, 2026

How to build a successful business? Exclusive with Dragon's Den star Manjit Minhas

Canada's renowned business personality Manjit Minhas was in Surrey on Thursday. She attended the Surrey and White Rock Women in Business Awards. Meanwhile, in an exclusive conversation with Connect Media Network, she discussed business, investment, start-ups, Dragon's Den and some unique problems faced by women in business.Manjit Minhas in conversation with Connect Media Network News Director, Pervez Sandhu. (Photo - Connect FM)How to make start-ups successful?In an exclusive conversation with Connect FM, when Manjit Minhas was asked about making a start-up successful, she said that many peopl
AlbertaApr 17, 2026

Sexual assault charges against Edmonton-area spiritual leader, wife stayed by Crown

Sexual assault charges against an Edmonton-area spiritual leader and his wife have been stayed, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service confirmed Friday. Johannes “John” de Ruiter and Leigh Ann de Ruiter each faced six counts of sexual assault and were scheduled to stand trial in September. The charges, first laid in 2023, will not proceed after prosecutors determined there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction, according to a statement from the Crown. Police previously alleged that John de Ruiter, described as the leader of a group known as the College of Integrated Philosophy, also ca
students-abducted-after-gunmen-attack-passenger-bus-in-central-nigeria
WorldApr 17, 2026

Students abducted after gunmen attack passenger bus in central Nigeria

Gunmen attacked a passenger bus in Nigeria’s Benue state on Thursday, abducting several students who were travelling to sit for university examinations, according to a statement from the state government. Benue Gov. Hyacinth Alia said the attack occurred along the Otukpo–Makurdi highway. The number of people taken has not been officially confirmed. Local media reports indicate there were 14 passengers on board at the time of the напад. “The targeting of innocent citizens, particularly students on their way to sit for examinations, is unacceptable and stands against every norm of hum
air-canada-to-suspend-toronto-montreal-flights-to-new-york-jfk-over-fuel-costs
CanadaApr 17, 2026

Air Canada to suspend Toronto, Montreal flights to New York JFK over fuel costs

Air Canada says it will suspend flights from Toronto and Montreal to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport starting June 1 through Oct. 25, citing rising jet fuel prices. In a statement, the airline said fuel costs have “doubled since the start of the Iran conflict,” making some lower-profit routes no longer economically viable. The company said it is adjusting its schedule accordingly. The suspension affects service to JFK from Canada’s two largest cities, key routes for business and international connections. Air Canada said customers with affected bookings will be contact
WorldApr 17, 2026

U.K., France signal joint maritime mission after leaders’ meeting on Strait of Hormuz access

Leaders from multiple countries met Friday under the leadership of the United Kingdom and France to discuss access to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route. According to a statement from the U.K. prime minister’s office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said participating countries welcomed Iran’s decision to keep the waterway open. He said leaders agreed the route must remain accessible without tolls or restrictions, citing its importance to global trade and energy supply. Starmer said reopening and maintaining shipping through the strait is critical to stabilizing economic pressur