The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear an appeal from the owners of a British Columbia ostrich farm challenging a federal order to destroy hundreds of their birds following an avian flu outbreak. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) directed the cull on December 31, 2024, after detecting the virus on the property near Edgewood in B.C.’s southern Interior. The farm owners sought to overturn the order, arguing that the surviving ostriches showed no symptoms of infection and should not be euthanized. Federal officials maintained that even apparently healthy birds can carry and tr

The fate of more than 300 ostriches in British Columbia’s southern Interior could be decided within days, as the Supreme Court of Canada prepares to rule on whether it will hear a final appeal from Universal Ostrich Farms. The Edgewood-based operation has spent nearly a year fighting a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) order to cull its flock following an avian influenza outbreak last December. The farm has already lost two earlier legal battles in Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal. In September, the Supreme Court temporarily halted the cull while it considered whether to he

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has reportedly received a death threat from gangster Harvinder Singh Rinda, believed to be operating from Pakistan. Sources say the threat surfaced following Warring’s remarks about former Union home minister Buta Singh. According to police officials, the message warned Warring to stay away from political campaigning until November 11 – the date of polling for the Tarn Taran assembly by-election. A similar threat was also received by Congress leader Rajvir Singh Bhullar. Police have registered a case and enhanced security arrangements

A heated exchange took place in the Punjab and Haryana High Court today during the hearing of former minister Bikram Singh Majithia’s bail petition. The Punjab Advocate General, appearing for the state government, sought two days’ time to file a response, but the court made it clear that the matter would be heard the same day. Majithia’s counsel argued that since the charge sheet has already been filed, there was no justification for the government to continue opposing bail. The defence pointed out that the Supreme Court had earlier dismissed an investigation report in a related NDPS mat

A west Edmonton home that police say was the source of frequent criminal activity has been shut down by Alberta Sheriffs following months of neighbourhood complaints and more than 40 police visits. The province confirmed Thursday that the residence at 15812 110A Avenue Northwest has been closed for 90 days, until February 3, 2026, under Alberta’s Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) Act. All occupants, including the property owner, have been ordered to leave while the building is boarded up, fenced and secured. Officials say residents in the area had long reported suspicious behaviour

Richmond RCMP say 15 people were arrested during a single-day operation aimed at curbing retail theft in the city’s downtown core. The targeted enforcement took place on October 18 as part of the detachment’s ongoing “Boost and Bust” initiative. Police say most of those arrested were from outside the Richmond area, and one person was taken into custody twice at separate locations. Two of the suspects were youth. Officers recovered more than $5,000 worth of stolen goods during the operation. The “Boost and Bust” initiative is partly funded by the provincial Community Safety and Targ

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Vardev Singh Mann, widely known as Noni Mann, has been arrested in connection with a violent clash that broke out last year during the nomination process for panchayat elections in Jalalabad, Fazilka district. The incident took place outside the office of the Block Development and Panchayat Officer. Police said Mann, who has previously contested twice for the Punjab Assembly from the Guru Har Sahai constituency on an SAD ticket, was taken into custody from the Sangrur area on Wednesday morning. Jalalabad City Station House Officer Angrej Kumar confirmed the arr

Emergency crews are combing through wreckage at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport after a UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded during takeoff, killing at least nine people and leaving others unaccounted for. Authorities say the aircraft was bound for Honolulu when it caught fire shortly after lifting off the runway early Tuesday morning. Footage from witnesses showed flames erupting from the plane’s left wing and a thick trail of smoke moments before the aircraft plunged back to the ground, igniting a massive fireball. Part of a nearby building’s roof was torn apart by the

British Columbia Premier David Eby has joined leaders from coastal First Nations in signing a declaration urging the federal government to uphold the moratorium on oil tankers along the province’s northern coastline. Eby said a single oil spill in the ecologically sensitive region could wipe out billions of dollars in coastal economic activity, warning that current technology cannot effectively clean up such a disaster. The call comes as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith renews her push to have the ban lifted as part of her government’s plan to pursue a new oil pipeline to the B.C. coast. Chi