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

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 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

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

The Vancouver Canucks have fired general manager Patrik Allvin following a last-place finish, the team announced Friday. President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford confirmed the move a day after the club closed its season with a 6–1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. According to the team, Vancouver finished the 2025–26 campaign at the bottom of the NHL standings with a 25–49–8 record, despite preseason expectations of a playoff push. Injuries and ongoing defensive struggles contributed to the slide, as the club fell out of contention early in the year. A key turning point came in Decembe

The federal government says a one-time affordability payment tied to the GST/HST credit will be issued June 5 to eligible low- and modest-income households. According to a federal announcement made in January, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the payment will equal 50 per cent of the annual value of the existing GST/HST credit. The program is being renamed the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. Eligibility is tied to the current GST/HST credit system. Ottawa says households that have filed their 2024 income tax return and already receive the quarterly credit will automatically receive the

A youth is in custody after police say threats were made on social media to shoot students at a high school in Stettler, Alta. According to a release from Royal Canadian Mounted Police, officers received reports Wednesday night about messages sent over the Snapchat platform involving a school in the central Alberta town, located east of Red Deer. Police say they launched an investigation shortly after the report was received. RCMP say a youth has been arrested and a charge of uttering threats is pending. The identity of the youth cannot be released under youth justice laws. Police have not con

Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh will remain lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam even after the expiry of his detention under the National Security Act, following an interim order by the High Court. According to court proceedings, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed that Singh not be transferred to Punjab and that hearings in the cases registered against him will continue to be conducted within the Assam jail premises. The interim order came in response to a petition filed by the Punjab government. Singh’s legal counsel argued before the court that he does not pose any threat in

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the federal government will host a new Canada Investment Summit in Toronto this fall, aimed at attracting up to $1 trillion in investment for major projects over the next five years. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the summit will bring together global investors, chief executives and business leaders on Sept. 14 and 15 to advance what it describes as “nation-building projects.” The federal government is organizing the event in partnership with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board