Authorities in the southwest German town of Walldorf have ordered some cat owners to keep their pets indoors until the end of August, to protect a rare bird during its breeding season. The decree is designed to help save the crested lark, which makes its nest on the ground and is therefore easy prey for feline hunters. The bird's population in Western Europe has declined sharply in recent decades. Authorities in Walldorf wrote that “among other things the survival of the species depends on every single chick.” The decree, which applies to all cats in the southern part of the town and will

Despite a sharp jump in prices, the consumption of petrol and diesel has increased in the recent months, government sources said. Talking to ANI, a government source said petrol consumption increased by 14 per cent in April when compared with the previous month, while diesel consumption grew by 2 per cent during this period. On high prices of petroleum products, the sources said that petrol and diesel prices would come down as soon as the global situation comes under control. Petrol and diesel prices were hiked 14 times between March 22 to April 6. Petrol in Delhi costs Rs 105.41 per litre whi

A hunter's wife has testified she warned her husband not to drink and drive or get in a fight the night he and his uncle were shot to death on a rural Alberta road. Sarah Sansom told a jury trial in Edmonton that alcohol consumption had caused problems in her marriage with Jacob Sansom. Crown lawyers have said Jacob Sansom and his uncle Maurice Cardinal were followed on a rural road northeast of Edmonton in March 2020 and were shot after a confrontation. Roger Bilodeau, 58, and his son Anthony Bilodeau, 33, have each pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. Prosecutors have sa

One person is dead following a two-alarm fire at a multi-unit residential home in Calgary's southeast community of Deer Ridge. Fire crews were called to the 100 block of Deerview Way shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday night. A second alarm was called after firefighters arrived due to the amount of flame extending from the basement. Crews were able to get the fire under control fairly quickly.Firefighters searched the building, where they found the body of a male resident. Calgary fire said the blaze was largely contained to the main unit with heavy heat and smoke damage to that area, while damage

A report examining the wildfire that wiped out Lytton last June says it's important to understand what happened so other communities don't suffer the same fate. The report says the destruction of Lytton was more than a wildfire problem and it makes 33 recommendations to reduce fire risk, especially within so-called home ignition zones, where structures and homes burn easily. The authors say the loss of the village could not have been stopped, even with immediate emergency aid, because at least 20 buildings were engulfed in barely an hour, requiring the response of as many as 60 fire trucks. R

The Guru Nanak Institute of Global Studies (GNI) officially launched providing a world-class infrastructure and academic environment for research and teaching on Sikh philosophy, history, literature, culture, and devotional music in an interdisciplinary manner. GNI is a PTIB (Private Training Institution Branch) approved, non-profit educational and research institute founded in 2021 to commemorate Guru Nanak’s 550th anniversary. The name Guru Nanak (the revealer of Sikhi) is synonymous with equality, equity, justice, compassion, open dialogue, spiritual revolution, life-long learning, and e

Summer is just over four weeks away but south coast residents are being warned to brace for more snow, at least at higher elevations, as winter won't release its chilly grip. Special weather statements from Environment Canada cover Vancouver Island and the inner south coast as an unseasonably strong spring storm arrives tonight packing gusty winds, heavy rain and another dump of snow on coastal mountain passes. The weather office says all of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, Howe Sound, Whistler, Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley will be affected before conditions ease and temperatures sta

New Westminster police say a charge of assault has been recommended against a 50 year old man after another man was pushed to the ground and punched in an apparently unprovoked attack. Police say it happened last Thursday near the Sapperton SkyTrain station as the suspect and victim passed each other on the overpass leading to transit platform. A witness saw the alleged assault, called 9-1-1 and stayed to help the victim while the suspect boarded SkyTrain and was intercepted by police just outside the New Westminster station. Investigators say the case is troubling because it was unprovoked s

The Alberta Utilities Commission says the small cash payout proposed by AltaLink would ultimately cost consumers millions more than it returned. AltaLink, Alberta's largest electricity transmitter, had asked the commission to allow it to offer a 120-million-dollar refund that would have averaged about 5-dollars a month for residential customers. But the commission pointed out the refund would have been financed by a loan, not cash. And it says and the interest and other charges on that money meant the true cost of the refund was about 250 million dollars --money the company would have recouped