A 28-year-old man from the Cowichan Valley has been charged in connection with a fatal hit-and-run earlier this year that claimed the life of a teenage girl in Duncan. North Cowichan–Duncan RCMP said the man is facing one count of failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing death. The charge was approved by the B.C. Prosecution Service following what investigators described as a lengthy and complex investigation. Police were called to the Trans-Canada Highway near Duncan on April 18, where they discovered a 17-year-old girl dead at the scene. The suspect vehicle was not found at the

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault to oversee the federal government’s role in helping rebuild Jasper, Alberta, following this summer’s devastating wildfire. The July fire destroyed roughly one-third of the Rocky Mountain community, displacing about 2,000 residents and causing extensive damage to homes, businesses, and local infrastructure. Boissonnault, who represents Edmonton Centre in Parliament, will coordinate federal support alongside the Alberta government, the Municipality of Jasper, and Indigenous partners. “This role that the prim

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is urging Canadians currently in Florida to leave immediately and warning others to postpone travel plans as Hurricane Milton moves toward the state’s west coast. The storm, downgraded early Thursday to Category 4 strength, is still expected to bring deadly storm surge, torrential rain and destructive winds. Milton is forecast to make landfall later today in the Tampa Bay region — home to more than 3.3 million people — before moving east through Sarasota, Orlando and Daytona Beach. Millions of residents have been ordered to evacuate as emergency cre

A tornado touched down across Interstate 75 in Florida on Wednesday morning as Hurricane Milton barreled toward the state’s west coast, the U.S. National Weather Service reported. The service shared an image on social media showing the funnel cloud crossing the highway and warned residents to “seek shelter now.” Steady rain and intensifying winds swept across the Tampa Bay area as the massive storm — fluctuating between Category 4 and Category 5 strength — advanced toward landfall. Officials warned that Milton could bring catastrophic winds, flooding and a storm surge of up to 15 fee

A U.S. federal court has sentenced a 27-year-old Kelowna man to 18 months in prison for using false identities to purchase firearms in Montana with the intent to smuggle them into Canada. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana says Haptei John Kozak pleaded guilty earlier this year to four counts of making false statements during firearm transactions. District Court Judge Donald Molloy also imposed a $10,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and ordered Kozak to forfeit 12 firearms seized during the investigation. Prosecutors said Kozak used a fake Montana driver’s licence and falsif

One of Premier Danielle Smith’s closest advisers and a key figure in shaping Alberta’s addiction recovery model is leaving the provincial government. The premier confirmed that her chief of staff, Marshall Smith, will retire from public service at the end of October. Marshall Smith has played a central role in developing Alberta’s recovery-oriented approach to the drug crisis, which emphasizes treatment and rehabilitation over harm-reduction measures such as supervised consumption sites. The strategy has been both praised for expanding treatment capacity and criticized by public health e

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has put a temporary halt on panchayat elections in nearly 300 villages across Punjab following multiple complaints of irregularities and alleged bullying during the nomination process. The order was issued on Wednesday while hearing a series of petitions filed by affected candidates and villagers. According to court records, more than 250 petitions were submitted challenging the conduct of the election process in several villages. Petitioners alleged that administrative lapses, denial of No Objection Certificates (NOCs), and discrepancies in nomination papers

Canadian border officers in British Columbia have intercepted large quantities of methamphetamine intended for export to Australia, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed this week. Between March and August, officers made 60 separate seizures totalling nearly 400 kilograms of crystal meth and about 1,300 litres of liquid methamphetamine. The CBSA says the largest single seizure occurred in June at the Fraser Surrey Dock, southeast of Vancouver, when officers discovered the liquid form of the drug during a one-day inspection operation. Other seizures of crystal meth took place at se

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Laos this week to attend the ASEAN Summit, marking the first official visit by a Canadian prime minister to the Southeast Asian nation. The gathering brings together leaders from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations to discuss regional cooperation and global trade. While Canada is not a member of ASEAN, the two sides have maintained a strategic partnership since 2022. Ottawa is working toward finalizing a free trade agreement with the bloc by the end of next year, as part of its broader Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at strengthening economic an