Canada’s top intelligence official says foreign spies from China and Russia are actively targeting governments and companies involved in developing the country’s Arctic region. In a national security address on Thursday, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) director Dan Rogers said his agency has observed sustained intelligence-gathering activities in the North, with both public institutions and private industry being approached or monitored by foreign actors. Rogers noted that non-Arctic countries, particularly China, are seeking to expand their economic and strategic presence in

New Westminster police say a man has been arrested following a string of property damage incidents that left at least 14 vehicles and two businesses with smashed windows in the city’s West End earlier this week. Officers first responded to the 1500 block of Dublin Street around 11:45 p.m. on November 11 after receiving a report of a car alarm. The vehicle’s owner found the window broken, and witnesses later reported a person on a bicycle damaging other vehicles in the area. Despite an initial search, police were unable to locate the suspect that night. About two hours later, officers were

Canada is nearing a major reform to its citizenship laws that could restore and extend rights to thousands of people born outside the country. Bill C-3, which cleared the House of Commons on November 5 and passed second reading in the Senate the following day, is now scheduled for detailed study by a Senate committee on November 17. The proposed legislation aims to broaden citizenship by descent, addressing long-standing gaps that left many children of Canadian parents without automatic citizenship due to restrictive provisions in past laws. If passed, the bill would also make it easier for in

Surrey RCMP are investigating after a home in the city’s south end was struck by gunfire for the second time in what investigators believe is an extortion-related attack. Police say officers responded to reports of shots fired around 7:35 p.m. Wednesday near 32 Avenue. No one was injured, but investigators confirmed the same residence had previously been targeted. Authorities say the case remains in its early stages and that officers are working with specialized units and partner agencies to determine whether the incident is connected to other recent extortion-related shootings across Metro

The Punjab government has introduced a new policy requiring village sarpanches and panchayat members to obtain official approval before travelling abroad. The Rural Development and Panchayats Department has circulated instructions to all District Development and Panchayat Officers as well as Additional Deputy Commissioners across the state to ensure implementation. According to the directive, many elected representatives from panchayati raj institutions often travel overseas for personal reasons, which can delay or disrupt ongoing development work in villages. To prevent such administrative sl

A 16-year-old youth was taken into custody Tuesday night after police responded to reports of a person with a firearm near Columbia SkyTrain Station in New Westminster. According to police, a 9-1-1 caller reported seeing the youth pick up what appeared to be a gun and tuck it into his waistband around 8:45 p.m. Officers quickly arrived at the scene and located a suspect matching the description. The youth was arrested without incident. Investigators later determined the firearm was a replica. The New Westminster Police Department said the case remains under active investigation. Sergeant Andre

Vancouver police are investigating after an eight-year-old girl died following a fall from a balcony in the city’s Yaletown neighbourhood. Authorities say emergency crews were called to a residential building around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, after reports that the child had fallen from an upper floor. Despite efforts by first responders, police confirmed the girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives from the department’s major crime section have taken over the investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Police have not released further details, citing the sen

President Donald Trump has signed a long-delayed government funding bill, formally ending the United States’ record 43-day shutdown that left hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay and disrupted key public services. The bill cleared the U.S. House of Representatives late Thursday by a narrow 222–209 vote, largely along party lines. Democrats had pressed to include an extension of an enhanced tax credit that reduces health insurance costs under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans rejected that demand, arguing the issue should be debated separately, allowing the spending mea

Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to announce a new group of large-scale industrial and energy developments being referred to Ottawa’s Major Projects Office for potential fast-track approval. The announcement will take place Thursday in Terrace, British Columbia. According to senior government sources, the list includes Ontario’s Crawford Nickel Project — a major mining development linked to the province’s critical minerals strategy — and a proposed hydroelectric project in Iqaluit aimed at reducing Nunavut’s dependence on diesel-generated electricity. Ontario Premier Doug Ford wel