Canada’s efforts to curb student visa fraud have resulted in a sharp rise in study permit refusals for applicants from India, according to new federal data. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) figures show that 74 per cent of Indian study permit applications were rejected in August 2025 — more than double the refusal rate from the same month last year. The federal government has tightened the issuance of international study permits for a second consecutive year as part of a broader plan to limit temporary migration and strengthen oversight of educational institutions. B

Canada’s economy lost ground in August, with national output falling 0.3 per cent as both goods-producing and service sectors declined, according to new figures from Statistics Canada. The agency said the drop largely erased July’s modest 0.3 per cent gain, which has been revised slightly upward. The August downturn was tied in part to an Air Canada flight attendants’ work stoppage that disrupted air transportation, along with weaker results in manufacturing, wholesale trade, and mining and quarrying industries. Retail trade was the main bright spot, showing growth that partially offset

Students across Alberta left their classrooms on Thursday to rally at the provincial legislature, protesting the government’s decision to force striking teachers back to work. Many wore red clothing and carried homemade signs to show solidarity with educators. The walkouts, coordinated through social media, spread to several schools as students voiced frustration with what they described as an attack on teachers’ rights. The demonstrations followed the provincial government’s move to fast-track a back-to-work bill through the legislature earlier this week. Premier Danielle Smith’s gove

Statistics Canada says the country’s rate of police-reported drug crime has increased for the first time in more than a decade, marking a 13 per cent jump between 2023 and 2024. The new data shows the rise was driven by higher numbers of possession and trafficking charges involving cannabis, cocaine and opioids other than heroin. Despite the recent uptick, the national rate remains well below its historical peak. The 2024 figure stood at 128 incidents per 100,000 people – down 61 per cent from a high of 330 in 2011. The Northwest Territories recorded the highest rate of drug crime last yea

Health officials have confirmed a new wave of avian influenza outbreaks across British Columbia’s Fraser Valley, marking the province’s first cases in nearly a year. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says nine commercial poultry flocks in Abbotsford and Chilliwack have tested positive for the virus since mid-October. The latest surge began on October 14, when the first outbreak of the season was detected in Abbotsford. Eight additional cases were reported in the following days, six of them in Chilliwack-area farms. The return of infections coincides with the annual fall migration

The number of extortion related files with Surrey police in 2025 has reached 74. Of these, 39 cases were shooting related. Just around a couple of weeks ago, this number was reported to have reached 57. Meanwhile, shots were also fired in the 7800 block of 124 Street in Surrey at around 2:45 a.m. yesterday (Sunday, Oct. 25). There were people inside the house at the time of the incident, but no one was injured. It has not yet been confirmed that this incident is related to extortion, although the matter is suspected to be extortion-related. Connect FM reached out to Staff Sgt. Lindsey Hough

Prime Minister Mark Carney is departing today on his first official visit to Asia since taking office, launching a nine-day trip aimed at deepening Canada’s economic and diplomatic relationships across the Indo-Pacific. The visit includes stops at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in South Korea. The trip comes amid renewed geopolitical tension in the region, with countries balancing ties between the United States and China. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend both summits, drawing sig

The federal and Ontario governments are putting a total of $3 billion toward a project to build four small nuclear reactors in the Greater Toronto Area. Prime Minister Mark Carney has added the Darlington New Nuclear Project to his list of projects deemed to be in the national interest and therefore worthy of fast tracking. He and Premier Doug Ford are at the site east of Toronto today to announce that their governments are contributing $2 billion and $1 billion, respectively. Ontario Power Generation has said the entire project should cost about $21 billion. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commis

Vancouver Police say three men have been arrested following a six-week investigation that uncovered an organized criminal network operating from a Downtown Eastside rooming house. Officers seized more than $330,000 worth of toxic drugs, stolen property, and weapons as part of the operation. The investigation, launched in August by VPD’s Task Force Barrage, focused on criminal activity around Carrall and East Hastings Street — one of the city’s most crime-affected intersections. Police allege the group used rooms in the West Hotel, a building intended for low-income tenants, to traffic dr