AlbertaJun 17, 2025
Lethbridge police chief accused of breaking COVID rules has complaint dismissed
A police oversight board says it has dismissed a complaint that a southern Alberta police chief allegedly broke public health restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It comes after a former deputy chief with the Lethbridge Police Service had claimed Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh violated a public health order by taking a chaplain out for lunch in March 2021.
A disciplinary hearing by the Lethbridge Police Commission concluded Monday and dismissed the allegations. An agreed statement of facts says Mehdizadeh and the chaplain were masked and properly socially distanced throughout the lun
CanadaJun 17, 2025
MP resigns seat so Poilievre can run in Alberta byelection
Alberta Conservative Damien Kurek says he has officially resigned as an MP after promising earlier in the spring to vacate his seat in the Battle River—Crowfoot riding to allow Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to run in a byelection.
Poilievre lost his Ottawa-area seat in the general election to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy, a political rookie.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he will call a byelection in the riding as soon as possible.
CanadaJun 17, 2025
“Shameful Blame Game”: MLA Elenore Sturko Condemns Minister Garry Begg for Targeting Victims Amid Surrey Extortion Crisis
At a public safety forum in Surrey this weekend, frustration in the South Asian business community reached a boiling point. Community members, many of them extortion victims, spoke out about a justice system they no longer trust.
Instead of standing with victims, NDP Public Safety Minister Garry Begg blamed the community for not coming forward. His comments, made in front of survivors and concerned citizens, shocked attendees and drew immediate condemnation from MLA Elenore Sturko, Official Opposition Critic for Solicitor General and Public Safety.
“At yesterday’s public safety town hall
CanadaJun 17, 2025
Around 80,000 Canadians in the Middle East amid Israel-Iran conflict: Global Affairs
Global Affairs Canada says approximately 3,500 Canadians are in Iran and another 6,700 are in Israel amid an escalating conflict between the two countries.
The department says that count is based on the voluntary registration of around 80,000 Canadians in the Middle East and doesn’t fully reflect how many of them may need help getting out of the region.
Global Affairs Canada says it hasn’t received any reports of Canadian injuries or deaths in the conflict.
The department is warning against all travel to Iran, Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and advising Canadians in the Middle Ea
WorldJun 17, 2025
India starts evacuating its citizens from Iran amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran
Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, India has started evacuating its citizens from Iran. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that some Indian citizens have been evacuated from the country through the Armenian border. Most of these students are from Jammu and Kashmir, who are studying MBBS in the city of Urmia in Iran.
According to the information received, these students were brought from the university campus to the Armenian border at midnight on June 16, Indian time. All will reach India on Wednesday. There are about 10,000 Indians in Iran, including 1,500 students