The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that mandatory minimum jail sentences for possessing or accessing child pornography violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In its decision released Friday, the court found that the one-year minimum sentence removes a judge’s ability to consider individual circumstances and impose a more appropriate penalty when warranted. While the mandatory sentence was designed to promote denunciation and deterrence, the court said it also risked resulting in punishment that is cruel or unusual under Section 12 of the Charter. The ruling upholds a previous decisio

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

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Chandigarh on Friday further extended the judicial custody of suspended Punjab Police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar by 14 days. Bhullar was produced before the court through video conferencing from Burail jail after his 14-days judicial custody ended today. Since the CBI has not demanded remand of Bhullar, the court sent him to further judicial custody till November 14, 2025. The CBI had arrested middleman Krishanu Sharda and Bhullar on October 16, 2025.

Federal authorities say multiple suspects have been taken into custody in Michigan in connection with what officials describe as a planned violent attack over the Halloween weekend. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrests in a post on social media, noting that the operation took place Friday morning. Patel did not release details about the number of people arrested or the nature of the alleged plot, saying additional information would be shared as the investigation progresses. Local police in Dearborn said they were aware of the FBI’s activity in the city on Friday and reassured reside

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada’s relationship with China has reached a “turning point” following his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping since taking office. The two leaders met for 39 minutes on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea — marking the first formal leader-level contact between the two countries in eight years. Carney described the discussion as “long overdue,” saying both sides agreed to rebuild dialogue on trade and cooperation after years of strained ties. “This meeting creates opportunities for Canad

Court proceedings for the man accused of killing 11 people and injuring dozens more at Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu Day festival have been postponed until the new year to allow time for his defence to review extensive evidence. Adam Kai-Ji Lo appeared by video in Vancouver provincial court on Friday, where both Crown prosecutors and defence counsel Mark Swartz agreed to return to court on January 12. Lo faces 11 counts of second-degree murder and 31 counts of attempted murder related to the April vehicle attack at the cultural event. Prosecutor Michaela Donnelly told the court that thousands of pag

The federal government has announced $7 million in humanitarian aid to assist Caribbean nations struggling to recover from the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa. Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, said the funding includes $5 million for emergency health and relief operations through humanitarian organizations, and an additional $2 million to the World Food Programme to support food distribution in Jamaica. Sarai said Canada is also ready to send supplies from its emergency stockpile through the Red Cross if requested by affected countries. The government is

Surrey Police Service has arrested two men following an overnight shooting that damaged a home in the area of 56 Avenue and King George Boulevard early Thursday morning. Officers were called to the scene around 2 a.m. on October 30 after reports of gunfire. When they arrived, police confirmed that the exterior of a residence had been struck by bullets. Several people were inside the home at the time, but no one was injured. Frontline officers later located a suspect vehicle nearby and arrested two men, who remain in custody as the investigation continues. The SPS Frontline Investigative Suppor

The Trump administration has announced a sharp reduction in the number of refugees the United States will accept in the coming fiscal year, setting a cap of 7,500 – the lowest in the country’s modern history. A notice published Thursday in the Federal Register confirmed the decision, which also prioritizes applications from white South Africans, a move critics say signals a major shift in U.S. refugee policy. The new ceiling marks a drastic decline from the 125,000 refugee limit set under President Joe Biden’s administration. The White House offered no detailed explanation for the cut, s