Richmond RCMP say a targeted enforcement operation aimed at retail theft led to 16 arrests earlier this month, as police continue efforts to address repeat shoplifting and organized theft in the city. The arrests were made during a Project Boost and Bust operation carried out by frontline officers on December 13. The initiative is supported through the Community Safety and Targeted Enforcement Program and focuses on high-theft retail locations across Richmond. Police say most of the individuals arrested do not live in Richmond, reinforcing concerns that retail theft in the city is frequently d

Elections Alberta has approved three additional recall petitions against sitting members of the provincial legislature, bringing the total number of active recall efforts across the province to 26. The latest petitions target two United Conservative Party backbenchers, Ron Wiebe and Justin Wright, along with Opposition New Democrat MLA Peggy Wright, who serves as the party’s labour critic. With the new approvals, 24 of the 26 active petitions are aimed at UCP politicians, representing more than half of Premier Danielle Smith’s 47-member caucus. Petitioners seeking the removal of Wiebe and

Several schools in Patiala district and the Patiala railway station were placed under heightened security on Tuesday after authorities received bomb threats through email, Punjab Police said. The threat follows similar warnings reported earlier in Amritsar and Jalandhar, raising concerns among parents and local residents. Police teams were immediately deployed to the affected schools and public locations, where thorough search operations were carried out as a precautionary measure. According to officials, the email claimed that explosive devices could detonate between 1:11 pm and 9:11 pm. As a

Sooke RCMP are asking for the public’s assistance as they investigate an alleged counterfeit currency transaction at a local gas station earlier this month. Police say two men attended the Chevron gas station at 6610 Sooke Rd. on December 20 shortly after 6:00 p.m., where a counterfeit $100 bill was allegedly used during a transaction. The incident was reported to police two days later, on December 22. The first suspect is described as a Caucasian man between 20 and 30 years old, with brown hair and a beard. At the time, he was wearing a black North Face jacket. The second suspect is also de

An Ontario lawyer accused by U.S. authorities of assisting a major international drug trafficking network connected to former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been granted bail while awaiting an extradition hearing. Deepak Paradkar, a 62-year-old lawyer from Thornhill, Ont., was arrested last month as part of a cross-border investigation led by the FBI. U.S. prosecutors allege Paradkar played a significant role in supporting Wedding, who is accused of leading a violent criminal organization operating across North America. Court documents allege Paradkar advised Wedding in connection with t

The upcoming leadership race for the Conservative Party of B.C. will offer members a chance to present a new vision and rebuild unity after weeks of public turmoil, according to interim leader Trevor Halford. He says the party is focused on moving forward following a rare and highly visible split within its caucus earlier this month. Halford was appointed interim leader on Dec. 3 after the party board removed John Rustad, citing a loss of confidence and describing him as professionally incapacitated. The decision followed months of internal disputes that Conservative MLAs said had hurt fundrai

Canada’s real gross domestic product declined by 0.3 per cent in October, according to new data from Statistics Canada, as weakness in manufacturing and parts of the public sector weighed on overall economic activity. The federal agency said goods-producing industries fell by 0.7 per cent during the month, with manufacturing responsible for nearly the entire drop. The slowdown follows earlier signs of easing demand and supply chain adjustments across several manufacturing subsectors. Public sector activity also declined, partly reflecting the impact of Alberta’s provincewide teachers’ st

Ukraine says Russia launched one of its largest combined aerial attacks of the war overnight and into Tuesday, firing more than 650 drones along with several dozen missiles at targets across the country. Ukrainian officials reported at least three people were killed, including a four-year-old child, and multiple regions experienced power outages as air defences worked for hours to repel the assault. The strikes damaged energy infrastructure and residential areas, forcing emergency crews to respond across several cities. Authorities said the scale and duration of the attack caused widespread di

Alberta’s election authority has approved a proposed referendum question that would ask voters whether the province should separate from Canada and become an independent country. Elections Alberta confirmed the question meets the technical requirements under provincial legislation. The wording asks voters whether they agree that Alberta should cease to be part of Canada in order to become an independent state. The application was submitted by the Alberta Prosperity Project, an organization that advocates for increased provincial autonomy and independence. The group now has until early Januar