Alberta's electricity ``rate of last resort''starts today, replacing the province's previous default rate forconsumers who don't have a contract. The rate is set at about 12 cents per kilowatt hour until 2027. It's meant to shield against price spikes, as the previous option fluctuated from month to month. Retailers must confirm with customers whether they want to sign on to a competitive rate, which can be much lower. Albertans also start paying today a tax on vaping products to fall in line with existing federal taxes. The governments say the tax is meant to discourage vapin

Canada is set to take over the presidency of the G7 in 2025, leading a forum of seven of the world's most advanced economies at a time of political instability at home and around the world. Canada joined the group in 1976 and this year will be chairing its meetings for the seventh time. Ottawa plans to host the leaders' summit June 15 to 17 in Kananaskis, Alta. The G7 includes the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy and Canada, as well as the European Union. For five decades, the group's governments have co-ordinated how liberal democracies respond to economic an

Mounties in central Alberta have charged a man with second-degree murder. Officers responded to a call Saturday about a man on a streetcorner near downtown Red Deer suffering from injuries caused by a bladed weapon. The man died at the scene. He has been identified as 43-year-old Anthony Spiller of Red Deer. Police say a suspect was located nearby and arrested. An 18-year-old man from Red Deer was remanded into custody and is set to appear in court later this week.

Police say a man they were searching for in a double homicide in Calgary has been found dead. An emergency alert had been issued for 38-year-old Benedict Kaminski, describing him as armed and dangerous. A woman in her 30s and a man in his 70s were found dead on Sunday at two different locations in Calgary. Police say the victims are believed to be Kaminski's wife and her father. They say tips from the public lead officers to the Water Valley area, about 80 kilometres northwest of Calgary. The suspect was found dead near his parked truck. This report by The Canadian Press was f

Cell phone scams are surging in Edmonton, with victims losing over $600,000. As of December 18, police had received 91 reports of scams involving fraudulent offers of discounted cell phones. Victims reported receiving calls from individuals claiming to represent Telus, offering cell phones at reduced rates. They were asked to provide their account security codes and passwords to secure the deal. According to police, scammers use this information to access victims' accounts, order new phones, and have them shipped to the victims' addresses. Once the phones are delivered, scammers instruct th

Amid the ongoing farmers' agitation in Punjab, a Supreme Court-appointed committee has scheduled a meeting with farmers on January 3 in Panchkula to discuss their issues in detail. The committee, led by former Justice Nawab Singh, was formed by the Supreme Court to address farmers' grievances. Earlier, the High Power Committee held a meeting with the administration and farmers in Chandigarh. However, it remains uncertain whether the protesting farmers will participate in the upcoming meeting.

A man has been charged with allegedly assaulting a nurse at a Metro Vancouver hospital in an incident police say left her seriously injured last month. Police in Port Moody say a charge of assault causing bodily harm has been approved against a 41-year-old man with no fixed address. He is scheduled to appear in court in Port Coquitlam on Feb. 10. Investigators say the man was arrested after officers responded to a call at Eagle Ridge Hospital on Nov. 20 about a discharged patient who allegedly attacked a female nurse. Police say they arrested the man immediately after the alleged attack. The s

The plane that caught fire upon landing at Halifax's airport over the weekend has been removed, and the runway has reopened. A spokesperson with the Halifax Stanfield International Airport says the runway reopened at 10:15 a.m., leaving both of the airport's runways available for regular flights. An Air Canada Express flight operated by the regional carrier PAL Airlines, arriving from St. John’s, N.L., experienced a rough landing at approximately 9:30 p.m. Saturday night. A passenger on the aircraft described feeling a "massive rumble" upon touching down and says sparks and flames were shoot

The farmers' Punjab Bandh witnessed a massive response today in support of their ongoing agitation demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops and other issues at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab-Haryana. Traffic on major routes, including Amritsar-Jalandhar-Panipat-Delhi and Amritsar-Jammu, was completely halted, with only emergency services operational. Private bus transporters participated in the bandh, and over 200 trains, including Vande Bharat and Shatabdi, were affected. Notably, the Punjab Bandh, called by farmers' organizations, also received