VPD identifies victim of Strathcona homicide

Canada’s inflation rate rose slightly at the end of last year, with consumer prices increasing at an annual pace of 2.4 per cent in December, according to new data from Statistics Canada. That marked an uptick from 2.2 per cent in November. The national statistics agency said the increase was partly driven by comparison effects linked to a temporary federal tax holiday that had been in place a year earlier. Prices that were held down during that period have since returned to more typical levels, pushing the year-over-year inflation figure higher. Economists often point to these base-year eff

The leader of the Parti Québécois says Premier François Legault’s decision to step down has reopened the question of Quebec sovereignty and created an opportunity to reset the province’s political direction. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said Legault’s tenure demonstrates the limits of seeking greater autonomy within Canada, arguing that Quebec has failed to achieve meaningful gains in key areas such as immigration control and health care after more than seven years under Coalition Avenir Québec rule. Legault founded the CAQ on the idea of moving beyond the long-standing divide between fe

Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to impose a 16-year prison sentence on a Calgary man convicted of participating in the activities of the Islamic State group after travelling to Syria more than a decade ago. Jamal Borhot, now 35, was found guilty in December of three counts related to involvement with a listed terrorist organization. The court heard Borhot travelled to Syria in 2013 and knowingly assisted ISIS while the group was carrying out widespread violence across the region. During sentencing submissions, the Crown said Borhot was not a passive supporter. Prosecutors told the court

Political activity in Punjab has intensified as parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 state Assembly elections. In this context, the Bharatiya Janata Party has taken another step to strengthen its organisational base in the state. On Friday, former Congress Member of Parliament Jagmeet Brar formally joined the BJP in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini. He was joined by Omkar Sidhu, former officer on special duty to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Charanjit Brar, and Jagmeet Brar’s brother Ripjeet Singh Brar. BJP leaders

A South Korean court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison in connection with criminal charges linked to his controversial declaration of martial law in late 2024. The ruling, delivered Friday by the Seoul Central District Court, marks the first verdict among eight separate criminal trials Yoon is facing related to the decree and other alleged misconduct. The court convicted Yoon on charges including defying authorities during attempts to detain him and fabricating official documents. Prosecutors had argued that Yoon obstructed law enforcement and abused presiden