A provincial court judge is recommending stronger vaccination campaigns and action on overcrowded housing conditions following the 2020 death of a six-year-old Indigenous boy in northern Alberta. In a fatality inquiry report released Tuesday, provincial court Justice Claus Thietke said the boy died on Nov. 13, 2020, at a local nursing station after experiencing abdominal pain and hours of vomiting. Evidence presented during the inquiry found meningococcus bacteria in the child’s bloodstream caused an infection that led to organ failure. According to the report, the boy lived with about 20 re

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the federal government is entering contract negotiations with Swedish defence company Saab to acquire a new fleet of airborne surveillance aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force. The federal government has previously said it plans to procure six radar-equipped aircraft intended to strengthen Canada’s aerospace surveillance capabilities and support continental defence operations. According to Carney, the aircraft are needed to address emerging threats, including hypersonic missile technology. Saab manufactures the GlobalEye surveillance aircraft in partnersh

A strike in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday killed Mohammed Odeh, a commander linked to Hamas’s military wing, according to the Israeli military and local family members. Local doctors and witnesses said at least three Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured after a residential building in Gaza City was struck in one of the city’s busiest neighbourhoods. In a statement, the Israeli military said the operation targeted buildings allegedly being used by Odeh as hiding locations. Israeli officials said the strike followed months of intelligence monitoring and tracking of Odeh’s movements

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office says Jason Stephan has resigned as the government’s parliamentary adviser on constitutional affairs. Stephan, the United Conservative Party MLA for Red Deer-South, remains a member of the government caucus, according to the premier’s office. No reason was provided for the resignation, which the office said was submitted earlier this year. The constitutional affairs advisory role was created by the Alberta government last year and was described at the time as “critically important” to advancing the province’s interests in federal-provincial re

Lake Country RCMP say officers seized multiple firearms, including prohibited and restricted weapons, during the execution of a search warrant at a residence in the 12000 block of Shoreline Drive on May 25. According to an RCMP news release, the warrant was obtained following reports that a firearm had been discharged in a Lake Country neighbourhood earlier this month. The search was carried out with assistance from the Southeast District Emergency Response Team. Police said officers seized eight firearms along with ammunition from the property. The residence was unoccupied at the time the war