Five people are dead after a small plane crashed near Wimberley, Texas, on Thursday night, according to a local official. Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said in a Facebook post that the aircraft went down in the area, located about 40 miles southwest of Austin. All five individuals on board were killed, he said. Details about the aircraft, the identities of those on board, and the cause of the crash were not immediately released. It is not clear which agencies are leading the investigation. Authorities have not provided additional information on conditions at the time of the crash or whether

The Punjab Legislative Assembly passed a confidence motion tabled by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a special session called by the state government, according to proceedings reported from the House. The motion was introduced to demonstrate the government’s majority. A total of 88 legislators from the Aam Aadmi Party voted in favour, while four MLAs were absent at the time of voting. Ahead of the session, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa questioned the need for a confidence motion, stating that the ruling party already holds a large majority in the Assembly. He said the move

Alberta’s privacy commissioner is calling for changes to provincial law following allegations that a separatist group accessed and published the province’s official voter list. Elections Alberta says it is investigating a group known as the Centurion Project after an app linked to the group allegedly made public the names and addresses of nearly three million voters. According to the agency, official voter lists are only distributed to elected officials, registered political parties and authorized party representatives. The app was removed following a court order earlier this week. Electio

Cuts to federally funded health coverage for refugees and asylum claimants took effect Friday, introducing new out-of-pocket costs for medications and certain health services. According to federal program changes to the Interim Federal Health Program, refugees will now be required to pay $4 per prescription and cover 30 per cent of the cost for supplementary health products and services. These include mental health counselling, dental care, vision care, medical devices and mobility aids such as wheelchairs. Until now, the program provided full health coverage for eligible refugees until they q

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says a newly approved cross-border pipeline expansion could significantly increase the flow of Alberta crude to the United States, following a presidential permit signed by U.S. President Donald Trump. According to a statement from Smith’s office, the permit authorizes the Bridger Pipeline expansion, described as a partial revival of the previously cancelled Keystone XL project. The expansion is part of a joint venture between Calgary-based South Bow and U.S.-based Bridger. Smith said the project could transport more than 500,000 barrels of Alberta oil per day