Ukraine: Russian rock singer faces charges for remarks

Ukraine updates: Russian rock singer faces charges for remarks

What's happening in Ukraine today and how are countries around the world responding? Read live updates on Vladimir Putin and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A veteran Russian rock musician faces charges of discrediting the army for remarks made at a concert on Wednesday.

Charges against Yuri Shevchuk, singer for the band DDT, were sent to an administrative court on Thursday. He could face a fine of up to 50,000 rubles (US$800).

After the war began, Russia passed a more severe law making the spread of “fake news” about the conflict punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

During the concert in Ufa, Shevchuk questioned the aims of the war and why young Russians and Ukrainians are fighting and dying in a war that is also costing the lives of civilians.

“Old people, women and children are dying,” he said. “For some kind of Napoleonic plans of our latest Caesar, yes?”

“The motherland, my friends, is not the ass of a president that you have to lick and kiss all the time. The motherland is a poor grandmother selling potatoes at the train station. That is the motherland,” he added.

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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. has announced a shipment of US$100 million in military equipment to Ukraine, separate from what will be coming from the $40 billion approved Thursday by Congress.

The latest package includes 18 more howitzers as well as anti-artillery radar systems, both of which the U.S. has provided to Ukraine already since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the equipment will be in the hands of Ukrainian forces “very, very soon.”

With this latest shipment, the U.S. has provided nearly $4 billion in military aid since Feb. 24 and $6.6 billion since 2014, when Russia seized and annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.

Kirby said the U.S. will consult with Ukraine, as it has frequently since the invasion, about what it needs in terms of equipment.

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WARSAW, Poland - Poland's President Andrzej Duda, the country's defense minister and the U.S. ambassador to Poland watched a joint military exercise dubbed DEFENDER-Europe 22 by Polish, U.S., French and Swedish troops in northeastern Poland on Thursday.

The troops' task was to cross the Narew River near the town of Nowogrod, in a region about two hours' drive from the borders of Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad and of Russian ally Belarus.

Duda said that, as Ukraine is fighting Russia's invasion, everyone is “aware of the potential threat” in the region.

Duda said the exercise - which had been planned earlier - would help “show the cooperation and the efficiency of NATO in collective defense.”

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UNITED NATIONS -- The UN food chief is warning that the war in Ukraine has created “an unprecedented crisis” of escalating food prices that has sparked protests.

World Food Program Executive Director David Beasley said growing hunger will add at least 47 million people to the 276 million “marching to starvation” before Russia's invasion of its smaller neighbor.

Beasley told a UN Security Council meeting Thursday that 49 million people in 43 countries are already “knocking on famine's door.”

He stressed that conflict, the impact of climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic were already affecting food security but the war in Ukraine, which grows enough food for 400 million people, now has “the longest bread lines in the world.”

He said leaders must help open Ukraine's ports and increase food production.

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte welcomed Sweden and Finland's applications to NATO and expressed confidence that they would be approved despite Turkish opposition.

The pair met in The Hague on Thursday to discuss the situation in Ukraine and energy concerns, in Scholz's first visit to neighboring Netherlands.

Both leaders indicated optimism that the Nordic countries would join the military alliance, but did not explain how other alliance members could overcome opposition by NATO member Turkey.

They were less positive about an accelerated process for Ukraine to join the European Union, which Kyiv requested following the Russian invasion.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. President Joe Biden has hailed the “momentous” applications of once-neutral Sweden and Finland to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Biden greeted Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden and President Sauli NiinistÃ¶ of Finland at the White House Thursday as they met for trilateral conversations on the NATO mutual defense pact and other European security concerns.

The Biden administration has professed optimism for the applications, which would mark a significant embarrassment to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

Biden said both countries “meet every NATO requirement and then some.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that the alliance stop expanding toward Russia's borders.

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WARSAW, Poland - Poland's prime minister says the NATO member nation would extend support to Finland and Sweden should they come under any threat or attack during their process of accession to the defense pact.

Premier Mateusz Morawiecki made the statement during a conference Thursday at the Polish Institute of International Affairs think tank.

Morawiecki said. he “would like to say it clearly that in the case of an attack on Sweden or Finland during their process of accession to NATO Poland will come to their aid.”

Poland lies on NATO's eastern flank, bordering Ukraine and Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad.

Morawiecki also said he believes NATO should have permanent bases on its eastern flank.

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ISTANBUL - Turkey's leader opposes having Sweden and Finland join NATO, but the military alliance's top official says he expects the issue to be resolved and the two Nordic nations to become members soon.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday he was ”confident that we will come to a quick decision to welcome both Sweden and Finland to join the NATO family.”

Stoltenberg told reporters in Copenhagen, Denmark that “we are addressing the concerns that Turkey has expressed.”

Turkey's approval of Finland and Sweden's application to join the Western military alliance is crucial because NATO makes decisions by consensus.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a video released Thursday, “We have told our relevant friends we would say `no' to Finland and Sweden's entry into NATO, and we will continue on our path like this.”

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BERLIN - German lawmakers agreed Thursday to strip former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of his office and staff after he defended his long-standing ties with Russia and its energy sector despite the invasion of Ukraine.

Sven Kindler, a financial policy spokesman for the Greens, one of the governing parties, tweeted that parliament's budget committee approved a change to the rules that would leave Schroeder's office “dormant.”

The move was expected after lawmakers with the governing coalition - led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, Schroeder's party - on Wednesday proposed linking some of the privileges former chancellors enjoy to duties, rather than their status as ex-leaders.

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WASHINGTON -- Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's team is on Capitol Hill urging U.S. senators to consider a fresh round of sanctions on Russians with a more “nuanced” approach that targets mid-level government officials and public figures over the war in Ukraine.

The group is discussing with senators a list of 6,000 Russians, including defense and security officials, administrative employees, governors, members of parliament, even editors and managers at Russian media operations for sanctions.

It is also planning to meet Thursday with officials at the U.S. State Department, the Justice Department and other offices in Washington.

Vladimir Ashurkov, the executive director of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, said the “avalanche of sanctions” imposed so far is having an effect in Russia.

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PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron has reiterated concerns about the risk of the war in Ukraine spreading to surrounding countries, as he hosted the president of Moldova, Ukraine's neighbor.

Macron said Thursday that "a spread of the conflict to neighboring countries cannot be excluded" pointing to "recent incidents" in the Transnistria region of Moldova, where Russian troops are already stationed and where there have been explosions.

"France remains particularly alert to the security situation in the region," the French leader said.

He praised Moldova's help for refugees from Ukraine. The small, Western-leaning former Soviet republic is coping with an influx of refugees. Macron appealed to European leaders to give a rapid initial response to Moldova's application to join the European Union.

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BERLIN -- The UN nuclear watchdog says Ukraine has informed it new wildfires near the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear plant don't pose a radioactive threat to people.

The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday that Kyiv told it gamma dose rate levels near the plant, the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster, were "not exceeding the reference levels."

It said previous experience suggests such fires could lead to a "very small increase" of radioactive concentration in the air but the IAEA supports Ukraine's assessment that it wouldn't endanger human health. It noted "spontaneous fires" often occur in the area this time of year.

Russian forces took control of Chernobyl at the beginning of the invasion in February and withdrew at the end of March.

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BERLIN -- The Group of Seven countries are launching a new Global Alliance for Food Security that is aimed in part at addressing the impact of Russia's war in Ukraine.

German Development Minister Svenja Schulze said Thursday after meeting her counterparts from the G7's major economies that the aim is to better co-ordinate the efforts of aid donors and to ensure that looming crises don't get overlooked.

She said the G7 will seek to bring as many partners on board as possible, including emerging countries that may have supplies. The alliance "is really open. It's not a closed club," Schulze said. The World Bank is helping to implement the project.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has produced a sharp increase in food and energy prices. Both countries are big exporters of wheat, barley and sunflower oil.

The head of the UN Development Program, Achim Steiner, said, "Right now, we need all hands on deck. The question is, can we get the all hands on deck to also work in a well-coordinated fashion?"

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MOSCOW -- The Kremlin says it will be up to residents of areas in Ukraine controlled by Russian troops to determine their future status.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that people living in such places must "determine how and with whom they want to live."

Peskov made the statement during a conference call with reporters after being asked about some Russian officials saying that Russia could move to incorporate the captured Kherson region of southern Ukraine.

The Kremlin spokesman responded by saying that authorities need to focus on providing basic services to the residents of areas under Russian control.

Asked about a plan reportedly proposed by Italy for a political settlement of the fighting in Ukraine, Peskov said the Kremlin was unaware of it but only learned about it from media reports.

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BERLIN -- Germany's health minister pledged Thursday to help Ukraine maintain its health system, which has come under severe pressure due to the war with Russia.

Karl Lauterbach said Ukraine's health minister, Viktor Liashko, briefed his counterparts from the Group of Seven leading democracies during a meeting on Thursday.

Lauterbach said Germany would help establish specialist centers in Ukraine for people suffering from burns and severe trauma due to the war.

Liashko also asked for more prostheses to help people who have lost limbs in the war.

"It's sad but true that many civilians have lost limbs," Lauterbach said. "Among them are many children."

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BRUSSELS -- European Union lawmakers are calling for extra funding to help citizens deal with the impact of sanctions against Russia and the financial support being dedicated to help Ukraine.

In a resolution passed Thursday with a show of hands, the lawmakers defended EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus but said the measures were hurting post-pandemic economic growth and "pose a serious threat to the EU's recovery."

The resolution seeks help for households and companies, possibly through a profit tax on energy companies or a revamp of the EU budget, to "maintain citizens' support for the actions taken against Russia and other actions to support Ukrainians."

The lawmakers also called for European allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, such as former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, to resign. In addition, they think European board members of big Russian companies should be hit with sanctions.

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KYIV, Ukraine -- A Russian soldier facing the first war crimes trial since the start of the war in Ukraine has testified that he shot a Ukrainian civilian on an officer's orders.

Vadim Shishimarin could get a life prison sentence prison if convicted of shooting a 62-year-old man in the head through an open car window in a village in the northeastern Sumy region on Feb. 28, four days into the invasion.

The 21-year-old soldier told a court in Kyiv on Thursday that the officer insisted the man, who was speaking on his cellphone, could pinpoint their location to Ukrainian forces.

Looking subdued, Shishimarin said he had to obey the orders of the officer. He asked the victim's widow, who also was in court, to forgive him for what he did.

The woman, Kateryna Shelipova, said she saw her husband, Oleksandr Shelipov, shot dead just outside their home.

Shelipova told the court that Shishimarin deserves a life sentence for killing her husband but added that she wouldn't mind if he's exchanged as part of a possible swap for the Ukrainian defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

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LISBON, Portugal -- The Portuguese government says Russia is expelling five diplomats from its Moscow embassy, a day after the Kremlin also expelled diplomats from Spain, France and Italy.

The Portuguese Foreign Ministry said Thursday that Russia's decision was "unjustified" and merely a tit-for-tat step after Portugal last month expelled Russian diplomats at the Lisbon embassy.

"Unlike the Russian staff expelled from Portugal, these Portuguese staff members were involved in strictly diplomatic tasks," a Portuguese Foreign Ministry statement said.

Multiple European countries expelled Russian diplomats last month after accusing Russian forces in Ukraine of killing civilians in Bucha and other towns outside Kyiv. The Kremlin denied the accusations.

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BRUSSELS -- European Union lawmakers have voted to suspend import duties on all Ukrainian exports for a year to support the war-torn country's economy.

The European Parliament on Thursday said the temporary move passed on a 515-32 vote, with 11 abstentions.

The measure covers industrial products, fruits, vegetables and steel. The EU is Ukraine's most important trading partner, accounting for more than 40% of its total trade in goods last year.

Before the war, Ukraine was the EU's 15th-largest trading partner, representing around 1.2% of overall EU trade.

"We must support Ukraine at all levels with every tool at our disposal: not only with weapons and sanctions but with our trading power, too," said lawmaker Sandra Kalniete. "Giving Ukraine the support it needs to defend itself does not end on the battlefield; it includes ensuring that Ukraine's economy remains resilient and competitive."

In 2016, the EU and Ukraine signed an association agreement that was aimed at opening Ukraine's markets and deepening the country's connection to Europe.

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ISTANBUL — Turkey’s president emphasized his opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, stating Ankara would say “no” to their bid.

Speaking to a group of Turkish youth, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the two countries — and especially Sweden — of being “a focus of terror, home to terror.” The video of their conversation was released Thursday.

Erdogan’s objection to Sweden and Finland stems from Turkey's grievances with Stockholm’s — and to a lesser degree with Helsinki’s — perceived support to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and an armed group in Syria that Turkey sees as an extension of the PKK. Turkey also accuses them of harbouring the followers of the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen whom Ankara says is behind a failed military coup attempt in 2016.

Turkey’s approval is crucial because the military alliance makes its decisions by consensus. Each of its 30 member countries can veto who can join.

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BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has defended his country’s decision to supply Ukraine with weapons to fight Russia, saying this “does not constitute an escalation.”

In a speech to lawmakers Thursday, Scholz dismissed concerns raised by some in Germany that arming Ukraine could result in a wider conflict. Arming Ukraine was “a contribution to fending off the attack and thereby ending the violence as quickly as possible,” he said.

Scholz added that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “mistaken” in thinking peace can be imposed on Ukraine by force.

“There will be no peace diktat, because the Ukrainians won’t accept it and neither will we,” he said. “Only when Putin understand this, only when he understand that he can’t break Ukraine’s defence, will he be prepared to negotiate the peace in earnest.”

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GENEVA — The international Red Cross says it has registered “hundreds” of Ukrainian prisoners of war who left the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

The International Committee for the Red Cross said Thursday the registrations of Ukrainian prisoners of war, which included wounded fighters, began Tuesday under an agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

It said a team from the Geneva-based humanitarian agency, which has experience in dealing with prisoners of war and prisoner exchanges, did not transport them to “the places where they are held” — which was not specified.

The registration process, which was ongoing Thursday, involves noting down personal details like name, date of birth and closest relative — partly as a way to help the Red Cross keep in touch with relatives of the prisoners of war.

The Red Cross cited rules under the Geneva Conventions that should allow the organization to interview prisoners of war “without witnesses” and that visits with them should not be “unduly restricted.”

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KYIV, Ukraine — An adviser to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the country won’t accept any ceasefire until all the Russian troops pull back.

Thursday’s statement from Mykhailo Podolyak, who was involved in several rounds of talks with Russia, reflects an increasingly confident stand taken by Ukraine as it has fought the Russian offensive to an effective standstill.

“Do not offer us a ceasefire — this is impossible without total Russian troops withdrawal,” . In a reference to a 2015 peace agreement for eastern Ukraine that was brokered by France and Germany and signed in the Belarusian capital Minsk, Podolyak wrote: “Ukraine is not interested in new ‘Minsk’ and the war renewal in a few years.”

Several Ukrainian officials have recently issued similar statements. Podolyak didn’t specify what would constitute “total” withdrawal.

He added that “until Russia is ready to fully liberate occupied territories, our negotiating team is weapons, sanctions and money.”

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LONDON — British military authorities say Russia’s centralized command and control structure is likely to come under increasing strain as senior officers seek to avoid responsibility for failures during the invasion of Ukraine.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence, , says a number of senior Russian commanders have already been fired for poor performance during the war.

The ministry says Lt. Gen. Serhiy Kisel, who led the elite 1st Guards Tank Army, was suspended for failing to capture Kharkiv, and Vice Admiral Igor Osipov, who commanded the Black Sea Fleet, has probably been suspended following the sinking of the cruiser Moskva. The ministry also said it is unclear whether Chief of the General Staff Valeriy Gerasimov retains the support of President Vladimir Putin.

The ministry says senior officials are likely to be increasingly distracted as they seek to avoid personal culpability amid this culture of “cover-ups and scapegoating.”

“This will likely place further strain on Russia’s centralized model of command and control as officers increasingly seek to defer key decisions to their superiors,” the ministry said. “It will be difficult for Russia to regain the initiative under these conditions.”

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MOSCOW — The head of the Russia-backed separatist region in eastern Ukraine says that over half of Ukrainian troops holed up at a steel plant in the key port of Mariupol have come out.

Denis Pushilin, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, said Thursday that more than a half of Ukrainian servicemen who were holed up at the giant Azovstal steel plant have surrendered.

Pushilin didn’t give specific numbers, but Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Wednesday that 959 Ukrainian troops had abandoned the stronghold since they started coming out Monday. The Russian military has previously estimated the number of Ukrainian troops at Azovstal at over 2,000.

Pushilin said that those Ukrainian soldiers who needed medical assistance were hospitalized while others were put in a detention facility. He charged that the International Red Cross Committee representatives were allowed to inspect the facility, the claim that couldn’t be immediately verified.

He added that over 60% of residential buildings in Mariupol have been damaged beyond repair and will need to be razed after more than two months of fighting over the strategic port on the Sea of Azov.

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TOKYO — Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday his country will double its financial aid for Ukraine to US$600 million in support of the country badly damaged by Russia’s aggression.

Japan will provide the additional $300 million through the World Bank to help Ukraine’s financial difficulties because of the Russian invasion, Kishida said.

The announcement comes just before Japan hosts U.S. President Joe Biden and two other leaders for a regional strategic framework known as the Quad summit and bilateral meetings next week when Kishida is expected to emphasize Japanese support for Ukraine.

Japan has quickly joined the United States and other Group of Seven countries and Europe in their sanctions against Moscow over its war in Ukraine, due to fear that Russia's move may embolden China in the region.

The new pledge, combined with the $300 million Japan promised last month, brings Tokyo’s total contribution to $600 million.

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MOSCOW — A provincial governor in western Russia says a civilian has been killed by cross-border shelling from Ukraine.

Kursk Gov. Roman Starovoit said the Ukrainian shelling early Thursday hit a driver who drove his truck to a distillery in the village of Tetkino.

Starovoit said several others were wounded in Thursday’s shelling.

Russian authorities have repeatedly reported damage and casualties from the Ukrainian shelling of areas on the border.

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KYIV, Ukraine — A regional governor in Ukraine says four civilians have been killed by the latest Russian shelling.

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said they died Wednesday when Russian troops bombarded the town of Sievierodonetsk. He said another three residents were wounded.

Haidai said the Russian shelling continued early Thursday. Sievierodonetsk is in the epicentre of the fighting in the east where the Russian forces have been trying to press their offensive amid staunch Ukrainian resistance.

Separatist authorities in the Donetsk region bordering Luhansk in eastern Ukraine said two civilians were killed and another five were wounded in the Ukrainian shelling over the last 24 hours.

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WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Bridget Brink late Wednesday as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, filling the post as officials plan to return American diplomats to Kyiv during the nation’s continuing battle against the Russian invasion.

The veteran foreign service officer, who has spent most of her career in the shadow of the former Soviet Union, was nominated to the position last month by U.S. President Joe Biden.

Brink was confirmed by the Senate unanimously without a formal roll call vote.

American diplomats evacuated Kyiv when the war began three months ago, but Brink told senators during her confirmation hearing earlier this month that she would work to reopen the embassy.

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KYIV, Ukraine — The military administration for the region that includes Melitopol reported more actions of resistance on Wednesday against the Russian troops who have occupied the southern city since early in the war.

It said a grenade exploded near a Russian command post, followed by an exchange of fire. No casualties were reported.

On Tuesday, the regional administration said Ukrainian resistance fighters killed several high-ranking Russian officers in the occupied city. The report could not be independently confirmed.

Also on Wednesday, a Russian armored train carrying troops and ammunition overturned in Melitopol, causing the ammunition to detonate, the regional administration said on Telegram.

It said the Russian military does not maintain the tracks while overloading the trains, and as a result of the negligence and “with help” from resistance fighters, the armored train derailed.

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A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.

Chayton Point loved to dance. Just ask his mom.
As the provincial election campaign reaches the halfway mark, the party leaders made pitches to voters on bread-and-butter issues: housing, child care and jobs.
Vancouver police have deployed extra resources in anticipation of multiple protests planned for Oct. 7.

Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
Toronto Public Health has confirmed two cases of listeria in the city believed to be connected to ready-to-eat deli meat products sold by Summerhill Market.

Three Calgary businesses have been ordered to shut down after inspectors discovered evidence of uninspected meat.
A pedestrian is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle in southeast Calgary on Friday night.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) says it is taking immediate action to expedite care for patients who had referrals to community health-care providers delayed.

The owner of a Gatineau, Que. café says it's 'silly' that Quebec's language watchdog is telling the business to write its Instagram posts in French.
Gas prices in Ottawa are set to rise this weekend after a slight uptick overnight.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.

At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building in Old Montreal early Friday morning, sources told Noovo Info.
The owner of a Gatineau, Que. café says it's 'silly' that Quebec's language watchdog is telling the business to write its Instagram posts in French.
A 28-year-old female driver was seriously injured in a three-vehicle collision Friday afternoon in Saint-Rémi, Montérégie, reports the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).

A 79-year-old woman is dead after the vehicle she was driving crashed into an east Edmonton building late Friday afternoon.
A letter from Edmonton's mayor to the Alberta government detailing the city's fiscal wishlist ahead of next year's budget calls for fair treatment for the capital city, something several city councillors say isn't already happening.
A new docu-series that reveals what life is like for National Hockey League players on and off the ice during the playoffs is now out.

A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
The federal Fisheries Department says it is concerned about a "pattern" of violence and threats toward its enforcement officers after two tense incidents off southwestern Nova Scotia last month.
Friday marked the grand opening of 22 new seniors' apartments built from the ground-up on Pitt Street in Sydney Mines, N.S.

Brady Oliveira and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers continue to roll along. Oliveira ran for a season-high 147 yards and a touchdown to power Winnipeg past the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 31-10 on Friday night.
A new report from Doctors Manitoba is calling for major changes to the way sick notes are issued in Manitoba, saying they are a waste of time for doctors and employers.
With winter right around the corner, thousands of feathered friends are flying south. New technology in Assiniboine Park is helping researchers around the world unlock the mysteries of this migration.

A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.
A group of climate activists is challenging SaskPower's move towards natural gas, arguing it violates their Charter rights.
Regina kids facing mobility issues were gifted toy cars through the Go Baby Go program.

Police have laid charges after a car crashed into the side of a Kitchener home early Friday morning.
The K-W Symphony may have played their last concert but the musicians who made up the ensemble aren’t ready for their curtain call.
Melissa Duff-Shore, a Cambridge, Ont. woman who killed her daughter in 2020, has been ordered to a forensic hospital in St. Thomas.

The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation hosted a virtual election forum on education Thursday evening, giving candidates in the provincial election a chance to share their thoughts and answer questions on issues teachers find most important.
A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.
Saskatoon police arrested a homeless person at the scene of an encampment underneath the University Bridge on Friday morning.

Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
Two police officers in Greater Sudbury required medical attention for injuries they received arresting a man for the second time in just two days.
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'

The Ministry of Labour is investigating a workplace incident that claimed the lives of two people in Georgian Bluffs, south of Owen Sound.
Eleven victim impact statements were submitted into court during the proceedings.
Middlesex OPP have shuttered a road between Mount Brydges and Komoka today - Amiens Road is currently closed between Glendon Drive and Oriole Drive.

A woman whose son died last month while at a Penetanguishene, Ont. beach with another family member wants to see safety increased at the beach.
The Ministry of Labour is investigating a workplace incident that claimed the lives of two people in Georgian Bluffs, south of Owen Sound.
Provincial police are investigating a collision along Highway 400 in Tay Township Friday afternoon.

A London, Ont. man, who pleaded guilty earlier this year in a harassment case, has been sentenced to two months in jail for criminal harassment of a Windsor, Ont. family.
Hike Metal has added more security since a $20,000 ship propeller was stolen, while Crime Stoppers is still looking for tips on possible suspects
The City of Windsor is on the right path to adding much needed housing inventory to the stock, according to city officials.

We haven't heard the candidates talk much about education during B.C.'s 2024 election campaign, but the teachers' union is trying to put the spotlight on that issue.
The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.
Many British Columbians were shaken awake early Friday morning when an earthquake struck in the Strait of Georgia, about 18 kilometres southwest of Tsawwassen.

Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week – and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.
A father in Kelowna is furious after his 13-year-old daughter was brutally beaten on Gyro Beach. He is calling for criminal charges in the devastating attack, which was caught on video by multiple bystanders.
The officer who shot and killed a forcible confinement suspect in Kamloops two years ago was justified in doing so, according to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C.

A person was airlifted to hospital following a serious crash in Taber, Alta., on Friday morning. Taber RCMP responded to the scene on Highway 864 around 10:30 a.m., for a crash involving an SUV and a semi-truck.
To enhance inclusivity at Lethbridge Polytechnic, the institution has launched a new accessibility micro-credential.
WestJet has changed its operations at the Lethbridge Airport, and it means there's now only a single daily flight from Lethbridge to Calgary, down from three flights a day, as offered previously.

Two teens, ages 14 and 19, have been charged with arson in connection with a July 14 fire in Cat Lake First Nation that destroyed $500,000 in construction materials.
A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.
A suspect who accused Thunder Bay police of being responsible for his throat injury actually hurt himself when he swallowed a large amount of drugs.

N.L.

Marathon goat: Animal runner wins hearts and a medal after crashing Newfoundland race

He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
Labrador residents say 'inhumane' food prices force families to go hungry

A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
Small English soccer team has huge year, thanks in part to Newfoundland and Labrador

A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.