MOSCOW (AP) — One year since the Moscow concert hall attack killed 145 people, Russian officials asserted Saturday that it was planned and organized by “the special services of an unfriendly state.”

The aim, according to a a statement by Svetlana Petrenko, the representative of the Russian Investigative Committee, was to “destabilize the situation in Russia.”

Though she did not specify the “unfriendly state,” she noted that “six Central Asians” currently outside of Russia had been charged in absentia and placed on Russia’s wanted list for allegedly recruiting and organizing the training of four of the suspected perpetrators.

The four men, all of whom were identified in the media as citizens of Tajikistan, appeared in a Moscow court at the end of March last year on terrorism charges and showed signs of severe beatings. One appeared to be barely conscious during the hearing.

According to Petrenko, 19 people are currently in custody in Russia in relation to the attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall.

A faction of the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the massacre in which gunmen shot people who were waiting for a show by a popular rock band and then set the building on fire. But Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have persistently claimed, without presenting evidence, that Ukraine had a role in the attack. Kyiv has vehemently denied any involvement.

The Associated Press

The post Russia accuses an ‘unfriendly state’ of planning the 2024 Moscow concert hall assault appeared first on CityNews Winnipeg.

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro filed applications Friday to build two new sources of power to back up what comes to Newfoundland from Muskrat Falls.

The utility readily admits that the oft-troubled Labrador-Island Link needs that critical backup, and they’ve concluded expansions at Holyrood and Bay d’Espoir are the quickest and cheapest way to provide it.

That said, estimates for both projects — adding an eighth turbine at Bay d’Espoir and another combustion turbine at Holyrood — have climbed from about $1.2 billion last summer, to about $2 billion today, with costs continuing to “go through the roof,” Hydro officials told reporters during a briefing yesterday.

Costs should be mitigated by the fact that, if approved by the Public Utilities Board, the projects are additions to existing facilities as opposed to breaking new ground, said Rob Collett, Hydro’s V-P of Engineering.Then there’s the lurking issue of how they will be paid for, and affect power bills.

Collett says Hydro is acutely aware of those concerns.

“The good news is that these projects are going to be a few years before they’re in service, not till the end of the decade, so there will be absolutely no rate impact until then,” he said. “After that, we have a commitment from the provincial government about rate mitigation, that rates will be minimized to keep them as low as possible for customers.”

While the new Holyrood turbine would initially run on diesel, the plan is to eventually switch to renewable fuels, pending availability and feasibility.

Hydro hopes to have both projects completed by the end of this decade and early in the next.

RCMP in Rosetown and Kyle responded to multiple incidents, including thefts, mischief, fraud, and erratic drivers. Notable cases include a fuel theft from a Rosetown business, a woman charged with uttering threats in Fiske, and investigations into stolen tools, a vehicle, and a side-by-side. Officers also conducted well-being checks and issued 32 traffic-related charges.

On March 14, Rosetown RCMP began investigating a theft complaint in Elrose.

On March 15, officers conducted a well-being check in Harris, responded to a suspicious person complaint in Rosetown, and received two erratic driver reports on Highway 7. In both cases, either the vehicle was not located, or there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

On March 18, Kyle RCMP launched an investigation into fraud in Kyle, while Rosetown RCMP handled two mischief complaints and a well-being check in Rosetown.

On March 19, Kyle RCMP received a theft of fuel complaint from a Rosetown business, which remains under investigation. Later that day, a 33-year-old woman from Saskatoon was arrested and charged with uttering threats in Fiske before being released for court.

Additionally, RCMP are investigating multiple historical incidents, including a theft of tools from a business in Rosetown (Feb. 25, 2025), a stolen vehicle near Rosetown (Oct. 14, 2024), and a stolen side-by-side in Rosetown (Oct. 14, 2024).

Anyone with information on these or other crimes is encouraged to contact Rosetown RCMP at 306-882-5700 or submit an anonymous tip through Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

With the provincial budget released, education is one of the sectors focused on, with some support coming from a source that's been vocal about better education funding in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Teacher's Federation gave their take on the budget, saying that they were encouraged by the spending.

STF President Samantha Becotte says that the province's proposal is what they expected following the throne speech, with some gains for restoring student-based funding.

“This is another step in the right direction. In last fall’s election, the STF asked parties to invest in public education and called for per-student funding to be restored. We know a decade of cuts can’t be addressed with one budget. We are cautiously optimistic this will be the start of continued investments in public education with predictable, sustainable funding that meets the needs of a growing student population.”

For the upcoming fiscal year, the Ministry of Education will receive $3.5 billion, an increase of $183 million, or 5.5 per cent, over the previous year.

Some of the initiatives being laid out by the province include $130 million to fund the new teacher bargaining agreement and find ways to better help the pressures associated with growing student enrollment, $54 million to address non-teacher salary increases, transportation and inflation, and to build 50 specialized support classrooms over the next four years.

Becotte adds, “Investing in public education will help ensure students have equal access to the supports that they need within their PreK-Grade 12 education, which will lead to increased probability of achieving government’s priorities.”

The STF's figures show that per-student funding has been on the decline over the past decade (adjusting for inflation), with a gap of $2,450 remaining despite an increase in the previous budget. This year's budget closes that gap to $1,850, with a full restoration requiring an additional $375 million in the 2025-26 budget.

“There is still more work to do, and teachers are committed to working collaboratively with government to ensure the best outcomes for students,” says Becotte. “But we can’t do it alone. Budgets reflect priorities and investing in public education is an investment in the future of our province. Saskatchewan has one of the best-performing economies in the country. Saskatchewan students and families deserve access to a properly funded public education system that meets students’ needs.”

The province will also continue on it's initiative to improve literacy in Kindergarten to grade 3 students mentioned in the throne speech, with a set aside of $2 million for that issue.

It is officially spring; the province is thawing out and coming back to life once again following a lengthy and frigid winter. The change of seasons will soon be apparent all around us, especially in the countless plant and animal species that can be found in Saskatchewan. 

Those native plants, well adapted to weather roller coaster the province rides every winter, are among the first to show evidence that spring has arrived, and Beth Dolmage, a Species at Risk Botanist with the Ministry of Environment tells us which ones to be on the lookout for. 

“Some of our most early-blooming plants that people can keep an eye for that are native (to Saskatchewan) can include Prairie Crocuses - which are always a fan favourite – things like Prairie Smoke, a very distinctive purple and red flower and a very small flower called Moss Phlox,” said Dolmage. 

“And then buds on our shrubs like Pussy Willows or some of our trees that bud out a little early, think of our Balsam Poplar.” 

While quick to emerge from their winter dormancy, those plants are seldom affected by the wild temperature swings that are all too present during the latter half of winter and early springtime. 

“Our early blooming plants are adapted to kind of keep warm in those sudden temperature drops. If you look at a prairie crocus, for instance, they're actually pretty hairy and that hair can really help conserve moisture or protect them from some of those temperature drops, they're really, really resilient and have adapted over time to our environment,” she explained.  

Timing is everything for the flora and fauna of Saskatchewan. The ability to essentially sit back and wait out the winter, utilized by a wide range of native animal species in the form of hibernation, is a crucial component of the survival strategy used by plant species as well. 

Dolmage noted that species that jump the gun face severe consequences and tend to not survive long enough to adapt to the climate in our region. 

“Sudden temperature swings can absolutely be detrimental to plants. If they’ve budded out, produced flowers, or started to really put energy into some of those structures and the temperature drops enough to freeze, it can damage that plant, which must spend energy reserves to regrow, which can be detrimental,” said Dolmage. 

“So later on, when things really start to pick up, usually in Saskatchewan, it's early April is when you might see those crocuses start to pop up.” 

It is not just the resilience to our region’s climate extremes that makes our native plant species stand out to Dolmage and her colleagues; they have also adapted to a wide range of ecoregions, each one introducing unique challenges to species that call them home. 

“We have (numerous) ecoregions and then each of those exists inside of an ecozone and they're kind of nested, so we have our pre ecozone and then within it, we have our ecoregions like the aspen parkland and mixed moist grassland. We are a unique area.” 

“Our plants have adapted over eons to that. There are plenty of plants that have their niche. Whether it’s our mixed grasslands closer to the southern border or aspen parkland in the middle, they have adapted to the local climate, to our weather, and even to our soil types, 

(The soil types) are so interconnected to the landscape and our history of glaciation. These plants have been here for a really long time and have learned to work with the environment.”  

She noted that some adaptations that can be found in the drier and sunny regions of the province - like the border between moist mixed and mixed grasslands that Moose Jaw is situated on - include silvery leaves that conserve moisture by reflecting sunlight and hairs that trap moisture to prevent evaporation.  

Some species of native grasses (known collectively as C4 grasses due to the different method of carbon fixation used during photosynthesis) stagger their growth, emerging during the later months of summer to reduce competition. 

Throughout her career as a botanist, Dolmage has had the opportunity to travel across Saskatchewan to conduct various studies, and over that time she has inevitably found a few personal favourite plants to encounter. 

“One of them, of course, would be our provincial flower the Wood Lily. The bright orange lily you’ll see blooming in June. Another one I really love is a little harder to find, it’s called Showy Locoweed. It’s similar to Prairie Crocus in that it has lots of hairs all over it, it’s a very soft plant,” she said. 

“As someone who spends lots of time outdoors dealing with plants, many of them are thorny. So, it’s a real joy to find something so soft and pretty, it has beautiful purple flowers, and it grows in the native prairie of southern Saskatchewan.” 

With the growing season just about to begin, Dolmage encourages everyone to get outdoors and feed their curiosity, and one way to do so is to take advantage of the iNaturalist app when running across a plant or animal during their travels. 

“A great app. It uses photographs of living insects, plants, animals, fungi and it takes their location, deed of observation and it brings them to a global community of experts for verification.” 

“I would really encourage folks to just go for walks and take photos of the plants in their neighborhood if they're curious and we always encourage folks to learn more. iNaturalist is a wonderful resource for that.” 

On the topic of seeing different plants when out and about, she noted that there are many ways to help conserve our province’s plant species and even incorporate some of the hardy and beautiful native plant species into your gardens and landscaping. 

“If you have the opportunity to say, plant a native garden, we really encourage folks to look into their local area. There are often folks in your area who are collecting native seeds, and if you are curious about creating pollinator gardens, there's lots of resources.” 

“If you know of an area that has a lot of native Prairie in it too, we always encourage folks to look into conservation efforts, there are lots of wonderful groups out there they could contact to get an idea of what they can do to help.” 

Some music stores in Winnipeg have been seeing a resurgence in vinyl sales, that has been brewing over the last 15 years but that took up in volume since the pandemic, especially as generations of people who weren't raised with record are buying hard copies of albums.

A company that operates an electronic payment platform is asking a Manitoba court to put a freeze on funds in a bank account because the money is linked to allegedly fraudulent transactions.

Skyrocketing costs and unpredictable tariff policies are forcing construction companies to reconsider some projects, with some put on hold or scrapped, an industry spokesman says.

A 50 year old man from North Rustico is facing five charges including uttering threats, possession of a weapon while prohibited, 2 counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose  and firearms manufacturing. Queens District RCMP responded after receiving information about threats online and the man was arrested at his residence  Daniel Desmond Crowder is still in custody and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a bail hearing.

P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz says he has a verbal commitment from the federal government that there is positive news on the way regarding Confederation Bridge tolls and Northumberland ferries. Lantz issued a statement Friday night after a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney and other premiers in Ottawa. Lantz is thanking the federal government for hearing his concerns and the concerns of all Islanders and committing to ending these barriers for PEI and its economy

Two teenage boys were shot in Toronto on Friday night with a possible third victim, Toronto police said. The incident happened around 10:40 p.m. near Jones and Strathcona avenues, police said in a social media post.

Waking up Americans about peace was a goal, Lennon said. That meant setting up shop not far from the border

A woman suffered significant lacerations to her face after being pulled and dragged by a man, a possible continuation of an incident which began at about 8:00 Friday morning on New Penneywell Road.

The RNC descended on the area in the morning after reports of a man entering a house with a gun. The information could not be corroborated.

They went back to the same area around lunchtime to find a woman in distress.

The man has been charged with assault with a weapon, aggravated assault, forcible confinement, and breaches of probation and court orders.

He was held overnight.

The RNC have resolved the event in the area of New Pennywell Rd.

There will continue to be a police presence in the area as the investigation continues.

New Pennywell Rd is now open to traffic. There is no further safety concern in connection with this matter. #nltraffic pic.twitter.com/URfJHzVua0

— Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (@RNC_PoliceNL) March 21, 2025

Former longtime provincial cabinet minister Tom Osborne will carry the Liberal banner in the upcoming federal election in Cape Spear.

Osborne won a nomination vote Friday night, according to outgoing Liberal MP Seamus O’Regan. Mount Pearl Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley and aerospace industry executive Victoria Belbin had also sought the nomination.

The federal election campaign is expected to begin Sunday. Corey Curtis will be running for the Conservatives. The NDP has not yet nominated a candidate.

The Liberals have two candidates in place after nominations for the upcoming federal election.

Don Bradshaw, who was a TV news broadcaster, has been acclaimed in Long Range Mountains on the west coast. Incumbent Gudie Hutchings is stepping away from politics.

Tom Osborne, a long-time provincial MHA, handily won Cape Spear, formerly St. John’s South-Mount Pearl.

Congratulations to my friend Tom Osborne, the federal Liberal candidate for Cape Spear. I know from working alongside you that your calm voice, your experience, and your love of community will make you a great MP. To the others in the nomination race, thank you for stepping up. pic.twitter.com/OZabrZrU5Y

— Andrew Furey (@FureyAndrew) March 22, 2025

The Saskatchewan government will help fund a new care home in Saskatoon for adult children with severe disabilities.

How closely have you been reading our online stories this week? Take The Walrus Weekly Quiz to find out—released every Saturday.

OTTAWA — With just hours left to go before a widely expected election call, the main political parties are gearing up as their leaders pitch themselves as the best people to lead Canada through a trade war with the U.S.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to ask Gov. Gen. Mary Simon tomorrow to dissolve Parliament and call for an election, with a vote to take place at the end of April or early May.

That election call means the House of Commons won’t return to work Monday as scheduled.

The election comes as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to threaten Canada’s sovereignty and pursues a trade war by levying steep tariffs on Canadian goods.

Canada has fought back with retaliatory tariffs and the ballot question is certain to be which party, and party leader, is best equipped to confront Trump’s aggressive trade agenda.

Justin Trudeau’s resignation as Liberal leader and prime minister, his replacement by Carney and Trump’s return to the White House have upended the Canadian political scene — largely eliminating the substantial polling lead the Conservatives enjoyed and compelling Carney, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to adjust their messaging.

OTTAWA — Members of an RCMP unit that helps to protect the prime minister and other public figures face a risk of burnout due to a heavy workload and limited resources, says a newly released internal evaluation report.

The Protective Behavioural Analysis Unit “has faced numerous challenges” since its inception in 2020 and program implementation remains “incomplete and inefficient,” says the report compiled by RCMP reviewers.

The unit is “not sustainable” in its current form and the RCMP must address issues related to mandate, structure and workload “in both the immediate and longer term” to help the unit survive and thrive, the report concludes.

The unit provides operational support to the RCMP’s protective services and uses behavioural science methods to assess risk in order to prevent violence.

The report, completed in December and quietly posted online this month, lands just as candidates across the country prepare for several weeks of public events in a federal election campaign expected to begin on Sunday.

Politicians of all stripes have been facing threats to their safety.

MPs have been followed on the street and have received death threats. Such threats target high-profile people and their families online, in person at public venues and at home, the report says.

“Over the last few years, the number and complexity of threats and violence targeting protected persons in Canada has continually increased,” it says.

RCMP estimates cited in the report say the number of threats against public officials increased from approximately 1,300 in 2022 to 2,600 in 2023 — and was projected to exceed 3,500 in 2024.

That escalation has prompted efforts to bolster protection and security measures.

“With increasing threats and acts of aggression towards VIPs and protected persons within Canada and globally, it is critical for organizations responsible for the safety of these individuals to be able to systematically identify, assess and monitor these risks,” the report says.

The Protective Behavioural Analysis Unit uses certified threat specialists, a science-based methodology, risk mitigation and management strategies to help protect people.

Many of the people interviewed for the report said the unit’s services have met the evolving threat assessment needs of protective policing.

But the reviewers also concluded that after three-and-a-half years, implementation of the unit was only half-complete.

The report points to gaps in implementation, including a lack of analyst support for threat specialists, unfinished standard operating procedures, a lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities and training that takes longer than the projected two years.

The volume of tasks assigned to the unit and the lack of an efficient triage process has led to backlogs and heavy workloads, the report says.

Those difficulties have frustrated the unit’s efforts to fulfil its core mandate of conducting threat assessments, posing a risk that threats might go undetected or be assessed or monitored improperly, the report says.

The reviewers found that workload demands, along with training requirements, exceeded the capacity of the unit, threatening staff well-being and work-life balance.

“The success of the unit to date has been largely due to its knowledgeable and dedicated staff, but these employees are at risk of burnout,” the report says.

Senior managers told the reviewers that their current priorities were to boost unit resources and implement effective task triaging to address the workload problem.

An accompanying management response to the report outlines several measures the RCMP plans to take, with implementation dates ranging from as early as this month to March 2027.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2025.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

Aliyah Hernandez, a toddler from Kleefeld who was diagnosed with cancer less than two months ago, has passed away.

Her final moments were ones of love and comfort, held and cherished by her parents, Louis and Ashley Hernandez.

"They got to spend her last day holding her, snuggling her, singing to her. You know, she spent 58 days in the hospital bed, and (that) day, they finally got to hold their baby girl one last time," says Heather Romain, executive director of Happy Hive Childcare Centre where Aliyah attended, and her mom works.

"They got to have those moments doing some of her most favourite things."

She says things were looking optimistic as Aliyah underwent chemotherapy, but an infection led to eventual organ failure.

Along the way, the family's community and many others rallied around them in support as the Hernandez' stayed in Edmonton, Alta. for specialized care — both Aliyah's parents refraining from work to be with their daughter.

In response, Romain and the team at Happy Hive started a GoFundMe, through which more than $30,000 has been raised for the family, and began accepting frozen meals to store for them until their return

Romain says they will keep the GoFundMe open to continue supporting the family as they mourn the immense loss of such a bright-eyed, cheery little girl.

They'll also continue accepting frozen meals.

"If there's people from the community that would love to bring things in, they're more than welcome to drop them off here at the centre for us, and we are saving them for their return just to make things a little easier when they do come home," Romain says.

She says the Hernandez' are so thankful for the support of those near and far, and wanted to keep them updated despite the gut-wrenching loss.

"Of course they appreciate their privacy at this time as well, but they felt an obligation to share with these people that have been rooting for Aliyah and their family," Romain says.

On the GoFundMe, this update from Ashley is posted:

"Our sweet baby girl passed away peacefully in my arms yesterday evening. After 58 days we were finally able to hold our baby. We spent the day taking turns holding her, reading stories, listening to music, singing songs and telling her how she was so incredibly loved.

"Words can’t describe how we are feeling right now, our hearts feel shattered. We love you so much Moosey, you fought SO hard and we are so proud of you. Thank you for letting us be your Mommy and Daddy, you will never be forgotten and we will always celebrate you.

"We are so thankful she got such wonderful care from the PICU team at the Stollery Children's Hospital."

Romain says Ashley is a remarkable mother, both to Aliyah and their four-year-old son, Benjamin.

"Even previous to Aliyah getting sick, she was so devoted, so loving, so connected and in sync with her kids. It doesn't surprise me that with this horrific diagnosis, she went into full Mama Bear mode," she says.

Currently, Louis and Ashley are still in Edmonton.

Written with files from Corny Rempel

The new bill enshrines rent control, requires landlords to provide a specific reason for ending a lease, and sets out distinct rules for mobile homes, among other changes.

The Nunavut government has finished a new education curriculum for students from kindergarten to Grade 6 that’s rooted in Inuit language and culture – and it’s set to start rolling out next school year.