Headline

Stay-at-home Order As Police Hunt Canada Stabbing Suspect

Published

3 years ago

September 6, 2022

A remote Indigenous community in Western Canada left reeling by a deadly stabbing spree was ordered to lock down Tuesday as police swarmed the area searching for a suspect believed to be hiding there.

The attack in the James Smith Cree Nation Indigenous community and the town of Weldon on Sunday left 10 dead and 18 wounded.

A massive manhunt for two brothers across the vast Prairies region ensued, focusing at one point on Regina, Saskatchewan province’s capital 300 kilometers (185 miles) to the south.

It suddenly turned back to this Indigenous community on Tuesday after police released an emergency message warning that investigators had “received reports of a possible sighting” of suspect Myles Sanderson, 30.

Police in heavily armoured vehicles surged into the community, while calling on area residents to “seek immediate shelter/shelter in place.” A police helicopter flew overhead into the Indigenous area.

Late Monday federal police assistant commissioner Rhonda Blackmore announced they had found the mutilated body of the second suspect, 31-year-old Damien Sanderson, in a grassy area near a house that was being examined in the James Smith Cree Nation.

The younger Sanderson – who is also wanted for breaching parole in May after serving part of a sentence for assault and robbery – is suspected of having killed his brother, she said.

“He may be injured and seek medical attention,” Blackmore added.

A motive is not yet known for the rampage. But Myles Sanderson has a history of explosive violence that led to nearly 60 past criminal convictions.

In the James Smith Cree Nation and nearby Weldon, residents have described overwhelming grief and fear.

“It’s just devastating,” Weldon resident Ruby Works told AFP. “Our lives will never be the same.”

The former Olympian described an eerie tension settling across the region.

“The town is too quiet…. People are scared to come out of their homes,” she said. “Usually you see kids playing outside. Now you don’t see any.”

Before the lockdown, she said residents of the nearby Indigenous community had also been “locking themselves in.”

People are pressed “against the glass looking out the window. They are scared (that) he might come back and do it again,” Works added.

“I won’t sleep until they catch him.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the attacks shocking and heartbreaking, while lamenting that “tragedies like these have become all too commonplace.”

Since 2017, Canada has witnessed a gunman masquerading as a policeman kill 22 people in Nova Scotia, another murder six worshippers at a Quebec City mosque, and a driver of a van kill 11 pedestrians in Toronto.

In a briefing on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the “senseless and devastating” killings.

Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims, but a handful have been identified on social media, including a veteran, an addictions counsellor, a mother of two who worked as a security guard at a local casino, and an elderly widower.

Works said she fell to the ground “and lost my breath for a minute” when she learned that her 77-year-old friend Wes Petterson was among those killed, describing him as a kind, gentle soul.

Ivor Burns told local broadcasters his sister Gloria Burns, 62, was found “lying in her driveway with her friend and a young boy.” “They were massacred,” he said.

Her son Dillon posted on social media that his mother died “protecting a young man while he was being attacked,” adding that “she would’ve done the same for any of us… (even) for the man who has taken her life.”

Several residents and Indigenous leaders suggested rampant drug and alcohol abuse has been a factor in a trend of violent incidents in the area.

Police believe some of the victims were targeted and others were attacked randomly.

Eighteen remain in hospital, including four in critical condition, according to officials.

AFP

Headline

Russia, China Afraid Of US Under My Administration — Trump

Published

24 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

United States President, Donald Trump, has said Russia and China fear the United States because of the strength of his administration, arguing that American global influence is driven primarily by its military power and leadership.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday stated that rival powers would not take NATO seriously without the United States, claiming the alliance lacks deterrent force in the absence of American involvement.

He expressed doubts about whether NATO members would come to the aid of the US in a real crisis, despite Washington’s continued commitment to the alliance.

The president credited his leadership with rebuilding the US military during his first term and sustaining its strength, describing this as the key reason adversaries show respect and caution toward the country.

He maintained that America’s military dominance has played a central role in preserving global stability and saving lives.

Trump also argued that his administration forced NATO members to increase defence spending, saying many allies had previously failed to meet financial commitments while relying heavily on the US.

He added that his actions helped prevent further escalation in Eastern Europe and contributed to the resolution of multiple conflicts.

According to Trump, the United States remains the only nation that commands genuine fear and respect from both Russia and China, a position he attributed to his administration’s approach to defence, diplomacy, and global leadership.

“He wrote partly, “The only Nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT REBUILT U.S.A. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! President DJT.”

Headline

Trump To Withdraw US From 66 UN, International Organisations

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

United States President, Donald Trump, has announced plans to withdraw the US from 66 United Nations and international organisations, including key global bodies focused on climate change, peace and democracy.

The decision was disclosed in a presidential memorandum released by the White House on Wednesday evening, following a review of which “organizations, conventions, and treaties are contrary to the interests of the United States.”

According to Trump, the move will see the US end its participation in the affected organisations and cut all related funding.

A list shared by the White House showed that 35 of the organisations are non-UN bodies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Although listed as a non-UN body by the White House, the IPCC is a United Nations organisation that brings together leading scientists to assess climate change evidence and provide periodic reports to guide political leaders.

The memorandum also announced the US withdrawal from 31 UN entities, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN Democracy Fund, and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), which focuses on maternal and child health.

Several of the targeted UN bodies are involved in protecting vulnerable groups during armed conflicts, including the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.

Reacting to the announcement, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a note to correspondents on Wednesday evening that the organisation expected to issue a response by Thursday morning.

Despite repeatedly stating his desire to limit US involvement in UN forums, Trump has continued to exert influence on international decision-making.

In October last year, he threatened to impose sanctions on diplomats who formally adopted a levy on polluting shipping fuels that had already been agreed to at an earlier meeting, a move that stalled the deal for 12 months.

The Trump administration also sanctioned UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese after she released a report detailing the role of international and US companies in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

During his first term in 2017, Trump similarly threatened to cut aid to countries that supported a draft UN resolution condemning the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the US wields significant influence at the United Nations, including veto power, which it has repeatedly used to block efforts to end Israel’s war on Gaza before later mediating a ceasefire.

(Aljazeera)

Headline

UK Supported US Mission To Seize Russian-flagged Oil Tanker – Defense Ministry

Published

2 days ago

January 7, 2026

Editor

The British Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that it provided support to the United States in its operation to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic.

US seized the tanker, which was being shadowed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, after pursuing it for more than two weeks across the Atlantic as part of Washington’s efforts to block Venezuelan oil exports.

According to Britain, its armed forces gave pre-planned operational support, including basing following a US request for assistance.

The UK also said a military vessel provided support for the US forces pursuing the tanker, and the Royal Air Force provided surveillance support from the air.

Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the operation targeted a vessel with a nefarious history linked to Russian and Iranian sanctions evasion networks.

“This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting,” he said in a statement.

According to him, the US was Britain’s closest defence and security partner.

“The depth of our defence relationship with the US is an essential part of our security, and today’s seamlessly executed operation shows just how well this works in practice,” he added.

The British government said that the Bella-1 tanker, now renamed Marinera, is sanctioned by the US under its counter-Iran sanctions,

The MoD statement said the support was provided in full compliance with international law.