In Pakistan, women are subjected to forced conversion and marriages due to a patriarchal society and discriminatory laws. Young girls, particularly from religious minority communities, are exposed to abduction, violence, and intimidation to coerce them into converting to Islam and marrying their abductors. Despite laws prohibiting forced conversions, a lack of implementation and political pressure from religious groups have made it challenging to combat this issue effectively.
The City of Calgary has declared a critical water supply alert due to a large and complicated water main break that has impacted the city’s ability to provide water to communities and ensure adequate water for emergency fire suppression. Residents are asked to immediately conserve water by not showering or bathing, washing dishes, or running any appliances that use water. A boil water advisory is also in effect for the northwest Calgary community of Bowness. The city has implemented Stage 4 outdoor watering restrictions and is calling for Calgarians to limit non-essential indoor water use.
A jury will hear evidence in the trial of Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert, accused of conspiracy to commit murder during the 2022 Coutts border protest. The charges stem from a cache of weapons and ammunition found in trailers in the protest encampment. In addition to the murder conspiracy charge, the defendants face charges of mischief and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Crown prosecutors plan to present 23 witnesses, primarily RCMP officers. The trial is expected to continue until mid-July.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at nine locations in Punjab on Thursday, targeting associates of designated terrorist Goldy Brar in connection with an extortion and firing case. The raids come after Brar was charged in the murder of a Karni Sena chief. The NIA has urged the public to provide information about Brar and his gang, offering telephone numbers for contact and promising to keep informers’ identities confidential.
An LPG cylinder explosion in Mumbai’s Chembur area caused a fire and injured at least 10 people on Thursday morning. The blast occurred in a one-storey house when the woman lit a gas stove for cooking, causing a wall to collapse and damaging the roof of an adjacent shop. The injured were rushed to Shatabdi Hospital, with four sustaining severe burn injuries and six others receiving minor injuries. One person with head and leg injuries was sent to Sion Hospital, but all injured individuals are reported stable.
Suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna has been sent to Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody till June 10 by the People’s Representative Court in connection with the sex tape case. Revanna, who is facing charges of sexually abusing several women, was arrested on May 31 after his return from Germany. The police also arrested his father, H D Revanna, on charges of kidnapping a woman who figured in one of the videos. Revanna has lost the Lok Sabha elections to Shreyas M Patel of the Congress.
The Gujarat High Court has expressed concerns over the suspension of only junior-level officers in connection with the Rajkot game zone fire incident, which claimed 27 lives. The court questioned why the state government had not suspended the city municipal commissioner and inquired about the lack of invocation of Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the case. The incident has also led to a plea for booking 13 additional officers, which the court has accepted and scheduled a hearing for June 20.
In a concerning incident, locals in Mumbai’s Powai area resorted to stone pelting during an anti-encroachment drive carried out by Mumbai Police and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials. As a result, multiple police personnel sustained injuries. The incident prompted the authorities to halt the anti-encroachment drive. The Powai area has witnessed increased police presence to maintain order and prevent further disturbances.
A battle between the Edmonton Police Commission and city councillors will go before a council meeting next week after the commission refused to participate in an internal audit and program review. Councillors approved a motion in December to request an audit plan from the commission, but the commission sent a letter on April 19th stating that it will not provide the requested information or undertake a program services review. The commission stated that it believes in a partnership approach to drive community safety and supports the EPS as it undertakes “transformational change that results in better policing for all of Edmonton.” Councillors, however, are disappointed and argue that the public needs more transparency about EPS priorities.
The RCMP is investigating a head-on collision on Highway 63 north of Mildred Lake that claimed the life of a man from Fort McMurray. A pickup truck traveling north collided with a semi-tractor trailer traveling south, and the driver of the pickup truck succumbed to his injuries. Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the collision. The highway was closed for several hours but has since reopened.
