Good morning. This is Hanna Lee.
The RCMP has restricted the use of its Chinese-made drones, representing the vast majority of its fleet. Procuring them was originally meant to cut costs and time — but it shows the risks of such devices.
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THE LATEST
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- Hong Kong's leader has ordered a judge-led independent inquiry into the deadly highrise fire at Wang Fuk Court.
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- A citizen initiative petition to make it official policy for Alberta to stay in Canada has been verified as successful by Elections Alberta.
- The Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly runs from today until Thursday. Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to speak.
- U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today.
- The East Coast is bracing for a major storm, during which the Halifax region could get up to 50 millimetres of rain and 35 centimetres of snow.
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RCMP restricts use of its Chinese-made drones — the vast majority of its fleet
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(Chris Young/The Canadian Press)
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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is limiting the use of its 973 Chinese-made drones to non-sensitive operations.
What's happening: They present "high security risks," mainly due to their country of origin, the agency said in a written response to the Senate's national security committee. Chinese drones make up about 80 per cent of the federal police force's drone fleet, used to monitor the Canada-U.S. border, among other operations. Replacing the machines would cost more than $30 million in total, because non-Chinese drones are nearly twice as expensive.
The concerns: They're mainly from potential risks around the drones' communication and data transmission systems, experts told CBC News. For now, the police force is restricting the drones' in-flight transmission of data, dedicating them to operations like those involving missing people, car thefts and community policing. The RCMP has never used these drones for activities like emergency response teams or border integrity operations, the agency said. For those, it uses a mix of French, U.S. and Belgian drones — though none are Canadian. |
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U.S. Congress will probe military strikes on alleged drug boats. Here’s how that could unfold
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(RealDonaldTrump/Truth Social)
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Both the U.S. House and Senate committees on armed services have announced they'll look into the Trump administration's military strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats. The move represents more scrutiny than at any point since the operation started.
What's happening: The committees will look into allegations that two shipwrecked survivors of an initial strike in early September were killed in a second targeted attack. If a strike were ordered on defenceless people after their boat had already been destroyed, the order could have been illegal — or even a war crime. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the allegation.
Why it matters: The ongoing military operation has killed 83 people in three months, and the Republican-led oversight committees had until now not used their full authority to scrutinize it. But it's not yet clear whether either committee will look at the overall operation's legality. U.S. President Donald Trump has framed it as a targeted campaign against foreign terrorist groups that doesn't need congressional approval. Both he and Hegseth have denied ordering the second strike; the White House has said Admiral Frank Bradley gave the order, and had Hegseth's authorization to do so.
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Alberta Métis vying for new oil pipeline ownership stake
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(CBC)
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The Métis Settlements of Alberta are interested in buying a stake in a new oil pipeline to the West Coast. And they want to work with First Nations in B.C. — who are bringing forward an emergency resolution to oppose the proposed project.
What's happening: Ottawa and Alberta's memorandum of understanding says any new pipeline must give the opportunity for Indigenous co-ownership, among other benefits. A new pipeline could help Métis communities become fully sustainable, said Dave Lamouche, president of the eight Métis settlements in Alberta. But he understands the concerns of the Coastal First Nations group, who oppose the proposal.
What's next: Lamouche wants to meet with the group to see if they can work together to build the pipeline together. The proposed project will be front of mind at the Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly in Ottawa, beginning today. Indigenous leaders across the country have major concerns, one regional chief said. For Lamouche, he sees it as a great opportunity, and believes the Alberta government's approach has been collaborative.
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IN LIGHTER NEWS
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A priest in Toronto opened a food bank in her garage
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