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.
Italy captures killer bear amid debate on her fate
Authorities in northern Italy captured a bear that fatally mauled a runner and became the focus of a battle over what to do with Italy's growing Alpine brown bear population that was once nearly extinct but has rebounded thanks to a European Union-funded project.
Jj4, a 17-year-old female, was captured overnight in the Brenta national park in a tube trap baited by fresh fruit, said officials in the autonomous province of Trento. She was sedated and taken to a holding centre pending a final decision on her fate. Her three cubs, who are 2 years old and self-sufficient, were with her at the time but were freed unharmed.
Andrea Papi, 26, was killed by Jj4 while out on a mountain training run April 5. After identifying Jj4 as his killer through her DNA, Trento provincial authorities ordered her euthanized, but animal rights groups appealed to an administrative court, which suspended the kill order.
Jj4 is the same Alpine brown bear that injured a father and son out walking in the region in 2020. Then too, Trento provincial authorities ordered her killed but a court blocked the move. She is the sister of two other brown bears that have been ordered killed in recent years because of their aggressive behavior, including "Bruno," or Jj1, who was killed after he crossed into Germany in 2005, and Jj3, killed by Swiss authorities in the canton of Grigioni in 2008, Italian news reports said.
At a news conference Tuesday, Trento's provincial president, Maurizio Fugatti, expressed anger that Papi's death could have been avoided if Jj4 had been euthanized after her first dangerous encounter with humans in 2020.
He denounced as "ideological" the arguments by animal rights groups that have opposed selective euthanasia for bears known to be aggressive, like Jj4. He told a press conference Tuesday that the province would have preferred to have euthanized her on the spot and still hopes to do so, pending a final court ruling.
Jj4 was born to two bears brought to Italy from Slovenia two decades ago as part of an EU-funded program to repopulate the brown bear population that had been dwindling to the point of near extinction. Her parents, Joze and Jurka, were introduced in 2000 and 2001 respectively and account for the "Jj" initials of her name and those of her siblings.
The Life Ursus project began in 1999 with the introduction of three males and six female bears into the Trento forests, with the intention of rebuilding the population to 40-60 bears over a few decades. But the project has worked too well, and the population has rebounded to more than 100 identified bears, which are increasingly encountering the human population, according to Italian media.
Fugatti is seeking the transfer of some 60 "excess" bears from the Trento region and said he planned to convene a working group to discuss the next steps.
A coalition of animal rights groups, including the International Organization of Animal Protection, or OIPA, demanded Trento authorities "rigorously" respect the court suspension of the kill order and vowed to defend Jj4 and her cubs "via all available legal means."
Papi's family had said they didn't want the bear culled.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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 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.
Following child's death in Ontario, here's what you need to know about rabies and bats
An Ontario child died last month after coming into contact with a rabid bat in their bedroom, which was the first known human rabies case in Canada since 2019.
A French judge in a shocking rape case allows the public to see some of the video evidence
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
Anne Hathaway confirms 'Princess Diaries 3': 'Miracles happen'
You might be thinking, 'Shut up!' but it’s officially true: the 'Princess Diaries' franchise is finally growing.
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
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.
Local Spotlight
Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.
From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.
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.