There was no change in gas prices overnight in Nova Scotia.  The minimum pump price for regular self-serve gasoline remains 140.5 cents per litre in the local area.   Diesel prices decreased by 5.9 cents per litre, meaning the minimum pump price for diesel is 134.3 cents per litre locally.

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The Catholic Church has elected its first pope from the United States.

Chicago-born missionary Robert Prevost took the name Leo the 14th on Thursday and uttered words of peace, dialogue and missionary evangelization from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time as pope.

Prevost had been a leading candidate, and although he was born in the United States, he’s also a Peruvian citizen and has lived in Peru for years.

 

 

Police say a 16-year-old boy is facing charges after someone entered a health-care facility in Truro and allegedly assaulted two security guards.  The Truro Police Service says officers were called to the Colchester East Hants Health Centre on Tuesday.  Police say the two guards were seriously injured, but no other details were provided.  Published reports say police later confirmed the youth is accused of hurling liquid bleach at the guards.

 

 

The Nova Scotia government is speeding up the environmental review process for a number of clean energy projects to help meet its climate goals and get off coal by 2030.

Under the changes large biomass, biogas and clean fuel projects have been changed to Class 1 from Class 2, meaning they can be approved within 50 days.

The more rigorous Class 2 assessment, which can take more than two years, is now reserved for projects such as pulp mills, cement plants, incinerators and large energy plants.

Meanwhile, the province is extending the Class 1 consultation period for members of the public and Mi’kmaq communities by 10 days, for a total of 40 days, while the entire assessment period remains at 50 days.

 

 

Nova Scotia’s Opposition leader has written a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney expressing concern about a lack of progress on significant bilateral agreements.  N-D-P Leader Claudia Chender says Nova Scotia is the only Atlantic Canadian province that has not signed on to the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund.  Chender says it also has not signed on to national pharmacare coverage for contraceptives and diabetes medications.  She says federal support is also needed for sectors of the economy such as seafood, which is dealing with trade disruption and tariff uncertainty.

 

 

The East Coast Music Association held its Gala Awards show in St John’s last night.

The first round of 2025 ECMA award winners included Classified as Solo Artist of the Year; Nova Scotia’s Loviet as Breakthrough Artist of the Year; Maggie Andrew won African Canadian Artist of the Year; Nova Scotia’s Neon Dreams as Group of the Tear; Jah’Mila won R&B/Soul Release of the Year for Never Fail; and Old Man Luedecke was named Songwriter of the Year for “The Raven and The Dove”

The remaining music, industry and honourary awards will be handed out this Sunday.