Israel’s military ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip on Monday, halting deliveries of food, water, fuel and supplies to its 2.3 million people as it pounded the Hamas-ruled territory with waves of airstrikes in retaliation for the militants’ bloody weekend incursion.

Countless gatherings and rallies are being held by Jewish and Palestinian organizations across the country today, including groups in Edmonton who are shocked and concerned, doing whatever they can to help their communities grieve.

A Lloydminster man’s hard work in the garden has paid off, with his gourd taking home the top prize this year at the annual giant pumpkin competition at Smoky Lake, Alta.

A Secwepemc law called X7ensq’t says that if you disrespect the land and don’t take care of it properly, the land and the sky will turn on you. ‘It’s a serious law,’ said Mike McKenzie, a Secwepemc knowledge keeper. He said he wonders ‘how much farther’ people want to go in violating it.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says the process for stabilizing food prices is ‘not like a switch you can flip,’ but rather one that will likely take weeks and months, after he announced an agreement with major grocers this week that he vowed will lead to steadier prices ‘soon.’