News briefs for Friday, January 9, 2026

Jets snap winless skid, beat Kings 5-1

9:38 PM

The Winnipeg Jets are finally back in the win column.

A decisive 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday snaps an 11-game drought that spanned 27 days and saw them go 0-7-4.

Mark Scheifele led the way with a pair of goals, while Vlad Namestnikov, Cole Koepke and Jonathan Toews had singles. Gabe Vilardi and Cole Perfetti each chipped in with a pair of assists.

Backup goaltender Eric Comrie stopped 23 of 24 shots that came his way.

Winnipeg improves to 16-22-5 while Los Angeles falls to 18-15-10.

The Jets return to action on Sunday afternoon when they host the New Jersey Devils.

International student capacity drops 40 per cent

3:27 PM

Manitoba is condemning the federal government’s continued capping of international students and failure to consult local leaders on its allotments.

The province released a bulletin on Friday “highlighting the consequences” of Ottawa’s shift in immigration policy. Manitoba was allotted 11,196 spots for international students this year, down from 18,591 in 2025 — a 40 per cent drop, it said.

Advanced Education and Training Minister Renée Cable said in the release that universities and colleges are reporting a steep decline in enrolment and related revenue.

“These reductions make it difficult for institutions to plan for the long term as they rely on stable student numbers to deliver high-quality education,” Cable said.

Guns, booze seized on winter road

2:47 PM

Four people have been charged after police say drugs and illicit liquor were found after a vehicle ran out of gas on a winter road.

The people inside the vehicle were stranded in Bunibonibee Cree Nation sometime before 11:15 p.m. Tuesday.

First Nation safety officers told RCMP more than an hour later that they had taken five people into custody for trying to smuggle drugs and alcohol into the dry community. RCMP met with the safety officers on the road and arrested the five people.

After a search of the vehicle and the area where it had stopped, police seized more than 850 grams of crack cocaine, more than 200 grams of cocaine, a small quantity of methamphetamine, drug-related paraphernalia and more than 200 bottles of liquor.

One of the five people, a 34-year-old Bunibonibee woman, had apparently been assaulted. She was taken to the community’s nursing station and later flown out of the community for treatment.

The other four people — two Bunibonibee men, ages 22 and 18, a 37-year-old Bunibonibee woman and a 43-year-old Winnipeg woman — are charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime. They have also been charged under the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act. All were remanded into custody.

Police are still investigating.

Twelve more measles cases announced

2:21 PM

The province announced 12 new confirmed measles cases Friday, for a total of 322 since February.

The number of probable cases remains 29.

The latest numbers are accurate as of Jan. 3.

Operation Red Nose raises $30K

10:51 AM

More than 1,500 drivers got a safe ride home through Operation Red Nose in communities across Manitoba this holiday season.

Nearly 1,350 volunteers raised more than $30,000 by giving about 1,515 people rides in seven communities — Winnipeg, La Broquerie, St. Malo, Gimli, Portage la Prairie, The Pas and Flin Flon.

The 2025 campaign was the 30th year Operation Red Nose has operated in Manitoba.

The money will go to a variety of youth organizations in Manitoba.

Man slashed with machete in Little Grand Rapids 

10:42 AM

A man suffered a “significant” injury when he was attacked with a machete in Little Grand Rapids early Thursday.

RCMP were sent to the nursing station shortly after 5 a.m. when a man with a serious cut to his arm he had suffered in a fight walked in.

Officers arrested a 31-year-old man  at his home about an hour later. He is charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and was remanded into custody.

The victim, also 31, was airlifted to a hospital and has since been released.