Christie's auction house says an egg-sized white diamond known as ``The Rock'' has sold for the equivalent of 28.2-million dollars Canadian. The 228-carat pear-shaped stone is billed as the largest of its kind to go up for auction. The 228-carat pear-shaped stone, with its platinum pendant mounting, has a gross weight 61.3 grams (2.2 ounces) and dimensions of 5.4 centimeters by 3.1 centimeters (2.1 inches by 1.2 inches), making it about the size of a medium hen's egg. Also sold was the ``Red Cross'' diamond, a more than 205-carat fancy yellow stone, which fetched nearly 18.5-million dollars.

A man from Gibsons who killed his sleeping mother with an axe has been found not criminally responsible because of a mental disorder. Kevin Webster had been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Moirin Webster on December 27th, 2020. BC Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Gomery says Webster had suffered from schizophrenia for years and was ``psychotically driven'' by the paranoid belief that he was the target of a murderous conspiracy by his family. The judge said he agreed with the Crown and defence that it was appropriate to find Webster not criminally responsible and order him held

Police have identified a husband and wife, both in their 70s, as homicide victims in Abbotsford, B.C. Investigators say 77-year-old Arnold De Jong and 76-year-old Joanne De Jong were found dead in a home on Monday. A statement from police says it's unclear if the killings were random or targeted. Sgt. David Lee of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says they are releasing the names and a photo of the victims to further the investigation and identify other possible witnesses. The statement says homicide investigators are still collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses and trying to b

Police in Vancouver are warning parents about a disturbing trend involving teens that swarm a lone peer before punching and kicking them until they fall to the ground, then forcing them to kiss their attackers' shoes. The Vancouver Police Department says the demeaning bullying rituals are sometimes videoed and posted online. Sergeant Steve Addison says beyond physical harm, these types of incidents can cause deep-rooted emotional trauma, and parents should speak to their children about bullying and violence. He's asking parents to encourage their children to call police if they have informati

Talks have resumed for the first time in weeks between striking transit workers and their employers in the Sea-to-Sky corridor including Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton. More than 80 transit workers, including bus drivers, have been off the job since January 29th. The dispute is focused on job security and wage parity with B-C Transit drivers in Metro Vancouver. A spokesman for Unifor, which represents the workers, says the union will ``enter the negotiations in good faith and will continue to bargain for fair compensation.''

All six candidates running to be the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada will gather on an Edmonton stage tonight for the first of two official debates. And though he missed last week's unofficial sparring in Ottawa so he could sell party memberships, Patrick Brown will take part in tonight's debate. The Brampton, Ontario mayor's opponents include longtime MP Pierre Poilievre, who Brown recently criticized for offering, ``wacky investment advice'' for saying the cryptocurrency Bitcoin was a solution to inflation. Tonight, candidates will field questions on topics such as the futur

Ottawa is chartering three planes to bring Ukrainian refugees from Poland to Canada. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says seats on the flights to Winnipeg, Montreal and Halifax will be available on a first come, first served basis. Thousands of Ukrainians have arrived in Canada since Russian forces attacked in late February, and Fraser says it isn't clear how many more will come. The flights are in addition to the commercial options that are being subsidized by a special fund. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says the government continues to face logistical challenges in helping Ukrainians w

An Indigenous group in Saskatchewan is calling on the Vancouver Police Department to further investigate the death of a 24-year-old woman whose remains were found in a vacant house in the city nearly two years after she was reported missing. The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations says Chelsea Poorman's family deserves to know what happened to her before contractors working at the home discovered her remains in April. Police have said an investigation into the death of the woman from the Kawacatoose First Nation was launched immediately and officers have met with some of her family mem

The skeletons of 282 Indian soldiers who participated in the country's First War of Independence in 1857 were found during the excavation near Amritsar, said Dr JS Sehrawat, Assistant Professor, Dept Anthropology, Punjab University. The soldiers were said to have revolted against the use of pork and beef-greased cartridges. "These skeletons belong to 282 Indian soldiers killed during India's first freedom struggle against the British in 1857. These were excavated from a well found underneath a religious structure in Ajnala near Amritsar in Punjab," said the assistant professor. "These soldiers