Elections BC has approved a petition launched bythe widow of a Surrey, B.C., murder victim that could set off abinding referendum over policing in the city.Darlene Bennett, with the group Surrey Police Vote, launched thecampaign over concerns about rising costs associated with startingup a new municipal police force that will replace the RCMP.In order for the petition to succeed, setting off the referendum,signatures from at least 10 per cent of the registered voters ineach of British Columbia's 87 electoral districts must be collectedwithin 90 days of the petition's start.Bennett's husband wa

A dog is safe at home days after it was separated from its owner as they ran from a violent attack near downtown Victoria. Camper, a brown pit bull terrier with a black face, was located last night nearly five kilometres from the site where she and her owner fled their parked van Friday as a man smashed its windows with a hammer. There was a citywide search for the friendly pooch. Victoria police say another dog found the two-year-old pit bull and alerted its owner, who called a phone number on Camper's collar. A police statement says an investigation into the van attack is continuing but off

The Canadian government is investing up to $29 million to support the domestic production of respirators and surgical masks in order to increase the country's capacity to deal with future pandemics. The funding is part of a $38.7-million project with Montreal-based Meltech Innovation Canada Inc., which specializes in the production of safety products and personal protective equipment. Minister of Innovation Francois-Philippe Champagne says the funding will help ensure Canadian front-line health-care workers continue to have a reliable supply of the equipment they need, while creating jobs in

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole says his party will force the House of Commons to vote on a motion targeting Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. Sajjan has been under heavy criticism since former military ombudsman Gary Walbourne revealed that he first flagged an allegation of sexual misconduct involving then-defence chief Jonathan Vance to the minister in March 2018.While Sajjan and the Liberal government say he followed all proper procedures, O'Toole says the minister has consistently failed victims of sexual misconduct in the military.O'Toole alleges Sajjan has also misled Canadians about his

International Development Minister Karina Gould says Canada will provide $115 million in aid over two years for more than 5.6 million Venezuelan asylum seekers living in countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean.A donors conference Canada is hosting today aims to raise US$1.44 billion needed to implement a response plan put together by 159 organizations across the countries that host refugees and migrants from Venezuela.Gould says the refugee crisis is having a significant impact on host countries especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Canada wants to help these countries

A new case of Delta Plus, the new variant of COVID-19 found in Bhopal, as informed by Madhya Pradesh Minister of Medical Education Vishvas Kailash Sarang. He said, "In a report by NCDC's (National Centre for Disease Control), a new variant has been detected in a positive case in Bhopal. We are investigating and conducting contact tracing to minimize the infection spread."

India reported 67,208 fresh COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours. 2,330 deaths have been reported in the same duration, taking the toll to 3,81,903. The active cases has declined in the country to 8,26,740, lowest after 71 days. Meanwhile, 1,03,570 patients got recovered and discharged, taking overall recoveries to 2,84,91,670. A total of 26,55,19,251 vaccine doses have been administered across the country so far.

British Columbia health officials say the province ranks among the highest in the world in the number of people who have their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. In a news release, they say more than 76 per cent of eligible people have received their first shot while 710,847 people have had their second. Health officials say a number of locations are offering extended hours and mobile clinics so more people can get immunized. The province reported 113 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 146,674. It also recorded four COVID-19-related deaths for a total of 1,738 fatalities. British Columbia en

Annamie Paul is firing back against the party executives who sought to oust her as Green party leader, calling them out for ``racist'' and ``sexist'' accusations. Her fiery response today comes after she survived a move to push her out last night. Paul says respect for diversity is a Green value but the change she represents can be perceived as a threat to existing gatekeepers. The Canadian Press has obtained a scathing letter that accompanied a non-confidence motion signed by six of 15 federal council members. It accuses Paul of acting with an ``autocratic attitude of hostility,'' attending f