The number of extortion incidents occurring in B.C. in 2025 is staggering, and the number of arrests or charges in the cases is disappointing. Connect FM gathered data on extortion in several major jurisdictions in B.C.'s Lower Mainland. The number of extortion cases targeting businesses or people associated with the Indo-Canadian community in Surrey has reached 81 as of November 3 of this year. There were 42 extortion cases where shooting incidents took place. In this, information about the addition of 28 extortion files has come to light in the just month of October alone. Surrey Police Se

A woman has died and several people have been forced from their home following a house fire on Shaw Street in Mission earlier this week. Emergency crews were called to the rural property around 1:45 a.m. on November 6 after a neighbour reported flames coming from the home. When firefighters and RCMP officers arrived, the building was already fully engulfed. Once the fire was brought under control, investigators confirmed that an adult woman had been found dead inside the residence. A man was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation but has since been released. No other serious injuries were repo

British Columbia recorded a small drop in employment last month as global trade tensions and new U.S. tariffs added pressure to key sectors, according to the province’s jobs minister. Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth Ravi Kahlon said Friday that the October Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada shows a decline of about 2,900 jobs in B.C., largely due to losses in construction and forestry. He linked those decreases to “unjustified” tariffs imposed by the United States, which he said have hurt workers and businesses across the province. Despite the monthly dip, Kahlon noted that

Quebec provincial police say 22 men have been arrested following a provincewide investigation into online child sexual exploitation. The suspects, aged 18 to 70, were taken into custody after a series of coordinated raids carried out earlier this week. According to the Sûreté du Québec, 20 of the accused have already appeared in court on charges that include possession, distribution and access of child sexual abuse material. The investigation was conducted between November 3 and 7, with more than 150 officers participating in searches across multiple cities, including Montreal, Quebec City,

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, has announced that foreign ministers from G7 member nations will gather in Niagara, Ontario, from November 11 to 12, 2025. The meeting will bring together representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. Anand said Canada will also welcome ministers from several outreach countries, including Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, and Ukraine, as part of efforts to strengthen global cooperation on shared priorities. India’s External Affairs

Emergency crews are responding to an apparent bitumen spill into the North Saskatchewan River after a tanker truck lost control and slid off a snow-covered highway northeast of Edmonton. RCMP from the Smoky Lake detachment said the vehicle left Highway 831 and entered the river amid heavy snow and poor road conditions. The driver reportedly climbed onto the truck’s roof before being rescued by boat. An environmental response team has been deployed to contain and clean up the spill, while officials continue to assess whether bitumen entered the river system. RCMP confirmed the driver was not

The British Columbia government has been ordered to pay more than $750,000 in penalties for workplace safety violations linked to two incidents that occurred during the province’s 2023 wildfire season, including a crash that killed a young firefighter. WorkSafeBC says the fatal incident involved firefighter Zak Muise, who died when a utility vehicle went over a steep embankment near Fort St. John in July 2023. Investigators found that neither Muise nor his supervisor was wearing a helmet and that the vehicle’s safety netting was damaged at the time. According to a ruling issued on Septembe

A large-scale operation to destroy an ostrich flock in rural British Columbia is underway after Canada’s top court declined to intervene in a long-running dispute over an avian flu order. Gunfire was heard overnight at the farm near Edgewood, where Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) staff began killing hundreds of birds inside a hay bale enclosure. RCMP officers restricted public access to the property late Thursday, blocking the main road and turning away onlookers. Floodlights and stacked hay bales concealed most of the activity, though workers were seen entering the enclosure carrying

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has postponed the hearing in the disproportionate assets case against former Punjab minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. The proceedings, which continued for nearly an hour on Friday, were adjourned to Monday after the court heard arguments from both sides. Majithia’s counsel argued that since a chargesheet has already been filed and the investigation remains incomplete, there is no justification for keeping his client in custody. The defence alleged that the state government is deliberately delaying the bail process by repeatedly s