A deadly fire in a dense Hong Kong housing complex has claimed at least 128 lives, after emergency crews located additional victims while searching the upper floors of seven interconnected residential towers. Local officials say dozens of people are still unaccounted for as firefighters work through badly damaged units. Authorities in Hong Kong have now arrested eight more individuals linked to renovation activity in the buildings, including scaffolding subcontractors and project managers. Investigators are examining whether construction materials – including bamboo scaffolding and foam insu

RCMP on Vancouver Island say no one survived an early morning plane crash discovered in a rural area southwest of Nanaimo. Officers were called around 3 a.m. to a site near Twilight Way, a forested neighbourhood on the edge of the city, after receiving reports of an aircraft down. Mounties say the wreckage was found scattered across a large debris field, indicating a significant impact. Police have not released information about the type of aircraft involved or how many people were on board. Specialized units remain at the scene to secure the area and begin documenting evidence. Investigators

Surrey Police Service and the Surrey RCMP’s Provincial Operations Support Unit say they are reviewing evidence after shots were fired at a home in the Fraser Heights area early Thursday morning. Officers were called around 3:05 am to a residence near 112 Street and 153A Street, where they confirmed the house had been struck by gunfire. Police say no one was hurt. The General Investigation Unit with the RCMP support unit has taken over the file and is gathering surveillance footage and witness statements. Investigators are also checking whether the incident may connect to other recent police

Richmond RCMP is urging residents to be cautious after a recent rise in reports of so-called grandparent scams, a type of fraud that often targets seniors but can impact anyone who receives an unexpected call claiming a loved one is in trouble. Investigators say the scams share a common pattern in which suspects create panic and pressure victims into paying large sums of money. Police say one of the latest cases involved a caller pretending to be an official with a foreign embassy. The scammer told the victim that their grandson had been detained and that urgent bail money was required. The vi

Mission RCMP says investigators are searching for two outstanding suspects after a violent home invasion earlier this month that left several residents injured and resulted in the theft of multiple long guns. Police were called to a home around 1:30 a.m. on November 13, where intruders allegedly forced their way inside, used pepper spray on the occupants, and struck one person with a crowbar. Officers say one suspect was injured during the altercation with the homeowner before fleeing. About half an hour later, staff at a local hospital reported that a man with suspicious injuries had been dro

The federal government and Alberta have signed a new memorandum of understanding that lays out a framework for advancing an oil pipeline to Canada’s West Coast, while also opening the door to potential changes to British Columbia’s tanker restrictions. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith formalized the agreement at a ceremony in Calgary on Thursday, describing it as a step toward defining the project as one of national interest under the Building Canada Act. Under the terms released by officials, Ottawa says it would be prepared to adjust the West Coast tanker ban

The acting Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, met with the family of a 13-year-old girl who was killed during an alleged attempted sexual assault in Jalandhar, urging authorities to pursue the maximum punishment allowed under law. The visit comes as community members continue to express concern about the handling of the case. During the meeting, the Jathedar offered prayers for the victim and received a detailed account of the events from the family. He assured them that the Panth’s highest temporal seat, along with the broader Sikh community, supports the family as the

Canada’s financial intelligence agency says financially motivated sexual extortion involving children is becoming more frequent, with many cases showing signs of organized criminal involvement. The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada has issued a new alert urging banks and other reporting entities to watch for financial patterns that could signal online extortion or broader child exploitation activity. The agency notes that offenders often threaten to release intimate images or videos of young victims unless money or additional content is provided. Officials say the

Alberta RCMP say two people now living in Wetaskiwin County have been charged in connection with a sexual assault investigation launched in northern Ontario, involving incidents reported to have occurred several years ago. According to the Ontario Provincial Police, the alleged offences took place in Gillies Township, a rural community southwest of Thunder Bay, between 2020 and 2022. Investigators have charged a 73-year-old man with two counts of sexual interference and two counts of sexual assault involving a person under the age of 16. A 63-year-old woman is facing three counts of assault. P