The BC Coroners Service has shared statistics on the number of deaths caused by unregulated toxic drugs in the province for the month of September. In September, 158 people lost their lives due to toxic drugs. The number of such drug-related deaths has increased in September compared to July and August. In July, the number of deaths related to unregulated drugs was reported to be 153 and in August, the number was 149. Statistics compiled by BC Coroners ServiceSo far in the year 2025, the number of such deaths has reached a total of 1,384. In the month of September alone, on average, more than

A Chilliwack RCMP officer is recovering in hospital after a serious two-vehicle collision early Saturday morning on Vedder Road. Police say the crash occurred around 1:10 a.m. on November 2 when a southbound 2006 Lincoln Zephyr crossed into the northbound lanes and struck a marked 2021 Ford Explorer police vehicle head-on, just north of Stevenson Road. According to witness accounts, the Lincoln driver was travelling at high speed and driving erratically before the collision. Investigators have ruled out alcohol as a factor. The officer, who was on duty at the time, activated her emergency alar

Surrey Police Service (SPS) is appealing to the public for help identifying a suspect connected to an alleged fraud involving a cell phone purchase arranged through Facebook Marketplace. According to investigators, SPS Frontline officers were called on October 27 after a buyer reported being deceived during a transaction several days earlier. The victim told police that the phone inside the packaging was not the same model that had been advertised and agreed upon. Police have released a photo of the suspect and are asking anyone who recognizes the individual to come forward. The case is part o

Canada’s efforts to curb student visa fraud have resulted in a sharp rise in study permit refusals for applicants from India, according to new federal data. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) figures show that 74 per cent of Indian study permit applications were rejected in August 2025 — more than double the refusal rate from the same month last year. The federal government has tightened the issuance of international study permits for a second consecutive year as part of a broader plan to limit temporary migration and strengthen oversight of educational institutions. B

A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan before dawn on Monday, leaving at least 20 people dead and more than 640 injured. The tremor caused significant destruction in several communities, including damage to the centuries-old Blue Mosque in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif. Local authorities reported that the town of Khulm, near the quake’s epicentre, suffered widespread building collapses. Residents have been digging through debris in search of survivors as rescue operations continue. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense said military and emergency teams have reached the af

Federal and provincial officials are gathering in Vancouver today for a forestry summit aimed at tackling the escalating trade dispute that has driven U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber above 50 per cent. Federal Minister of Public Safety and Canada–U.S. Relations Dominic LeBlanc is joining B.C. Premier David Eby and provincial ministers responsible for forests and jobs to discuss measures to protect workers and businesses across the province’s struggling forestry sector. The talks come after Washington imposed a new round of anti-dumping and countervailing duties this fall, raising

British police have charged a 32-year-old man with multiple counts of attempted murder after a stabbing on a train left 11 people injured over the weekend. British Transport Police said Anthony Williams faces 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of causing actual bodily harm, and one count of possessing a bladed article. The charges stem from an attack on a passenger train on Saturday that forced an emergency stop. Authorities said Williams is also accused of attempted murder in a separate incident earlier the same day at a London transit station. He was arrested after officers boarded the

The federal government says Canada generated roughly $3 billion in revenue from tariffs imposed on American imports before Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government lifted the counter-tariffs in September. The figures were released by the Department of Finance, which added that more details will be outlined in the upcoming federal budget. During the spring election campaign, the Liberals had projected that counter-tariffs would bring in about $20 billion in the current fiscal year. However, to ease trade tensions with the United States, the Carney government suspended tariffs on goods covered

The International Committee of the Red Cross says it has handed over the bodies of 45 Palestinians to authorities in Gaza, one day after Hamas returned to Israel the remains of three soldiers captured during the October 7, 2023 attacks. Officials at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza confirmed receiving the bodies on Monday afternoon. The exchange took place under a fragile ceasefire mediated by the United States, which has seen a series of coordinated returns of human remains between both sides. According to health authorities in Gaza, identifying many of the bodies has been difficult due to a