Charges have been laid in connection with a fire that killed three people at a motel in Prince George, B.C. RCMP say 35 year old Justin Aster is charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and two arson-related offences. Court documents show he is well known to police and made his first appearance at a court in Williams Lake on Friday, when he was ordered to remain in custody until his next date on Thursday. Three people died in the fast-moving blaze at the Econo Lodge Motel on July 8, 2020. Several guests of the downtown motel narrowly escaped when flames broke out just be

Polls opened at 7 a.m. today in most of BC and will close at seven tonight as residents in this province cast their ballots in the federal election. Sixty-seven per cent of eligible BC voters turned out in the last federal election in 2019. Voter turnout was strong on the first day of advance polling this time around, but the ongoing pandemic has the potential to affect overall numbers. 42 ridings are up for grabs in BC including seats represented by federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in Burnaby South and former Green Party Leader Elizabeth May in Saanich-Gulf Islands.

Family of a Vancouver Island Indigenous woman killed during a police wellness check in New Brunswick says the effort to seek justice has been overshadowed by a weekend attack on Victoria's police chief. Chantel Moore's family and the chief say it's time to focus on Moore again. A video statement issued yesterday by Moore's family and police Chief Del Manak follows the assault on Manak one day earlier. A woman poured liquid on the chief as he was an invited guest at a memorial for Moore outside the British Columbia legislature. Manak was not hurt and police say the suspect, who was not invited

Mounties in Kelowna are investigating a suspicious death after a woman's body was found at a highway intersection. RCMP say officers were called to the intersection of Highway 33W and Nickel Road at 7 a.m. after the body was discovered. Police say the death is considered suspicious and the RCMP Serious Crime Unit has taken over the investigation. They're looking for witnesses as well as potential surveillance video.

RCMP in Burnaby say ``many officers'' are investigating a shooting near a popular hockey rink. Police say one man suffered non life-threatening injuries on Saturday afternoon in the shooting near the Scotia Barn. Mounties say they do not believe the shooting is connected to the Lower Mainland gang conflict. RCMP are asking potential witnesses or anyone who has dash cam video of the incident to come forward. Burnaby RCMP on Twitter: Burnaby RCMP’s Investigative Support Team continue to investigate a shooting that has left a victim with non-life-threatening injurieshttp://bit.ly/2Xx62jD

Charanjit Singh Channi has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab on September 19. Supporters of Channi celebrated outside his residence at Kharar, SAS Nagar in Chandigarh. Congress MLA Charanjit Singh Channi took oath as Punjab Chief Minister at Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh on September 20. The oath was administered by Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Channi took oath as 16th CM of the state. Congress leaders Sukhjinder S Randhawa and OP Soni also took oath as State Ministers today.

Canada's first-ever pandemic election culminates today as Canadians from coast-to-coast go to the polls to choose the 338 members of Parliament to sit in the House of Commons.Elections Canada says almost 6.8 million people voted early, most of them at advanced polls over a week ago, and the rest through special ballots cast by mail or at Elections Canada offices.But a majority of Canada's more than 30 million eligible voters will mark their ballots today.Elections Canada encourages voters to wear masks but only requires them in places where they are mandated by provincial rules. Proof-of-vacci

Soon after taking the oath of office, the newly-sworn in Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said his government is standing with farmers and will appeal to the Centre to withdraw the three farm laws. In his first interaction with media after taking the oath, Chief Minister said he is representative of poor sections of society including daily wage labourers and farmers. "I am not the representative of rich. I am representative of common man of Punjab," he said. Channi also said his government will immediately waive the water and electricity bills of farmers. "Punjab government stand

A day after Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat hinted that the party would fight the forthcoming Assembly polls under Navjot Singh Sidhu, former state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Monday raised objection to the statement and said the comments from Rawat were baffling. Jakhar, who was removed as Punjab Congress president to make way for Navjot Singh Sidhu in July, tweeted, "On the swearing-in day of Charanjit Channi as CM, Mr Rawats's statement that "elections will be fought under Sidhu", is baffling. It's likely to undermine CM's authority but also negate the very 'raison d'etre' of his