Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is adding 12 weeks of eligibility to two key benefits for unemployed workers and parents at home with children. The extra life for the Canada Recovery Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit will raise the maximum number of weeks available to 38 from 26. Trudeau also says the federal sickness benefit will be expanded to four weeks from two so workers can stay home if they're feeling ill, or have to isolate because of COVID-19. And employment insurance eligibility is also getting stretched, allowing people who qualify to clai

The Delhi High Court while hearing the plea of "climate activist" Disha Ravi on Friday said there should be a balance between the right to privacy and freedom of speech of people, and sovereignty and integrity of the country.The bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh said, "There is no doubt that regulations of content have been a very contested issue across the world and India is no exception to it."Court's remarks come during the hearing on a plea moved by Disha Ravi in the 'Toolkit case', seeking direction to Delhi Police not to leak any investigation material in relation to the FIR filed agains

Health officials in British Columbia are reminding residents to follow public health orders and restrictions after a significant rise in cases from earlier this week. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say 617 new cases have been recorded, for a total of 75,327 infections. B.C. had 348 cases between Sunday and Monday, and the average has been under 500 daily infections in the last month. Dr. Henry and Dix say in a joint statement that much of the uptick in cases has been in the Lower Mainland and the northern region. They also reported four more deaths,

Surrey RCMP is informing the public of a recent incident involving multiple overdoses at the same location where people were found overdosing on drugs. A woman was located deceased at a second location, also suspected of overdosing on drugs. At approximately 2:08 a.m. on February 18, 2021, police attended a residence near 106 Avenue and 140 Street after receiving notification from the BC Ambulance Service of a drug overdose. Despite the life-saving efforts of paramedics, the 46-year-old woman died. A very short time later, at 2:32 a.m., police were called to assist the BC Ambulance Service at

The Surrey RCMP Gang Enforcement Team (SGET) arrested a man who is known to police after a collision and foot pursuit, in Guildford. Shortly after 7:00 p.m. on February 17, 2021, an SGET officer conducting a pro-active patrol attempted to stop a vehicle near 168 Street and 88 Avenue. The vehicle, a Mercedes C230, failed to stop for police and drove away erratically, running a red light. The officer did not pursue the vehicle and pulled over roadside. The Mercedes then collided with another motorist. The driver of the Mercedes subsequently ran from the vehicle and into a nearby-forested area. T

Perseverance pays off. The NASA robotic rover named Perseverance landed on Mars. A NASA rover has landed on Mars in an epic quest to bring back rocks that could answer whether life ever existed on the red planet. The space agency says the six-wheeled Perseverance hurtled through the thin, orange atmosphere and settled onto the surface Thursday in the mission's riskiest manoeuvr yet. Mars has long been a deathtrap for incoming spacecraft. Perseverance will collect geological samples that will be brought back to Earth in about a decade to be analyzed for signs of ancient microscopic life.

Whale researchers are celebrating the birth of a new baby orca to the endangered southern resident killer whales. In a rare event, members of the J pod, K pod and L pod were all in the waters of the Haro Strait yesterday to meet the new calf. Ken Balcolm of the Center for Whale Research says it's important to temper expectations until the calf ages. He added that it is the fourth calf born to L-86 and two siblings didn't survive to adulthood. But he says it's unusual and exciting for all three pods to gather, especially in winter when they aren't usually found in the area.

Northern Health says it has identified new cases linked to an outbreak at the Brucejack Mine near Stewart, BC. The health authority says the new cases bring the total associated with the mine to 42, a dozen of which are active and self-isolating. There are about 485 employees working at the project site and anyone identified as cases or close contacts have been instructed to self-isolate either on-site or in their home communities, Northern Health said.Further south, Fraser Health announced an outbreak at the Mission Memorial Hospital. Three patients at the hospital tested positive. As a resu

The Trudeau government has tabled legislation to repeal mandatory minimum penalties for certain drug offences, saying they do not deter crime and unfairly affect Indigenous and Black offenders. The bill introduced today would also allow for greater use of conditional sentences, such as house arrest, counselling or treatment, for people who do not pose a threat to public safety. In addition, it would require police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures for cases of simple possession of drugs, such as diversion to addiction-treatment programs. The office of Justice Minister David Lam