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BCJan 14, 2021

Lawyer tells court, Klein believed he was stabbing a witch and a zombie with maggots

A lawyer for a man convicted of stabbing two high school students in Abbotsford says his client was not in control of himself at the time of the offence. Martin Peters is arguing in the BC Supreme Court that Gabriel Klein should not be held criminally responsible for the crimes. Peters said in his closing arguments that Klein believed he was stabbing a witch and a zombie with maggots coming out of its back, not two girls. Klein has testified that he was following the directions of voices in his head and believed that stabbing monsters was "just." Klein was convicted of second-degree murder an
24-years-after-reena-virks-murder-parole-board-continues-kelly-ellards-release
BCJan 14, 2021

24 years after Reena Virk's murder, parole board continues Kelly Ellard's release

The 38 year old woman convicted of murdering teenager Reena Virk near Victoria in 1997 will be allowed to continue her day parole. The Parole Board of Canada has released its ruling on Kelly Ellard, who now goes by the name of Kerry Sim. In a decision released Thursday, the board says Sim, now the mother of two young children, remains "positive and compliant" in the community and continues to have high reintegration potential. Her day parole was expanded last summer to allow her to live away from a residential facility for up to five days each week and the parole board is continuing that orde
CanadaJan 14, 2021

Jagmeet Singh is calling on the Liberal government to ease access to paid sick leave for Canadian workers

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is calling on the Liberal government to ease access to paid sick leave for Canadian workers to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Singh is criticizing the lag between filing for the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and receiving it, a delay he compared to applying for employment insurance. He is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to recall Parliament and legislate 10 days of paid sick leave for federally regulated employees through the Canada Labour Code, and to further promote the one-week, $500 benefit that is already in place. The New Democrat leader says upt
bku-chief-bhupinder-singh-mann-recuses-himself-from-sc-appointed-panel-on-farm-laws
IndiaJan 14, 2021

BKU chief Bhupinder Singh Mann recuses himself from SC-appointed panel on farm laws

Bhupinder Singh Mann, the National President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Mann) and Chairman of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC), on Thursday recused himself from the 4-member committee constituted by the Supreme Court to resolve the impasse between farmers and the Centre over the new farm laws.This comes a day before the Central government is scheduled to hold the next round of talks with farmers' unions in New Delhi on Friday.Former Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, Mann said he is "thankful" to the top court for nominating him in the committee but would "sacrifice" any positio
emergency-doctors-call-for-greater-transparency-on-vaccine-rollout
CanadaJan 14, 2021

Emergency doctors call for greater transparency on vaccine rollout

The professional group for emergency doctors in Canada wants more transparency about COVID-19 vaccine distribution.The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians is calling for a clear description of who is being prioritized for the first doses and why. It also wants priority to go to those directly caring for patients who are critically ill or suspected of having COVID-19.The association says many members in areas with limited human resources have not been vaccinated, but urban providers who have less patient contact appear to have received doses.A Wednesday statement says communication ab
active-case-count-of-covid-19-cases-dips-below-5-000-in-b-c
BCJan 14, 2021

Active case count of COVID-19 cases dips below 5,000 in B.C.

British Columbia health officials say they've added a senior official to the province's immunization response team to help with the program as it gets more complex. Dr. Penny Ballem will be the executive lead and work with the health minister and other officials to ensure the province is ready for community immunization when the vaccine supply is more readily available in April. So far, 63,430 people have received a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C. and officials say work is underway to align the available supply with a person's level of risk. The province is reporting 519 new cases of COVID-19 and 12
bc-born-gold-medallist-at-two-olympic-games-kathleen-heddle-dead-of-cancer-at-55
BCJan 14, 2021

BC born gold medallist at two Olympic Games Kathleen Heddle, dead of cancer at 55

A BC born gold medallist at two Olympic Games has died of cancer. Rowing Canada says Kathleen Heddle died at home in Vancouver on Monday at the age of 55. Heddle and Marnie McBean won Olympic gold medals in rowing in 1992 and 1996 and Heddle also won another gold with the women's eight in 1992. A statement issued on behalf of her family says the rower born in Trail had been battling several forms of cancer for six years. Tweet from Rowing Canada Aviron: It is with great sadness that we share this news on behalf of the family of Kathleen Heddle: https://bit.ly/3oIEX5l
b-c-judge-reserves-decision-on-meng-wanzhou-bail-conditions
BCJan 14, 2021

B.C. judge reserves decision on Meng Wanzhou bail conditions

A judge says he will reserve his decision on whether to loosen bail restrictions for Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou. Meng's lawyers want her to be allowed to leave her Vancouver home outside the hours of her curfew without being accompanied by private security staff, who they say put her at greater risk of contracting COVID-19. The chief financial officer for Huawei is wanted in the United States on fraud charges based on allegations that both she and the company deny. Justice William Ehrcke of the B.C. Supreme Court says he will reserve his decision and raised the possibility of issuing
hundreds-of-passengers-have-missed-their-flights-since-ottawas-new-covid-19-testing-requirement-for-international-travellers
CanadaJan 14, 2021

Hundreds of passengers have missed their flights since Ottawa's new COVID-19 testing requirement for international travellers

Canada's new COVID-19 testing requirement for international travellers has caused hundreds of people to miss flights in the first week of the program's rollout. Under the new restrictions, all passengers flying to Canada from another country must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken at most 72 hours prior to departure. Since the testing mandate went into effect on Jan. 7, WestJet says it has denied boarding to at least 385 guests because they did not meet the requirements. Similarly, Air Transat has denied boarding to at least 245 passengers for testing-related reasons since Jan. 7, a

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burnaby-rcmp-seek-publics-help-identifying-suspect-in-alleged-road-rage-knife-incident
BCJun 17, 2026

Burnaby RCMP seek public’s help identifying suspect in alleged road rage knife incident

Burnaby RCMP are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a man accused of threatening another driver with a knife during an alleged road rage incident earlier this year. According to a Burnaby RCMP news release, frontline officers responded on April 19, 2026, after a driver reported being verbally threatened by another motorist on Boundary Road near Grandview Highway. Police said the suspect allegedly displayed a knife and made threatening gestures during the encounter. Investigators say the victim was able to obtain limited photographs of the suspect before he left the area. Two p
man-charged-after-alleged-attempted-child-abduction-in-surrey
BCJun 17, 2026

Man charged after alleged attempted child abduction in Surrey

A 22-year-old man has been charged following an alleged attempted child abduction in Surrey that police say was interrupted by witnesses. According to Surrey police, officers were called to the 8100 block of 136A Street at about 6:40 p.m. Saturday after reports that a stranger approached a child who was playing in a residential driveway. Witnesses told investigators the man allegedly picked up the child before bystanders intervened. Police said the suspect then released the child and left the area. A person matching the suspect's description was detained by members of the public nearby and lat
BCJun 17, 2026

Parm Jawanda assumes chair of Surrey Police Board

Parm Jawanda has assumed the role of chair of the Surrey Police Board, with the board announcing the launch of a comprehensive financial review of the Surrey Police Service (SPS). According to the board, an independent accounting firm will be retained to conduct the review. The process is intended to assess the service's financial position, resource requirements and long-term budget planning needs. In a statement, Jawanda said the review will help identify areas where Surrey Police Service may require additional resources and provide a clearer picture of its operational and financial needs. Sh
trump-says-talks-with-modi-at-g7-summit-were-productive-highlights-india-u-s-partnership
WorldJun 17, 2026

Trump says talks with Modi at G7 summit were productive, highlights India-U.S. partnership

U.S. President Donald Trump said he had a “very good and productive” discussion with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during meetings on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Trump described India as an important strategic partner of the United States and said cooperation between the two countries is expected to continue expanding across a range of areas. According to statements made by Trump, he expressed support for India and emphasized the importance of the bilateral relationship, particularly on issues related to security, trade and regio
canadas-population-declines-slightly-in-first-quarter-of-2026-as-non-permanent-resident-numbers-fall
CanadaJun 17, 2026

Canada’s population declines slightly in first quarter of 2026 as non-permanent resident numbers fall

Canada’s population declined slightly during the first three months of 2026, according to new estimates released by Statistics Canada. The agency estimated the country’s population at 41,417,056 as of April 1, a decrease of 55,025 people, or 0.1 per cent, compared with Jan. 1. Statistics Canada attributed the decline largely to a reduction in the number of non-permanent residents. According to Statistics Canada, the preliminary number of non-permanent residents fell by 117,879 during the first quarter of 2026. That compares with a decline of 55,194 during the same period a year earlier. Th