Alberta's chief medical officer of health says the Omicron subvariant has become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the province. Doctor Deena Hinshaw says about 60 per cent of positive cases are now the B-A-2 strain. She says the subvariant is more transmissible than Omicron, but doesn't appear to be causing more severe infections or outcomes. But she adds a surge in cases, even if not life-threatening, can still have a big effect on the public and health care. Dr. Hinshaw says she expects to see transmissions trending upwards in the coming weeks.

Surrey RCMP officers were called after disturbance on a local highway. Police said a llama managed to escape its enclosure this morning.Police said the llama made it through a hole in a fence and was loose on the east side of Highway 99 near 8th Avenue. Officers got to the area at about 7:30 a.m. and managed to contact the owner. Later police informed through a tweet that the llama safely made it back to property. Surrey RCMP on Twitter: Thanks to all who expressed concern for the llama on the loose this morning at highway 99 and 8 Ave, who is now home safe. Update from the officer on scene, t

Permanent repairs could be completed by the end of this year on three of the seven Coquihalla Highway bridges damaged during last November's devastating rain, floods and washouts. The Highways Ministry says it is starting the process to select contractors for repairs at three sites between the Coquihalla summit and Merritt, with work to start this summer and wrap up later in the year. A tender package is also being prepared for contractors interested in handling permanent repairs to the washed out Othello section of Highway 5, just east of Hope. The ministry says more details about repairs to

Vancouver council will consider a motion next Tuesday that could see the city hold a vote on whether or not to participate in the bid to bring the Winter Olympics back to this province. Councillor Colleen Hardwick has proposed the motion, saying if a vote is approved it could be added to the ballot during municipal elections this October. A similar vote in 2003 resulted in a nearly 64 per cent majority in favour of hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics. A feasibility study is currently underway as an Indigenous-led partnership, including four local First Nations, the City of Vancouver, Resort Muni

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is going to impose sanctions on 160 members of the Russian Federation Council. That brings the total number of sanctioned people with links to President Vladimir Putin to 964. Trudeau says Canada is going to increase its defence spending, but at a news conference in Brussels following NATO and G-7 leaders' meetings he wouldn't be pinned down on specifics. NATO's secretary-general says leaders have agreed to present plans by June on investing billions of additional dollars into their respective militaries.

UNICEF reports more than 4.3-million Ukrainian children have been displaced since Russia launched its invasion on February 24th.That is half of all children in the country.UNICEF says more than 1.8-million children have crossed into neighbouring countries as refugees, 2.5-million are displaced insideUkraine, 78 have died and 105 have been injured.

Bahrain women’s cricket team created a new record in T-20 cricket. Team scored a mammoth total of 318/1 in a T20I match against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The match was played at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground Oman Cricket. It was the seventh match of the GCC Women’s T20I Championship 2022 where the women in red jersey's eclipsed Uganda’s score of 314/2 to climb on top of the record books.Bahrain captain Deepika Rasangika, who scored an unbeaten 161 runs off 66 balls, also got her name in history books after becoming the first batter to score more than 150 runs in a women’s T20I. Chasing a

Missing person Mohd Abdullah is believed to be a victim of homicide, following an autopsy Tuesday.What began as a suspicious death investigation related to the March 17 discovery of a deceased person inside a vehicle on the 1600-block of Monterey Place, is now being treated as a homicide, with police looking for more information on the victim’s movements prior to his death.Mr. Abdullah, 60, was reported missing after he failed to attend work on March 14. He was last heard from on March 11, 2022.We are sorry to confirm that Mr. Abdullah is the deceased person discovered last week, said Sergea

B.C. is reporting 269 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 354,603 cases in the province. There are 258 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19, and 49 are in intensive care.In the past 24 hours, one new death (Northern Health) has been reported, for an overall total of 2,975.There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks, for a total of five facilities with ongoing outbreaks. From March 15-21, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 16.0% of cases.From March 8-21, they accounted for 26.3% of hospitalizations.Past week cases (March 15-21) - Total 1,416Not vaccinated: 203 (14.3%)Partia