Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc says there is no magic legislative bullet to control objectionable content on social media.LeBlanc told a virtual conference on democracy today if there were a simple answer, many other western democracies would have already passed such laws. He says the internet and social-media platforms must be a home for free speech, a critical element of any democracy. However, LeBlanc adds, they should not be forums for hate speech, racism and disinformation. But he says citizens do not want governments to regulate content on the internet. LeBlanc prefe

The party leaders in British Columbia's provincial election return to the campaign trail today after going head-to-head Tuesday night in a televised debate.The debate featured the three party leaders keeping their distance because of the COVID-19 pandemic.They also dispensed with the usual handshakes in a largely civil debate, with some of the most pointed disagreements emerging on the best approach for economic recovery after the pandemic and energy policy.The post-pandemic recovery featured heavily in Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson's attacks on Horgan as he accused the New Democrats of bri

BC has recorded 549 more cases of COVID-19 over a four-day period and five additional deaths. The province's death toll has climbed to 250. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says while the numbers are higher than they'd like to see, there was also a backlog of about 6,000 tests now completed from last week that increased the count. Dr. Henry says four more long-term care centres also have outbreaks in the province. Almost 9,000 of those initially diagnosed with the virus are considered recovered.

BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson says he was embarrassed and appalled by comments a party candidate made about the NDP's Bowinn Ma. But Wilkinson says he did not feel he needed to say anything to Jane Thornthwaite during an online roast about remarks that have been widely condemned as sexist. He was peppered with questions today about why he laughed at the comments that Ma says sexualized her relationship with retiring M-L-A Ralph Sultan. Wilkinson says that there's no place for those kind of sexist remarks in society and he apologized to Ma.

The country's chief public health officer says a delay in Johnson & Johnson's clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine may signal a delay in getting a vaccine to the general public. She says everyone wants to see a vaccine ready as quickly as possible, but health and safety should never be compromised. Johnson & Johnson paused a clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine after finding an unexplained illness, which is normal in large-scale studies. These Phase 3 clinical trials involving human volunteers are supposed to wrap by November and December.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is denouncing Islamophobia and right-wing extremism. Trudeau says the government will do more to address the problem, but did not provide specifics. The National Council of Canadian Muslims says a downtown Toronto mosque received several emails on the weekend that contained threats of violence against Muslims. Following the fatal stabbing of a caretaker at a Toronto mosque last month, the council has called on the federal government to develop an action plan to dismantle white supremacy groups.

Elections BC says seven days of advance voting for the provincial election will begin on Thursday. An extra day has been added for those wishing to vote early in the election, up from six days in 2017. Elections BC says the extra day is aimed at helping reduce the number of people at voting places during the pandemic, and voters should note that some voting places won't be open on every advance voting day. Polling stations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from this Thursday to next Wednesday, and safety precautions will include protective barriers, physical distancing and officials wearing

The Palestinian prime minister says if US President Donald Trump is re-elected, quote, ``God help us, God help you and God help the whole world.'' Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh says the last four years of the Trump administration have greatly harmed the Palestinians. He spoke remotely to European lawmakers on Monday and said that the last four years of the Trump administration have greatly harmed the Palestinians. Trump has cut off hundreds of millions of dollars of American aid to the Palestinians, shut the Palestinian diplomatic offices in Washington, recognized contested Jerusalem as I

Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam says trick-or-treating outside, with the right physical distancing and masks, will be safe in most places this Halloween. Treats could be prepackaged and handed out at the end of a hockey stick to avoid children rummaging through a bowl of goodies. Dr. Tam says Canadians don't want to see a yo-yoing effect from rounds of openings and closures, citing the need for a sustained rhythm that is more predictable for people. Marking holidays and celebrations is one way to preserve a sense of normalcy. But she says Canadians should observe the inst