A former RCMP officer testified that a British Columbia cabinet minister told him in 2009 that the gaming minister knew about organized crime at casinos but was more focused on the revenue generated by gambling. Fred Pinnock who was formerly in charge of the now-defunct illegal gambling enforcement team, made the comments yesterday at the provincial inquiry into money laundering. Pinnock says he met with then solicitor general Kash Heed, who told him his concerns were legitimate but that gaming minister Rich Coleman was ``all about the money.'' The inquiry also heard that the arrests of sever

US President Donald Trump is renewing his unfounded claims that Democrats are trying to steal the election from him. He did not back up his claim with any details or evidence but is calling for the "legal votes" to only be counted. State and federal officials have not reported any instances of widespread voter fraud. Trump claims, without evidence, that the ballot-counting process is unfair and corrupt. The process across the US has been running smoothly, and the count is ongoing in several battleground states. Democrat Joe Biden is urging patience, while President Donald Trump is pursing his

British Columbia reported a record of 425 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to 16,560 across the province. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says a rise in cases was anticipated as people moved indoors during colder months. The request to temporarily end open houses follows an order last week by Henry to limit the size of gatherings in private residences to the immediate household plus their so-called "safe six." The bulk of the cases are in the Fraser Health region at 268 with another 126 in Vancouver Coastal health. The province now has 3,389 acti

New Westminster police say a 47 year old man has been charged with three counts of violating the Quarantine Act. A statement from police says Makhan Singh Parhar was arrested after the city resident refused to comply with a mandatory 14 day self-isolation period following a trip to the United States last month. Police say a violation ticket was first issued but when the man repeatedly left his home, he was arrested November 2nd. Parhar is being held in custody and his next court date is set for November 16th in New Westminster.

A Metro Vancouver Transit officer has been seriously hurt in a two-vehicle crash in Surrey. RCMP say the unnamed officer suffered undetermined injuries and a person from the second car was also taken to hospital. The crash occurred at about 11 last night in the Whalley neighbourhood. At least one of the vehicles careened through a section of fence along the back of a private home but there are few details about the cause of the crash and police say the investigation continues.

An inquiry into money laundering in BC has been told that efforts in 2017 to control the illegal practice at casinos across the province created a ``ghost town effect'' but only for a few weeks. Daryl Tottenham, manager of anti-money laundering programs for the BC Lottery Corporation testified this morning that the crackdown led to a dramatic reduction in casino revenues for two or three weeks. He says all gamblers, not just the high-end players stayed away, but the chill lifted quickly. Commissioner Austin Cullen is leading the inquiry which was launched by the NDP government after reports t

Federal political leaders are calling on Canadians to find different ways to remember the sacrifices of the country's war veterans, despite the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a speech today marking Veterans' Week and Remembrance Day in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted how many Canadians have been supporting veterans throughout the pandemic by delivering groceries and helping them in other ways. Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole says Remembrance Day this year can be marked by watching online services, holding veterans in prayers or by simply wearing a poppy, even

Following a transatlantic media backlash, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is speaking with French President Emmanuel Macron today. Trudeau has been criticized in both countries for not speaking forcefully enough to defend freedom of expression in response to last week's murder of three people in a church in Nice. The prime minister had earlier waited more than a week after a French school teacher was beheaded before expressing solidarity with France. And after the recent knife attack, Trudeau hedged his condemnation by stressing that free speech has its limits. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Fran

Joe Biden's campaign is expressing optimism at the ultimate result of the election but warning supporters to ``stay patient and stay calm'' as vote counting continues. Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said Thursday on a briefing call with reporters that ``the story of today is going to be a very positive story'' for their campaign, but cautioned that as the counting continues, ``we need to allow it to get done and get done well.'' She says the campaign expects their lead to fluctuate in some states as more votes come in. O'Malley Dillon also charged that legal challenges by Presiden