BC's Labour Minister Harry Bains says he understands the pressures facing employers during the COVID-19 pandemic, but workers are also struggling and the minimum wage will increase as planned on Monday.The BC government announced a series of minimum wage increases in 2018 and the June 1st wage boost goes up 75 cents per hour to $14.60.Bains says Labour Ministry data shows 60 per cent of people earning minimum wage in BC are female and 93 per cent of the province's minimum wage paying jobs are in the service sector, including cleaning services, grocery stores and restaurants.He says businesses

Several locust operations were conducted at 15 locations in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh on Friday by Locust Control Offices (LCOs), in the wake of locust swarm in those regions. Many districts of Jaipur, Dausa, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Barmer, Chittorgarh, Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, as per the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, were subjected to the control operations. As per the ministry, no crop loss was reported in parts of Madhya Pradesh (districts of Satna, Balaghat, Niwari, Raisen, and Shivpuri) where locust operations were held. On May 28, a total of 377 spots covering 53,997 hect

There are 89,418 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 50,232 confirmed (including 4,363 deaths, 15,908 resolved) Ontario: 27,210 confirmed (including 2,230 deaths, 20,983 resolved) Alberta: 6,979 confirmed (including 143 deaths, 6,218 resolved) British Columbia: 2,562 confirmed (including 164 deaths, 2,170 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,055 confirmed (including 59 deaths, 978 resolved) Saskatchewan: 641 confirmed (including 10 deaths, 570 resolved) Manitoba: 283 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 273 resolved), 11 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 261 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 2

US President Donald Trump has announced that the US will be terminating its relationship with the World Health Organization. He says the WHO failed to adequately respond to the coronavirus because China has ``total control'' over the global organization. He says Chinese officials ``ignored'' their reporting obligations to the WHO. Donald Trump is sounding a bit more sympathetic about the death of George FloydUS President Donald Trump is sounding a bit more sympathetic about the death of a black man from Minnesota at the hands of a white police officer. Trump gave his condolences to George Flo

The province is reporting just four new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths. That brings the total number of cases in B.C. to 2,562, including 164 deaths. 228 cases of COVID-19 remain active in B.C. The province says there have been no new health-care facility outbreaks, leaving 15 long-term care or assisted-living facilities and one acute-care unit with active cases.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says he has spoken with the family of George Floyd and is calling for justice. Biden's comments came as a Minnesota prosecutor announced charges against a police officer seen kneeling on Floyd's neck. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says Derek Chauvin is charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in the restraint death of Floyd. In a brief online appearance Friday, the former vice-president blamed systemic racism, which he called ``an open wound'' on American society, for Floyd's death. He says it's time for deep and lasting p

The provincial government has purchased a former motel in Campbell River to house residents displaced by a blaze that left 92 people homeless in that city in April. BC Housing's purchase of the former Heritage River Inn will provide 41 units of stable, long-term, affordable rental housing for the low-income residents who escaped the fire. Finding a home in the Campbell River area is challenging at the best of times but the COVID-19 pandemic has made the search even more complicated. North Island MLA Claire Trevena says purchase of the old motel will provide security and peace of mind while th

Statistics Canada says the economy in the first quarter had its worst showing since 2009 as steps taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 forced businesses across the country to close their doors and lay off workers.Statistics Canada says gross domestic product fell at an annualized rate of 8.2 per cent in the first three months of 2020.The collapse came as gross domestic product for March fell 7.2 per cent as restrictions by public health officials and school closures began rolling out during the month.The average economist estimate is for a nine per cent drop in gross domestic product for March

A white police officer seen on video kneeling on a black man's neck for eight minutes as he pleaded he couldn't breathe has been arrested. The arrest of Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd follows three nights of increasing violence in Minneapolis. Last night, protesters torched the police station where Chauvin and three other officers seen in the video worked. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says the state is taking over the response to the protests and will show respect and dignity for those who are suffering.