On April 28, India witnessed the highest-ever spike of COVID-19 cases in a day in the world. 3,60,960 new COVID cases reported in the last 24 hours and the total caseload now stands at 1,79,97,267. Currently, there are 29,78,709 active cases in the nation. With 3,293 new deaths were registered in 24 hrs, the country has crossed the 2 lakh mark of COVID death toll at its first. In the last 24 hrs, 2,61,162 people have been discharged.So far, 14,78,27,367 COVID vaccine jabs have been inoculated.

A truck driver has been killed in a collision between two semi-trailers on the Coquihalla Highway. The unnamed driver died just after six last night when one of the rigs rear-ended the other. RCMP Traffic Services Corporal Mike Halskov says the driver in the trailing semi likely caused the crash, and died on impact. The northbound lanes of the highway north of Merritt re-opened at around three this morning.

People age 30 and older may now receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in British Columbia, starting with hot spots for transmission. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a statement on Tuesday the vaccine will be made available across the province as B.C. receives enough doses to add more pharmacy appointments. Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended last week that the vaccine may be offered to people 30 and up who don't want to wait for an approved mRNA vaccine, and if certain other conditions are met. Those condi

A report by British Columbia's auditor general says the province is effectively managing its highway avalanche safety program, but improvements can still be made. Michael Pickup says in a statement the audit found avalanche deaths on B.C. highways are rare events and road closures due to avalanches are declining. He says the audit looked at the Transportation Ministry's management of highway safety and the efforts to keep avalanche-related road closures to a minimum. Pickup says there haven't been any avalanche-related deaths on B.C. highways in more than 20 years and avalanche events are now

British Columbia has introduced legislation to convert an investment initiative into a Crown corporation with the authority to make independent decisions aimed at spurring economic recovery after the pandemic. The $500-million InBC investment fund was created last September as a way for the province to invest alongside the private sector to support small and medium-sized companies, which make up 98 per cent of all businesses in the province. The purpose of the fund is to make investments that achieve a financial return by meeting the government's social, economic and environmental policy obje

Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau spoke with his counterpart in India earlier today about how Canada could best help the country struggling with a deadly surge in COVID-19 cases. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is ready to provide $10 million to the Indian Red Cross, through the Canadian Red Cross. He says this money would support everything from procuring more personal protective equipment locally to ambulance services. Trudeau says government in close contact with US about procuring more doses Canada is counting on a US promise to share surplus COVID-19vaccines

A Quebec woman in her 50s has died of a blood clot that occurred after she received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The province's public health director says officials always knew that rare complications were possible with vaccines. Dr. Horacio Arruda says the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine still far outweigh the risks. Arruda notes there have been four reports of complications out of 400,000 people who have received the vaccines. He says Quebec will continue to offer the vaccine to residents between the ages of 45 and 79. Health Minister Christian Dube a told a news conference that any de

Vancouver Police are warning the public about a sexual assault on a child last month by an art instructor who operates out of his home in South Vancouver."This is a very disturbing incident where a child was left under the care of an adult and that adult allegedly took advantage of her," says Constable Tania Visintin, VPD. On March 22, it is alleged that 50 year-old Shao Zhai Chen, while teaching art classes out of his home near East 64th Avenue and Prince Edward Street, sexually assaulted a nine-year-old student.Chen is Asian and five feet eight inches tall. He has black and white hair and we

Police in New Westminster say a 24-year-old man has pleaded guilty to charges related to a 2019 shooting that sent a woman to hospital. They say Carlos Monteith has remained in custody since his arrest after the November 2019 that injured the woman. Police say Monteith pleaded guilty this month to charges of discharging a firearm with intent and possession of a loaded prohibited firearm. They say he was sentenced to six-and-a-half years on the first charge and three years on the second. New Westminster Police Department on Twitter: Suspect pleads guilty to two charges related to Osborne Avenu