Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response in British Columbia. "Today, we are announcing 53 new cases, including three epi-linked cases, for a total of 3,934 cases in British Columbia. "There are 386 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 3,353 people who tested positive have recovered. "There are 11 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19, four of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation

Search and rescue crews in Coquitlam, B.C., say they had to conduct a "non-urgent helicopter evacuation" of 17 campers. Messages posted on social media by the rescue team on Friday say the 17 were stranded at Widgeon Lake. The area is a popular hiking destination west of Pitt Lake, north of Coquitlam. The search team says the campers had chartered a float plane to carry them to an area at the lake that is difficult to access by foot. No one has been hurt but Coquitlam Search and Rescue says poor weather has prevented the plane from picking up the group. It says the campers made the "difficult

More flights have been added to the list alerting passengers who arrived at British Columbia airports of potential exposure to COVID-19. The BC Centre for Disease Control says passengers on a Delta flight on July 29 from Seattle to Vancouver and a flight from San Francisco to Vancouver on Aug. 1 may be at risk. All travellers from outside Canada must self-isolate for 14 days, which can limit the possible spread of the illness from international flights.But the centre says passengers on a WestJet flight from Calgary should also self-monitor for symptoms for the next 14 days.It says a person wi

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says Americans will be the first casualties of President Donald Trump's tariff on Canadian aluminum. Freeland says Canada will strike back with 3.6 billion dollars in tariffs on a list of American products. The government will spend the next 30 days consulting with industry stakeholders to determine which items to target. When the US slapped a tariff on Canadian steel two years ago Canada retaliated with tariffs on American ketchup, ballpoint pens, orange juice, whisky and toilet paper. President Donald Trump accuses Canada of breaking a promise not to

Lebanon's president is confirming top leaders and security officials were aware of the 2750 tonnes of highly explosive ammonium nitrate stored in a waterfront warehouse since 2013. Michel Aoun says he was told nearly three weeks ago about the massive stockpile of explosive chemicals and immediately ordered action taken. But he says he had no authority over the facility. President Michel Aoun said several governments in charge since 2013 received repeated warning about the material. Aoun is suggesting the explosion was either an act of negligence or "external intervention" by a missile or

Premier John Horgan says the decision by the US government to impose tariffs on Canadian aluminum is "disappointing for the people of BC". A statement from the premier's office says many people in BC earn their living from the province's aluminum industry and BC exports do no harm the US market. It says the 10-per cent tariff is "unfortunate" when countries should be helping each other recover from COVID-19 restrictions, and the Horgan government will fight for the industry and its workers. A newly modernized Rio Tinto aluminum smelter in Kitimat employs 1100 workers and contributed more th

Statistics Canada says the country's labour market gained 419,000 jobs last month as more parts of the economy were allowed to reopen.The agency says the national unemployment rate was 10.9 per cent in July, down from the 12.3 per cent recorded in June.The figures beat market expectations, with the average economist estimate from financial markets data firm Refinitiv was for a gain of 400,000 jobs in July and an unemployment rate of 11 per cent.Combined with the 953,000 jobs gained in June and the 290,000 in May, the country was within 1.3 million jobs from pre-pandemic level. About 266,0000 m

An official says an Air India Express flight with 191 people on board has skidded off a runway and split in two while landing in heavy rain in southern India.The death toll in the flight crash landing incident at Kozhikode in Kerala rose to 17, the Air India Express informed on Saturday. News reports say several dozen people were injured.A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Ministry says no fire was reported on the Boeing 737 aircraft after it landed.He says details about injuries are not immediately known.The NDTV news channel says 30-40 people have been hospitalized and other passengers have b

A union representing workers at a meat-processing plant in Manitoba says four more employees have tested positive for COVID-19. A total of eight employees at the Maple Leaf pork plant in Brandon have now tested positive since the weekend. Jeff Traeger, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 832, says he expects the number to continue to increase. The union, which represents nearly 2,000 workers at the plant, is renewing its call to have the company halt production there until the situation is under control. Maple Leaf has said the cases are not linked to workplace spread bu