Work has begun on the removal of an abandoned vessel near Surrey, B.C., that has been an eyesore on the Fraser River for over five years.Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan announced that an assessment of the MV Spudnik shows there's an imminent risk of pollution, hull corrosion, sinking and fire.The department says in a news release that the Canadian Coast Guard has begun work with contractor Marine Recycling Corporation to assess various options to safely dismantle and remove the former fishing vessel from the water.The 75-year-old ship has been moored at the same location on the Fraser Riv

The British Columbia Green party has announced more details about its leadership contest as Andrew Weaver officially leaves the post.The party says voting will take place, primarily online, from June 15 to 26, and it will use ranked ballots for three or more candidates or first-past-the-post for a contest of two.The party announced last month that Green legislature member Adam Olsen would be its interim leader and he stepped into the job on Monday.It also said voters aged 16 and up can vote for a candidate even if they're not a member of the party, although membership is free for those aged 2

Defence Secretary Mark Esper says the United States has made "no decision" about withdrawing troops from Iraq amid heightened tensions with neighbouring Iran.Esper spoke to reporters Monday after a letter from a U.S. Army general circulated that seemed to suggest a withdrawal had been ordered in response to a vote by the Iraqi Parliament over the weekend.Esper says, “There's been no decision whatsover to leave Iraq.”

British Columbia's highest court has ordered seven police officers to fully co-operate with an investigation into the shooting death of a robbery suspect in 2016.The B.C. Appeal Court decision released Monday is the latest legal fight involving the provincial police watchdog over the interpretation of the duty of a police officer to co-operate with its investigations.The dispute stems from the fatal shooting of a man outside a Canadian Tire store in Vancouver by one of several officers who attended the scene of the robbery.When the Independent Investigations Office asked officers who witnessed

An 18-year-old man is recovering after being struck in the leg during what police describe as a targeted drive-by shooting late Sunday night in Burnaby. The incident has renewed worries among residents about gang-related violence in neighbourhoods close to Metrotown. RCMP say the teenager was travelling with two other men in a small car when a white sedan pulled alongside near Willingdon Avenue and Burke Street and opened fire shortly after 10 p.m. The car crashed into bushes and the occupants fled, but officers quickly located them. Police confirmed the other two men were not injured. Investi

Assembly polls will be held in Delhi on February 8 to decide who will rule the national capital for the next five years with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party making a determined bid to return to power and the BJP seeking to have a chief minister in the metropolis after 20 years.The Congress, which has ruled Delhi for 15 successive years, is also making efforts to regain its support base.The poll schedule was announced by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora at a press conference here. Counting of votes will take place on February 11. Assembly elections will be held in the backdrop of protests in

Environment Canada has posted weather warnings from the east coast of Vancouver Island all the way to the southeastern corner of the province, while winter storm watches are in effect for a large section of the southeast Interior and the Elk Valley.Rainfall warnings are up for parts of Vancouver Island and the inner south coast, including Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Howe Sound.The weather office says up to 90 millimetres of rain could cause localized flooding in low-lying areas before the system passes Tuesday.Elsewhere, winter storm and snowfall warnings call for as much as 30 cen

The federal Conservatives will choose their next leader at a convention on June 27 in Toronto.Former Conservative MP Lisa Raitt, who is co-organizing the race, said the rules for the race remain a work in progress, but the committee setting them continues to meet frequently.The leadership race has been unofficially underway since current leader Andrew Scheer announced last month he would resign upon the election of his replacement.Raitt - who had challenged Scheer for the leadership in 2017 - was named soon after to be co-chair of the committee to set the rules of that contest.She says the com

Delhi Police entered Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on Sunday on the request of university administration following the violence that erupted after a masked mob entered the premises and attacked the students."Delhi police entered the JNU campus after a request from the university administration. Two groups in the university had been clashing for the past few days," police said."The incident took place at around 5pm when scuffle broke between two groups. They vandalised University property, damaged private vehicles and moved towards the hostel. JNU administration made a written reques