B.C. is reporting 750 new cases of COVID-19, including three epi-linked cases, for a total of 342,282 cases in the province.The new cases include:Fraser Health: 167Vancouver Coastal Health: 93Interior Health: 277Northern Health: 108Island Health: 105People who reside outside of Canada: zeroThere are 762 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 121 are in intensive care.In the past 24 hours, 11 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,777.There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. The outbreaks at Queen’s Park Care Centre (Fraser Health), Arrowsmith Lodge and Woo

A partially consumed bottle of liquor was recovered from the ill-fated car of Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, who died in a road accident on Tuesday near Sonipat in Haryana. An FIR has been registered for rash and negligent driving against the driver of the truck with which the actor's car collided. Viscera samples of the actor have been collected. "We retrieved a partially consumed liquor bottle from Deep Sidhu's car. It is a case of rash and negligent driving. An FIR has been registered. The driver has been identified and police teams are trying to nab him. Viscera sample has been collected and fu

The victim of a fatal stabbing in Abbotsford has been identified as a 30-year-old man who was known to police. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says it believes the stabbing of Cody Corbett yesterday in Inspiration Park was targeted and not random. But it says there is no known connection with the Lower Mainland gang conflict. Sergeant David Lee says Corbett lived a transient lifestyle but had contact with people in the community and anyone who knew of his activities is being asked to call I-HIT.

A lawyer who advised British Columbia's former Speaker about a retirement allowance that is the subject of a criminal charge says the name of then-clerk Craig James never came up in those conversations. Donald Farquhar told a B.C. Supreme Court trial for James that it was his legal opinion that all so-called table officers, who support the work of the clerk in the legislature, were eligible in 2011 for the retirement allowance, which has since been eliminated. He says he never advised then-Speaker Bill Barisoff specifically about James's eligibility. However, Farquhar says James had already a

BC's police watchdog and the Coroner's Service are investigating the death of a man following a traffic stop in Dawson Creek. The Independent Investigations Office says a member of the BC Highway Patrol arrested a driver without incident yesterday morning who was the subject of outstanding warrants. The agency says the man reportedly went into medical distress and was pronounced dead at the scene. It says it has begun investigating to determine what if any role police may have played in the death while the coroners service is working to determine the cause.

British Columbia's education minister says capacity at school-based events will be capped at 50 per cent for spectators to provide some physical distancing because proof of vaccination will not be required. Jennifer Whiteside says the measure is in contrast to the lifting of capacity limits starting at midnight for community-based gatherings, where COVID-19 vaccine passports must still be shown. Whiteside says the capacity cap applies to extracurricular events, whether they are on or off school property, and marks a return to the rules that were in effect last fall. Provincial health officer

The federal Liberals are defending the sweeping temporary powers now afforded to police under the Emergencies Act, but the Conservatives are denouncing the unprecedented move. During question period in the House of Commons, Conservative M-P Michelle Rempel Garner noted that the legislation has not been used for any previous crisis. She says it wasn't used to settle the rail blockades of 2020, the Oka crisis in Quebec, the standoff in Caledonia or any other dispute in Canadian history. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the act on Monday, as protesters blockaded several border crossings and

Two-time Olympic Bronze medallist Meryeta O'Dine received a boisterous welcome as she returned to her hometown of Prince George for the first time in five months. Family members and supporters waving welcome home signs cheered yesterday as O'Dine walked through the arrivals gate at the Prince George airport. She called the greeting ``just amazing,'' saying she's looking forward to a few days of rest and maybe a trip to her favourite fast-food restaurant. The 24 year old, who finished third in the women's and mixed snowboard cross events in Beijing, is the first Olympic medallist from Prince G

Canadian speedskater Charles Hamelin has become the country's most decorated male Winter Olympian, and he did it in golden fashion. The 37-year-old Hamelin joined teammates Steven Dubois, Jordan Pierre-Gilles and Pascal Dion to win the men's 5000m short-track relay. It's a sixth career medal for Hamelin and the third of the Games for Dubois, who now has a gold, silver and bronze in Beijing. Canada won the 5,000m relay in short track speedskating. The team of Charles Hamelin, Steven Dubois, Jordan Pierre-Gilles and Pascal Dion skated cleanly to take their nation's eighth gold medal in the 45-