BC is reporting 1,158 new cases of COVID-19 over the past three days as well as 21 additional deaths. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says 18 cases of new COVID-19 variants have now been confirmed in the province, four of the South Africa variant and 14 of the fast-spreading virus first found in the UK. Dr. Henry says the province has stepped up testing for the new variants in outbreaks and among international travellers. She says cases of the new variants show why it's important to avoid social gatherings and she's urging people not to hold Super Bowl parties next weekend. British

Police say a Vancouver senior is "clinging to life" after being attacked by two men she believed were police officers.Sgt. Steve Addison says the 78-year-old lives alone in her home and was attacked early Sunday when she opened her door to the men.Addison says the victim likely lay injured in the home for several hours until police found her in response to a friend's request for a wellness check.The woman remains in hospital with what are described as life-threatening injuries.Police say the first suspect is white, six feet tall, with a long brown beard and a medium build, while the second man

A union representing employees of the Canada Line is expected to continue talks until at least 4 p.m. today in an effort to avert a strike. Stephanie Smith, president of the BC Government and Service Employees' Union, says negotiations with Protrans BC are proceeding with the help of a negotiator after 72 hours' strike notice was served. She says employees of the Canada Line, which runs between Richmond and Vancouver and to and from the airport, are paid three per cent less than those doing the same jobs on the SkyTrain. About 180 workers including attendants, control room operators and admini

Investigators from the United States have joined a new team taking a fresh look at the unsolved homicide of Victoria real estate agent Lindsey Buziak and police say there's movement in the 13 year old case. Buziak was 24 years old when she was fatally stabbed while showing a property in Saanich on Feb. 2, 2008. Saanich police Const. Markus Anastasiades says the new team includes representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as continued support from RCMP. In a statement released Sunday, he says technology developed since Buziak's death has highlighted additional leads and

An officer with the RCMP detachment in Surrey, B.C., has been suspended amid a criminal investigation that's expected to lead to formal charges. RCMP spokeswoman Dawn Roberts says the Mountie was arrested last week and released, noting an internal code-of-conduct investigation is also underway. She says the officer was still within a two-year probationary period after just a few months on the job. Roberts says the ongoing criminal investigation by members of the RCMP's provincial headquarters had been underway "for some time" before the Mountie was taken into custody. She declined to provide d

Health officials in British Columbia say specific students and staff at a Maple Ridge high school will receive COVID-19 tests after a person at the school had close contact with someone carrying a new strain of the virus that causes the illness.Fraser Health says Garibaldi Secondary School remains open while efforts are underway to manage the exposure because the variant strain is not one currently in the community. Mutations of COVID-19 are known to spread more quickly, but doctors say they do not seem to cause more severe illness, interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines or affect testi

Congress MPs from Punjab -- Jasbir Singh Gill and Gurjeet Singh Aujla -- wore a black gown to the Parliament on Monday, as a mark of their protest against the three farm laws which have led to farmers protesting at Delhi borders for over two months.This comes at a day when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament."Internet has been suspended at Haryana borders. Is it a digital India? They are presenting the digital budget but do not provide access to the internet to people. The government is not listening to its people. We are here to be the voice of

BC's provincial health officer says the recent announcements about a drop in COVID-19 vaccine availability took her by surprise. Dr. Bonnie Henry says next week's supply of the Moderna vaccine will be reduced by 20 per cent, combined with previous vaccine shortfalls announced by Pfizer. She says more than 124,000 people have received a dose of vaccine, and all long-term care staff and residents have been offered it, which she says makes her feel relieved. Dr. Henry says it will be a challenging few weeks after seeing the benefits of a consistent supply of vaccines. But she says the federal go

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada's other vaccine supplier has to cut back on its deliveries next week. Moderna will ship only about three-quarters of the expected supply, cutting Canada's next shipment by more than 50,000 doses. Similar cuts are being made to Europe's deliveries, with Italy, France and Switzerland all reporting they, too, are getting less than 80 per cent of their expected doses. It is more bad news for Canada's already troubled vaccine supplies, after Pfizer cut back its deliveries by more than two-thirds since mid-January. Pfizer is also pushing Canada to change th