The faster-spreading COVID-19 variant first discovered in the United Kingdom has made its way into some British Columbia schools.A statement from the Fraser Health authority says it is working closely to manage exposures at six schools in the Surrey and Delta school districts.Five of the schools are in Surrey: Woodward Hill, James Ardiel and A. H. P Matthew elementaries, and Kwantlen Park and Tamanawis high schools, along with Hellings Elementary School in Delta.The authority says only those staff and students who have been identified as close contacts need to be tested and they have been con

The non-resident Indians (NRIs) of the San Francisco Bay Area on Sunday (local time) organised a car rally to show support to farm laws introduced by the Indian government.The car rally was organised at the Mission San Jose High school parking lot at 1:30 pm (EST). To show support to the farm laws, several NRIs joined the car rally. During the rally, the supporters chanted "Vande Mataram". The United States had earlier come out in support of India's new farm laws, saying it welcomes steps that would "improve the efficiency" of Indian markets and attract greater private sector investment. React

British Columbia is recording 508 new COVID-19 cases. Health officials also announced six new deaths at a news conference today. The figures mean a total of 75,835 COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in BC since the pandemic began. British Columbia's death toll sits at 1,327. British Columbia has hit a one-day record for vaccinations as new preliminary data from residents of long-term care homes and health-care workers shows the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine reduces the risk of the virus within two to three weeks. B.C. used 12,250 vaccine doses yesterday, bringing the province's total

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is declining to talk about when he first became aware of allegations of sexual misconduct against the former chief of the defence staff, but the minister assured MPs today he has always promptly informed the appropriate authorities of such accusations. Appearing before the House of Commons defence committee, Sajjan indicated that any discussions he might have had with the military ombudsman about Gen. Jonathan Vance are confidential. The committee hearing follows a Global News report that Vance allegedly had an ongoing relationship with a woman he significantly o

The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control says new preliminary data shows that a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine reduces the risk of the virus by 80 per cent within two to three weeks of receiving the shot. The agency says in a statement that research led by Dr. Danuta Skowronski, the head of its influenza and emerging respiratory pathogens team, came to the conclusion after analyzing COVID-19 cases in long-term care homes. Researchers studied cases between December 2020 and February 2021, seeing a drop in cases starting at about 14 days after vaccination as well as a reduction in hos

Alberta authorities have arrested a 37 year old man from British Columbia for allegedly creating and uploading child pornography involving his daughter to the internet. The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams, which focus on organized crime, say in a news release that their Internet Child Exploitation Unit in Calgary received a tip about the man who was in Fort St. John, B.C. It says investigators identified the suspect allegedly uploading child sexual abuse materials online, and further investigation revealed the photos were of the suspect's young daughter. The unit says the suspect had b

US residents who live in Point Roberts, Washington, won't need COVID-19 tests if they are travelling through Canada for essential services. Travel between the seaside enclave and the rest of Washington state requires a 40-kilometre trip through British Columbia. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee says that habitual residents of Point Roberts will not have to take a COVID-19 test in either the United States or Canada. The Canada-US border has been closed to non-essential travel since March 2020. Anyone entering Canada for non-essential travel purposes needs to show negative COVID-19 tests at

Just days after former British Columbia Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson delivered his official letter of resignation, the first candidate has come forward to replace him. The two-term Liberal member for the riding of Skeena, Ellis Ross, confirms he will seek the party's leadership. Ross, a former chief councillor of the Haisla Nation, became the first Liberal to win the Skeena riding in 16 years when he was elected to the Legislature in 2017. He briefly held the post of minister for natural gas development and minister responsible for housing before Christy Clark's Liberal government was repl

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is adding 12 weeks of eligibility to two key benefits for unemployed workers and parents at home with children. The extra life for the Canada Recovery Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit will raise the maximum number of weeks available to 38 from 26. Trudeau also says the federal sickness benefit will be expanded to four weeks from two so workers can stay home if they're feeling ill, or have to isolate because of COVID-19. And employment insurance eligibility is also getting stretched, allowing people who qualify to clai