Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced China's "lack of transparency" Friday following a brief trial for Michael Spavor, one of two Canadians detained by Beijing for more than two years. Canada said its consular officials were refused permission to attend the proceedings against Spavor, an entrepreneur with North Korea-related business, who is accused by China of stealing state secrets. Jim Nickel, the Canadian Embassy's deputy chief of mission, said he was told by Spavor's lawyer that the hearing ended at noon Friday after two hours. No verdict was announced. Nickel declined to give other d

Police say they've identified the woman shot inside a social housing building on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside early Wednesday morning. They say 24 year old Shania Paulson died after being shot inside the Arco Hotel, a single room occupancy building. No arrests have been made and police say the investigation is ongoing. Police believe her attacker fled and they're asking anyone with information to contact homicide detectives or Crime Stoppers. Vancouver Police on Twitter: #VPDNews: Vancouver Police have identified the victim in the city’s third homicide of 2021. http://ow.ly/BpBM50E2MiZ

A Chinese court says it will pronounce its sentence on detained Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor at a later date.Spavor's trial on charges of spying and illegally sending state secrets abroad lasted just two hours today and was conducted behind closed doors.Canadian consular officials were refused permission to attend. Ten diplomats from eight countries, including the US, Britain and Australia, stood on the street opposite the courthouse in Dandong, China.Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig is due to go on trial on Monday.The detention of the ``two Michaels'' is seen as retribution for

In an unusual way to extending support to farmers' protest against the Centre's farm laws, a couple tied the knot on Thursday at an agitation site in Rewa. Speaking to reporters after marriage, the groom, Sachin Singh said: "The farmers' agitation is going on since January 3. Farmers have been demanding the repeal of three black laws as they are not in the interest of farmers. Farmers will organise every function here. Birthdays have also been celebrated here. We will not leave until these laws are repealed." Sachin's father Ramjit Singh who is affiliated with Madhya Pradesh Kisan Sabha said t

Highlighting that his government was totally opposed to the Centre's farm laws, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday urged the Government of India not to stand on ego and prestige but to immediately scrap these legislations and bring in new laws after fresh discussions on the issue with the farmers.The Chief Minister also declared, "we will go to the Supreme Court if the President does not given assent to the State Amendment Bills", which unfortunately the Governor is still sitting on instead of forwarding them for presidential approval, even though the Vidhan Sabha had un

Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait demanded COVID-19 vaccine jab for protesting farmers and jail inmates. "I will also take the vaccine shot, where are these people who inoculate, we are looking for them, call them here," said Rakesh Tikait while speaking to ANI on March 18. Ongoing farmers' protest against the three agriculture laws has crossed over 100 days.

BC is reporting 622 new cases of COVID-19, pushing the total over 90-thousand since the pandemic began, and eight more people have died. A joint statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix says more than 4,900 infections are active, including 286 people who are hospitalized. BC has confirmed 136 new variant cases for a total of 1,132, the vast majority of which are the variant first found in the United Kingdom. The province says 143 cases of those variants of concern remain active. The latest numbers come after the province announced more than 300,

The White House says President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris plan to meet with Asian American community leaders in Georgia in the wake of this week's deadly shootings at three Atlanta-area massage parlours. Atlanta police say "nothing is off the table" in their investigation into the recent massage parlour slayings, including whether the killings were a hate crime. Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr. said during a news conference Thursday that investigators believe 21 year old Robert Aaron Long had visited the two Atlanta massage parlours where four women of Asian des

Homicide investigators have been called to a park in Burnaby, B.C., after the remains of a burned body were found on Thursday. Det. Lara Jansen of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the investigation is in its very early stages and the victim has not been identified. Speaking at a news conference beside the park, close to a large housing development and the main campus of the B.C. Institute of Technology, Jansen says it's not known yet known if the victim is male or female. The case is being handled as a suspicious death and Jansen says police will work with the BC Coroners Servi