Quebec has become the fourth province to confirm its first case of a more contagious COVID-19 variant. Health Minister Christian Dube says the person who tested positive is a family member of someone who returned from the United Kingdom on Dec. 11. Three other provinces have confirmed cases of the new variant in recent days, with three cases in Ontario, one in Alberta and one in British Columbia. The variant was first identified in the U.K. and has since spread to several other countries. The latest case in Canada comes as Yukon Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost says the terri

Three regional health authorities in British Columbia are reporting new COVID-19 outbreaks in assisted-living facilities and long-term care homes. Interior Health says six residents and four staff members have tested positive for the illness at Heritage Square, a private facility in Vernon. The health authority says each of the six residents live in the long-term care areas of the facility and their close contacts are in self-isolation. Fraser Health is reporting two new outbreaks after two staff members tested positive for COVID-19 at Rideau Retirement Residence in Burnaby and another two st

Homicide detectives are investigating a fatal shooting in Surrey, B.C., the second deadly attack in the city in as many days.Sgt. Frank Jang with the joint-police Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the shooting happened Monday evening in the Guildford neighbourhood.The unnamed victim was found dead at the scene but few other details have been released.The shooting took place as Jang was providing more information about a Sunday night shooting in the Whalley area that killed 19-year-old Harman Singh Dhesi.Jang says Dhesi was known to police and his death and the Guildford-area shootin

Residents of Amritsar held a 'jaago' march in the city against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and its three newly enacted farm laws. The aim of the march was to draw Centre's attention and to tell them repeal the three farm laws.Farmers of Punjab and other states are sitting at different borders of Delhi to protest against the farm laws.

The head of the World Health Organization says it's important to step up genomic sequencing to detect a COVID-19 variant worldwide that has cropped up in parts of Canada. New variants discovered this month appear to be more infectious and have triggered sweeping travel restrictions. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the new variants are cause for concern. He says variants will only be found if countries are testing effectively. Canadian health officials report a more contagious new strain of the novel coronavirus virus was found in three parts of the country. The variant first seen i

The man who planted a bomb in Nashville on Christmas told a neighbour days earlier that, "Nashville and the world is never going to forget me." Now that investigators have identified Anthony Quinn Warner they are trying to learn his motive. David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says hundreds of tips have been submitted to law enforcement agencies in the past few days. Warner died in his own blast. The explosion injured three people and severely damaged dozens of downtown buildings.

Four people, two of whom are in critical condition, were taken to hospital after a crash Sunday morning in Coquitlam, B.C. B.C. Emergency Health Services says they received a call for a collision on Highway 1 near Brunette Ave. A spokeswoman says four patients were treated at the scene. Two were taken to hospital in critical condition, while the other two were taken in stable condition. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says the incident has the on and off ramps, as well as the overpass, closed at the Brunette exit. The affected ramps and overpass were closed for several hours

A pedestrian has died after being struck by a vehicle on Boxing Day in Richmond, B.C. Mounties say they were called at about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday after a woman was struck while crossing an intersection at a cross walk. The victim was taken to hospital, where she died from her injuries. RCMP say the driver is cooperation, and alcohol and speed have been ruled out as factors contributing to the crash. Const. Kenneth Lau says in a statement that road conditions are not ideal at this time of year, and asks drivers to slow down and look out for pedestrians. The RCMP's Criminal Collision Investiga

More than 15,000 Canadians have now died of COVID-19. The death toll reached 15,001 this morning as Quebec reported another 2,265 infections and 37 deaths. But it is likely higher than that because Ontario did not report its latest numbers today. Quebec has reported 8,060 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The rollout of vaccines is continuing across the country, with doses of the Moderna shots due to be delivered in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunuvut today.