Finland has claimed top spot in the World Happiness Report for the fourth year in a row. Canada has slipped in the rankings from 11th to 15th place. The UN's annual report says COVID-19 brought a year of fear and anxiety, loneliness and lockdown, illness and death, but has not crushed people's spirits. European countries occupied nine of the top 10 spots on the list of the world's happiest countries, with New Zealand rounding out the group. The happiest countries from previous years remained at the top, with the top five being Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland and Netherlands.

Police say cryptocurrency scams cost victims in the Vancouver-area about $2 million in just one week and investigators believe the frauds are becoming more common. Vancouver police Const. Tania Visintin says she knows of at least four active cases where large amounts of money have been lost. She says a single victim was defrauded of more than $500,000 in a separate case last year when suspects pretending to be Service Canada representatives convinced them their Social Insurance Number had been compromised. Visintin says police believe the number of scams is growing and the total is under-repor

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government is putting the finishing touches on an agreement that will see the US send 1.5 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada. The White House has confirmed the U-S will "loan" COVID-19 vaccine doses to Canada and Mexico. Counselor to the President and Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients says the vaccines will be the ones developed by AstraZeneca, which has not been approved for use in the US. Procurement Minister Anita Anand says the doses are expected to arrive by the end of the month. Trudeau also announced the Canadi

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.