New data from the BC Coroners Service says at least 458 people experiencing homelessness in the province died in 2023, with the toll almost tripling in just three years. The service says in a news release there's been a 23 per cent increase from the 373 recorded deaths of unhoused people the year before. It says 91 per cent of the 2023 deaths were classified as accidental, including 86 per cent due to drug toxicity. The data show 79 per cent of those who died were male, while more than half were between the ages of 30 and 49. Chief Coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan says the numbers speak to the "tr

Parts of Canada, including British Columbia (BC), will move their clocks forward by one hour on Sunday, March 9. Daylight saving time (DST) will officially take effect at 2 a.m. on that day. The change is expected to influence sleep patterns and daily routines. DST has a long history. In 1784, Benjamin Franklin proposed the concept while serving as the U.S. ambassador to France. However, it wasn’t formally adopted in Canada until 1918, during World War I, as a measure to increase productivity. Following the end of World War I, the Canadian government discontinued DST, only to reinstate it d

Amid Russia’s ongoing attacks in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump has warned of massive sanctions on Moscow. Trump stated that Russia and Ukraine should begin peace talks as soon as possible to prevent further escalation. In a Truth Social post, Trump mentioned that, in light of the ongoing bombing in Ukraine, he is considering advocating for massive banking sanctions and tariffs on Russia. He added that these measures would remain in place until a complete ceasefire and peace agreement is achieved. It is noteworthy that Russia has launched a renewed offensive in the Donetsk region of Ukr

British Columbia health officials say another travel-related measles infection has been confirmed in the Lower Mainland, in a resident who visited Southeast Asia. Fraser Health says in a statement that the case is unrelated to an infection last month involving a resident of the Vancouver Coastal Health region who was also infected after a trip to Southeast Asia. It says the new case involves a Fraser Health resident, and health officials are directly following up with people known to have been exposed to the virus. The statement says members of the public might have been exposed to measles if

The United Nations migration agency says four migrant boats have capsized in waters off Yemen and Djibouti, leaving two people dead and 186 missing. Two of the boats capsized off Yemen on Thursday, said Tamim Eleian, a spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration. Two crewmembers were rescued, but 181 migrants and five Yemeni crewmembers remain missing, he told The Associated Press. Two other boats capsized off the tiny African nation of Djibouti around the same time, he said. Two bodies of migrants were recovered, and all others on board were rescued. According to the IOM, 55

The Canadian economy added only 1,100 net jobs in February, all of which were part-time positions. According to a report released today by Statistics Canada, the labour market remained sluggish last month, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 6.6 percent. This followed a more robust gain of 76,000 jobs in January. Statistics Canada reported that Canada lost 19,700 full-time jobs in February, which was offset by the addition of 20,800 part-time jobs, resulting in the modest net increase of 1,100 jobs. The wholesale and retail trade sector, along with the finance, insurance, real estate

A lawyer for the former head of Alberta Health Services says his client is happy R-C-M-P have launched an investigation amid allegations of corruption related to health contracts. Former A-H-S head Athana Mentzelopoulos (ment-zeh-LOH'-poh-luss) is suing the province for wrongful dismissal, alleging high-level arm twisting, possible conflicts of interest, political interference and corruption in multimillion-dollar deals. None of her allegations have been tested in court. R-C-M-P say they received a complaint a month ago relating to A-H-S and have decided to begin an investigation, but w

A federal judge has dismissed a legal challenge of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's move to prorogue Parliament. Two Nova Scotia men had asked the Federal Court to declare the current suspension of Parliament illegal because there must be a "reasonable justification" for hitting the pause button. David MacKinnon of Amherst, N.S., and Aris Lavranos of Halifax sought an order setting aside Trudeau's January decision to advise Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to exercise her power to prorogue Parliament until March 24. Federal lawyers argued that Trudeau's advice to Simon was not subject to review by the cou

A Mohali CBI court has sentenced two former policemen involved in a 33-year-old fake encounter case of the Punjab Police. The then SHO, Sita Ram, posted in Patti, Tarn Taran, and then constable Raj Pal were accused of killing two youths from the same district, Gurdev Singh and Sukhwant Singh, in a staged police encounter. On Thursday, a special CBI court sentenced retired SHO Sita Ram to life imprisonment, while constable Raj Pal was sentenced to 5 years in prison and fined Rs 50,000. Sita Ram is currently around 80 years old. The CBI had filed a chargesheet against 11 policemen in this case,