Surrey police and firefighters are investigating an early morning house fire that left one man dead in a residential neighbourhood of the city’s Newton area. The incident has prompted a joint investigation involving police, fire officials, and the BC Coroners Service. Surrey Police Service officers were called shortly after 7:00 a.m. to assist Surrey Fire Service crews at a blaze in the 12700 block of 56 Avenue. The home was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, and road closures were put in place as crews worked to control the fire. While searching the residence, firefighters located th

The Punjab government will roll out its Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme on January 22, a week later than originally planned, state Health Minister Balbir Singh said on Monday. The scheme was initially scheduled to be launched on January 15, but the date was deferred after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s Jathedar summoned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on that day. As a result, the government decided to postpone the formal launch by one week. Balbir Singh said a trial phase will be conducted before the full rollout to ensure the system is functioning smoothly. He added

Police in Surrey are investigating an early-morning shooting at a Cloverdale residence that left a home damaged but no one hurt. Officers were called shortly after 2:20 a.m. to the 18700 block of 54 Avenue following reports of gunfire in the area. According to police, responding members found evidence that a residence had been struck. No injuries were reported, and occupants were not harmed. The RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit General Investigation Unit has taken over the case and continues to gather evidence. Investigators say the home was also targeted in a previous shooting o

Calgary police are investigating whether speed, alcohol or drugs played a role in a deadly crash on Deerfoot Trail over the weekend that claimed the life of a man in his 50s. Investigators say the man was driving a Nissan Altima southbound on Deerfoot Trail, approaching Glenmore Trail, when the vehicle struck a construction barrier. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say the impact was severe enough that the car’s engine was ejected and landed in an adjacent lane of traffic. Shortly afterward, a second vehicle, a Toyota, struck the engine. The driver of that vehicle was take

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, former United States president Donald Trump identified himself as the “acting president” of Venezuela, saying he would assume that position in January 2026. He also referred to himself as both the 45th and 47th president of the United States in the same message. There has been no official confirmation or statement from the White House or the current US administration regarding Trump’s claim about Venezuela. The Trump post comes after a major US action on January 3, when Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, we

British Columbia’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has identified the man killed in a daytime shooting in Abbotsford last week, an incident investigators say is connected to ongoing gang-related violence in the region. IHIT says 28-year-old Navpreet Dhaliwal died after being shot on Friday on Siskin Drive. Abbotsford police were called to the area shortly before 1 p.m., where paramedics attempted life-saving measures. Dhaliwal was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators have described the killing as a targeted attack that occurred in a residential area during the middle of the day

The federal government is not considering banning the social media platform X despite growing international concern over sexualized deepfake content generated by artificial intelligence, according to Canada’s minister responsible for AI policy. Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said early Sunday that reports suggesting Canada was weighing a ban were inaccurate. In a post on X, Solomon stated the government has no plans to prohibit the platform, which is owned by Elon Musk, even as it faces scrutiny abroad. The clarification followed reporting by The Telegraph indicating the Unite

Canada’s finance minister François-Philippe Champagne is in Washington, D.C. for meetings focused on trade and the global supply of critical minerals, as Canada and its allies look to reduce reliance on China and strengthen secure supply chains. In a statement, the federal government said Champagne is meeting Sunday and Monday with finance ministers from G7 countries and other partners with similar economic priorities. Discussions are expected to focus on trade co-operation and the development of critical minerals essential for clean energy, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing. Ch

Canada could face greater economic and political risks than any other country due to ongoing instability in the United States, according to a new report from the risk analysis firm Eurasia Group. The report notes that the historically close ties between Canada and the U.S. are undergoing significant strain, with trade uncertainty posing potential challenges for the Canadian economy. Efforts to expand trade relationships beyond the U.S. may encounter “powerful headwinds” this year, the report adds. Relations between the two countries deteriorated after former U.S. President Donald Trump’s