A rainy Thursday in and around Fort Nelson was exactly what fire crews were looking for. In a video released late Thursday night by the B.C. Wildfire Service, fire behaviour specialist for the Parker Lake and Patry Creek blazes Evan Peck said recent rain was much needed and made for excellent conditions for fire suppression crews. While more rain is forecast in the coming days, Peck says there's not been nearly enough precipitation yet to overcome long-term drought conditions in northeast British Columbia. Crews continue to battle the Parker Lake and Patry Creek blazes, both of which are threa

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is imposing sanctions on Israelis she accuses of "extremist settler violence" in the West Bank, three months after pledging to do so. The sanctions apply to four men who stand accused of "violent and destabilizing actions against Palestinian civilians and their property in the West Bank." Israel has occupied the Palestinian territory, which is separate from the Gaza Strip, since 1967, and settlers have increasingly built communities that Canada and many other countries say violate international law. Last October's Hamas attack in Gaza prompted Israel to b

Aam Aadmi Party's Rajya Sabha member from Delhi, Swati Maliwal, has filed a written complaint against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the case of beating her at CM House. Delhi Police registered an FIR late on Thursday. It includes the name of Kejriwal's personal secretary Vibhav Kumar. Vibhav is accused of abusing and assaulting Swati at the Chief Minister's residence. Swati Maliwal said in the FIR that what happened to me was very bad. Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women has asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's personal secretary Vibhav Kumar to appear tomorrow at 11 am in the

A 60-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his 34-year-old daughter in Ormstown, Que., southwest of Montreal. Alain Caza appeared in court this morning, where he was charged with killing Amanda Caza. Quebec provincial police says local officers responded Wednesday morning to a call about an altercation between two people at a home on Cairns Street. When the arrived they found the woman, whose death was declared on site, as well as a 60-year-old man presenting non-life-threatening injuries. The accused will remain detained until his case returns to court May 24

British Columbia's wildfire service says the blaze threatening the northern community of Fort Nelson now spans nearly 130 square kilometres, but it had spread away from the town along its southern flank. The service says the Parker Lake fire has been mapped at 127 square kilometres in size, up from 84 square kilometres earlier this week. It says cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity were expected to make for more favourable conditions over the next couple of days fighting the fire that was only two kilometres southwest of the town earlier this week. There may be some light rain, but

Arvind Kejriwal, who came to campaign for Aam Aadmi Party candidates in Punjab, reached Amritsar on the first day today and paid obeisance at Sri Darbar Sahib and Durgiana Temple. After this, he did a road show for Kuldeep Dhaliwal, the party's candidate from Amritsar and a minister in the Punjab government. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was also with him. This is his first visit to Punjab after being granted temporary bail in the Delhi liquor scam. They will stay in Punjab for two days. During the road show, Kejriwal told people to get emotional that they were not given ins

A fourth man accused in the murder of British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar will next appear at provincial court on May 21, the same day the other three accused are scheduled for a hearing. The BC Prosecution Service says 22-year-old Amandeep Singh appeared via video link for his first appearance in a Surrey, B.C., court on Wednesday, and the matter has been put forward to next week. The three other men accused in Nijjar's murder Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh will all appear in Surrey court on the same date. Amandeep Singh was charged with first-degree murder

Congress candidate from Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi has targeted Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal. Channi while talking to reporters said that he heard that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is coming to Punjab tomorrow, what war has he won? Former Chief Minister of Punjab and Congress candidate from Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat Charanjit Singh Channi said that Kejriwal has committed a scam of Rs 1,000 crore and is on bail for only 15 days. Channi said that now in Punjab his dal is not wasted, people are wise. It is to be noted that Charanjit Singh Channi has

A Quebec Superior Court judge has refused McGill University's request for an injunction to dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment on its downtown Montreal campus. Lawyers for the university had asked the court on Monday to order the protesters to stop occupying its grounds and to authorize Montreal police to assist the school in dismantling the encampment, which they say poses a health and safety risk.