The Canadian government has given a severe blow to Meta which is opposing the Online News Act.Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said the federal government is going to suspend all its ads on Facebook and Instagram.The Trudeau government minister said that Meta's threat to block Canadian news on its platforms in defiance of the Online News Act was irresponsible and unacceptable.He said that the government wants the two platforms to negotiate and pay Canadian media instead of local news while working on the regulatory process.The government said that the talks with Google are going in the right

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she is concerned about the safety of India's diplomats following what she calls an "unacceptable" poster for an upcoming protest near Toronto.The protest is planned in memory of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was killed in a shooting in British Columbia in June.A poster for the protest circulating on social media includes photos of India's top two diplomats in Canada, calls them "killers in Toronto" and suggests it's time to "kill India."Niijar was a vocal opponent of India and supporter of an independent Sikh state but police say they have fou

Meta is poised to launch a new app that appears to mimic Twitter, marking a direct challenge to the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk.A listing for the app called Threads, appeared on Apple's App Store, indicating it would debut as early as Thursday.It's billed as a 'text-based conversation app' that's linked to Instagram.The listing teases a Twitter-like microblogging experience.Instagram users will be able to keep their user names and follow the same accounts on the new app.Threads could be the latest headache for Musk, who has faced backlash over new daily limits on the n

Hockey Canada is appointing Katherine Henderson as its next president and chief executive officer.She spent the last seven years as Curling Canada's CEO.Hockey Canada is coming off a scandal-filled year related to the national sport organization's handling of sexual assault allegations and settlement payouts.Federal and corporate funding was slashed as scandals mounted.Public faith in the organization took a significant hit.The board of directors resigned last October along with interim board chair Andrea Skinner.President and CEO Scott Smith also left the organization.Retired judge Hugh L. Fr

Baltej Singh Dhillon has been appointed Chair of WorkSafeBC's Board of Directors for a three-year term effective Friday, June 30.Dhillon is the first South Asian Canadian to hold this role, and has been a member of WorkSafeBC's Board of Directors since 2017.Dhillon had a distinguished career as a police officer spanning more than three decades.Notably, Dhillon created history by becoming the first RCMP member to wear a turban as part of his uniform.In addition, he also received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals for community service.

A British Columbia health authority has issued a public warning after it says benzodiazepines were detected in vape juice sold in Chilliwack, B.C.Fraser Health issued an overdose alert Thursday saying the juice that tested positive contained cannabis and suspected synthetic cannabinoids and was sold in refillable, unmarked and unbranded cartridges.It did not specify where the product was sold.The alert says reported side-effects include prolonged sedation, nausea, vomiting and blackouts.Health Canada says benzodiazepines, or benzos, are a class of substances often used as sedatives and tranqui

Google says it will remove news links in Canada because of a new law that will force digital giants to compensate media outlets for content they share or otherwise repurpose online.Digital giant Meta is terminating the contract for a fellowship program that supports the hiring of a limited number of emerging journalists at newswire service The Canadian Press.The move comes amid fallout from the federal government's Online News Act, formerly known as Bill C-18, which became law last week.The law requires tech companies such as Facebook parent Meta and Google to negotiate deals compensating medi

The British Columbia government says staff members at the Children's Ministry who failed to check on two Indigenous children who were systematically abused by their foster parents have lost their jobs.A judge sentenced the foster parents this month to 10 years each in prison for the death of the 11-year-old boy and his eight-year-old sister's serious injuries, saying it was incomprehensible how someone could inflict such suffering and violence on an innocent child.While the Ministry of Children and Family Development does not provide the names or the number of people involved, it says in a sta

Starting Thursday, June 29, 2023, people can book an appointment to see a pharmacist through a new provincial online booking system, making it even easier and more convenient to access the health care they need. The new online booking system is similar to the Get Vaccinated system where people booked appointments to get their COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations. Through the new online booking system, people can search for available appointment times at nearby pharmacies based on their minor ailment or contraceptive needs. Appointments can continue to be made by calling or visiting a pharmacy.