The BC Coroners Service has released data for the first four months of this year showing the number of BC deaths linked to illicit drug use outstripped the number of deaths caused by homicides, crashes, drownings, suicides and fires, combined. Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says the volatile illicit drug supply means users risk their lives every time they consume something purchased from the unregulated market. She says at least 161 people died from toxic illicit drugs in April, equal to about 5.4 deaths per day, and 26 per cent were female, marking a shifting trend that has been growing since e

A commercial poultry farm in Langley Township is the latest to report an outbreak of avian flu in BC. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the H-5-N-1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed on the farm yesterday. Data from the agency shows this is the first outbreak among flocks in Langley and a primary control zone is still being determined. It's the 16th confirmed outbreak in BC since the first was reported in the north Okanagan in mid-April and it's the fourth commercial flock to be affected.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says it's inadequate that it took an ambulance 30 minutes to get to an 86-year-old Calgary woman who had been attacked by dogs. Police and paramedics responded on Sunday to the Capitol Hill neighbourhood in the city's northwest and found the injured woman who later died. Alberta Health Services, which runs emergency medical services, has said the initial 911 call was sent to police based on information provided from the scene. A neighbour who called 911 has told CTV Calgary she asked for an ambulance and did her best to tell the dispatcher what was going on. Ken

Longtime British Columbia teacher, labour leader and politician Jinny Sims has announced her intention to run for mayor in Surrey when municipal elections are held this fall. Sims made it official Wednesday at an event with the newly formed municipal party Surrey Forward and the party's four declared council candidates, Ramon Bandong, Jim Bennett, June Liu and Theresa Pidcock. She has represented the provincial riding of Surrey-Panorama as a New Democrat since 2017 and also served as the NDP member of Parliament for the Newton-North Delta riding between 2011 and 2015. Sims also worked as a hi

Edmonton has amended the Conduct of Transit Passengers bylaw in hopes of making the service safer for commuters and employees. it hopes will make public transit safer for commuters and employees. There have been several attacks at transit centres and hundreds of complaints about intimidating or unpleasant behaviour. The bylaw already banned behaviour that interfered with the safety or comfort of others, but transit peace officers and security contractors say it didn't give them the authority to remove troublemakers. The amendments passed yesterday also ban open drug use and loitering. Council

International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) on Thursday issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against gangster Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar, who claimed responsibility for the recent murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala. A senior CBI official said that after the issuance of RCN, the process to enable his extradition to India will begin. "The RCN has been issued. The CBI liaison officer will coordinate with Interpol and a proposal will be moved through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for extradition," he said. Brar, a native of Sri Muk

Pakistan's former Member of the National Assembly (MNA) and popular television host Amir Liaquat, 49, passed away in Karachi under mysterious circumstances, local media reported on Thursday. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader was found unconscious at his home in Khudad Colony and shifted to a private hospital in a critical condition. According to reports, Liaquat felt discomfort on Wednesday night, however, he refused to go to the hospital, reported Pakistan's local media outlet Geo TV. Javed, Liaquat's employee said a scream was heard from Liaquat's room Thursday morning. The room was

Four Marines were killed and another is missing after an Osprey aircraft crashed in the Southern California desert, a military official said Thursday, a day after the accident. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still ongoing. No additional details were available. The MV-22B Osprey belonged to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing based at Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego. It was carrying five Marines when it went down at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday during training. Military officials on Thursday had yet to release official word on the fate of five Marines. Most recent

A sentencing hearing is to begin today for a man who fatally shot a shopper outside a Walmart store in central Alberta. Chase Freed, who is 20, pleaded guilty on Monday to the second-degree murder of Jim Williams in Red Deer in December 2019. RCMP said at the time that a masked man armed with a semi-automatic rifle shot Williams, who was 69, in front of his wife in the store's parking lot during an attempted robbery. Williams died later in hospital.