Health officials have confirmed a new wave of avian influenza outbreaks across British Columbia’s Fraser Valley, marking the province’s first cases in nearly a year. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says nine commercial poultry flocks in Abbotsford and Chilliwack have tested positive for the virus since mid-October. The latest surge began on October 14, when the first outbreak of the season was detected in Abbotsford. Eight additional cases were reported in the following days, six of them in Chilliwack-area farms. The return of infections coincides with the annual fall migration

New Westminster Police say two youth have been arrested following a reported robbery involving a child at Moody Park on Saturday evening. Officers were called around 5:30 p.m. on October 26 after a parent reported that their child, under the age of 16, had been grabbed from behind by two other youth who demanded money. Police determined that one of the suspects was known to the victim. Both suspects were located nearby, arrested for robbery, and later released to their guardians while the investigation continues. “This is a concerning incident for both the young victim and their family,” s

A 17-year-old Abbotsford driver is facing multiple penalties and a suspended licence after BC Highway Patrol officers caught him speeding at nearly 180 kilometres per hour on Highway 1 earlier this month. Police say the teenager, a Class 7 novice driver, was stopped around 7:45 a.m. on October 19 near Clearbrook Road. The grey Honda sedan he was driving was clocked at 178 km/h in a 100 zone, despite wet road conditions. Officers later confirmed he had obtained his licence only in January and was carrying two passengers who were not family members, a violation of novice restrictions. The teen w

Drivers in British Columbia will see no increase to their basic auto insurance premiums until at least spring 2027, extending a seven-year streak of stable rates under the province’s public insurer. Attorney General Niki Sharma, who oversees the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), said the decision supports the government’s broader affordability measures. “Keeping basic insurance rates low and stable is part of our government’s commitment to affordability and helping people manage their day-to-day budgets,” she said in a statement. ICBC’s latest financial review found

A plane crash killed 11 people, mostly foreign tourists, in Kenya's coastal region of Kwale. The crash occurred early Tuesday while the group was en route to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Mombasa Air Safari said eight Hungarian and two German passengers were onboard and that the Kenyan pilot was also killed. The plane crashed in a hilly, forested area about 25 miles from Diani airstrip. The pilot failed to communicate after departure, and the tower tried to reach him for 30 minutes, according to the airline. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the crash, which ha

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, while hearing a petition filed in the Manjinder Singh Lalpura case on Tuesday, refused to stay the sentence for the time being. The court said that since no proceedings have been initiated yet to cancel his assembly membership, it does not see any need for immediate intervention at this stage. The High Court adjourned the matter for further hearing till next month. The state was directed to submit the complete case records to the court on the next date.

Amazon says it plans to lay off about 14,000 corporate employees this year as part of a restructuring effort tied to the company’s growing use of artificial intelligence. The move marks one of the largest workforce reductions in the tech giant’s history and reflects the company’s transition toward greater automation. In a statement, Amazon said it will continue to hire for roles in key growth areas, including AI development and cloud services, and that laid-off employees will be given priority for those positions. The company added that additional job cuts could follow as it continues to

Former U.S. president Donald Trump met Japan’s newly appointed prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, on Tuesday during his visit to Asia. Takaichi, who recently became Japan’s first female leader, joined Trump aboard an American aircraft carrier where he addressed U.S. troops stationed in the region. Both leaders signed agreements aimed at deepening the U.S.–Japan alliance, including cooperation on critical minerals and economic development. Trump’s team said the talks were tied to a broader trade framework that could bring up to $490 billion in Japanese investment to the United States. Taka

Alberta’s teachers say they will obey a new provincial law forcing them back to work, but are condemning the government’s use of the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to end their strike. The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) said Tuesday the decision by Premier Danielle Smith’s government to invoke the clause represents what it called a serious misuse of legislative power. The union said it will explore all possible legal avenues to contest the bill, which was passed early Tuesday morning to mandate a return to classrooms. More than 740,000 students have been out of school for thre