More than five-million people around the world have now died of COVID-19.Experts say that grim number is likely an undercount, because of limited testing and people dying at home.It's a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones.The United States alone has recorded over 745-thousand lives lost, more than any other nation.Together, the U-S, the European Union, Britain and Brazil account for one-eighth of the world's population but nearly half of all reported deaths.

B.C. is reporting 584 new cases of COVID-19, including 10 epi-linked cases, for a total of 204,914 cases in the province.There are 4,982 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 197,396 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 436 individuals are in hospital and 156 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the past 24 hours, nine new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,156.The new deaths include:Fraser Health: threeVancouver Coastal Health: twoNorthern Health: twoIsland Health: two From Oct. 21-27, peop

Surrey RCMP’s investigation into a drug trafficking network culminated in a substantial seizure of drugs, including tens of thousands of potentially lethal doses of fentanyl.In Spring of 2021, the Surrey RCMP Drug Unit initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking network with ties to the Lower Mainland Gang Conflict. Through an extensive investigation, three residences in the Whalley area were identified as locations of interest. On October 13, 2021, Surrey RCMP’s Drug Unit with the assistance of the Surrey Gang Enforcement Team executed three search warrants in quick succession at t

BC's 12 federal New Democrat members of Parliament have been handed their new critics' roles by party Leader Jagmeet Singh. He says his new lineup sees women in several crucial roles, including Environment and Climate Change. That job goes to Victoria MP Laurel Collins, who is starting her second term in Ottawa. Longtime New Democrat Don Davies is the party's health critic, while Peter Julian is NDP House Leader and Jenny Kwan is caucus chair.

The Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board says sales of commercial properties were stronger between April and June than at any time since 2017. A statement from the board says land sales were particularly healthy. It says that shows ``investors are demonstrating confidence in new development potential in the region.'' The board says the total dollar value from the sale of 726 commercial properties during the second quarter was just over 3.6-billion dollars, a 130 per cent leap over the roughly 1.6-billion recorded in the same period last year.

Closing arguments are expected next week in the trial of a man who has admitted to the murder of his girlfriend, but denies he also killed her 22-month-old daughter.Robert Leeming has pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Jasmine Lovett and not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Aliyah (uh-LEE'-uh) Sanderson.The mother and child were reported missing in April 2019 and, a few weeks later, their bodies were found in a shallow grave in a recreational area west of Calgary. Leeming, who is 36, testified that Aliyah accidentally died after falling down some stairs and that he kil

A report says it would cost Alberta hundreds of millions of dollars more to set up and run a provincial police force, but that it eventually could provide more cost-effective law enforcement.The PricewaterhouseCoopers report says it costs Alberta about 500-million dollars a year right now to pay for the R-C-M-P. The federal government chips in 170-million dollars.The report says if Alberta decided to go it alone, it would cost about 735-million dollars each year on top of startup costs. Premier Jason Kenney's government says it will consult the public on whether to proceed.

Mounties in BC's southern Interior say officers have determined that two deaths in the Osoyoos area this week appear to have been a murder-suicide within a family. The RCMP say officers responded Tuesday to an abandoned vehicle in a rural area northwest of Osoyoos, which was linked with a home in town. They say officers found a body inside the home and a second person was found dead not far from the abandoned vehicle. Police released no further information.

The owner of the smouldering ship that lost 109 of its containers off the coast of Victoria has hired a contractor to try to recover the units loaded with cargo. The MV Zim Kingston lost the containers and caught fire last week. The coast guard says a salvage team is using thermal cameras to find remaining hot spots while firefighting operations continue in containers that hold tires. Five of the lost containers have now been spotted at the very northern tip of Vancouver Island, more than 400 kilometres away.