BCDec 18, 2020
School in Burnaby locked down after police received reports of a fight involving a gun outside
RCMP in Burnaby say a school was locked down yesterday after police received reports of a fight involving a gun outside. The Mounties say in a news release that responding officers found and arrested two people. They say the gun was located and identified as an airsoft pistol. RCMP say there were no serious injuries reported. Later the lockdown at Burnaby South Secondary was lifted.
CanadaDec 18, 2020
Poor weather conditions lead to suspension of search for five missing Nova Scotia fishermen for a second day
Poor weather conditions have led the RCMP to suspend the ground search for five missing Nova Scotia fishermen for a second day. But they will search the Bay of Fundy shoreline using a helicopter from the province's Department of Lands and Forestry. The 15-metre scallop dragger Chief William Saulis had six fishermen aboard when it is believed to have capsized in three-metre waves near Delaps Cove on Tuesday morning. The company that owns and operates the boat, Yarmouth Sea Products, has said the crew did not issue a distress call and it appears the vessel capsized, with its automatic emergency
BCDec 18, 2020
Surrey RCMP investigates shooting in Newton
The Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit (GIU) is investigating a shooting with ties to gang activity, in Newton. Shortly before 2 a.m. on December 18, 2020, Surrey RCMP responded to a report of shots fired in the 6200-block of 132A Street. Surrey RCMP responded to the call and found evidence confirming that a shooting had occurred. While the residence was occupied at the time, no one was injured. Early indications are that this was a targeted incident connected to the Lower Mainland Gang Conflict, with no on-going risk to public safety. Surrey RCMP GIU is continuing the investigation as off
BCDec 18, 2020
Surge in website applications slows process for B.C. COVID-19 benefit
A high volume of online applications for the British Columbia COVID-19 recovery benefit has slowed the process. Some users have reported getting an error on the site when making their application for the benefit of up to $1,000. A Finance Ministry spokeswoman says there were about 2,500 applications in the first few minutes of the site opening on Friday, but the page hasn't crashed and those applying are being urged to be patient. Finance Minister Selina Robinson has asked the public to be respectful to staff at a Service BC call centre as they help people apply for the benefit, which was pro
BCDec 18, 2020
Dedicated witness phone line and email set up after concluding a fire at Burnaby Hospital was set on purpose: RCMP
The RCMP has set up a dedicated witness phone line and email after concluding a fire at Burnaby Hospital last month was set on purpose. Fraser Health has said the November 15th fire contributed to COVID-19 outbreak declared at the hospital one week earlier. It says patients had to be moved for their immediate safety and at least 10 people died from COVID-19 during the outbreak. The hospital's emergency department was temporarily closed and some medical appointments and surgeries were rescheduled. Fraser Health said the fire started in one wing and affected several other parts of the building
WorldDec 18, 2020
Freed Nigerian schoolboys welcomed; calls for more security
More than 300 schoolboys kidnapped last week in an attack on their school in northwest Nigeria have arrived in the capital of Katsina state to celebrate their release. The boys were abducted one week ago from the all-boys Government Science Secondary School in Kankara in Katsina state village. Nigeria's Boko Haram jihadist rebels claimed responsibility for the abduction, saying they attacked the school because it believes Western education is un-Islamic, factional leader Abubakar Shekau said in a video earlier this week. More than 800 students were at the school at the time of the attack. Hun
IndiaDec 18, 2020
Farm laws not introduced overnight, Centre and States had discussed for years: PM Modi
Farm laws have not been introduced overnight, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday while adding that over the last 20 to 30 years, Centre and State Governments had detailed discussions on these reforms.
"Farm Laws have not been introduced overnight. Over the last 20-30 years, central government and state governments had detailed discussions on these reforms. Agriculture experts, economists and progressive farmers have been demanding reforms," said PM Modi while addressing farmers at the 'Kisan Kalyan' event in Raisen through video conferencing.
"I request all political parties with fol
CanadaDec 18, 2020
Champagne says he takes 'no lessons' from China on building support for two Michaels
Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is shooting back at China's criticism of efforts to build international support for freeing two detained Canadians.
Champagne tells The Canadian Press he'll take no lessons from China when it comes to defending Canadian interests and standing up for Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.
He has led Canadian efforts to create a coalition of dozens of countries pushing China to release the two men, whom they say are being arbitrarily and unjustly imprisoned.
Kovrig and Spavor were arrested two years ago this month and now face what Canada and its
BCDec 18, 2020
1,215 health-care workers have been vaccinated so far in B.C.: Dr. Bonnie Henry
British Columbia's top doctor is advising people with chronic health conditions to contact their family doctor to determine if they should get vaccinated for COVID-19. Dr. Bonnie Henry says the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was tested primarily on healthy people of varying ages and it's not known if it will work or is safe for those with chronic liver or kidney diseases, for example. Clinical trials of the Moderna vaccine, which is expected to be the next one to be approved in Canada, also excluded people who are immunocompromised. Dr. Henry says 1,215 health-care workers have been vaccinated so fa