Dan Coulter, a former member of British Columbia's legislature and a New Democrat cabinet minister, has died at age 49. The BC New Democratic Party says in a statement that Coulter was a "devoted advocate" for the people of B.C. The party says Coulter "always championed the underdog," citing his work in the legislature after his election in Chilliwack in 2020, his former role of chair of the Chilliwack school board and as the Parliamentary secretary for accessibility and minister of state for infrastructure and transit. The party's provincial director Heather Stoutenburg said last week in a st

Raging Canadian wildfires that choked North America under clouds of smoke last year may have contributed to a spike in doctor visits for lung and heart problems thousands of kilometres away. U.S. researchers published peer-reviewed findings Friday that suggest doctor visits in the Baltimore area for heart and lung problems increased by almost 20 per cent on six "hotspot" days linked to wildfire smoke from Western Canada. Canada's worst wildfire season on record saw plumes of smoke drift across the continent made up of fine-particle pollution that's tiny enough to get deep in the lungs and crea

Police in Surrey, B.C., say a section of Highway 99 remains closed the day after a nine-vehicle crash that sent six people to hospital. The Surrey Police Service says a transport vehicle was involved in collisions in the northbound lanes before crossing the median into oncoming southbound traffic near the Highway 91 interchange around 5:30 p.m. Thursday. They say the southbound lanes from the interchange and northbound from King George Boulevard were closed after the crash. They say the section of highway will likely be closed for "a few hours" Friday, affecting the morning commute, as officer

British Columbia may consider cutting off electricity and natural gas supplies to the United States in response to President Trump’s tariffs. Premier David Eby has stated that no options are off the table when it comes to responding to what he describes as unfair tariffs. Eby did not rule out the possibility of halting electricity or natural gas exports to the US. His strong comments came after a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday, where they discussed the tariffs. Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has also made it clear that his province will cut off power supplies

The Israeli army is preparing to attack Iran's nuclear sites. Israel believes that Iran has become more isolated following the weakening of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria. In this context, Israel fears Iran may advance its nuclear program, potentially building a nuclear bomb. As a result, Israel is planning to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities when the right opportunity arises. Simultaneously, the Israeli military is carrying out attacks in Syria, targeting Syrian military and weapons sites. To date, more than 85 percent of Syria's air defense system has be

Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon will hold a news conference this morning to provide an update on the strike at Canada Post. The minister is set to speak with journalists on Parliament Hill at 10 a.m. ET. It's Day 29 of the labour dispute, with Christmas fast approaching and still no apparent movement at the bargaining table. The two sides have been bandying criticisms back and forth, but there's no indication yet that federal mediation is set to restart after it was paused in late November. MacKinnon has so far rebuffed calls for Ottawa to intervene, saying it's up to the two sides to

Russia on Friday launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine, involving dozens of cruise missiles and drones. The Russian military targeted Ukrainian power grid, energy minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on his Facebook page. “The enemy continues its terror,” he said. Ukraine’s air force reported multiple strike drones launched at Ukraine overnight followed by swarms of cruise missiles in country’s air space. It said Russia also used air-launched ballistic Kinzhal missiles against Ukraine’s western regions. Friday’s attack is the latest in a series of such raids that heighten

Parents expecting Canada Child Benefit (CCB) cheques will experience delays due to the ongoing Canada Post strike. According to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), payments have been issued since Friday, but cheque deliveries will be delayed by up to a week. The CRA stated that Canada Post will deliver the checks on December 20. However, recipients with direct deposit will receive their payments on schedule tomorrow. Canada Post confirmed that the union has agreed to prioritize the delivery of social program checks despite the strike. In December, under the CCB program, parents can receive a maxi

India's Narendra Modi-led Cabinet has approved the 'One Nation, One Election' bill, paving the way for its potential introduction in Parliament next week. If passed, it is expected to take effect by 2029, enabling simultaneous parliamentary and assembly elections. A panel chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind was constituted on September 2, 2023, to examine the feasibility of this proposal. After thorough research, the panel submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu on March 14, 2024. Notably, simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies were held in 1952, 1957,