A 22-year-old man from Burnaby has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for online sextortion involving underage girls. The accused, Anwar Jelassi, obtained nude images from eight or nine girls aged 15 to 18 whom he met on social media between October 2022 and December 2023. The victims were from Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. He threatened to expose their images to extort money from them. According to reports, Jelassi sent an online message to a 17-year-old victim from Ontario who refused to pay him, threatening to ruin her life until her entire family had seen her nude images

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby has launched a sharp attack on the B.C. Conservative Party during an election rally in Coquitlam, as the provincial election campaign enters its final stretch. Eby accused B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson of making promises that could create a massive $5 billion hole in the provincial budget, claiming the party has no clear roadmap to cover the shortfall. According to Eby, the consequences of the Conservatives’ proposals would be particularly damaging to the province’s education and health-care sectors. Outlining his own party’s plans, Eby said his govern

An interesting contest is expected between the BC Conservatives and the BC NDP in several Surrey ridings ahead of British Columbia’s October 24 provincial election. Both major parties have fielded prominent candidates from the Punjabi community. In Surrey-Fleetwood, former minister Jagrup Brar is running for the BC NDP against BC Conservative candidate Gary Purewal. In Surrey-Serpentine River, Conservative candidate Jessie Sahota will face BC NDP candidate Sikander Kang, a physiotherapist by profession. In Surrey-Newton, BC NDP candidate Jessie Sunner is contesting against Conservative candi

A 55-year-old driver in Coldstream, near British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, is facing at least $2,400 in fines and impound-related fees after allegedly speeding while impaired. According to police, at around 8:30 a.m. on September 26, a red Corvette passed a B.C. Highway Patrol officer at 120 km/h in an 80 km/h zone on Highway 6. Sergeant Michael McLaughlin said other motorists were pulling over after seeing the police vehicle’s emergency lights, but the Corvette driver continued driving. The vehicle eventually stopped near a small shopping mall and was impounded for 30 days. The driver i

Lethbridge police have arrested a 42-year-old man on multiple charges related to human trafficking. Police said the investigation began on September 29 after they received suspicious information about possible human trafficking. Investigators determined that a woman was being trafficked in Lethbridge, with evidence suggesting she had also been exploited in other parts of Canada since 2018. Cody James Barnes was arrested without incident on October 1. At the time of his arrest, he was allegedly violating court-imposed release conditions related to a previous human trafficking case. Barnes faces

The leaders of British Columbia’s three major political parties, Lorne Doerkson, David Eby and Emily Lowan, faced off in a live debate on Wednesday night ahead of the October 24 provincial election. Opposition leaders launched sharp attacks on Eby’s BC NDP government, criticizing its record on the economy, healthcare and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). Eby acknowledged that his government had not been perfect on every issue but defended his decision to call a snap election. He said his government’s one-seat majority had led the opposition to make 13 attem

A 64-year-old woman, Gwenyth Brigit Dwyn, has died in hospital from injuries sustained when a pickup truck struck a crowd outside Tsawwassen Mills mall in Delta last month. Delta police confirmed her death on Wednesday, making her the third victim to die in the incident. The crash occurred on September 30, when a pickup truck drove into a crowd gathered to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Two elders from the Tsawwassen First Nation died at the scene, while Dwyn later succumbed to her injuries in hospital. A fourth injured person has been discharged from hospital and is recov

BC Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson has announced that if his party comes to power, it will legally require a minimum 60-day gap between provincial and municipal elections in the future. Doerkson has promised to introduce the Respect for Local Democracy Act, describing it as one of the party’s top priorities. He argued that the current provincial election campaign has overshadowed municipal election campaigns, preventing local issues such as healthcare, public safety and the cost of living from receiving adequate attention. Criticizing BC NDP Leader David Eby, Doerkson said the NDP had a m

Toronto police have charged seven people, including three members of the Canadian Armed Forces, in connection with the kidnapping of a cryptocurrency exchange owner. A total of 82 charges have been laid against the accused, including kidnapping, extortion, firearms offences and drug trafficking, Police Chief Myron Demkiw said at a news conference on Wednesday. According to Demkiw, the incident began on July 25, 2026, when the victim was abducted at gunpoint near Finch Avenue East and Bayview Avenue in North York. The kidnappers allegedly handcuffed and severely tortured the victim to gain acce