CanadaMar 23, 2021
Liberals to unveil federal budget on April 19, Freeland says
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the federal Liberals will table a budget on April 19. It will be the first federal budget in over two years, after the government opted not to introduce one in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Canada. It will also be Freeland's first budget as finance minister. She took on the portfolio last summer following Bill Morneau's resignation. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the budget date in the House of Commons today during question period. The budget is expected to provide a full accounting of all government spending through the pande
WorldMar 23, 2021
Colorado shooting leaves 10 dead in latest mass tragedy, shooter ID'd as 21-year-old man
Police have identified a 21-year-old man as the suspect in the killing of 10 people at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket.
Authorities on Tuesday also identified nine victims after previously identifying a police officer who had been killed.
Authorities say the victims were men and women between the ages of 20 and 65.
The shooting Monday at the crowded supermarket sent terrorized shoppers and workers scrambling for safety and stunned a state and a nation that has grieved several mass killings.
Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said police engaged in a shootout with the suspect inside the super
BCMar 23, 2021
Top doctor says COVID-19 infections among younger people rising in B.C.
British Columbia's provincial health officer says an increasing number of younger people are becoming infected with COVID-19 and some are dying, just as vaccines are protecting older populations. Dr. Bonnie Henry says younger patients who are ending up in intensive care units need more time there, in part because of clusters of cases in some communities. She says cases are rising among people between the ages of 20 and 39, and up to age 59, sometimes due to crowded housing and transmission in workplaces. The province has recorded 1,785 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday, along with 16 deaths.
CanadaMar 22, 2021
Beijing silent on Michael Kovrig's trial
There is silence out of Beijing on what happened to Canadian Michael Kovrig when he was put on trial on spying charges. The day ended with no announcement about the status of the proceedings, which are being held behind closed doors. Canadian Embassy officials were barred from the courthouse, as they were on Friday for the trial of Michael Spavor. Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau says the government is deeply troubled by the total lack of transparency. He also thanked diplomats from 26 countries who turned up at the courthouse to show their solidarity with Canada. Marc Garneau on Twitter
BCMar 22, 2021
Brothers with gang ties identified as homicide victims found after fire in Richmond
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has identified the victims of a double homicide on Friday in Richmond, B.C. The homicide team says 25-year-old Chaten Dhindsa and 23-year-old Joban Dhindsa were brothers and were known to police.The team says Richmond RCMP responded at 4:45 a.m. Friday to assist with a structure fire, but once the blaze was extinguished, two bodies were found inside the home.Police say the injuries sustained by the two men were consistent with a homicide and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team assumed conduct of the file.Det. Lara Jansen says this is believed
BCMar 20, 2021
B.C. reports 737 new cases of COVID-19 as number of active cases goes past 5,000 mark
British Columbia officials say the province will use "every last drop" of available vaccine in its parallel COVID-19 vaccination programs. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has allowed health authorities to target outbreaks and help front-line workers, as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are used for B.C.'s age-based vaccine rollout. B.C. reported 737 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 90,786. The province also reported two new COVID-19-related deaths, for a t
BCMar 19, 2021
Victims lose $2M in cryptocurrency frauds, Vancouver police warn scams more frequent
Police say cryptocurrency scams cost victims in the Vancouver-area about $2 million in just one week and investigators believe the frauds are becoming more common. Vancouver police Const. Tania Visintin says she knows of at least four active cases where large amounts of money have been lost. She says a single victim was defrauded of more than $500,000 in a separate case last year when suspects pretending to be Service Canada representatives convinced them their Social Insurance Number had been compromised. Visintin says police believe the number of scams is growing and the total is under-repor
CanadaMar 19, 2021
Trudeau denounces 'lack of transparency' as Canadian tried in China on spy charges
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced China's "lack of transparency" Friday following a brief trial for Michael Spavor, one of two Canadians detained by Beijing for more than two years. Canada said its consular officials were refused permission to attend the proceedings against Spavor, an entrepreneur with North Korea-related business, who is accused by China of stealing state secrets. Jim Nickel, the Canadian Embassy's deputy chief of mission, said he was told by Spavor's lawyer that the hearing ended at noon Friday after two hours. No verdict was announced. Nickel declined to give other d
CanadaMar 19, 2021
Trial of Michael Spavor in China ends without verdict
A Chinese court says it will pronounce its sentence on detained Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor at a later date.Spavor's trial on charges of spying and illegally sending state secrets abroad lasted just two hours today and was conducted behind closed doors.Canadian consular officials were refused permission to attend. Ten diplomats from eight countries, including the US, Britain and Australia, stood on the street opposite the courthouse in Dandong, China.Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig is due to go on trial on Monday.The detention of the ``two Michaels'' is seen as retribution for