Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole refused to answer repeated questions this morning about how Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has handled the COVID-19 pandemic.Kenney declared a state of public health emergency last night in the face of a spiralling health emergency, the highest case count in the country, and overcrowded intensive care units.Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau says conservative politicians haven't been as effective in fighting the pandemic.O'Toole would only say Trudeau should have tackling the fourth wave instead of calling an election.N-D-P Leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters in Toron

The Haryana government on Wednesday has formed a special committee to talk with the farmers, who are protesting against the three farm laws, for removing the blockade at National Highway-44 at Singhu border.The committee was formed after a high-level meeting held by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.It comes four days before the Supreme Court is expected to hear the petition regarding the NH-44 blockade.Speaking to reporters here, Home Minister Anil Vij said, "To follow the orders of the Supreme Court, a state-level high power committee under the chairmanship of Home Secretary Rajeev Arora is

Several parts of the national capital witnessed heavy rainfall on Thursday morning which is likely to continue during the next two hours.Delhi and its adjoining area are likely to witness moderate to heavy rainfall in the next two hours, as per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)."Thunderstorm with moderate to heavy intensity rain and winds with speed of 20-40 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of many places of North, West, North-West, South-West Delhi, NCR (Bahadurgarh, Gurugram, Manesar), Sonipat, Rohtak, Meham, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mattanhail, Jhajjar, Kosali, Farukhnagar,

B.C. is reporting 661 new cases of COVID-19, including two epi-linked cases, for a total of 176,480 cases in the province.There are currently 5,791 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 168,459 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 288 individuals are in hospital and 137 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 24 hours, seven new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,873.The new deaths include:Vancouver Coastal Health: twoInterior Health: threeIsland Health: two From Sept. 7-13, people no

US gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman are testifying before Congress about what they say were failures in FBI's handling of the sexual abuse case against former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles cried this morning as she told a Senate committee that the FBI and gymnastics officials turned a blind eye to USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of her and hundreds of other women. Biles says USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee knew that she was abused by their official team doctor

Higher gasoline and housing prices, compared with last year's pandemic-related lows, fuelled a leap in the national inflation rate to 4.1 per cent in August, up from 3.7 per cent in July. Statistics Canada says the hike is the largest year-over-year jump in inflation since March 2003, but if gasoline prices had been excluded, the August rate would have been 3.2 per cent. The cost of living in BC also climbed last month to 3.5 per cent, up four-tenths of a point from July. Inflation in Victoria was 3.2 per cent, an increase of half a point since July and Vancouver's rate nudged up 2 basis poin

A body has been found in a rural area of the southern Interior and police say the death is suspicious. A statement from Merritt RCMP says its members and major crimes investigators were called to an area near Nicola Lake, outside Merritt, at around 8 yesterday morning. Police haven't released the sex or age of the victim or what caused the death. They say their priority is identifying the body and notifying relatives.

Vancouver Coastal Health says a care home will be renamed because its namesake lobbied against the rights of racialized people in the 1940s. The health authority says it will consult with local community partners and stakeholders this fall to give the George Pearson Centre a more culturally appropriate name. It says Pearson's beliefs and actions do not align with its core values and the renaming process over the next few months will be transparent and respectful. The facility in Vancouver's Marpole neighbourhood opened in 1957. Vancouver Coastal Health on Twitter: Starting this fall, Vancouve

A popular passenger ferry that travels between Victoria and Seattle will be sailing into the BC city's harbour for the first time in 18 months as it gets back to business this week. FRS Clipper is the company that operates the Victoria Clipper V vessel, and its CEO says operations were expected to be halted until spring of next year due to staffing issues. He says federal unemployment benefits in the United States ran out on September 3rd for many people and if the company couldn't recall its staff, it risked losing key personnel. Starting Friday, Clipper will operate a four-day schedule over