Canada's women's issues minister faced questions today after she referred to the Taliban as "our brothers" during a news conference on the escalating crisis in Afghanistan. But Maryam Monsef dismissed the criticism, noting that Canada continues to see the Taliban as a terrorist organization. Monsef issued a direct appeal to the Taliban today, calling on them to allow safe passage to Kabul airport for anyone wanting to leave Afghanistan. The Taliban has refused to allow Afghan nationals from passing their checkpoints around the airport. Under questioning from reporters, Monsef later said the "b

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole made a campaign stop in Brantford, Ontario this morning to promise that a Tory government would work with the provinces to invest in mental health initiatives. He says the mental health crisis is the epidemic within the COVID-19 pandemic. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is promising to raise the corporate income tax rate for big banks and insurance companies to fund programs that would help people bounce back from the hard times of the pandemic. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is promising to take on the big telecom companies if elected and get them to lower cellphone

The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021.Fires:Wildfires currently burning in B.C.: 249Since April 1, 2021:1,551 wildfires861,283 hectares of area burnedActive fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 26Coastal: 18Kamloops: 86Northwest: 5Prince George: 52Southeast: 62Resources:Firefighters and other personnel currently fighting the fires: 3,374Out-of-province firefighters: 464Helicopters and planes supporting ground crews: 161Evacuations:Evacuation orders: 48 (-6)Evacuation alerts: 96 (-15)Properties:Number

Emergency Management BC says about 3,700 properties are on evacuation order, down from nearly 8,200 a week ago.A news release says nearly 11,300 properties are on evacuation alert — which means people must be ready to leave on short notice — also down from more than 23,000 last week.The Regional District of Central Okanagan says the evacuation order for more than 1,300 properties and alert for about 850 of them remains unchanged as the White Rock Lake Creek wildfire continues to burn.The White Rock Lake Creek wildfire is still classified as out-of-control and is estimated to be 810 square

A Canadian military aircraft with more than 500 evacuees aboard flew out of Kabul on Wednesday.It was one of a stream of military planes that took off as evacuees lined up on the tarmac.Others desperate to get on a flight remain outside, some standing knee-deep in sewage and waving identity documents at Western soldiers in hopes of being allowed to go beyond the barbed wire fencing.Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino says Canada is keeping boots on the ground and planes in the air for as long as possible.But he says there are significant challenges since the Taliban controls checkpoints leadi

B.C. is reporting 641 new cases of COVID-19, including one epi-linked case, for a total of 161,271 cases in the province.There are currently 5,357 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 153,967 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 138 individuals are currently in hospital and 78 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 24 hours, no new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,801.There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. The outbreak at KinVillage West Court (Fraser Health) has b

Vancouver Police arrested a 36-year-old man Monday after two apparently random assaults in Marpole. "VPD has been alarmed by the significant increase in seemingly-unprovoked assaults throughout the city in recent weeks, and we’re pleased to have made an immediate arrest in this case," says Sergeant Steve Addison. "We’re continuing to investigate any possible connections to other unsolved crimes."The two victims, a 65-year-old man and a 37-year-old man, were allegedly assaulted near Ontario Street and South East Marine Drive around 3 p.m. Monday afternoon. Police believe the suspect approac

A new supportive housing building in Surrey is providing homes for people who are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness. The housing ministry says the Baird Blackstone Building has 61 permanent studio units, each with a private washroom and kitchenette. It says the housing complex is part of a commitment between the province and the City of Surrey to deliver 250 permanent homes in the community. Residents will start moving into the building on September 7th.

Victoria police say they've arrested a 42 year old man accused of beating a 72 year old woman on a downtown street. Police say the attack happened Friday after the woman declined the man's repeated requests to give him money. They say the suspect pushed her to the ground and struck her several times before a bystander came to her aid. She was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the man faces recommended charges of assault. Victoria police on Twitter: Patrol officers arrested a man on Friday after he attacked a 72-year-old woman in downtown #yyj. The victim was transpor