A 12-year-old boy is not physically hurt after what officers say was an unprovoked attack in Esquimalt, B.C. Victoria police say the youth was on his way to school just after 8 a.m. Wednesday when he was grabbed and pulled from his bike by a man he did not know. The police statement says the boy lay on the ground and shielded his face as the man tried to take his backpack. The youngster told police a second person, believed to be a man, stepped in and pushed the attacker away before urging the boy to get back on his bike and leave. The boy continued to school and the incident was not reported

A man has been fatally stabbed in Abbotsford, B.C. A statement from Abbotsford police says officers were called to an area near the Sumas Way overpass just after 10 p.m. Wednesday. A critically injured 35-year-old man was found in a tent and died a short time later in hospital. Police say the investigation is just beginning but the stabbing appears targeted. The statement does not offer a motive or say if any suspects have been identified. Members of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team have taken over the case.

Actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, accused in the case of Republic day violence in Delhi, did not call for the protest, and there is no evidence that he mobilised the crowd to Red Fort, said Sidhu's layer during his bail plea hearing in Delhi court on Thursday. During the bail hearing, Advocate Abhishek Gupta, appearing on behalf of Sidhu, said the call for protest was by farmer leaders, and his client is not a member of any farmers' union."The call for protest was by farmer leaders, I'm not a member of farmer union, no call was given by me to go to Red Fort. There is no evidence that I have mo

Kim Kardashian-West has a new title for her resume, billionaire. The reality star turned businesswoman is on the Forbes magazine billionaire's list for the first time, ranked Number 2,357 on the list of 2,755. Kardashian-West's income from her successful makeup and shapewear lines pushed her into 10-figure milestone. It's Kardashian-West's first appearance on the Forbes' list. Amazon's Jeff Bezos is the world's richest person for the fourth year in a row, with a net worth of 177-billion-dollars.

Almost 20 per cent of those who are eligible for a vaccine in British Columbia have had their shot. A joint statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix says 946,096 doses of the three vaccines have been administered, and of those, more than 87,000 were second doses. The province recorded another 997 new cases on Wednesday and two more deaths. There are 330 people in hospital and the number in intensive care has grown to 105. Additional genome sequencing hasn't been completed since the Tuesday report, so the number for variants of concern remains at

Metal fences have been put up around the GraceLife church just west of Edmonton and Alberta Health Services says it will stay closed until it complies with COVID-19 health rules. The church has ignored public health warnings for months, and its pastor spent a month in jail. Churches are allowed to be open at 15 per cent capacity, but officials say hundreds of people have attended GraceLife's services. Several doctors say public-health restrictions introduced by government are not enough Several doctors from Calgary and Edmonton say that with cases involving COVID-19 variants doubling every w

A grass fire east of Merritt has now scorched more than eight square kilometres as the BC Wildfire Service works to control it. An official with the service says the size of the fire has been increased because of more accurate mapping and although it remains out of control, the fire behaviour is not extreme. Nicole Bonnett says the fire in the Quilchena Creek area north of the Coquihalla Connector is a "larger" grass fire but isn't uncommon for this time of year. The wildfire service lists the blaze as one of 13 currently active around B-C, including five started in the last two days, with mo

Ontario residents are facing new stay-at-home orders as officials in several provinces tighten restrictions and crack down on rule-breakers in a race against COVID-19 and its variants. Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the order will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday and it will mean stores selling essential items can stay open but will only be permitted to sell grocery and pharmacy items. Premier Doug Ford says his government will declare its third state of emergency of the pandemic to invoke the new measures. He says the order is necessary to fight the third wave of the pandemic that threate

Three city councillors in Vancouver say they have been blindsided by their party's announcement of a mayoral candidate to represent the Non-Partisan Association in next year's civic election. An online statement posted by NPA Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung, and signed by councillors Lisa Dominato and Colleen Hardwick, says they are "extremely disappointed" their party did not offer an "open, transparent and democratic" call for candidates. The statement says the three only learned the NPA had named park board commissioner John Coupar as its mayoral candidate shortly before the selection was made publ