BC's latest weekly COVID-19 update shows the number of patients in hospital with the illness has declined for a third straight week. It says there were 421 patients in hospital as of yesterday down from 473 a week ago and below the most recent high of 596 on May 12th. Among those hospitalized, 41 people are in intensive care. The report from the B-C Centre for Disease Control says 44 people died during the week that ended last Saturday, bringing the pandemic death toll to three-thousand-547.

Americans may soon get a new COVID-19 vaccine option _ a more traditional kind of shot known as a protein vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration is evaluating the vaccine made by Novavax. It's late in the pandemic for a new choice. But with millions still unvaccinated _ or who need a booster _ the Maryland-based company is hoping to find a niche. Its vaccine is made very differently than the widely used Pfizer and Moderna shots. Novavax's COVID-19 shots are authorized in numerous other countries, but U.S. clearance is a key hurdle.

The Alberta government says a private laboratory service that collects blood and other samples for medical testing will be expanding its operations. Health Minister Jason Copping says DynaLIFE (DYE'-nah-life) Medical Labs, which already operates in Edmonton and some northerncommunities, will upgrade its facilities and open more service centres. Copping says communities that can expect to see new labs in the summer include Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Okotoks, Strathmore and Cochrane. He says the province is expanding its contract with the lab service because it is cost effective and there will

Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala's body had 19 bullet injury injuries and he died within 15 minutes of being shot, according to the post-mortem report, which also stated that the cause of his death was "haemorrhage shock" due to ante-mortem firearm injuries. During the attack, Sidhu Moose Wala was not hit on the face, while the rest of his body was seen with injuries and bullets. At the same time, it has also been told in the post-mortem report that Moose Wala's right side of ribs were broken, and the liver was torn. The singer-turned-politician was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jawah

Strathmore RCMP is investigating a reported child abduction in the southern Alberta town. Police in a community east of Calgary say two men tried to abduct a girl on her way home from school on Tuesday. Strathmore RCMP say the youth was approached by two men in a white pickup truck and reportedly forced inside. The girl was walking home from her school bus drop-off about 3 p.m. Police say she was taken to a residence, but was able to get away and run to safety. RCMP said the girl was found by a family member about 5:30 p.m., who then called police. The girl was taken to Alberta Children's Hosp

Police in Calgary are warning parents, caregivers and teens about an online ``sextortion'' scam. Police say they have already had 48 reports this year and most have targeted teenage boys. Sextortion is a form of blackmail in which online scammers, using a phoney profile, make a connection with potential victims and express romantic interest. The scammer will ask for intimate photos and videos as the online conversation progresses. Police say the scammer then demands money and threatens to share the explicit material if payment is not received. The service's cybercrime team is investigating sev

The OPEC oil cartel and allied producing countries including Russia will raise production by 648,000 barrels per day in July and August, offering modest relief for a global economy suffering from soaring energy prices and the resulting inflation. The decision Thursday steps up the pace by the alliance, known as OPEC+, in restoring cuts made during the worst of the pandemic recession. The group had been adding a steady 432,000 barrels per day each month to gradually restore production cuts from 2020. The move to increase production faster than planned comes as rising crude prices have pushed

Amid the ongoing war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that one-fifth of Ukrainian territory is under Moscow's control. Zelenskyy made these remarks while addressing Luxembourg's lawmakers on Thursday. As the Russia-Ukraine war enters the fourth month, the focus has now shifted to the eastern part of the country.Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar last week said the fighting has reached its maximum intensity. "As of today, about 20 per cent of our territory is under the control of the occupiers, almost 125 thousand square kilometres. This is muc

The first United Conservative backbencher to publicly call for Premier Jason Kenney to quit is now running to replace him as party leader and premier. Todd Loewen announced in a Facebook post that he has registered with Elections Alberta to run, and says he will have a formal announcement next week. Loewen made headlines more than a year ago when he published a letter resigning as caucus chair and called on Kenney to quit. He said Kenney had lost the confidence to lead, citing weak dealings with Ottawa, ignoring caucus members, delivering contradictory messages, and botching critical issues su