VANCOUVER - PREMIER DEFENDS LEGISLATION AIMED AT OVERHAULING CAMPAIGN FINANCES

Premier John Horgan is defending his government's decision to include a temporary taxpayer-funded allowance in new campaign finance legislation.

Horgan is being accused of a breaking a promise, after he said during the May election that a committee would look at the funding issue.

But just days into the new legislative session, Horgan announced a per-vote subsidy for each political party, and a reimbursement of expenses that will amount to about $30 million over the next five years.

Horgan said the five-year allowance will help political parties transition as the province moves to get big money out of politics.

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RICHMOND MURDER VICTIM IDENTIFIED

Homicide detectives have identified the man shot to death early Monday morning in an apparently targeted attack in Richmond, B.C.

Integrated Homicide Investigation Team Cpl. Meghan Foster said 41-year-old Lucien De Carvalho was known to police.

Foster said the investigation is in its early stages, but there is no evidence to suggest De Carvalho's slaying is linked to other recent fatal shootings around Metro Vancouver.

De Carvalho was found in the street of a residential neighbourhood in Richmond as police responded to reports of a shooting, but despite the efforts of officers and paramedics, he died at the scene.

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BURNABY RCMP INVESTIGATE FATAL STABBING

Police say three victims have been stabbed, one of them fatally, at a sushi restaurant in Burnaby, B.C.

RCMP said they received reports of a stabbing involving multiple victims at Sushi Oyama late Monday night.

Cpl. Daniela Panesar said two of the victims suffered non-life threatening wounds while a third died of his injuries.

A suspect was taken into custody a short distance away and police said that while they don't believe the attack was targeted, public safety is not a concern.

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BETTER SUPPORTS NEEDED FOR FEMALE EX-CONS TO KEEP THEM FROM RETURNING TO JAIL

A University of British Columbia study suggests women in provincial jails need treatment to address trauma, addiction and chronic diseases in order to reduce the numbers that end up back in custody.

The study of 400 women leaving B.C.'s Alouette Correctional Centre between 2008 and 2010 found many suffer not only from mental health and addiction issues but also from chronic diseases like diabetes, Hepatitis C and dental problems.

Researchers found that once they're released from jail, the women often don't have a family doctor and can't afford dental care so many turn to drugs to treat pain and suffering and return to the situations that got them in trouble.

Authors of the study published online Tuesday in CMAJ Open said they've designed a program to pair women being released from jail with a peer health mentor and are currently conducting a study to evaluate its effectiveness in keeping women from re-offending.

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POLICE SAY UNFAMILIAR, RAINY WEATHER CAUGHT NANAIMO DRIVERS UNAWARES

RCMP in Nanaimo, B.C., say that after months of dry weather, recent rains are catching drivers by surprise and causing accidents.

Const. Gary O'Brien said drivers were taken to hospital with non-serious injuries after two cars flipped and ended up in ditches following a downpour Tuesday morning, and he could not confirm the extent of any injuries after a third car also ended up in a ditch.

O'Brien said the weather changed considerably in barely a day and motorists aren't used to wet roads.

He said people need to slow down and keep a safe distance between cars in rainy conditions.

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CONSERVATION OFFICERS FORCED TO SHOOT GRIZZLY IN SOUTHEASTERN B.C.

A grizzly has been put down in the Elk Valley, the third to be killed in the southeastern B.C. region this year.

WildSafeBC said the bear was shot by conservation officers last week after it was spotted throughout the community over the past month.

Community co-ordinator Kathy Murray said it was posing a threat to human safety and could not be relocated because it had become used to eating garbage and fruit from trees in the region.

Murray said most relocated bears find their way back to their original territory or end up becoming a problem for another community, and the best solution is for people to store garbage indoors and ensure fruit trees are picked early and often.

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COUGAR SPOTTED IN PORT MOODY

The City of Port Moody in Metro Vancouver has issued a warning about a cougar.

A Tweet issued late Monday says the cougar was seen roaming between the north shore, Heritage Mountain and Anmore, along the northwest corner of Burrard Inlet.

City officials are warning residents to stay alert, keep children nearby and keep pets on a leash.

Anyone spotting large predatory wildlife in Port Moody is urged to contact the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.

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By The Canadian Press

News from © The Canadian Press, 2017