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 WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. — Williams Lake RCMP are warning residents of a social media scam making its way around the community. In a news release issued Tuesday (Aug. 19), RCMP say they recently investigated a possible hostage incident where a resident reported they were messaged by a friend from their contact list on Facebook. The fraudster, posing as the friend, claimed they were being held hostage by a random individual and needed a certain amount of dollars in gift cards to be sent for their release.  Police say the fraudster messaged a fake picture of a severed finger for added effect. “Williams Lake RCMP attended the ‘hostage victim’s’ residence and confirmed they were unharmed and safe, knowing nothing of the reported incident.  Williams Lake RCMP further investigated and determined the source of the messages were from another continent,” police state.

 KAMLOOPS — A provincial government office on the Kamloops North Shore is set to open Wednesday (Aug. 20) after it was closed for part of the day Tuesday. The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction confirms its office near the Northills Mall received a threat Tuesday from a person on the phone. In a statement to CFJC Today, the ministry said it followed its emergency protocols and immediately notified the RCMP . The office was closed, and staff were sent home. Once police gave the ministry the “ all clear”, staff were notified to return and the office reopened before the end of the day Tuesday.

  Toluca hoy buscará continuar su gran torneo cuando se mida a las 19:00 (hora México) ante Orlando City SC, en uno de los duelos más atractivos de los cuartos de final de la Leagues Cup 2025.  El partido se disputará en el Dignity Health Sports Park, con capacidad para más de 30 mil aficionados. Dirigido por Antonio Mohamed, el cuadro mexicano fue el mejor equipo de la Liga MX durante la fase de grupos del torneo, y llega a esta instancia con confianza plena.  Su rival tampoco se queda atrás: Orlando viene goleando en todos sus partidos de MLS y será una prueba real para los Diablos Rojos.

  As Hurricane Erin continues to move northward toward the United States,   more than 2,000 people have been evacuated and North Carolina is in a state of emergency. East Coast.  The National Hurricane Center predicts that as the evening progresses, the Outer Banks of  The Tar Heel State and a portion of coastal Virginia will experience surge conditions with the force of a tropical storm.

  On Thursday, students in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will receive their Level 2 GCSE, BTec Tech Awards, and other results.  After years of change during the Covid pandemic, the GCSE pass rate is expected to be roughly the same by 2024. Last year, it fell for a third year running.  Students have also been warned they could face more competition for places at sixth form colleges this year.  Bill Watkin, head of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said there were more 16-year-olds in the population and sixth form colleges had grown in popularity.  " Almost certainly going to have to turn some young people away because they are oversubscribed," he said, adding that others were  "almost certainly going to have to turn some young people away because they are oversubscribed."

  In recent days, social media has been taken over by a viral video claiming that orca trainer Jessica Radcliffe, 23, was killed during a live performance.  However, there is a major issue: the narrative is not true. The clip is a hoax and there is no such person, as evidenced by fact checks and media coverage.  However, the hype surrounding the fictitious video has brought new attention to a real, older video that has recently resurfaced.  Full video link In it, a kayaker is seen being terrified in open water amid wild orcas. Posts on Facebook and TikTok claim that Jessica Radcliffe was killed after being attacked by an orca during a show.  Some even claimed that the orca reacted because of “menstrual blood mixing with the water.”  But there are no facts to support any of this. The Economic Times and the Hindustan Times reported that there was no news coverage, no report from the marine park, and no public record confirming such an incident.  Fa...

 غزہ کی سول ڈیفنس ایجنسی کے مطابق، ہفتے کے روز اسرائیلی حملوں میں کم از کم 39 افراد جاں بحق ہوئے۔ اسرائیلی فوج نے عندیہ دیا ہے کہ وہ جلد ہی غزہ شہر میں ایک نیا زمینی آپریشن شروع کرنے والی ہے، جس سے پہلے شہریوں کو وہاں سے نکلنے کی اپیل کی جائے گی۔ یہ صورتحال ایسے وقت میں سامنے آئی ہے جب اسرائیل کی سیکیورٹی کابینہ نے حال ہی میں غزہ شہر پر کنٹرول حاصل کرنے کے منصوبے کی منظوری دی ہے۔ 22 ماہ سے جاری جنگ نے علاقے میں شدید انسانی بحران پیدا کر دیا ہے۔ فوجی کارروائی سے قبل، کوگاٹ (COGAT) — جو کہ اسرائیلی وزارت دفاع کا ایک ادارہ ہے — نے اعلان کیا ہے کہ اتوار سے غزہ میں خیمے اور پناہ گاہ کا سامان فراہم کیا جائے گا تاکہ شہریوں کو محفوظ علاقوں میں منتقل کیا جا سکے۔ حماس نے اس اقدام کی مذمت کرتے ہوئے اسے غزہ شہر پر "وحشیانہ قبضے" کی تیاری قرار دیا ہے ۔ ادھر، غزہ کی سول ڈیفنس کے ترجمان محمود بصل نے بتایا ہے کہ زیتون کے علاقے میں صورتِ حال انتہائی خراب ہو چکی ہے۔ وہاں موجود تقریباً 50,000 افراد خوراک، پانی اور زندگی کی بنیادی سہولتوں سے محروم ہیں، جب کہ علاقے پر شدید بمباری جاری ہے۔ غ...