National News

VANCOUVER - Allegations that sexism and bias against sex workers are rampant within the Vancouver police and played a role in the force's failure to catch serial killer Robert Pickton are false, a senior officer from the force told a public inquiry Friday.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. - Residents of a quiet Kamloops, B.C., neighbourhood are reeling after an armed man strapped explosives to himself and his van and barged into his ex-girlfriend's home, which exploded into flames before four children escaped.

WINDSOR, Ont. - Police in Windsor, Ont., say it's "one down and two to go" for a man alleged to have swallowed a $20,000 diamond.

TORONTO - It takes political transparency to a whole new level.

MONTREAL - There were warnings Friday from Quebec's legal community that the government's strict legislation aimed at ending the student crisis has gone too far.

FRANKFURT - A German court has allowed a Costa Rican extradition request involving the Canadian founder of an anti-whaling group to move forward.

OTTAWA - The departure of Justice Marie Deschamps from the Supreme Court of Canada in the summer gives Prime Minister Stephen Harper an opportunity to nominate his fifth high court judge.

OTTAWA - Canada's spy service continues to flout policy and make a serious number of reporting errors, says a federal watchdog whose office was recently abolished.

OTTAWA - The Conservative government's decision to quadruple the cost of getting a criminal pardon has left a backlog of about 22,500 applications and a two-tier system for handling applicants.