Global National: Oct. 20, 2024 | Floods threaten safety of BC residents as election results loom

In tonight’s top story: A tremendous amount of rain that fallen on Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island. Some communities saw upward of 170 millimetres – more than half a foot of rain – in a matter of hours. This has led to all sorts of damage in people's homes across the region, as well as dangerous conditions on the roads. Alissa Thibault reports.

This brings us back to Saturday’s wild and wet election night in British Columbia, which has yet to deliver a clear winner. The outcome relies on just a few ridings where the margins are so tight, that a careful recount of every single vote – including absentee ballot – is necessary. As Richard Zussman tells us, the BC Conservatives, led by John Rustad, were barely on the political radar a few months ago. The party’s surge is already being seen as a bellwether for Canada’s next federal election.

On the other side of the country, voters are preparing to go to the polls in New Brunswick. The Progressive Conservatives have been in power since 2018, but the polls are suggesting the Liberals could flip the script. Heidi Petracek has a look at what to expect from Monday’s vote.

And over in the U.S. tonight, the race between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris remains tight. With just 16 days until election day, both candidates are intensifying their campaigns in crucial battlegrounds as advanced voting is already underway in several states. Bianca Facchinei reports.

Overseas, there is a major environmental disaster unfolding on a sacred river in Northern India, and it's floating in plain view. The Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganges, is considered holy by Hindus. But the river has become a dumping ground for toxic, industrial waste from the capital, Delhi. Touria Izri reports on the tragic consequences of India's weak to nonexistent environmental laws.

Another reminder tonight of the incredible power of water and its impact on people’s lives. Severe flooding in parts of north-central Italy has forced thousands from their homes and cut off roads in the region. At least one person is missing after being swept away by high waters, and another part of the country – more than 700 kilometers away – is also facing severe flooding. Mike Armstrong reports on the dramatic effort to bring people to safety.

More than three decades after risking their lives on the battlefield, veterans who served for Canada in the first Persian Gulf War are taking up a new fight – this time with Ottawa. They're pushing for equal injury benefits, and recognition, as soldiers who fought earlier wars. Reporting, once again, is Heidi Petracek.

Plus, have you noticed the autumn colours have been less vibrant this year? Experts tell Global News that milder weather may be partly to blame. Caryn Lieberman reports.

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