News for Youse: Bike lane vote for Kits, Canadians free in Egypt, and the Canucks beat the Flames

Bike lane vote for Kits  Today (October 7) the Vancouver park board is scheduled to vote on new bike lanes and improved transportation infrastructure for Kitsilano and Jericho parks. Non-Partisan Association park board commissioner John Coupar told CKNW that he feels there’s been a lack of consultation regarding the proposals.

Major TransLink report  On Friday (October 4), TransLink released its 2014 Base Plan and Outlook report. The document sets out expenditures for three years and offers an outlook for the following seven years. You can read more on this story here.

Petronas announces B.C. investment  Malaysian prime minister Mohd Najib has announced that his country’s state-owned oil and gas company will invest $36 billion in British Columbia. Standing beside Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Indonesia, Najib said that Petronas will construct a liquid natural gas plant and accompanying infrastructure including a pipeline.

Database for missing women  Two First Nations groups have said they intend to create a database for missing women in Canada. “It's time for community to build our own structures independent of government and institutional funding,” reads a post on the Facebook page of Families of Sisters in Spirit.

Transgender identity victory  The B.C. Ministry of Health is revising policies to improve how the government recognizes individuals’ gender identities. The Times Colonist reports that British Columbians will soon be permitted to change the sexual designation on their B.C. Services Card before completing sex reassignment surgery.

Harper slams Sri Lanka’s record on human rights  Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said he intends to boycott an upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka. Speaking at the Asia Pacific leader's summit in Bali, Harper explained that he was concerned about the Sri Lankan government’s deteriorating record on human rights.

Canadians freed but remain in Egypt  Two Canadians who were imprisoned in Egypt for seven weeks are reportedly free from prison but have now been barred from leaving the country. John Greyson and Tarek Loubani were arrested by Egyptian police when they approached a checkpoint to ask for directions back to their hotel. Greyson's sister, Cecilia, told the Associated Press that Canadian officials are working through “red tape” to have the men returned to Canada. Meanwhile, dozens of people were killed in Egypt over the weekend in clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

China cautions U.S. on debt  China has warned the United States that it must not default on its debt. The U.S. Congress must vote to increase the government’s debt ceiling by October 17. If it does not, the U.S. will not be able to make payments on loans, which could send the global economy into crisis. Republican House Speaker John Boehner has said that his party will not vote to increase the debt ceiling until Democrats agree to spending cuts.

Canucks defeat the Flames  Last night (October 6) the Vancouver Canucks beat the Calgary Flames 5-4 with an overtime goal by Mike Santorelli. It was the first game hosted in the Saddledome since floods damaged the arena in June.

Cyrus’s SNL episode a success  Miley Cyrus has received widespread praise for performances critics described as funny and entertaining that she made while hosting Saturday Night Live over the weekend. The 20-year-old pop superstar poked fun at herself and made jokes about the U.S. government shutdown.