Rehmatullah Sheikh

Rehmatullah is a web reporter based in Vancouver.

Latest from Rehmatullah Sheikh

Golden ticket and culture shock: Refugee students start over in Vancouver

In 2006, Tamasha Hussein fled the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo and headed to a refugee camp in Malawi. In 2018, she arrived in Vancouver on a scholarship that provides education and a path to Canadian citizenship. But cultural barriers and loneliness became part of Hussein's new life.

Siri, don't call a travel agent — smart devices can lead to scam calls, watchdog warns

The Better Business Bureau has cautioned against blindly relying on smart home gadgets for making phone calls. Instead of calling a legitimate business, the devices can connect users to fake customer service numbers that advertise on search engines.

Investigation into Abbotsford sexual assault reveals it didn't happen

An investigation by Abbotsford police has concluded that an alleged assault that was reported Aug. 6 did not actually occur and that it was influenced by past trauma.

Abbotsford police seeking help to locate man who disappeared from tour group

Abbotsford police are asking the public for help in their search for a Taiwanese tourist who disappeared from his tour group last month.

More impaired drivers taken off road this summer in Vancouver than last year, VPD says

Vancouver police say they took 360 impaired drivers off Vancouver roads this summer, a figure that is 100 more than last year. The Vancouver Police Department released the results of its summertime “CounterAttack” campaign that it runs in collaboration with ICBC.

Travellers duped into paying for bogus Expedia bookings with gift cards, says Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau is warning B.C. residents about a network of internet scammers posing as staff from Expedia to trick people into shelling out hundreds of dollars in phony flight and room bookings.

Mobi introduces new bike helmets amid loss and theft

Vancouver's bike-share program has launched a second attempt to get riders to wear a helmet during their rides. This comes amid frequent complaints of missing and stolen helmets, putting riders in a bind in B.C. where bike helmets are compulsory.

Cricket for all: UBC researchers use algorithms to produce affordable cricket bat

UBC forestry professor Phil Evans is leading a project that uses an algorithm to design a cricket bat that’s cheaper to produce but just as powerful as the one used by professional cricketers.

UBC prof helps create an online database of banned books

A life-size replica of the Athenian Parthenon made of “banned books” stands as a towering art installation in Kassel, Germany. And now a UBC Prof. has helped create Die Kasseler Liste — an online searchable database of the world's banned books.

Artist crochets video tapes into sculptures to give plastic waste new life, play with media

To most peoplel, video cassettes are a relic of the past — destined for the dumpster. But Evelyn Roth, 82, has turned black spools of disused tape into pieces of art to raise awareness about recycling.