Chinese health officials are expressing new optimism about a deadly virus, but it continues to bring new threats elsewhere. The latest front in the widening global fight against COVID-19 emerged in Daegu, South Korea, whose 2.5 million residents were urged to stay inside, wearing masks even indoors to stem further infection after 35 new cases were reported in the city and surrounding areas. Across the Yellow Sea at the virus' epicenter, China voiced confidence as a noticeably reduced number of new daily infections was recorded. But that came after the country again changed its method for how

BJP President JP Nadda on Thursday met Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patron Parkash Singh Badal at the latter's residence here and termed the meeting a personal one. "BJP has a very old relation with SAD, I came here to invite Badal Sahab for my eldest son's wedding. We not only share political relations but also a deep personal bond," Nadda told reporters here after his meeting with the former Punjab chief minister. "He gave his blessings for the wedding and has said that he will attend it. I have personal relations with him when I started with students politics and it strengthened when I became

The first person in Canada to test positive for the novel coronavirus has now been completely cleared of the virus. Ontario health officials say the man in his 50s has now had two negative tests 24 hours apart, which is the standard for being cleared. Associate chief medical officer of health Dr. Barbara Yaffe says the man is no longer infectious to others and has recovered. The man returned to Toronto in January from the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak, and had to be hospitalized. His wife, who had travelled with him, also fell ill, but had less severe symptoms and is still in sel

The Independent Investigations Office has cleared officers in the RCMP's University of B.C. detachment of any wrongdoing in the death of a UBC student two weeks ago. The student had been arrested early in the morning on February 5th and was briefly held at the UBC detachment but was released about 2:30 a.m. and taken back to his residence on campus. Just hours later a security guard found the unnamed student dead under the Lions Gate Bridge. The office, which examines all incidents of police involved death or serious injury in B.C., says the student's death was not the result of RCMP action o

Authorities say a 43-year-old German who posted a rant calling for the ``complete extermination'' of various races and cultures shot and killed nine people, most of them Turkish, in an attack on a hookah bar and other sites in suburban Frankfurt. Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that the shootings exposed the ``poison'' of racism in Germany. The bloodshed comes amid growing concerns about far-right violence in Germany and stepped-up efforts from authorities to crack down on it. Justin Trudeau's tweet: Canada condemns last night’s terrible attack in Germany. We must stand united agains

Healthy Canadians were issued face masks and coloured wrist bands before they left the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan to board buses that took them to Tokyo's airport. They have spent weeks under quarantine for the novel coronavirus, and will face a further quarantine at a Nav Canada facility in Cornwall, Ontario. The ship has seen the largest outbreak of the virus outside China, with 634 passengers testing positive, including 47 Canadians who will have to remain in Japan for treatment. François-Philippe Champagne's tweet: The Canadian flight departing #Tokyo is wheels up. M

A man with mobility challenges has died after being trapped in his burning home in Vancouver. Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services says in a statement that the fire broke out Sunday evening in a home on the city's west side. Crews found the 55-year-old victim in the home as they arrived. He had been badly burned and was rushed to hospital but the statement says he did not survive. Investigators say the fire was caused by smoking materials. The man's death marks the first fatal fire in Vancouver in 2020.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says the RCMP in British Columbia has offered to move its officers to a town away from the area where traditional leaders of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation have been opposing a pipeline project on their territory.Blair said on Parliament Hill Thursday morning he believes this move meets the conditions set by the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and that barricades set up in solidarity with that nation should come down."I believe the time has come now for the barricades to come down," Blair said before a cabinet meeting."We have met the condition that those who ar

Healthy Canadians from the Diamond Princess cruise ship will shortly be heading home, according to Canada's foreign affairs minister, after weeks under quarantine for the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.The ship, docked in Yokohama, Japan, contained the largest outbreak of the virus outside China, with hundreds of passengers having tested positive. Among the infected are 47 Canadians who will have to remain in Japan for treatment.Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Wednesday that passengers would be screened before boarding a chartered flight Thursday evening, Japan time.T