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CanadaApr 23, 2021

Prime Minister receives his first shot of AstraZeneca

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, received their first shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine Friday at a Rexall pharmacy in downtown Ottawa.Pharmacist Zaineb Hassan disinfected a spot on Trudeau's left arm where the prime minister has an Indigenous tattoo, before he jokingly asked his wife to hold his right hand while he received the vaccine dose.Trudeau told the pharmacist he was "very excited" before Hassan injected the shot into Trudeau's arm and covered the spot with a bandage.Hassan then gave Gregoire Trudeau her vaccine shot and told the coupl
CanadaApr 23, 2021

Canada signs deal for Pfizer booster doses

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada has reached an agreement with Pfizer for 35 million booster doses for next year, and 30 million in the year after.He says the deal includes options to add 30 million doses in both 2022 and 2023, and an option for 60 million doses in 2024.Booster shots are expected to be important as the virus continues to mutate, similar to how the flu shot is altered every year to be effective against the most dominant strain.Trudeau says these boosters will be the latest version of the Pfizer vaccine based on research and testing, and they will help Canada keep the v
CanadaApr 23, 2021

Ontario reports first case of blood clotting after AstraZeneca

Ontario has reported its first case of a rare blood clot in a person who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.Dr. David Williams, Ontario's top doctor, says the 60-year-old patient had received his first dose of the vaccine.Williams says the man has been treated and is recovering at home.It's the fourth case of the rare clotting condition in Canada, out of more than 1.1 million AstraZeneca doses administered across the country.B.C. has been facing a stark shortage of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with several doses being diverted from Vancouver Island Health to the Lower Mainland
prime-minister-justin-trudeau-says-restricting-travel-from-india-pakistan-necessary
CanadaApr 23, 2021

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says restricting travel from India, Pakistan necessary

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says suspending incoming passenger flights from India and Pakistan for the next month must be done to keep Canadians safe. Trudeau says it's necessary because there has been a concerning surge of COVID-19 cases and the emergence of more variants of concern in certain parts of the world.Also, the federal health minister has said half of the people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus after arriving in Canada by plane have come from India.The new travel measures were announced yesterday following pressure from provincial leaders, who said not enough w
key-measure-suggests-canadas-covid-19-surge-could-be-slowing-down-says-tam
CanadaApr 23, 2021

Key measure suggests Canada's COVID-19 surge could be slowing down, says Tam

Canada's top public health doctor says there's been an increase of more than 200,000 COVID-19 cases since last month, but there are signs the epidemic is easing.Dr. Theresa Tam says average case counts have more than doubled over the past month, with upwards of 8,400 infections reported daily over the last week.But Tam says there's reason for hope due to Canada's declining reproduction rate, which represents how many people are infected by each new case.She says this measure has fallen below the key threshold of one for the first time in weeks, meaning the rate of transmission is trending dow
hundreds-of-scheduled-surgeries-in-b-c-postponed-more-than-1-000-covid-19-cases-reported-in-the-province
BCApr 23, 2021

Hundreds of scheduled surgeries in B.C. postponed; More than 1,000 COVID-19 cases reported in the province

Hundreds of scheduled surgeries in British Columbia have been postponed as the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals reaches a new peak. Health Minister Adrian Dix says 1,750 surgeries at nine affected hospitals in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health regions have been delayed. There are 502 people in hospital and more than 160 of those are in intensive care units. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says pressure on B.C.'s health-care system is ``immense'' right now. The government is also asking specially trained health workers who are now in community settings to return to int
WorldApr 23, 2021

Sharpton decries 'stench of racism' in Daunte Wright's death

Daunte Wright was remembered at his funeral Thursday as a dedicated father whose life was ended too soon at the hands of police. Civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton delivered a thundering eulogy, promising that Black people will never ``shut up and suffer,'' and that changes to federal law are coming. Wright was shot by police during a traffic stop in suburban Minneapolis during the murder trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd. He was convicted two days ago. Hundreds of people packed into Shiloh Temple International Ministries to remember the 2
police-report-15-gang-linked-killings-in-metro-vancouver-in-2021-after-dip-since-2017-indetify-langley-shooting-victim
BCApr 22, 2021

Police report 15 gang-linked killings in Metro Vancouver in 2021 after dip since 2017, indetify Langley shooting victim

The man fatally shot outside a sports complex in Langley, B.C., has been identified by police as a longtime gang associate targeted in what investigators believe is an intensifying gangland conflict that has simmered for almost two decades. The victim of Wednesday's shooting is 46 year old Todd Gouwenberg and although police have not yet found an obvious motive for his slaying, they say it was targeted. Assistant Comm. Manny Mann, chief officer of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, the south coast agency focused on gang conflict, says Gouwenberg had been connected to the United Nat
former-minister-tells-inquiry-money-laundering-on-b-c-radar-but-so-were-guns-gangs
BCApr 22, 2021

Former minister tells inquiry money laundering on B.C. radar, but so were guns, gangs

The interim leader of the B.C. Liberal party says reports of money laundering at casinos had the attention of the government when she was the minister in charge of gaming a decade ago. But Shirley Bond says civil forfeiture, gang violence and gambling addiction were also big issues during those 11 months as part of her duties as the solicitor general and minister of public safety. She told the Cullen commission today that she never discussed reports of millions of dollars of suspicious cash at casinos being linked to money laundering and organized crime with former premier Christy Clark. Clar

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WorldMar 26, 2026

Two killed, three injured after intercepted missile debris falls in Abu Dhabi, officials say

Two people were killed and three others injured after debris from an intercepted ballistic missile fell in Abu Dhabi amid ongoing regional tensions, according to authorities in the United Arab Emirates. Officials said the missile was launched from Iran and was destroyed mid-air by air defence systems. However, falling fragments struck areas in the UAE capital, resulting in civilian casualties. Authorities identified the two people killed as one Pakistani national and one Indian national. Three others injured include a UAE citizen, a Jordanian national and an Indian national, officials said. Ac
jason-kenney-to-debate-alberta-separatism-in-may-events
AlbertaMar 26, 2026

Jason Kenney to debate Alberta separatism in May events

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney will participate in two public debates this spring on the question of provincial separation, facing off against a Calgary lawyer who supports Alberta leaving Canada. The first debate is scheduled for May at a member-only conference hosted by Civitas Canada, a conservative non-profit, in Edmonton. Conference materials say both sides share a goal of “economic fairness for Alberta,” with Kenney and lawyer Keith Wilson debating whether staying in or leaving Canada best allows the province to “fulfil their destiny.” A second debate is planned for Calgary
nato-report-says-canada-met-2-defence-spending-target-for-first-time-in-decades
CanadaMar 26, 2026

NATO report says Canada met 2% defence spending target for first time in decades

Canada met NATO’s benchmark of spending two per cent of its gross domestic product on defence in the last fiscal year, according to the alliance’s latest annual report. The 2025 report from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte states Canada spent approximately $63.4 billion on defence, reaching the alliance target for the first time since 1990. The two per cent benchmark is a long-standing commitment among NATO members aimed at ensuring collective security and military readiness. According to the NATO report, Canada’s increased spending reflects sustained federal investments in military cap
vancouver-police-seek-witnesses-after-suspicious-death-in-downtown-eastside
BCMar 25, 2026

Vancouver police seek witnesses after suspicious death in Downtown Eastside

The Vancouver Police Department says its homicide unit is investigating a suspicious death in the city’s Downtown Eastside and is asking witnesses to come forward. According to a Vancouver Police Department news release, paramedics with BC Emergency Health Services responded to a call at about 7:40 a.m. on March 20 in the south lane of the 100-block of East Hastings Street for a man in medical distress. Despite life-saving efforts, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said paramedics notified officers after observing injuries considered suspicious. The case has since been taken o
b-c-police-watchdog-launches-systemic-probe-into-handling-of-sexual-misconduct-cases
BCMar 25, 2026

B.C. police watchdog launches systemic probe into handling of sexual misconduct cases

British Columbia’s police watchdog has launched a provincewide review into how municipal departments handle sexual misconduct allegations involving officers, citing concerns about recurring patterns and oversight. Prabhu Rajan, head of the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, said the investigation will examine internal processes used when departments investigate their own members. He said sexual misconduct in policing workplaces can undermine operational effectiveness and public trust. According to a statement from the commissioner’s office, the probe is the first “systemic inve