Vulnerable and homeless people across British Columbia could soon receive a smartphone to access support services and to stay connected with friends and family while practising physical distancing. Social Development and Poverty Reduction Minister Shane Simpson says providing up to 3,500 smartphones for vulnerable people will give them easier access to services and helps them connect to others when public spaces are closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Simpson says 1,000 smartphones have already been distributed, with 200 provided to people moved to hotels from homeless encampments in Vic

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Tuesday that the government will spend more than $260 billion, the equivalent of nearly 10% of the country's GDP, on a coronavirus economic relief package designed to make the world's second most populous nation more self reliant.“The package’s main aim is to build a self-reliant India,” Modi said in a televised speech, adding that it will help the country compete globally.India entered its sixth week of a stringent nationwide lockdown on Tuesday, pushing an economy already enfeebled before the pandemic to the brink of collapse.The lockdown

The federal government is giving seniors a one-time, tax-free top-up payment to help manage extra costs associated with COVID-19.Seniors Minister Deb Schulte says seniors who receive old age security will get $300, and those who receive the guaranteed income supplement will receive $200.In all, the $2.5-billion measure will provide payments to 6.7 million seniors, Schulte says.She says many have faced an increase in the cost of living as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, from more for dispensing fees for medications or delivery fees for food and services.She also says their savings have taken

Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry is reporting 23 new cases of COVID-19 since Saturday and another death. That raises the total cases in the province to 2,352, with 130 deaths. Henry says if the province continues with such low numbers, it will be ready to move to phase two of the pandemic restart plan next week. She also says she got outside on the weekend and found most people were following physical distancing rules. Despite a small minority seen at crowded beaches and parks.

The RCMP says three of the four semi-automatic weapons used by a gunman during last month's mass shooting in Nova Scotia are believed to have come from the United States. The federal force says in a news release today that only one of the guns could be traced back to a source in Canada. The Mounties are still declining to reveal the brand or the calibre of the weapons, two handguns and two rifles used during the April 18-19 rampage that killed 22 people in five communities around the province. Gabriel Wortman, who police have said didn't have a licence for the weapons, was shot and killed by

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will not pay the full price for medical masks that do not live up to medical standards.About eight million of 11 million N95 respirators shipped to the government from China through a Montreal-based supplier failed to meet specifications, federal officials said Friday.Trudeau says the discovery speaks to the government's “rigorous verification system” overseen by the Public Health Agency of Canada.The prime minister did not name the price the government will pay for the sub-standard respirators, which are used to protect against the COVID-19 virus.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government's emergency wage-subsidy program will be extended beyond its early-June endpoint.The program covers 75 percent of worker pay up to $847 a week to try to help employers keep employees on the job in the face of steep declines in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.In an announcement in Ottawa, Trudeau says more details on the extension will come next week.The Canadian economy lost almost two million jobs in April, a record high, as the closure of non-essential services to slow the spread of COVID-19 forced businesses to shutter temporari

The Canadian economy lost almost two million jobs in April, a record high, as the closure of non-essential services to slow the spread of COVID-19 forced businesses to shutter temporarily. The loss of 1,993,800 comes on top of more than one million jobs lost in March, and millions more having their hours and incomes slashed.Statistics Canada says the unemployment rate soared to 13.0 per cent as the full force of the pandemic hit compared with 7.8 per cent in March. It was the second highest unemployment rate on record as job losses spread beyond the service sector to include construction and

BC is reporting 33 new cases of COVID-19 and two new deaths. That raises the total number of cases to 2,288 with 126 deaths, while more than 1,500 people have fully recovered. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says everyone is looking forward to a new phase after the May long weekend when some COVID-19 restrictions are eased. But she says just because it's allowed, doesn't mean everyone should expand their social bubbles or reopen businesses depending on their own unique circumstances.