The federal information watchdog has identified several shortcomings — from inadequate training to cumbersome paper-based processes — that hamper National Defence's ability to answer formal requests from the public.In a special report tabled in Parliament today, information commissioner Caroline Maynard says her systemic investigation found Defence did not meet its obligations under the Access to Information Act because of dated or inefficient practices.The access law allows people who pay $5 to request an array of federal files but it has been widely criticized as outdated, clumsy and of

Federal Court Justice Ann Marie McDonald has struck down a key agreement on refugees between Canada and the United States.She says elements of the law underpinning the Safe Third Country Agreement violate constitutional guarantees of life, liberty and security.Canada and the U-S have recognized each other as safe places to seek protection, but Canadian refugee advocates have argued America is not always a safe country for people fleeing persecution.They told the court that Canada is exposing ineligible refugee claimants to detention and other rights violations in returning them to the U-S.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has an obligation to look into allegations that Gov. Gen. Julie Payette mistreated staff members.Singh says workplaces need to be safe, and employees must feel they are heard when they raise concerns.Singh was responding to questions today about a CBC News report that quoted anonymous sources as saying Payette has created a toxic environment at Rideau Hall.The CBC reported Tuesday that Payette had yelled at, belittled and publicly humiliated employees, reducing some to tears or prompting them to quit.In a statement Tuesday, the Gover

Six more judges have been appointed to British Columbia's provincial court in an effort to clear away the backlog stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The province says in an information bulletin that it has reappointed three senior judges and appointed three new judges. The bulletin says the appointments will increase the capacity of the provincial court and reduce court delays around the province. It says the senior judges will help address the backlog of cases and support the response to the impacts of COVID-19 on the judicial system. Jane Cartwright, Thomas Gove and Richard Miller are bac

The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 6:56 p.m. on July 21, 2020: There are 111,697 confirmed cases in Canada. Quebec: 57,796 confirmed (including 5,658 deaths, 50,298 resolved) Ontario: 37,942 confirmed (including 2,753 deaths, 33,605 resolved) Alberta: 9,728 confirmed (including 172 deaths, 8,363 resolved) British Columbia: 3,328 confirmed (including 189 deaths, 2,873 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,067 confirmed (including 63 deaths, 1,003 resolved) Saskatchewan: 970 confirmed (including 15 deaths, 813 resolved) Manitoba: 353 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 318 resolved),

Six members of a family in Jharkhand's Dhanbad have succumbed to COVID-19, officials said."Six aged members of a family have died due to COVID-19. Two more members of the same family have tested positive, but their condition is stable. We are doing their contact tracing," Gopal Das, Civil surgeon, Dhanbad told reporters.An 88 year old woman passed away at a nursing home in Bokaro on July 4. Later, her sons who were 65 years old, 67 years old, 72 years old, 70 years old, and 60 years old died within a span of 10 days at different COVID-19 hospitals.

Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response in British Columbia. "Today, we are reporting 30 new cases, including one epi-linked case since we reported on Monday, for a total of 3,328 cases in British Columbia. "There are 266 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 2,873 people who tested positive have recovered. "Of the total COVID-19 cases, 15 individuals are hospitalized, three of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are reco

British Columbia's health minister says the province has hired more staff and increased operating-room hours to catch up on cancelled surgeries but a significant surge in COVID-19 cases could impact recovery. Adrian Dix says 32,400 procedures were not done or not scheduled as of mid-March to retain beds that may have been needed for COVID-19 patients. Combined with patients already on wait lists, the number of people waiting for procedures ballooned to over 95,000. However, Dix says over half the patients whose surgeries were cancelled in the spring had them between May 18 and June 25. Michae

BC Transit has launched a province-wide campaign encouraging considerate etiquette on all BC buses, SeaBuses and SkyTrains. The ``Together We Ride'' campaign reminds riders to be courteous and respectful during the ongoing pandemic and whenever possible to wear a mask while travelling. The eight week campaign will use a variety of methods from TV commercials to social media posts to reach target audiences. Transit says although wearing a mask is not mandatory, it can help to promote a more comfortable experience as people return to transit while the economy gradually re-opens.