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WorldJan 29, 2020

Airlines suspend China flights, cut service on virus fears

British Airways and Asian budget carriers Lion Air and Seoul Air are suspending flights to China as fears spread about the outbreak of a new virus that has killed more than 130 people.Several other airlines including Finnair, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific and Singapore-based Jetstar Asia are reducing the number of flights to the country as demand for travel drops because of the outbreak.British Airways said Wednesday it is immediately suspending all flights to and from mainland China after the U.K. government warned against unnecessary travel to the country amid a virus outbreak.The airline
WorldJan 28, 2020

Canadian teacher in Wuhan thinks it's best to hunker down, stay put

A Canadian teacher who lives in the Chinese city that is the epicentre of a coronavirus outbreak says he has no plans to leave.Wayne Duplessis says he and his family are hunkered down in their home just outside of Wuhan's city centre.He, his wife, Emily Tjandra, and their 15-year-old son Wyatt have spent the last two weeks chatting with people online, watching videos, movies, and the news, and listening to music.Some Canadians in Wuhan have called on the federal government to send a flight to get them out, but Duplessis says he doesn't think it's wise to spend hours in the air with people who
WorldJan 28, 2020

Pilot of Bryant helicopter tried to avoid heavy fog

A veteran pilot who plunged into a Los Angeles-area hillside, killing Kobe Bryant and eight others, had tried to avoid fog so heavy that it had grounded police choppers, authorities said. But even experienced pilots may have only seconds to act when they are blinded by weather, an expert said as investigators began scouring the wreckage for clues to Sunday morning’s crash. The NBA postponed the Los Angeles Lakers' next game against the Clippers on Tuesday night after the deaths of the retired superstar and the other victims.Bryant’s death at age 41 was mourned around the world in an outpo
china-counts-2-700-cases-of-new-virus-80-deaths
WorldJan 27, 2020

China counts 2,700 cases of new virus, 80 deaths

China says the death toll from a new virus has risen to 80, with 2,744 confirmed cases. The National Health Commission said Monday morning there were 769 new cases confirmed in the 24 hours through midnight Sunday. The government also reported five cases in Hong Kong and two in Macao. Small numbers of cases have been found in Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the U.S., Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, France and Australia. The U.S. has confirmed cases in Washington state, Chicago, Southern California and Arizona. Canada said it discovered its first case, a man in his 50s who was in Wuh
kobe-bryant-7-others-killed-in-california-chopper-crash
WorldJan 27, 2020

Kobe Bryant, 8 others killed in California chopper crash

It is expected to take several days for officials to recover the bodies of former NBA star Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others from a helicopter crash outside Los Angeles. LA County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jonathan Lucas says the next priority after recovery is identification and notifying the families involved. The Bryants were on the flight with Orange Coast College coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri and daughter, Alyssa, who was about 13 and played on the same basketball team as Bryant's daughter, Gianna.
WorldJan 24, 2020

China building a hospital to treat virus, expands lockdowns

China is swiftly building a hospital dedicated to treating patients infected by a new virus that has killed 26 people, sickened hundreds and prompted lockdowns of at least 13 cities on the eve of the country's most important holiday.Transportation is halted and streets eerily quiet in the locked-down cities as the virus led to the cancellation of festivities for the Lunar New Year.Wuhan, where the outbreak began, and 12 neighbouring cities have a combined population of more than 36 million.A Wuhan hospital with space for 1,000 beds is being built in the style of a facility that Beijing constr
who-says-viral-illness-in-china-is-not-yet-a-global-health-emergency
CanadaJan 23, 2020

WHO says viral illness in China is not yet a global health emergency

The World Health Organization says a viral illness in China that has sickened hundreds of people is not yet a global health emergency. The decision came after Chinese authorities moved to lock down three cities on Thursday and cancelled major events in the capital, Beijing, during the Lunar New Year holiday period to try to contain the new virus. The United Nations health agency announced the decision after independent experts spent two days assessing information about the spread of the newly identified coronavirus. WHO defines a global emergency as an ``extraordinary event'' that constitu
cases-of-new-viral-respiratory-illness-rise-sharply-in-china
WorldJan 22, 2020

Cases of new viral respiratory illness rise sharply in China

Chinese health authorities are urging people in the city of Wuhan to avoid crowds and public gatherings after warning that a new viral illness infecting hundreds of people in the country and causing at least 17 deaths could spread further. A national health official says 500 cases are confirmed in China. The 17 deaths are all in Hubei province, where the first cases were reported last month. The illness comes from a new coronavirus that experts say may be spread through the respiratory tract and may be mutating. An expert meeting convened by the World Health Organization on Wednesday will det
washington-state-man-is-the-first-person-in-the-u-s-to-be-diagnosed-with-coronavirus
WorldJan 21, 2020

Washington State man is the first person in the U-S to be diagnosed with coronavirus

Health officials in the United States say a Washington State man is the first person in the U-S to be diagnosed with a new coronavirus first identified in China. The man, in his 30's, is being treated in an Everett hospital, near Seattle and is said to be in good condition. He was travelling in the Wuhan area of China when the outbreak began, and returned to Washington State last week, where the virus was confirmed. Beijing says six people have died and 291 have been infected in China -- and cases of the pneumonia-like illness have been reported in four other countries prompting many airpo

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woman-robbed-in-vancouvers-marpole-area-police-seek-witnesses
BCSep 01, 2026

Woman Robbed in Vancouver’s Marpole Area, Police Seek Witnesses

A woman was robbed in Vancouver’s Marpole neighbourhood, and police are asking witnesses to come forward as the investigation continues. According to police, the incident happened around 1:30 a.m. on August 27. The woman was walking along the west lane of the 8600-block of Granville Street near Southwest Marine Drive when a suspect allegedly punched her in the face, stole her purse and fled the scene. Police searched the surrounding area but were unable to locate the suspect. The victim’s phone was later recovered nearby. Paramedics treated the woman at the scene for injuries to her nose.
mysterious-floating-island-spotted-on-b-c-s-williston-lake-boaters-warned-to-stay-away
BCSep 01, 2026

Mysterious Floating Island Spotted on B.C.’s Williston Lake, Boaters Warned to Stay Away

A mysterious floating island spotted on B.C.’s Williston Lake has prompted authorities to issue a warning to boaters. According to BC Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer, the floating island is about one hectare in size and is covered entirely with trees and lush vegetation. It was first spotted by satellite in mid-August but later suddenly disappeared. The island was spotted again on Monday, and appears to have travelled about 30 kilometres from its previous location over the past two weeks. Gammer believes the formation is not solid land, but rather a highly unstable mass of tree roots, logs and
relief-for-surrey-residents-no-new-extortion-or-shooting-cases-reported-in-august
BCSep 01, 2026

Relief for Surrey Residents: No New Extortion or Shooting Cases Reported in August

Surrey residents and business owners have received some encouraging news, with the Surrey Police Service (SPS) reporting that no new extortion threats or extortion-related shootings were recorded in the city throughout August. According to the latest update from SPS, the improvement is being attributed to ongoing joint efforts involving police, local businesses and the wider community. Police say these collaborative efforts are now producing positive results on the ground. SPS emphasized, however, that officers continue to actively investigate previous extortion cases, pursue legal action and
BCSep 01, 2026

B.C. Government Announces Nearly 1,200 New Child-Care Spaces Across 22 School Districts

The British Columbia government has announced plans to create nearly 1,200 new licensed before-and-after-school child-care spaces across 22 school districts, including Surrey. Under the initiative, Peace Arch Elementary and Theresa Clarke Elementary in the Surrey School District will each receive 24 new child-care spaces. B.C. Minister of Education and Child Care Lisa Beare said the time before and after school can be particularly challenging for parents who are balancing work and family responsibilities. Having child care available directly within school grounds will provide families with con
AlbertaSep 01, 2026

Nearly 400 Alberta Specialist Doctors Show Interest in New Dual-Practice Surgery Model

Nearly 400 specialist doctors in Alberta have expressed interest in participating in the province’s new dual-practice system, which will allow physicians to work within the public health-care system while also providing private services for selected surgeries, including hip and knee replacements. Although the legislation enabling the model is now in place, the office of Surgical Services Minister Adriana LaGrange said doctors must complete a formal application process before any private surgeries can begin. The first dual-practice surgeries are expected to take place this fall, following a r