CanadaJul 20, 2020
Canadians now in Paris to view black boxes of Ukraine plane shot down by Iran
Canadian investigators are in Paris today to take part in the long-awaited downloading of data from the flight recorders of the Ukrainian passenger jet shot down by Iran in January.Canada's Transportation Safety Board confirmed today that after Tehran's nearly four-month delay, the so-called black boxes have arrived in Paris.The TSB sent a team to Paris to witness the download of the data, after an Iranian news agency report that they had been shipped on Saturday.Today marks a crucial step for grieving families seeking answers to why Iran's military fired two missiles at the passenger jet on J
BCJul 18, 2020
28 new COVID-19 cases in B.C., 35 cases connected to COVID-19 exposures in Kelowna
BC's top doctor is urging residents not to let COVID-19 steal their summer as she reported more outbreaks and cases around the province. Doctor Bonnie Henry says she feels for those people who want to get out and have fun, but it needs to be done in a way that minimizes the risk of community transmission. She says there are now 35 cases connected to COVID-19 exposures in the Kelowna area that Health Minister Adrian Dix had said were connected to private parties around Canada Day. That's in addition to a new outbreak reported at the neo-natal intensive care unit at St. Paul's Hospital in Vanco
CanadaJul 17, 2020
Liberals revise COVID-19 wage subsidy, ease eligibility in bid to boost takeup
Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the Liberals are easing eligibility rules for the government's emergency wage subsidy and changing the amounts businesses can receive. The government had been under pressure to make the subsidy more accessible, specifically by loosening the requirement of a 30 per cent drop in revenues, so more companies under that cut-off can qualify. Speaking in Toronto, Morneau says the rules will be changed so amounts paid out will be proportional to revenue declines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is the heart of the Liberals' promise to help Canadians get bac
BCJul 17, 2020
Newborn care unit at Vancouver hospital shut down by COVID-19 outbreak
A newborn intensive care unit at a Vancouver hospital is the site of the latest COVID-19 outbreak in the city.Vancouver Coastal Health, which administers health care services for much of Greater Vancouver region and the inner south and central coasts, issued a notice about the outbreak Thursday.The outbreak covers the neo-natal intensive care unit at St. Paul's hospital in downtown Vancouver.The agency did not say if the outbreak is related to staff or patients at the unit, or how many cases have been reported.Officials with the health authority say a satellite unit has been set up to continu
BCJul 17, 2020
21 new COVID-19 cases reported in B.C.
BC is reporting 21 new cases of COVID-19 and no additional deaths. The province's death toll stands at 189. The province's top doctor says 2,789 people in BC have recovered from the illness out of 3,170 cases in total. Doctor Bonnie Henry says 192 of BC's cases are active. Four cases are now associated with Krazy Cherry Fruit Company in Oliver and Henry says 27 cases have been linked to recent instances of community exposure in Kelowna. Dr. Henry says the next step is more targeted antibody testing to help understand who has been most affected by the virus.
CanadaJul 16, 2020
Feds, provinces reach deal on $19 billion in funding for reopening
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal, provincial and territorial governments have reached a deal on billions of dollars in transfers to continue reopening economies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He says the federal government will contribute $19 billion to the effort. The money is to help the lower-tier governments with needs such as funding child care, bailing out cities whose expenses have soared and revenues plunged, increasing contact-tracing capacity, and buying personal protective equipment. The pandemic is a health crisis, but Trudeau says it has a deep economic dimension. He s
CanadaJul 16, 2020
Commons finance committee to begin probing WE Charity's volunteering contract
The first of multiple parliamentary investigations of the federal government's aborted deal with WE Charity to run a volunteering program begins this afternoon.The House of Commons finance committee is set to hear from Youth Minister Bardish Chagger and some senior public servants as it probes how WE got a sole-sourced contract to administer the $900-million program.The Canada Student Service Grant is aimed at students who haven't been able to find work this summer, offering up to $5,000 toward education costs in exchange for 500 hours of volunteering.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has admitte
BCJul 16, 2020
BC health officials concerned about the increase in new cases of COVID-19
BC health officials say they're concerned about the increase in new cases of COVID-19 in the province. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement that they're worried COVID-19 is silently circulating in communities. The province has logged 21 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of three-thousand 149. While infections early in the pandemic were concentrated in long-term care and assisted living facilities, health officials say most of the new cases are in the broader community. The statement says residents need to do their part by layering
BCJul 15, 2020
Jagmeet Singh on 'Sver Wala Show': If evidence emerges, police should also investigate WE Charity contract
Leader of the Federal NDP, Jagmeet Singh shared his views on important political issues, on Connect FM's 'Sver Wala Show' this morning.Singh says that Public Services and Procurement Canada is a highly capable agency, and government should have undertaken the responsibility of administering Canada Student Service Grant on their own instead of giving it away to WE Charity.He says if substantial relevant evidence emerges out of the WE Charity probe, then police should also investigate the issue.About Canada's China policy, he agreed with government's decision to not swap Meng Wanzhou for the two