HealthCBCPremier says more restrictions possible as B.C. records 873 new cases of COVID-19 and 2 more deaths
B.C. health officials announced 873 new cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths on Tuesday, as Premier John Horgan suggested more restrictions could be coming to stem the third wave of the pandemic. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said there are 9,756 active cases of people infected with the disease caused by the novel coronavirus in B.C. A total of 377 people are in hospital, with 117 in intensive care. Hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are up 15 per cent from a week ago, when 328 people were in hospital. The news came not long after Horgan told reporters that the possibility of travel restrictions will be discussed Wednesday by the provincial cabinet and those talks will also likely examine the status of bookings for hotels, bed and breakfasts and camping sites. "We've not taken anything off the table, but practicality is first and foremost in our mind," said Horgan. "We will use the tools that are available to us if we believe they are effective, but deployment of those tools is a challenge. We haven't taken travel restrictions off the board, quite frankly." The premier said Henry will provide any update of possible new restrictions Thursday during a briefing where the province's latest COVID-19 modelling data will be presented. Horgan said he's troubled by the recent COVID-19 case counts in B.C. and is looking to Thursday's release of information for a better sense of where the province stands. As of Tuesday, 1,148,993 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in B.C., including 87,785 second doses. Earlier this week, Dix noted that the province has the capacity to deliver many more doses daily than it is right now, but the supply is not there yet. "We are adapting our vaccine delivery in step with our supply and will continue to do that moving forward. If needed, we will pivot, pause or shift our delivery to maximize protection to as many people as possible," Henry and Dix said Tuesday. The provincial death toll from the disease to date is 1,515 people out of 113,702 confirmed cases. Public health is actively monitoring 16,290 people across the province who are in self-isolation because of COVID-19 exposure. B.C. has now recorded 5,221 cases that involve variants of concern — the majority have been the B117 variant first reported in the U.K. On Monday, Dix said high occupancy rates are beginning to affect the surgical capacity of local hospitals in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and that while there is still space in intensive care units provincewide, things are starting to get tight in the Lower Mainland. Spike in cases complicates work of contact tracers. Also on Tuesday, the B.C. government once again extended the provincial state of emergency that has been in place since March 18, 2020. "With the vaccine program well underway, we can see hope on the horizon, but higher case numbers and variants mean that we need to draw back in some places instead of opening up," Horgan said in a news release. The state of emergency will now remain in place until at least April 27. The recent surge in cases has made the job of contact tracers at Fraser Health increasingly complicated, according to team leader Dr. Amir Bharmal. Over the last weekend alone, 1,957 cases were confirmed in the region. "It's not only the increased volume, but it's also the fact that we have just a lot more complexity and diversity in terms of the places where people can get exposed to COVID." he told Stephen Quinn, host of CBC's The Early Edition. "On any given day, we're dealing with over 150 clusters that are occurring in different workplaces." The average number of close contacts for each infected person has stayed relatively stable at between 2.5 and three, Bharmal said. Right now, his team is able to trace about 80 per cent of new positive tests to previously known cases. Vaccine rollout continues B.C. is currently vaccinating eligible adults in transmission hot spots like Whistler and Prince Rupert, while the age-based program slowly rolls on. The province has announced dates for those aged 40 and older to register for their vaccine: Monday, April 12 — born 1966 or earlier (55+) Wednesday, April 14 — born 1971 or earlier (50+) Friday, April 16 — born 1976 or earlier (45+) Monday, April 19 — born 1981 or earlier (40+) Registering for a vaccine is not the same as booking the appointment to get your shot. Once registered, users receive a confirmation code, followed by an email, a text or a call telling them when they're eligible to use the code to make an appointment. You can register to get vaccinated here. The information on this page is available in 12 languages. If your prefer to register by phone, the number to call is 1-833-838-2323. Service by phone is available in more than 110 languages.
NewsThe Canadian PressAlberta's top doctor says new restrictions loom as COVID-19 cases continue to spike
EDMONTON — Alberta’s chief medical officer of health says new public-health restrictions might be needed if high daily COVID-19 case counts continue. Dr. Deena Hinshaw says high numbers of infections usually start affecting hospitals three to four weeks afterward. She said it’s imperative not to overwhelm hospitals so that they can still handle other emergencies and surgeries during the pandemic. “We don’t have, right now, the level of vaccine protection to prevent people who get sick from needing to go to hospital,” Hinshaw said Tuesday. “We have to make sure that we’re watching within the coming week to 10 days about what those cases look like and consider -- if our trajectory continues on a steep upward climb -- whether those additional measures will be needed.” Hinshaw declined to speculate on what the restrictions could be. She said that would depend on data and other factors. Hinshaw reported 1,081 new cases on Tuesday, the seventh consecutive day of counts above 1,000. The rise is being driven by more contagious variants, which now make up 52 per cent of the province's 15,087 active cases. There were 402 people in hospital, 88 of them in intensive care. The numbers are inching into the red-line territory reached before Christmas when total active cases soared past 21,000 and there were close to 900 people in hospital. That forced health officials to cancel surgeries, move patients, double-bunk critical care cases, and prep a field hospital at the University of Alberta. Currently, Alberta does not allow indoor social gatherings and outdoor get-togethers are capped at 10 people. Retail store customer capacity is at 15 per cent and restaurants are closed to dine-in service, although patios remain open. Entertainment venues, including casinos, museums, movie theatres and libraries, remain closed. Gyms cannot hold group fitness activities. Premier Jason Kenney faces opposition from some quarters — even within his own caucus — and is being pressed to ease up on public-health measures on the grounds they are onerous and unnecessary. Kenney said restrictions need to be in place a bit longer until vaccination rates reach critical mass. Alberta has delivered 970,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses. “We’ve ramped up our vaccination campaign to deliver up to 40,000 doses a day and we’ll soon be able to deliver as many as 70,000 a day,” Kenney said earlier Tuesday. “With natural immunity from those who have already been infected and the protective shield of vaccines, we will hopefully be able to see a return to normal by summer.” Kenney, answering questions from the Opposition NDP in the house, also announced that COVID-19 had reached into his office. “I’m aware of two members of my staff who have tested positive and are in self-isolation, as are their close contacts,” said Kenney. “They’re rigorously following all of the appropriate protocols.” Kenney also announced businesses affected by COVID-19 shutdowns will soon be able to apply for more aid -- another payment of up to $10,000 from the Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant program. That is on top of the maximum $20,000 made available under previous phases of the program. The money will also be available to businesses that began operating since March 2020, as well as to hotels, taxis, and ride-hailing services. NDP Leader Rachel Notley said the money is not enough, pointing out that Ontario offers up to $40,000 per business. “(Alberta’s program) is a mile wide and an inch deep,” Notley told the house. Kenney countered by saying his government has provided other supports, such as deferring and freezing property taxes, and deferrals for utility payments and workers' compensation premiums. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2021 Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
HealthCBC10 people infected in coronavirus variant outbreak at Saskatoon's Sports on Tap bar
Ten people are infected in a coronavirus variant outbreak at Saskatoon's Sports on Tap bar, the Saskatchewan Health Authority says. The SHA declared an outbreak at the bar — which coincidentally is located just southeast of a COVID-19 drive-in and appointment-only vaccination clinic — on Tuesday. The specific variant has not been identified yet. "Additional testing is required," a spokesperson said. The infections found during contact tracing so far are among both staff and patrons. The SHA issued a public exposure notice about the bar Tuesday at around 7 p.m., just hours after the province hosted its latest COVID-19 news conference. The bar was not mentioned at the news conference, though Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer, warned that Saskatoon was "on the cusp" of having a larger number of variant cases. Customers and staff who were at Sports on Tap during the following hours are being told to immediately self-isolate for 14 days: April 5, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. April 9, 11:25 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. April 10, 11:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. One or more people were at the bar during those hours while infectious, according to the release. People are to call the 811 HealthLine or their doctor's office if they develop symptoms. Avoid unnecessary travel, SHA says In its release, the SHA cited an "increased risk of COVID-19 variants of concern in Saskatoon" and reminded residents to follow long-established precautions such as keeping two metres distance from other people. The health authority urged people to stick to their immediate household bubbles, as people province-wide are now required to do under a tightened rule added to Saskatchewan's public health orders earlier on Tuesday. The release also went one step further in urging Saskatoon residents to avoid unnecessary travel. Before, health officials had only called for restricted travel in and out of Regina, Weyburn and Moose Jaw. The SHA also recommended that people get vaccinated when they are eligible to do so. Saskatoon had a cumulative 302 variants of concern on Tuesday, up from 181 the day before.
NewsCBCRegina sisters create shirts to combat rise of Asian hate
Anti-Asian hate is something that Alison Singharath knows all too well. From anti-Asian hate over COVID-19 to the shooting in Atlanta that left six people of Asian descent dead, it seems like there has been a surge of anti-Asian hate over the past year. However, 30-year-old Laos descendant Singharath says that anti-Asian hate is something she's always experienced. "These issues within the Asian community have been around for a long time," she said. "I would get made fun of because of my eyes. There were many times growing up I didn't want to be different with the shape of my eyes or the colour of my skin. That took away from me wanting to be me and embracing my culture and tradition." As an adult, she said she no longer experiences name-calling, but the lack of education and stereotypes about the Asian community often leaves her "speechless." "People will often assume that we are from China or assume that we eat certain foods," she said. Singharath and her sisters, Melissa Phillips and Rita Hurrell, have decided to reclaim their power by doing something about this new wave of Asian hate. They are producing and selling t-shirts that carry powerful messages such as "Hate is a virus," "Asian Proud" and "Stop Asian Hate." The profits from the shirt goes to support local Asian businesses and communities in Canada. "We've just been seeing too much violence and attack and we kind of hit a breaking point," she said. "We couldn't just sit by and not try to help in some way, so within less than a week we thought the best way we could help take a stand was these t-shirts." The three shirts made by Alison Singharath and her sisters.(Submitted by Alison Singharath) According to Singharath, the response to the shirt has exceeded her expectations. For her and her sisters, this shows them that "there are people out there that want to support and are helping us raise awareness which makes us grateful that we are taking one step forward and making a change," she said. Local Asian businesses in Regina like the Great Asian Market, Hoa An Market and Ngoy Hoa Asian Foods will be beneficiaries of profits from the shirts. Alison and her sisters, Melissa Phillips and Rita Hurriell, have decided to reclaim their power by doing something about this new wave of Asian hate.(Submitted by Alison Singharath) The sisters will also be donating the foods purchased from the businesses to the community fridges in Regina. Money for the shirts will also be going toward the Chinese Canadian National Council, a non-profit organization. Production of the shirts stopped last Friday but they may start again soon.
NewsCBCParents of teen with autism want to know why the province is telling them to give up custody
The parents of a Nova Scotia teen with autism who has complex care needs want to know why some families are being told by the Department of Community Services to give up custody of their children in order to get them into group homes. The option is used in only a handful of cases, but can present a devastating choice for those families. "That was the shock of our lives that we would have to potentially give up our parental rights to give our child the care that they needed," the teen's mother said. "We adamantly, adamantly want to participate in his care." The teen's mother says she doesn't believe the Nova Scotia system has the flexibility to support families who have children with high-care needs while retaining their parental rights. The family wants to keep custody of their son, not only because they love him but because they want to continue to be his advocate and be involved in any decision-making while he's in a group home. Because he is a child in the care of the province, neither the teen in this story nor his parents can have their identities published by CBC News. The teen's mother says she doesn't believe the Nova Scotia system has enough flexibility to accommodate families with children with high care needs while retaining their parental rights. (David Laughlin/CBC) The boy's parents say they were able to care for him at home until he was 14, but he became aggressive and would sometimes scratch or hit people. "There's other family members, pets, people in the household, and they weren't necessarily safe," the teen's mother said. There were times when she said her son would run out of the house and into the street unless he was watched constantly. "You're in the kitchen washing dishes, and there's no reasonable way that you can supervise a child that intensely [in order] to keep everybody safe," she said. In September 2020, the family made an agreement with the Department of Community Services to place their son in a group home where he could receive specialized care. However, the parents say they made it clear to department staff they were not prepared to sign away their custodial rights. 3 options According to regulations attached to the province's Child and Family Services Act, families with children who've been diagnosed as having physical or intellectual disabilities that prevent them from living at home may enter into a "special needs agreement" with the department. There are three options under the regulations, according to an emailed statement from the Department of Community Services. "We work with the family throughout this process to determine what type of special needs agreement would be most appropriate," the statement said. "This could mean agreeing to transfer care and custody of the child to the minister, [the family] retaining care and custody of the child while the child is placed in a child-caring program, or receiving supports and services while the child remains home with their family." The statement said the department's goal is always to ensure children and youth are protected and families are supported. "We know children do better if they can stay in a loving home with people they already know, but in some cases, when a child has high-care needs and requires specialized care, a placement may be necessary." The options presented to the family may depend on whether there's a spot open at a licensed facility and what sort of support the parents can continue to offer a child while they're in care, the statement said. Community Services Minister Kelly Regan and her department are responsible for children in group homes if custody is turned over to the province.(Craig Paisley/CBC) The parents of the teen say they feel that provincial staff pressured them to accept the option to give up custody. But the family pushed back until department staff eventually agreed to the option to retain custody, the parents told CBC. The mother says her understanding is that it would be easier for the department to fund the teen's placement if the family turned over custody. Under the regulations, the period of agreement for transferring the care and custody of a child to the Minister of Community Services cannot be longer than one year, although the agreement can be renewed. 'It was mortifying' For a few months after the teen was placed in a group home last September things went well. His parents say he was "thriving" and making friends. But in the last few months the home began to have some challenges getting enough staff to fill all the shifts required to supervise their son, his parents say. Just before the Easter weekend they were told that the boy would have to return home, but the family says they responded that they weren't able to safely take him home with the support they currently have in place. "There's just myself and my husband here. We have another child, and our house isn't a secured facility," his mother said. She said her husband instead volunteered to work at their son's facility to supplement his care. The mother says at that point they again felt pressured to give up custody of their son. "We were at that point again, where they were telling us that we would have to do that potentially to provide him with support," she said. "It was mortifying. Because it's not like we didn't want to [provide support]. We desperately wanted to. We made that abundantly clear." The mother says their son was moved twice in the days around the Easter weekend, and they were not told where he was going. They spent the weekend making repeated calls and sending emails to find out where their son was. They didn't learn of his whereabouts until the Tuesday following the long weekend, according to the family. CBC asked the Department of Community Services for a breakdown on how many special needs agreements have been made in each category and received the following breakdown of current cases: Transfer care and custody to the Minister while placed in a facility: 3. Placed in a facility but custody retained by parents: 2. Services provided in child's home: 654. CBC reached another family with a child with high-needs autism who was also presented with the choice of giving up rights to their child to gain a placement in a group home. In that case, they also did not give up custody of their daughter. Planning for the future The teen's mother acknowledges her son's care needs are complicated; he needs two employees to supervise him at all times. She and her husband worry if their son does not receive intensive care when he's young, he may not develop skills that could help him live more independently later in life. "If your child needed to be on a ventilator and have complex medical issues, physical medical care, they would be in a hospital without question, with specialists and support," she said. "But because it's autism, and it's behavioural, it's viewed very differently." MORE TOP STORIES
NewsCBC25-year-old man charged after $3.5M in cocaine seized at Blue Water Bridge
A 25-year-old man has been arrested and charged after $3.5 million in cocaine was seized at Blue Water Bridge. On March 31, a commercial truck driven by a man from Brampton, Ont. entered Canada at the bridge in Point Edward, Ont., Canada Border Services Agency said in a news release Wednesday. The truck was sent for a secondary examination, during which officers found 62 kilograms of cocaine. Canada Border Services Agency said officers arrested the driver and transferred him into the custody of Windsor detachment RCMP officers, who are performing an investigation. The suspect is charged with importation of a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking. The man is expected to appear in Sarnia's Ontario Court of Justice on April 20. More from CBC Windsor
NewsReutersCanada to go big on budget spending as pandemic lingers, election looms
Canada's Liberal government will deliver on its promise to spend big when it presents its first budget in two years next week amid a fast-rising third wave of COVID-19 infections and ahead of an election expected in coming months. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has pledged to do "whatever it takes" to support Canadians, and in November promised up to C$100 billion ($79.8 billion) in stimulus over three years to "jump-start" an economic recovery in what is likely to be a crucial year for her party. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals depend on the support of at least one opposition group to pass laws, and senior party members have said an election is likely within months as it seeks a clear majority and a free hand to legislate.
NewsCBC2 of 3 puppies still missing after weekend break-in, say Surrey RCMP
One of three American bulldogs that were stolen during a break-and-enter in Surrey has been recovered, according to Surrey RCMP, but the dogs' owners are still trying to find the other two puppies. The theft happened Saturday afternoon at a house on 8 Avenue, near 176 Street, while the residents weren't home. According to police, a member of the public got in touch after realizing the puppy they bought at a car show in Mission over the weekend was one of the stolen dogs, Rosie. "We're glad that we got this one puppy back for the family," said Sgt. Elanore Sturko. "We're grateful that this person who had the puppy reached out to us." Sturko said the person also provided further information to investigators, and it's possible the two dogs that remain at large were also sold at the car show. Anyone with information is asked to contact Surrey RCMP or Crime Stoppers if they wish to remain anonymous.
NewsCBCFirst Nation's council and chief ask '3rd-party' activists to stand down in B.C. logging dispute
The chief and council of a Vancouver Island First Nation at the centre of a protest over old-growth logging are asking outside activists to stand down and leave the community to decide how to use local forestry resources. In a statement issued on Monday, Pacheedaht Hereditary Chief Frank Queesto Jones and Chief Coun. Jeff Jones addressed the blockade in the nation's traditional territory in the Fairy Creek area of the southern island. "All parties need to respect that it is up to Pacheedaht people to determine how our forestry resources will be used," reads the statement. "We do not welcome or support unsolicited involvement or interference by others in our territory, including third-party activism. Pacheedaht needs to be left in peace to engage in our community-led stewardship planning process, so that we can determine our own way forward as a strong and independent Nation." Since August, dozens of people have blocked access to logging activities in Fairy Creek to prevent Teal Cedar, a division of the Teal-Jones Group, from logging certain areas of its 595-square-kilometre tenure. The logging company has signed agreements with the Pacheedaht, and the nation signed a revenue-sharing agreement with the province in 2017 for all timber cut on its land. In early April, the B.C. Supreme Court granted Teal-Jones an injunction against the protesters. In his written decision, Justice Frits Verhoeven said police enforcement terms would be required since "there appears to be little or no likelihood that the injunction order will be respected otherwise." Monday's statement from Pacheedaht chief and council expresses concern about the "increasing polarization" over forestry within the First Nation's territory. It says the nation is currently developing a plan for stewardship of its resources, which will guide future logging. While that plan is being developed, the Pacheedaht leaders say they have secured agreements from tenure holders and the B.C. government to suspend third-party forestry activities in certain areas. "Pacheedaht has always harvested and managed our forestry resources, including old-growth cedar, for cultural, ceremonial, domestic and economic purposes. Our constitutional right to make decisions about forestry resources in our territory, as governing authority in our territory, must be respected," the statement says.
NewsThe Canadian PressOpposition bill against coal mining in Alberta's Rockies can proceed in legislature
EDMONTON — An Opposition bill that would preserve Alberta's Rocky Mountains from open-pit coal mines could be debated in the legislature after a government-dominated committee on Tuesday gave unanimous consent for it to move forward. NDP Leader Rachel Notley, the bill's sponsor, immediately challenged government members to approve a motion to debate the bill next Monday instead of letting it die on the order paper. "Are they just going through the motions or are they really prepared to do what it takes and stand up for and represent the views of their constituents?" Notley asked after a meeting of the committee that screens private members' bills and decides which of them goes ahead. Earlier in the day, the committee voted unanimously to send Notley's proposed Eastern Slopes Protection Act to the legislature for further debate. All six United Conservative members and four New Democrats supported the recommendation. Committee clerk Warren Huffman confirmed it's the first Opposition-sponsored private member's bill the committee hasn't rejected since the UCP came to power in 2019. The bill calls for the cancellation of leases issued after the government scrapped a policy last May that once protected a vast swath of summits and foothills down the western spine of the province. If passed, the bill would also stop the province's energy regulator from issuing development permits. Open-pit mines would be permanently prohibited in the most environmentally sensitive areas and mines elsewhere would not receive the go-ahead until a land-use plan for the region was developed. The government has already sold coal exploration leases for vast tracts of the area, a landscape close to the hearts of many Albertans and the source of much of the province's fresh water. Public backlash forced it to reinstate the policy and stop sales, but drilling and road-building continue on leases already sold. Notley said that backlash was probably behind Tuesday's recommendation. "Even UCP members had to understand the degree to which their own constituents don't want to see this happen." But she said that under current scheduling, the bill wouldn't come before the house before the end of the sitting and would quietly disappear. Paul Hamnett, spokesman for government house leader Jason Nixon, said private members bills are scheduled by the legislature. "Private members bills are assigned based on a random draw to be heard on Monday in the order they are drawn," he said. The legislature is currently on private member's Bill 207. The proposed coal legislation is Bill 214. Notley said the NDP will ask for a unanimous vote to move the bill up for debate. "They can absolutely do that if they truly want to give voice to their constituents' concerns." The government is asking Albertans to complete a survey on how, or if, they want development on the land in question. It has also struck a committee to seek input. It is expected to report in November. That's not quick enough, said Notley. "While that so-called consultation is winding its way down whatever road it may take, development and exploration is ongoing, jeopardizing the very integrity that so many Albertans are desperate to see us protect." While some coal companies have said they will suspend this summer's exploration program, others have not, saying their leases require them to complete work within two years. Cabin Ridge Project Ltd. plans to drill 96 holes in its leases north of Coleman, Alta., near the British Columbia boundary. That work is to begin in May. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2021. — Follow @row1960 on Twitter Bob Weber, The Canadian Press
NewsCBCDerek Chauvin justified in his use of force against George Floyd, witness tells murder trial
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was justified in using his knees to pin down George Floyd, a use-of-force expert testified on Tuesday, contradicting testimony by former and current city police officers who said Chauvin's actions violated policy and were excessive. "I felt that Derek Chauvin was justified, was acting with objective reasonableness, following Minneapolis Police Department policy and current standards of law enforcement in his interactions with Mr. Floyd," Barry Brodd, a former officer in Santa Rosa, Calif., told the Hennepin County District Court in downtown Minneapolis. Brodd, one of a series of witnesses who testified for the defence on Tuesday in the murder trial of Chauvin, also claimed that putting Floyd in the prone position — handcuffed while placed on his stomach, and face first to the pavement — was not a use of force. "It's a control technique. it doesn't hurt," he said. "You've put the suspect in a position where it's safe for you, the officer, safe for them, the suspect, and you're using minimal effort to keep them on the ground." Defence lays out case Chauvin's lawyer, Eric Nelson, began to lay out the defence's case on Tuesday after 11 days of testimony from prosecution witnesses. Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pressed a knee on the back of his neck for about nine minutes as two other officers held him down face first to the pavement, while he was handcuffed. He had been detained outside a convenience store after being suspected of paying with a counterfeit bill. Chauvin is on trial on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of the 46-year-old Black man. The prosecution says Chauvin pressing his knee into Floyd's neck caused his death. But the defence argues it was a combination of Floyd's underlying medical conditions, drug use and adrenaline flowing through his system that ultimately killed him. Defence lawyer Eric Nelson begins to lay out Chauvin's case in his murder trial on Tuesday after 11 days of testimony from prosecution witnesses in a Minneapolis courtroom. (Court TV/The Associated Press) Several top Minneapolis police officials, including Chief Medaria Arradondo, have testified for the prosecution that Chauvin used excessive force and violated his training. And medical experts called by prosecutors have said that Floyd died from a lack of oxygen because of the way he was restrained. But the defence claims Chauvin did what his training taught him to do. Brodd said that once Floyd was pinned to the ground, he was still engaged in "active resistance" and struggling against the efforts of the officers. "Officers are trained that any time you get resistance from a suspect or you're dealing with a high-risk suspect, it's safer for you, the officer and for the suspect to put him on the ground in a prone position face down for a variety of reasons, some of which are it makes the suspect's mobility diminished." WATCH | Prosecutor cross-examines use-of-force witness The fact that Floyd was handcuffed at that point didn't matter, Brodd said, because any resistor, handcuffed or not, should go to the ground to a controlled position. He said there were a number of valid reasons to keep Floyd in that position, including space limitation, traffic on the street, crowd issues and the fact that Floyd was "still somewhat resisting." Crowd distraction Chauvin's defence has also raised the issue that the officer may have been distracted about Floyd's declining condition due to the growing anger of the crowd. Brodd concurred that, based on his review of the video evidence, Chauvin's focus started to move from Floyd to the crowd "I think Officer Chauvin felt threatened enough that he withdrew his pepper spray canister and gave verbal commands to the crowd to stay back. So now he's dealing with the bigger threat," he said. Tense cross-examination Cross-examination under prosecutor Steve Schleicher was tense at times, as he struck an incredulous tone with some of Brodd's assertions. He seized on Brodd's contention that the further restraint of Floyd was not a use of force. Prosecutor Steve Schleicher questions Brodd during cross-examination.(Court TV/The Associated Press) "I need to ask you if you believe that it is unlikely that orienting yourself on top of a person, on the pavement with both legs is unlikely to produce pain," Schleicher asked. "It could," Brodd responded. "What do you mean it could? Is it unlikely to produce pain or is it likely to produce pain," Schleicher asked. "I'm saying it could produce pain." But Brodd acknowledged that based on one of the photos showing Chauvin applying his knee into Floyd, "that could be a use of force." Schleicher asked Brodd whether a reasonable officer would know that placing someone in that prone position could cause positional asphyxia. "A reasonable police officer would at least acknowledge and consider the possibility that what they're doing is causing a problem, wouldn't they?" However, Brodd said that according to video, it appeared Floyd was still struggling. "Struggling or writhing," Schleicher asked. "I don't know the difference," Brodd said. WATCH | Scheicher grills Brodd over 'resting comfortably' comment Brodd argued that Floyd kept on struggling, and he suggested that if Floyd was being compliant, he would have had both hands in the small of his back "and just be resting comfortably." "Did you say 'resting comfortably'?" Schleicher asked. Brodd: "Or laying comfortably." Schleicher: "Resting comfortably on the pavement?" Brodd said yes and added that he was describing the signs of a perfectly compliant person. "So attempting to breathe, while restrained, is being slightly non-compliant now," Schleicher said. "No," Brodd said. Schleicher argued that the only struggling by Floyd was as a result of him trying to breathe. "I don't know, if he was struggling or if he was struggling to catch a breath ... I can't tell," Brodd said. Other witnesses Earlier in the day, court heard from Shawanda Hill, a friend of Floyd's who was in the SUV with him before his encounter and arrest by police. Hill testified that she had met Floyd in the convenience store and that he was alert and happy, but by the time they got back to the car, he suddenly fell asleep and that she repeatedly tried to wake him up. Shawanda Hill, who was in the car with Floyd at the time of his initial arrest, testifies at Chauvin's trial on Tuesday. (Court TV/The Associated Press) Her testimony was important for the defence as they try to prove Floyd was potentially reacting to fentanyl in his system. Nelson also put on the stand a former police officer and paramedic who testified about a 2019 arrest in which Floyd suffered from dangerously high blood pressure and confessed to heavy use of opioids. Also testifying was Minneapolis Park Police Officer Peter Chang, who helped at the scene that day. He said he saw a "crowd" growing across the street that "was becoming more loud and aggressive, a lot of yelling across the street." "Did that cause you any concern?" Nelson asked. "Concern for the officers' safety, yes," Chang replied.
NewsCBCWill F1 return to Montreal this June? Answer unclear as negotiations continue
Formula One officials are appealing to various levels of government to invest $6 million to bring the Canadian Grand Prix back to Montreal in June but it's unclear how Ottawa will respond. The race was first postponed and then nixed last year, and now F1 needs the money to offset the costs of presenting the event this year without spectators on site. The race usually attracts thousands of tourists from around the world, but with the third wave of COVID-19 picking up steam, bringing all those people together in one place to watch cars zip around the Gilles-Villeneuve track is out of the question. F1 officials are also asking to bypass the mandatory 14-day quarantine for the hundreds of staff, crew members and drivers. They would instead rely on private medical staff to keep COVID from spreading among the personnel. Radio-Canada has learned that Quebec public health would be ready to authorize the holding of the Grand Prix without spectators if certain measures are applied. For now, the event is scheduled for June 13, but it is still up to upper levels of government to approve and fund it. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante has made it clear that the city can't invest. Premier François Legault said "nothing is settled" on Tuesday. "We are told that because there will be no spectators, there should be compensation from the government, when we have already given a lot," he said. If it weren't for the concern over the 2022-2029 agreement with F1, Legault said, "I don't see why we need this — the Grand Prix — here this year." Legault said the Grand Prix is an important event with real economic benefits "because it is money that comes from abroad and is spent here in Quebec." He said the event is the subject of discussion at the moment. Trudeau not committing just yet Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remained vague on the subject. "I know that talks are underway right now, but at every stage, our priority is the health of Canadians. And that is the basis on which we will make the decisions," said Trudeau. Even if there are no spectators, the health concern is that hundreds of F1 staff will arrive on scene, most flying in from Baku, Azerbaijan, where a race is scheduled the weekend before. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal has other uses when high-performance race cars aren't roaring around the track.(Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) Quebec Public Health Director Dr. Horacio Arruda said on Tuesday it could be possible to hold the event safely but there is much to discuss beforehand. He said the study of ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is underway. "There is a way to hold it in terms of public health with well-thought-out protocols," he said. "As for the importation of the virus by people who come from outside without quarantines, these are discussions that are taking place between Quebec and Canada." F1 says it can be done safely F1's top brass has made it clear that holding events without spectators isn't financially feasible as the organization relies on ticket sales. On March 27, F1 group president Stefano Domenicali challenged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office on the issue of mandatory quarantine for travellers flying into the country. In a letter that Radio-Canada has obtained a copy of, the F1 boss outlines the measures put in place to prevent outbreaks of COVID-19 throughout the season. In 2020, 78,000 PCR tests were carried out and only 78 tested positive. The F1 president says that is a rate of 0.1 per cent. If Montreal loses the annual event, F1 has already picked Istanbul, Turkey, to host it in the future instead.
NewsCBCNDP court challenge could affect balance of power, especially if others follow suit, lawyer says
Lyle Skinner is a constitutional lawyer who specializes in parliamentary law.(CBC) Lyle Skinner, an Ottawa-based constitutional lawyer based who specializes in parliamentary law, has been following Newfoundland and Labrador's election from its start. He says how it ends may depend on whether anyone else wants to join NDP Leader Alison Coffin in taking the election process to court. "This is part of the accountability mechanism. If anybody has any questions on if the election was conducted in a fair manner, then they can go to the court and ask the court to judicate that," Skinner said. Coffin and St. John's resident Whymarrh Whitby jointly filed a court challenge on Monday against Elections NL, arguing that the most recent general election discriminated against voters based on ethnicity, age or disability, while also excluding people without internet access and those in Indigenous communities. The application is separate from a challenge that Coffin filed earlier this month requesting a recount in her former district of St. John's East-Quidi Vidi, where she lost by 53 votes. This challenge is more bold: it asks that the Supreme Court to void last month's election results entirely. The Elections Act holds that a candidate or voter of a particular district can bring forward an application over an irregularity, Skinner said. The application filed on behalf of Coffin and Whitby lists 28 specific "irregularities," including Chief Electoral Officer Bruce Chaulk's hand-delivery of ballots to former PC leader Ches Crosbie and Liberal cabinet minister Siobhan Coady. Voiding election through a single application But Skinner said it appears Coffin's application is attempting to use a Charter of Rights and Freedoms argument to attempt to void all 40 districts through a single application. "Whether or not that will be successful will be for a judge to determine before they would consider the merits of the particular case, as it may be," he said. NDP Leader Alison Coffin and a resident in St. John's jointly filed a court challenge on Monday against Elections NL.(CBC) If the challenge is successful, and all 40 of the province's districts are void, Skinner said a second election will be issued, but it will be different than a regular general election. "The premier at any time can advise the lieutenant governor to dissolve the assembly. So in this case the assembly would still exist, it just wouldn't have any MHAs which from my research would be somewhat unprecedented," he said. If results are void for one district, Skinner added, it could still have a significant impact. A new election would be issued for that district, and if the incumbent is not returned there could be a cabinet shuffle and impacts on voting in certain committees. The possibility that all 40 districts will become void, in turn causing another election, may depend on the number individuals who feel there was an irregularity with this year's election, said Skinner. He said Monday's application may only be the first, and there's a window of two months since the day after a polling day in which people can bring forward their own applications. Balance of power may be affected Elections NL announced the results March 27. Voting had been suspended on the eve of the scheduled Feb. 13 election because of an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus variant B117. Chaulk pushed the province to mail-in ballots, although he adjusted the deadline to participate several times. WATCH | Lawyer Lyle Skinner tells Carolyn Stokes about the implications of a new NDP court challenge: "So it really depends on how many districts are being challenged, and again — even if there's only one or two, that might affect the balance of power," Skinner said. Andrew Furey's Liberals won 22 of the 40 seats in the House of Assembly. The Tories won 13 seats, the NDP won two, and three Independents were elected. "If the government goes into a minority government situation, the premier is within his prerogative to make an appeal to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and advise dissolution and commence an election in that way," Skinner said. "It doesn't have to be through the legal process through all 40 districts. There's also a political constitutional avenue as well." In 1993, the results for the district of Placentia were marked invalid because 55 voters, who didn't have proper documentation with respect to making an oath, totalled more than the 21-vote difference between candidates. Tory Nick Careen defeated Liberal incumbent Bill Hogan in that election. "The court said that when a situation materially affects the results such as that, that no other factors are really considered. It's that the irregularity could potentially affect the outcome," said Skinner. "In that case, because there was no further evidence produced, the results were voided and a second election occurred subsequent." Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
HealthThe Canadian PressThe latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada for Tuesday, April 13, 2021
The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times eastern): 9 p.m. British Columbia's daily case count has dipped slightly to 873 after nearing 1,300 cases for several days in the last week. Premier John Horgan is calling on residents to keep their "shoulder to the wheel" to get through the third wave of the pandemic. He says any new restrictions would be discussed by members of the provincial cabinet on Wednesday and, if necessary, introduced on Thursday by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. She and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint statement that over half the province's 9,756 active cases of COVID-19 involve variants of concern. --- 5:50 p.m. Atlantic Canada’s four premiers say they are delaying the reopening of the regional travel bubble by two weeks, to May 3 at the earliest. The premiers said today in a statement that the rising cases in parts of the region along with the presence of virus mutations led them to take the decision. They say they will meet again at the end of April to decide whether to further delay the reopening. The so-called Atlantic bubble was introduced last summer as a way for the region's residents to travel freely between the four provinces without having to isolate for 14 days. --- 5:30 p.m. Alberta has reported 1,081 new cases of COVID-19 and three additional deaths from the virus. Chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw says there were 705 new cases involving more transmissible virus variants identified over the past day. The test positivity rate is at about nine per cent. Variants now make up more than half of the Alberta's active cases. Hinshaw says there are 402 COVID-19 patients in hospital, including 88 in intensive care. --- 3:50 p.m. Saskatchewan is bringing in new restrictions to limit gatherings aa the province reports 288 new cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths today. One was in their 30s and the other in their 60s and both people who died were from Regina, which has become a hot spot for variants of concern. There are 202 people in hospital, 41 of whom are in intensive care. The government says the change to public-health orders comes into effect today and limits people to associating with only their households. It also restricts church gatherings to no more than 30 people. --- 1:55 p.m. The Quebec government is reporting a first case of blood clots in a person who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The government says in a press release that the person is recovering after treatment, and their life is not in danger. Quebec is currently offering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people between the ages of 55 and 79 after suspending its use in younger groups. The government says it is not reconsidering its vaccine strategy because people in the target age group have a much higher risk of complications from COVID-19 than they do from the vaccine. --- 1:50 p.m. Quebec Premier Francois Legault says he will extend a lockdown currently in effect in three Quebec regions for another week. Non-essential businesses and schools in Quebec City, Outaouais and Chaudiere-Appalaches will remain closed until at least April 25. Legault says the lockdown, which also includes an 8 p.m. curfew, will apply across the Outaouais and Chaudiere-Appalaches regions starting tomorrow. It had previously only applied in certain parts of those regions. The three regions have the highest number of active COVID-19 cases per capita in the province. --- 1:45 p.m. The Public Health Agency of Canada says it has received a report of a blood clot following vaccination with the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot. It is the first such report in Canada. The agency did not identify the province where it occurred or the age or gender of the patient, who is recovering at home. The person received the AstraZeneca vaccine made at the Serum Institute of India, known under the brand name Covishield. The agency says reports of blood clots following vaccination are rare and "the report of this case shows that Canada's vaccine safety monitoring system works." --- 1:35 p.m. Manitoba is reporting two new deaths of people with COVID-19 and 135 new cases. Three earlier cases have been removed due to data correction, bringing the net increase to 132. The five-day test positivity rate is six per cent provincially and 5.7 per cent in Winnipeg. --- 1 p.m. Ontario has released more details on its plan to vaccinate adults living in certain COVID-19 hot spots. It says community groups will help organize vaccine clinics for residents aged 18 and older in "high risk" settings within hot-spot postal codes. The province says those groups include faith-based organizations, employers and other community organizations. Mobile teams and pop-up clinics will be used in those places and the government says individuals can contact their local health units for details. The hot-spot plan will first take effect in certain postal codes in Toronto and Peel Region. Ontario also says education workers who work or live in hot-spot postal codes in Toronto and Peel will be provided with an eligibility letter from their local school board to access a shot. --- 12:40 p.m. Manitoba enforcement officers issued 100 warnings and 13 tickets last week for suspected violations of COVID-19 public health orders. Five tickets were for failing to wear a mask in an indoor public place Three tickets were for exceeding gathering limits. --- 12:00 p.m. Health Canada says it is investigating reports the Johnson &Johnson COVID-19 vaccine may be linked to extremely rare cases of blood clots. In a tweet, the Canadian drug regulator says it is following the issue closely and is working with the manufacturer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other international regulators. Health Canada also says it has asked Janssen, the pharmaceutical arm of Johnson & Johnson, to provide information on any blood-clotting cases. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration issued a joint statement today recommending a "pause" in using the single-dose vaccine after six women developed blood clots after being vaccinated. --- 11:55 a.m. There are a record number of COVID-19 patients in Canada's intensive care units. Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer, says an average of 970 people have been in ICUs over the last week. The highest 7-day average previously was 880 in mid-January. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also urging Canadians to continue following public health orders in the hopes of a better summer. --- 11:30 a.m. Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin says his province will reimpose travel restrictions at the provincial boundary with New Brunswick on Thursday because of an increase in COVID-19 variant cases in that province. Under the change people coming from New Brunswick will have to self-isolate upon arrival in Nova Scotia and complete a safe check-in form. Nova Scotia announced six new cases of COVID-19 today and now has 45 active cases. Three cases are in the western health zone are related to international travel, two in the Halifax area are also linked to international travel and a case in the eastern zone is related to domestic travel outside of Atlantic Canada. --- 11:20 a.m. Quebec is reporting 1,490 new cases of COVID-19 today and 12 additional deaths, including three within the past 24 hours. The Health Department says the number of hospitalizations rose by 13, to 643. It says 150 people are in intensive care, an increase of eight. Public health authorities say 56,620 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday, bringing the total to 2,005,106. Quebec has reported 329,472 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10,756 deaths linked to the disease since the start of the pandemic. --- 10:55 a.m. Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King says the goal of opening the so-called Atlantic bubble on April 19 is precarious. King told a news conference today the Atlantic premiers are meeting to make a decision about the travel bubble and he expects a formal announcement later today. King said the COVID-19 situation in Atlantic Canada is becoming more concerning and he anticipates opening the bubble will be delayed. The Atlantic bubble was first introduced last summer as a way for Atlantic Canadian residents to travel between provinces without having to self-isolate for two weeks, as travellers from other parts of Canada must do. --- 10:40 a.m. Ontario reports 3,670 new cases of COVID-19 and 15 more deaths linked to the virus. Health Minister Christine Elliott says there are 1,016 new cases in Toronto, 613 in Peel Region, and 519 in York Region. The ministry of health says there are 626 people in an intensive-care unit and 422 on a ventilator. Ontario says more than 95,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered since Monday's report. --- 9:15 a.m. A new case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Yukon, bringing the total number of cases in the territory to 75 since the pandemic began. Chief medical officer of health Dr. Brendan Hanley says the new case involves a Whitehorse resident exposed to the virus through contact with an out-of-territory worker who travelled to Yukon. The affected person is self-isolating and data shows this is the only confirmed active case of COVID-19 in Yukon. Hanley has also expanded the notice for passengers aboard the April 3 Air North flight 4N538 from Vancouver to Whitehorse and for anyone in Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport terminal between 4 and 5 p.m. that day, advising them to self-monitor and get tested if COVID-19 symptoms develop. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2021. The Canadian Press
NewsCBCMan sentenced to 15 years without parole for murder of Burnaby woman
A judge has sentenced a Vancouver man to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 15 years for stabbing and killing a 34-year-old woman in 2018. Jan Poepl, 31, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Nicole Porciello. She was killed when Poepl, her ex-partner stabbed her and then crashed the vehicle they were riding in into a light pole on the Barnet Highway in November 2018. "The nicest word that I can say is probably disappointing," said Porciello's cousin Gina Iuliano outside the Vancouver courthouse after the sentence was handed down Tuesday afternoon. "I'm trying to understand what it takes to get a life sentence in Canada [without parole] based on the horrific circumstances of what happened to Nicole. Even the judge described it as something horrific." Porciello, who worked at Templeton Secondary School in Vancouver, left behind a 10-year-old son. The judge also ordered a lifetime firearm prohibition for Poepl. Over the course of the sentencing hearings that began in March, the judge heard victim impact statements from Porciello's family and friends — all of which had a similar theme, according to her cousin. "She was pure love. She was fierce. She was smart. She was intelligent. She believed in everybody," Iuliano said. Porciello's brother has previously said that she and Poepl had an on-and-off relationship but Nicole had broken things off in the months before her death. Family members also noted on Tuesday that they hope to see a societal change that puts an end to violence against women. Iuliano says there were signs before Porciello's murder that Poepl was dangerous. "If we had done something in advance of this Nicole would still be here because we would have seen the behaviours that Jan exuded and brought us to the situation today."
ScienceThe Canadian PressMock crew straps into space capsule, exits before liftoff
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company strapped two employees into a fueled rocketship for practice, but pulled them out shortly before sending the capsule to the edge of space Wednesday with only a test dummy. The crew rehearsal in West Texas brings Blue Origin closer to launching tourists and others into space. Blue Origin wanted to see how well a crew could get in and out of the capsule. The pretend astronauts also tested seatbelts and radio links before the 10 1/2-minute flight, and went back to the capsule following touchdown to climb aboard for recovery practice. “While there are no astronauts on board today, that was a critical step toward our march toward first human flight,” flight commentator Ariane Cornell said from company headquarters in Kent, Washington. The company is “very close” to flying passengers, she noted. Blue Origin's goal is to take paying customers on short hops providing three minutes of weightlessness. Windows make up one-third of the six-seat capsule. It was the 15th flight of a New Shepard rocket, named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard. The capsule reached an altitude of 66 miles (106 kilometres), just above the official border of space. The reusable booster landed upright seven minutes after liftoff. The capsule touched down under parachutes about three minutes later. Before the flight, four mock astronauts made the two-mile drive to the launch pad and climbed up the tower. But only two — a company lawyer and a senior program director — crawled into the capsule. Besides the spacesuited Mannequin Skywalker, the capsule carried more than 25,000 postcards from youngsters as part of the company’s Club for the Future. This is likely the test dummy's last spaceflight; it’s being donated to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press
NewsCBCHow Ramadan helped a Halifax brewery make peace with the mosque next door
On the front wall at Good Robot Brewing, one of its cheeky slogans is painted in big, upper case letters: I don't wanna grow up. But over the last few years, the north-end Halifax brewery and beer garden has done just that — it's grown up. However, doing that next to a mosque, a place of prayer and contemplation, has involved growing pains for a business that bills itself as Halifax's most questionable brewery. "It's kind of become part of our mantra here in that we make mistakes a lot, learn to own up to them, and learn to apologize," said Josh Counsil, one of the brewery's co-founders. Good Robot's rocky relations with its neighbour, the Centre for Islamic Development, which houses a private school, a community centre and a mosque, reached a boiling point in 2016. This sign at Good Robot reminds customers to keep the noise down.(Elizabeth Chiu/CBC) Amid Ramadan — Islam's season of reconciliation and forgiveness — the windows in the place of worship were boarded up and sealed to muffle the sounds from loud bar patrons. But noise from a large and lively Pride dance party was the final straw. "The music and glitter bombs and everything were just a bit too much with prayer going on next door, so that was the turning point," said Counsil. The rowdy event led to a bylaw complaint from the Islamic centre, which wanted the brewery's liquor licence revoked. Faced with that possibility, Good Robot management met with the centre's nine directors for five hours to clear the air. They learned the worst offences — noisy, vomiting, and urinating bar patrons — had been spilling over and disrupting their Muslim neighbours. When the centre's complaint became public, it ignited a media storm and drew a backlash of hurtful, Islamophobic, xenophobic, racist messages. Mohamed Yaffa is one of two imams at the Centre for Islamic Development.(Elizabeth Chiu/CBC) Even though Good Robot didn't contribute to the racist trolling, Counsil said the company resolved to be better. "Learn to swallow your pride, and put your ego at bay, and meditate on things where you have done some harm, and see what comes out of it," he said. The promises made during that long meeting with the centre's directors have been maintained to this day, he said. A sign was installed reminding bar patrons "not to scream at the top of your lungs. And be respectful of our neighbours." Staff write down daily prayer times as a reminder of when the music volume is to be turned down. And a few times a day, workers circle the block to clean up any debris and garbage in the area. "A pub is a public house, and if you aren't respectful of your neighbourhood and its surroundings, you aren't really living up to your namesake," he said. Bar staff jot down the daily prayer times at the mosque next door as a reminder to turn down the music volume.(Elizabeth Chiu/CBC) Over the last five years, Good Robot has learned to be a good neighbour. On Instagram this week, the brewery sent good wishes to its Muslim friends at the centre as they begin Ramadan. The post detailed the fateful events of five years ago. Counsil said that turning point helped to steer the company down a path toward equity, diversity and inclusion. The company has made efforts to hire more Blacks and women in the white, male-dominated industry. "This incident, among others, helped to really craft what it is we do and what we want to do in our neighbourhoods," said Counsil. When the faithful gathered on Monday evening to pray and recite scripture to mark the start of Ramadan, it was completely uneventful. "We didn't hear any noise," said Mohamed Yaffa, one of the mosque's imams. "I never actually thought about that. We have neighbours that we used to have clashes with before. So, yeah, it's all good now." MORE TOP STORIES
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Sharing Great Danes are great at cleaning corn on the cob
Max and Katie the Great Danes love corn on the cob, especially with lots of butter and salt. Their owner gives Max (who is deaf) the thumbs up sign, which means good boy!
NewsReutersAs Biden's emissaries go to Taiwan, China terms exercises 'combat drills'
BEIJING (Reuters) -China described its military exercises near Taiwan as "combat drills" on Wednesday, upping the ante as senior former U.S. officials arrived in Taipei on a trip to signal President Joe Biden's commitment to Taiwan and its democracy. Taiwan has complained over the proximity of repeated Chinese military activity, including fighter jets and bombers entering its air defence zone and a Chinese aircraft carrier exercising off the island, which is claimed by Beijing. Twenty-five Chinese air force aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday, the largest reported incursion by Taipei to date.
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Myanmar charges doctors over civil disobedience protests
YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar's ruling junta has charged at least 19 medical doctors for participating in civil disobedience protests against the military's Feb. 1 coup, a state-run newspaper reported Wednesday. Doctors, nurses and medical students have marched and joined strikes to show their opposition to the military takeover that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government and put a halt to the progress Myanmar had made toward greater democratization after five decades of military rule. The doctors charged are accused of supporting and participating in the civil disobedience movement “with the aim of deteriorating the state administrative machinery,” the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper wrote. The military government has already issued arrest warrants for 100 people active in the fields of literature, film, theatre arts, music and journalism on charges of spreading information that undermines the stability of the country and the rule of law. This isn't the first time doctors have been targeted. Earlier this month in Mandalay, the country’s second-biggest city, security forces used stun grenades and fired guns to break up a march by medical workers protesting the army’s takeover. The online news site The Irrawaddy reported that four doctors were arrested. Protests continued Wednesday across Myanmar even as people boycotted the official celebration of Thingyan, the country's traditional New Year, usually a time for family reunions and merry-making. In leaflets and social media posts last week, people were asked not to hold any Thingyan celebrations, saying it would be disrespectful to “fallen martyrs” to enjoy the festival. The government's violent response to anti-coup demonstrations has seen 714 people killed by security officials, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Last week, at least 82 people were killed in one day in a crackdown by security forces on protesters, according to reports from independent local media and AAPP. Friday’s death toll in Bago was the biggest one-day total for a single city since March 14, when just over 100 people were killed in Yangon, the country’s biggest city. Bago is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Yangon. The Associated Press was unable to independently verify the number of deaths. The Associated Press
NewsCBCHow police may have missed a chance to catch serial killer Bruce McArthur in 2013
Toronto police didn't check Bruce McArthur's criminal record in 2013 before or after interviewing him — despite possessing evidence connecting the now-convicted serial killer to three missing men whose disappearances officers were then investigating. That's just one of many serious investigative flaws former judge Gloria Epstein identifies in her independent review of Toronto police's handling of missing-persons cases — including the victims of McArthur — released Tuesday. Epstein argues proper preparation for the McArthur interview, an understanding of his 2003 assault conviction, and his connection to the three missing men should have resulted in greater police scrutiny of his conduct as early as November 2013. He was eventually arrested and charged with murder in January 2018. "Someone with a connection with all three missing persons who had attacked another member of the LGBTQ2S+ communities and been banned from the Village for a period should have undoubtedly have qualified as a person of interest," Epstein wrote, referring to the gay community's downtown neighbourhood. The 1,100-page report marks the first time some of these details — of what police did and knew when — have come to light. The service has previously refused to "dissect the investigation" despite questions about how police handled the investigations into missing men who turned out to be McArthur's victims. Retired judge Gloria Epstein released her final report on Toronto police service's handling of missing-persons cases, including McArthur's victims, on Tuesday.(Submitted by Shelley Colenbrander) "I cannot say that McArthur would necessarily have been apprehended earlier if these investigative steps had been taken," Epstein wrote. "But the Toronto police did lose important opportunities to identify him as the killer." McArthur went on to kill five more men after police first interviewed him as part of Project Houston. In a news conference, acting Toronto police chief James Ramer told reporters Tuesday "the shortcomings [Esptein] identified are inexcusable" and that the service is going to implement her recommendations "as quickly as possible." The 16-minute interview The Project Houston task force was launched in November 2012 to probe the disappearances of Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi and Majeed Kayhan — all of whom were connected to Toronto's Gay Village. Almost a year into that investigation, police discovered McArthur was connected to Navaratnam and Faizi through his online username "silverfoxx51." A detective on the project scheduled an interview in November 2013. But Det.-Const. Joshua McKenzie did not prepare questions, look into McArthur's background or do a Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database search on him before the interview, according to Epstein's report. If he had, McKenzie would have found McArthur's 2003 assault conviction, which Epstein argues could have then been used to obtain the synopsis of the serial killer's unprovoked pipe attack on a gay man in the Village in 2001. Project Houston, a police task force, was created to probe the disappearances of Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi and Majeed Kayhan.() Instead, the interview with McArthur lasted only 16 minutes and McKenzie didn't ask McArthur about his known connection to Faizi after McArthur denied knowing the missing man. McArthur also admitted to having had a sexual relationship with Kayhan — who police had yet to connect to McArthur — but McKenzie didn't ask follow-up questions about the relationship. 'Important fact went unnoticed' After the interview, police had a connection between McArthur and all three missing men. "However, this important fact went unnoticed," wrote Epstein. "McKenzie's summary of the interview failed to include it." In the report, Epstein references and agrees with a summary of the implication of those connections from an unnamed police investigator provided to the review. "[McArthur] would have been the one and only person who was linked to all three disappearances at that point from all the information we had," the investigator said. WATCH | Report 'hard to read,' interim chief says: "He would be on the top of the list of finding out what more is he capable of and what he does. The prime suspect, if you will." Instead, it looks like no supervisor reviewed McKenzie's interview or instructed any follow-up action because of it, according to the report. Epstein said McKenzie was a relatively junior officer at the time and told the review that he did what he was told. Neither the video of the McArthur interview nor the summary McKenzie wrote were added to Toronto police's records system, Versadex, or the major case management system, PowerCase. In her report, Epstein outlines how those omissions had ramifications on how police investigated McArthur when he was arrested, but not charged, for an assault in June 2016. CBC News has previously reported on the attempted choking of a man, in the back of McArthur's van, who was able to escape and called 911. Afterward, McArthur went to the police and said the incident was consensual. He was let go, as police believed his story was credible. Bruce McArthur pleaded guilty to killing these eight men. Top row, from left to right: Skandaraj Navaratnam, Andrew Kinsman, Selim Esen and Abdulbasir Faizi. Bottom row, from left to right: Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, Dean Lisowick, Soroush Mahmudi and Majeed Kayhan.(John Fraser/CBC) The investigator, Sgt. Paul Gauthier, is facing police disciplinary charges in connection with the case. He told the independent review that had he known McArthur had been identified as someone in contact with three missing persons in Project Houston, Gauthier would have contacted officers from the task force before making his decision not to charge McArthur. "[Gauthier] saw this situation as a counterproductive siloing of relevant information. I agree with him," Epstein wrote. However, the report also notes that Gauthier's 2016 investigation failed to turn up McArthur's 2003 assault conviction. By that time, McArthur had received a record suspension from the Parole Board of Canada in connection with that conviction, but that didn't mean police couldn't find a record of the assault. 'Easily discoverable' "We do know this information, which turned out to be relevant, was easily discoverable during Project Prism," Epstein wrote in relation to the task force that looked into the disappearances of Andrew Kinsman and Selim Esen and eventually led to the arrest of McArthur. Without the information on McArthur's pipe assault, Epstein said that investigators in Project Houston and the 2016 choking investigation saw McArthur "as a 64-year-old man with no prior violent history." "What became obvious to me during this Review is that officers have varying (and sometimes inaccurate) understandings of what is available to them on their own databases." McArthur murdered five men — Soroush Mahmudi, Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, Dean Lisowick, Esen and Kinsman — after he was interviewed as part of Project Houston in 2013. Esen and Kinsman were killed after the 2016 attempted choking investigation. McArthur is currently serving a life sentence for the first-degree murder of all eight men. He will be 91 by the time he can apply for parole.
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Spanish hotel shelters migrants amid virus crisis
A hotel in the Canary Islands has opened its doors to migrants seeking a new life. (April 13)
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Scheicher grills Brodd over 'resting comfortably' comment
Prosecutor Steve Schleicher takes issue with use-of-force expert Barry Brodd's testimony that Floyd was 'resting comfortably' on the pavement.
