Former Toronto FC skipper Jim Brennan returns to BMO Field with York United FC

TORONTO — Jim Brennan, Toronto FC's first-ever signing and captain, has fond memories of the MLS club. But he's looking to take it down this week. Now head coach and technical director of York United FC, Brennan will be on the visitors bench at BMO Field on Wednesday when his Canadian Premier League team takes on TFC in the Canadian championship quarterfinal. Toronto, languishing in the MLS basement at 4-15-6, has targeted the domestic cup competition, seeing it as a way to get something out of

U.S. SEC warns investors of risks from certain Chinese business entities

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday issued its latest warning to people looking to invest in Chinese companies listed in the United States. In an alert to investors, the SEC detailed the potential risks in putting money into U.S.-listed companies that have contracts with but no control over a Chinese entity, known as a variable interest entity (VIE). It is the most recent move by the agency to address concerns that Chinese companies are flouting rules for accessing U.S. markets.

'Covid Killer Express' bus hits Inuvik's roads to educate underhoused about vaccines

Inuvik's "Covid Killer Express," a hospital bus that transported the COVID-19 vaccines to communities in the region, is back on the road but this time it's targeting the town's underhoused population. "Our mandate is to reach out to groups of people or populations that maybe have some hesitancy coming to a health centre, and making it approachable," said Sarah Fitzgerald, a registered nurse and the Beaufort Delta's regional quality risk manager. "Offering accessible care is about going to where

Canada election 2021: Party leaders, Canadians head to polls in close election

Canadians are heading to polls across the country today, Monday, Sept. 20, after Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau called the snap election 36 days ago.

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  Canada's ruling Liberals projected to form minority government

  Reuters
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  Canada's Trudeau vows cooperation with opponents after bid for majority fails

  Reuters

Biden administration seeks to lift U.S. refugee cap to 125,000

President Joe Biden's administration wants to nearly double the number of refugees admitted to the United States to 125,000 in the upcoming fiscal year starting on Oct. 1 in keeping with a campaign promise, according to a statement from the State Department. The State Department will consult with the Department of Homeland Security and Congress to lift the cap, which was set at 62,500 for the 2020 fiscal year ending this month, the statement said. The plan to dramatically increase refugee admissions comes at a time when tens of thousands of Afghan refugees are on U.S. military bases awaiting resettlement in the United States.

Manitoba opens up third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to some First Nations citizens

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government has expanded its eligibility criteria for people wanting a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The province says it has added residents and staff in First Nations personal care homes. Dr. Marcia Anderson, who is the public health lead with the First Nations pandemic response team, said the decision will affect about 200 residents and about 400 staff in 10 personal care homes. First Nations people in Manitoba have been disproportionately affected by the virus. The

Yellowknife Community Arena serving as day and overnight shelter

The Yellowknife Community Arena will be used to operate a temporary day and overnight shelter, according to a news release issued Monday. The government of the Northwest Territories said the shelter at the arena will provide food, washrooms, showers, bedding and cots. The announcement came after Yellowknife's combined day shelter and overnight sobering centre on 50th Street closed indefinitely on Sept. 11, after the city started experiencing community transmission of COVID-19. "The opening of th

Quebec elementary school shuttered after COVID-19 outbreak

MONTREAL — A Quebec elementary school east of Montreal is shuttered after an outbreak of COVID-19 cases, officials said Monday. The Coeur-Immaculé school in Sherbrooke, Que. has sent more than 700 students home for at least two days after many students tested positive for COVID-19 over the last days. The school service centre responsible for the region reported 33 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, including one teacher. Donald Landry, an official with the centre, said in an interview with The Canadi

'People are giving up voting because lines are too long': Canadians gripe over struggle to vote in COVID-19 conditions, while others are thankful

Many Canadians were already disgruntled about the snap federal election being called during a pandemic, but long lines at the polls haven't eased the frustrations. Some took to Twitter to express their annoyance, while others were grateful to have the opportunity to vote to begin with.

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta to discuss warning to anti-vax doctors

Some Alberta doctors have issued vaccination and mask exemptions to patients while others are actively spreading misinformation on social media, the president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta said Monday. The college is holding an emergency public meeting tonight to discuss issuing a statement to doctors about their obligation to adhere to practice standards set by the provincial regulator, college president Dr. Louis Francescutti said in an interview Monday. "There are very

External review finds deeper rot in World Bank 'Doing Business' rankings

Weeks before the World Bank scrapped its flagship Doing Business rankings following a damning independent probe, a group of external advisers recommended an overhaul of the rankings to limit countries' efforts to "manipulate their scores." An 84-page review, written by senior academics and economists, was published on the bank's website on Monday, about three weeks after it was submitted to World Bank chief economist Carmen Reinhart. The World Bank on Thursday said it would cancel the "Doing Business" series https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/world-bank-kills-business-climate-report-after-ethics-probe-cites-undue-pressure-2021-09-16 on country business climates, citing internal audits and a separate independent probe https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/84a922cc9273b7b120d49ad3b9e9d3f9-0090012021/original/DB-Investigation-Findings-and-Report-to-the-Board-of-Executive-Directors-September-15-2021.pdf by law firm WilmerHale that found senior World Bank leaders, including Kristalina Georgieva, who now heads the International Monetary Fund, pressured staff to alter data to favor China during her time as World Bank CEO.

GTA voters contend with long lines, missing voter lists as election day draws to a close

Some frustrated voters at polling stations across the Greater Toronto Area on Monday found themselves dealing with long queues as they attempted to cast their ballots. Lines outside polling stations, which closed at 9:30 p.m. ET, were longer this year in some cases due to COVID-19 precautions, logistical errors in voter ID cards and lists and a greatly reduced number of polling stations for some ridings. In some cases, long lines stretched well into the evening. At a polling station in King-Vaug

Regina's Henry Janzen elementary school moves to remote classes for some students

Some students at one Regina public elementary school will go back to remote learning for the next week-and-a-half, starting Tuesday. Henry Janzen School students from kindergarten to the Grade 4/5 classroom will have to stay home for remote learning until Friday, Oct. 1, according to the school's website. Children will only be able to return to school on Monday, Oct. 4, if they are symptom-free. All other grades at the school will continue with in-class learning, Regina Public Schools said in a

New Brunswick reports record-breaking 75 COVID-19 cases Sunday

Health officials in New Brunswick reported 75 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday — the highest single-day count the province has had since the onset of the pandemic. A total of 199 cases of the disease were recorded over the weekend in New Brunswick, bringing the active case count to 484, chief medical officer Dr. Jennifer Russell said Monday. It comes as the province's proof of vaccination requirement is set to begin Tuesday night at midnight for those who wish to enter recreational establishments

Exclusive-Netflix offers free plan in Kenya to entice new subscribers

Netflix Inc on Monday began offering a free mobile plan with about one-quarter of its TV shows and movies in Kenya, a strategy aimed at sparking growth in a key African market, the company told Reuters. It features Netflix movies and TV shows such as dramas "Money Heist" and "Bridgerton" and African series "Blood & Water," plus some of the programming the company licenses from others. Netflix hopes the free plan will lead to users signing up for a paid option with more content.

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  Netflix Launches a Totally Free Streaming Plan, Available Only in Kenya for Now

  Variety
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  Netflix debuts free tier for Android users in Kenya

  Engadget

Technical problems with Elections Canada website, long lineups frustrate voters

Elections Canada apologized Monday for technical problems with an application on its website that tells Canadians where to vote in the federal election. The site's voter information service page usually lets Canadians find their polling station by entering their postal code and address. Voters can also search based on electoral district names. But many took to social media Monday to complain that they were receiving the same error: "We were unable to find your voting location. Please call the of

COVID has killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 flu

COVID-19 has now killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic did — approximately 675,000. The U.S. population a century ago was just one-third of what it is today, meaning the flu cut a much bigger, more lethal swath through the country. But the COVID-19 crisis is by any measure a colossal tragedy in its own right, especially given the incredible advances in scientific knowledge since then and the failure to take maximum advantage of the vaccines available this time. “Big