BC-Daily Register

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The Associated Press

Latest Stories

  • Biden Republicans? Some in GOP open to president's agenda

    RALEIGH, N.C. — Jay Copan doesn't hide his disregard for the modern Republican Party. A solid Republican voter for the past four decades, the 69-year-old quickly regretted casting his 2016 ballot for Donald Trump. When Trump was up for reelection last year, Copan appeared on roadside billboards across North Carolina, urging other Republicans to back Democratic rival Joe Biden. Nearly three months into the new administration, Copan considers himself a “Biden Republican,” relieved by the new president's calmer leadership style and vaccine distribution efforts. Copan is the type of voter Biden is counting on as he pushes an agenda that's almost universally opposed by Republicans in Washington. As Biden meets Monday with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to discuss his massive infrastructure plan, he’s betting that the GOP’s elected leaders are making a political miscalculation. The party’s base remains overwhelmingly loyal to Trump, but Biden believes that Republican leaders are overlooking everyday Americans eager for compromise and action. The question is whether there are enough Republicans like Copan. “I really want there to be a good two-party system," said Copan, a former senior officer with the American Gas Association. His vote for Biden for president was his first for a Democrat since Jimmy Carter in 1976 but probably won't be his last. “I think there’s a lot of people like me out there." The ranks of Republican crossovers may be smaller than he would expect. Only 8% of Republicans voted Democratic in November’s presidential race, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of the electorate nationwide. “If there’s any Republicans voting for Biden, they were not voting for Biden, they’re just Never Trumpers,” said Phillip Stephens, a former Democrat who is now Republican vice chairman in Robeson County, about 90 miles south of Raleigh. The county twice voted for Barack Obama but went for Trump in 2016 and again last year. In Biden's early months, Stephens sees the president catering more to the left than to conservative Democratic voters. During last year's campaign, Biden at times courted Republicans at the risk of alienating the Democratic left. Several prominent Republicans got speaking positions during the Democratic National Convention, such as former Ohio Gov. John Kasich. A number of Republican groups also openly backed Biden. Republican Voters Against Trump spent $2 million on billboards in swing states, featuring Republicans opposed to reelecting their own party's president. That's how Copan's beaming and bespectacled image, 12 feet (3.6 metres) high, ended up on billboards with the words: “I’m conservative. I value decency. I’m voting Biden." As president, Biden has expressed openness to working with Republicans. But he also helped ram through Congress the largest expansion of the social safety net in a generation as part of a coronavirus relief and stimulus package that didn't get a single Republican vote. He's now calling for spending trillions more on infrastructure, pushing a proposal meant to appeal to people in both parties. Biden has so far enjoyed wide, relatively bipartisan support, with 73% of Americans approving of his coronavirus response and 60% approving of his handling of the economy. Still, favourable ratings don't always translate to votes: Of the more than 200 counties that supported Obama in 2012 and Trump in 2016, only about 25 went back to Biden in November. The limited crossover power is even true in places that were bright spots for Democrats. Biden flipped longtime Republican stronghold Kent County, Michigan, which includes Grand Rapids, Gerald Ford's hometown. But those gains were built more on the local electorate getting younger than any measurable surge of conservatives backing Biden. Joe Farrington ran for Congress as a “working class Republican" and owns a bar in Lyons, Michigan, about 50 miles east of Grand Rapids, in Ionia County, where Trump won nearly two-thirds of the vote. During a candidates' debate, he called Trump “somewhat of an idiot” — and finished fourth in a five-way primary race. He says Biden is doing the right thing on infrastructure, social issues and the environment. Still, Farrington said he’ll remain loyal to the Republican Party — even if he runs for Congress again in 2022 in opposition to much of what it stands for. “We need to change it from within," he says. Scott Carey, former general counsel of the Tennessee Republican Party, wrote an op-ed in October saying he was voting for Biden. He's been mostly satisfied so far — but not about to become a born-again Democrat. He worries about tax increases and government overreach. “I don’t see myself becoming a big Harris, or certainly a Bernie fan or anything like that,” Carey said of Vice-President Kamala Harris and liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders. If Biden decides not to seek a second term in 2024, Carey said, he'd be more excited about Republicans, including "some governors I’ve never even heard of who would step up post-Trump and bring us back to sound governing policies.” Others, though, say they've left the GOP for good. Tom Rawles is an ex-Republican county supervisor in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and was critical in Biden carrying swing-state Arizona. After voting for Biden, Rawles registered as a Democrat. “I’d rather fight philosophically within the Democratic Party than I would for character in the Republican Party, because there’s none there,” said Rawles. He's 71 and said he doesn’t expect the GOP to return to principles he can support in his lifetime. Rawles and his wife spent months before the election sitting in their driveway along a busy suburban Phoenix road, hoisting Biden signs for four hours a day. Some drivers stopped to chat or offer water. Others made rude gestures or screamed that they were interlopers from fiercely blue California. “Some people would yell, ‘Go home!,’" Rawles recalls. "And we’d say, ’We’re in our driveway. Where do you want us to go?'” Will Weissert, The Associated Press

  • Hundreds defy Montreal's 8 p.m. curfew in violent, destructive protest

    MONTREAL — Hundreds of protesters set fires and smashed windows through a swath of downtown Montreal on Sunday in defiance of a newly adjusted curfew intended to stem surging COVID-19 case numbers in the city. Police responded with tear gas in a bid to control the crowd, who were purportedly protesting Quebec Premier Francois Legault's decision to roll the city-wide curfew back from 9:30 to 8 p.m. The move, previously replicated in other COVID-19 hot spots across the province, took effect in Montreal and nearby Laval on Sunday. The protest began in relative calm, with a mostly young crowd dancing to music from loudspeakers while lighting fireworks and chanting, "freedom for the young." But the festive atmosphere quickly turned violent as a few protesters lit a garbage fire in Montreal's Jacques Cartier Square, which was met with tear gas from riot police. Police soon rushed the crowd, prompting dozens of protesters to scatter and cause mayhem down the cobblestone streets of Montreal’s tourist district. They lit garbage fires at many intersections and seized projectiles from city streets, hurling them at nearby windows and shattering many. A spokeswoman for Montreal police said she couldn't offer any comment on the protests, describing them as an ongoing situation. She said that more information would become available as things stabilized and police on the scene could file their reports. Marwah Rizqy, a Liberal member of the provincial legislature that represents a Montreal riding, tweeted her disapproval of the protestors' actions. "Chanting freedom while ransacking windows of stores that are already just getting by. It’s disheartening / outrageous," Rizqy tweeted in French. A few protesters were still out on the streets at around 9:30 p.m. throwing glass, breaking city infrastructure and running from police. Sirens rang through the streets as firefighters put out the many small blazes lit along Old Montréal’s alleys and narrow roads. The curfew ostensibly at the heart of the protest was imposed to curb COVID-19 infection rates that have spiked in several regions in recent weeks. Quebec reported 1,535 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, as well as five additional deaths linked to the virus. Hospitalizations jumped by 25 to 608, with 139 patients in intensive care. Health Minister Christian Dube tweeted that the numbers are concerning given that 58 per cent of new cases involve people under the age of 40. "While vaccination accelerates, we must continue to adhere to the measures if we want to defeat this pandemic," Dube wrote. "Let's show solidarity." Legault said last week that he was imposing the health order in Montreal and Laval despite a relatively stable case count as a precaution, due to the heavy presence of more contagious virus variants. Residents in those regions who leave their homes between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. without a good reason could face fines of over $1,000. Legault extended the curfew in Montreal and other red zones from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in mid-March, but said last week that the evolving COVID-19 situation gave him no choice but to reverse course. Legault previously placed Quebec City, Levis, Gatineau and several municipalities in Quebec's Beauce region under the earlier curfew. The government also closed schools and non-essential businesses in those areas, and Legault announced Thursday that the measures would be extended until at least April 18. The province also gave 59,447 doses of vaccine on Saturday, and has currently given a shot to just over 22 per cent of the population. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021 The Canadian Press

  • Canada nearing peak of next wave of COVID-19, Tam says as Ontario sets case record

    Canada is nearing the peak of the current wave of COVID-19, the country's chief public health officer said Sunday as Ontario reported a new single-day record for new infections and provinces brought in new restrictions to contain the virus' spread. Dr. Theresa Tam described the current rash of nationwide infections as the pandemic's second wave, though public health officials in several provinces are describing their recent daily case surges as a third wave. "With the current acceleration of COVID-19 activity, approaching the peak of the second wave, and a concerning rise in the proportion of cases that involve more contagious variants of concern, strong public health measures and individual precautions must be sustained where COVID-19 is circulating," Tam said in a statement. Tam said intensive care admissions across the country increased by 23 per cent over the last seven days compared to the week before, noting the spike is straining the country's health-care system. She said COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are increasingly affecting younger people, adding figures show a jump in the number of hospitalizations among those 40 to 59 years old. "These data also show that an increased number of adults in this age group were admitted to intensive care units (ICU) and received mechanical ventilation in March 2021," her statement said. The percentage of patients in intensive care who were aged 18 to 39 also doubled from January to March, from 7.4 per cent to 15 per cent of the total. Tam's statement came as Ontario reported a record 4,456 cases of COVID-19 in a 24-hour period. The latest figures showed 21 additional deaths associated with the virus and a sharp rise of new cases in Toronto, which jumped by nearly 400 to 1,353. Hospitalization rates in the province have been climbing steadily, prompting the province to order facilities to scale back elective surgeries starting on Monday. A hospital at the centre of an outbreak in northwestern New Brunswick is also feeling pandemic-related strain, with seven of its nine intensive care beds filled with patients fighting COVID-19. Local health authorities said the Edmundston Regional Hospital had 13 patients sick with the virus, with seven in intensive care and five on respirators. Parts of the northwest were placed in lockdown as of Sunday following a recent rise in cases. In the afternoon, health authorities announced that municipal elections would be suspended in regions under lockdown, which include Edmundston, Upper-Madawaska, Lac Baker, Riviere-Verte, Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska and Saint Leonard. Rules are also being tightened in Quebec, where a nighttime curfew is being moved to 8 p.m. from 9:30 as of Sunday evening in Montreal and neighbouring Laval to stave off a rise in cases. The province reported 1,535 new infections on Sunday, as well as a 25-person jump in hospitalizations -- numbers the province's health minister described as "worrisome." Premier Francois Legault already imposed the 8 p.m. curfew in some other hot spots including Quebec City and Gatineau, which are currently under special lockdown measures. In British Columbia, health authorities announced they will offer vaccines to all adults living in the ski community of Whistler beginning Monday. Whistler residents account for the majority of cases in Howe Sound, which has the highest rate of COVID-19 of any local health area in the province. Saskatchewan said it continues to set new records for the number of vaccines administered in a single day with 13,170 on Saturday. Authorities said half of Saskatchewan residents who are 50 and older have now received their first dose, after recently expanding the provincial booking system eligibility to everyone 55 and up. That province reported 321 new cases on Sunday, while Manitoba logged 112 and Alberta counted 1,183. Atlantic provinces continued to record comparatively low infection rates, with New Brunswick reporting nine new cases and Nova Scotia adding five to its tally. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2020 Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press

  • Hundreds rally outside Alberta church closed by health officials

    Hundreds of people demonstrated Sunday outside the shuttered GraceLife Church west of Edmonton. Alberta Health Services closed the church last week after it repeatedly defied public health orders, with hundreds of people attending services. Chain link fences were set up around the site in Parkland County. The crowd began gathering along the road adjacent to the church early Sunday morning as hymns played over loudspeakers. Demonstrators carried signs with a variety of messages, some decrying vaccines, public health restrictions and communism. An increased police presence by the RCMP included additional traffic enforcement officers deployed to the area. Police said in a statement they would only use the level of intervention necessary to ensure safety and maintain peace, order and security. Dozens of police vehicles shut off access to roads around the church while a helicopter flew overhead. A large line of at least 30 officers faced the outer fence. There was a tense moment around noon when a group splintered from the crowd and tore down part of the fence. RCMP and others from the crowd pushed back the group and re-established the fence. About 150 of the protesters trespassed on Enoch Cree Nation land across the road from the church site, parking their cars and vandalising Enoch Chief Billy Morin's vehicle, said Enoch spokesperson Tanya Cardinal. One trespasser attempted to assault an Enoch councillor, the First Nation added in a statement released Sunday. "Although I respect GraceLife protesters' right to protest, right to worship, and right to free speech, I strongly condemn their illegal trespassing on our land, their vandalization of a Nation member's vehicle, and their blatant disrespect of our sovereignty as a proud First Nation," Morin said. An RCMP spokesperson could not immediately confirm any arrests or tickets issued during the protest when reached by CBC Radio-Canada Sunday afternoon. The crowd began to disperse shortly before 2 p.m. The trespassers had mostly vacated Enoch land by 4 p.m., the First Nation said. In a statement released Sunday evening through the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, GraceLife church stated that its congregants were not at the protest. RCMP deployed additional officers during the demonstration at GraceLife Church on Sunday.(Jordan Omstead/CBC) In a media statement Wednesday, AHS said it had "physically closed" the church and would prevent access until the church "can demonstrate the ability to comply with Alberta's chief medical officer of health's restrictions." "With COVID-19 cases increasing and the more easily-transmitted and potentially more severe variants becoming dominant, there is urgent need to minimize spread to protect all Albertans," AHS said. On Sunday, the province reported 1,183 new cases of COVID-19 and 942 new cases involving variants of concern. There were 7,217 active variant cases, about 50.5 per cent of active cases in Alberta. Between July 10 last year and Tuesday of last week, AHS said it has received 105 complaints from the public about the church. AHS said inspectors have conducted 18 inspections at the site since July 10, 2020, and violations were observed at each visit. GraceLife's Pastor James Coates was charged in February with violating COVID-19 public health orders. After he was charged, Coates was jailed for refusing to comply with a bail condition that he only hold services in compliance with public health orders. In early March, his lawyers appealed with the argument that it would go against the pastor's conscience before God not to lead worshippers. Coates spent 35 days in custody before pleading guilty to a charge of breaching bail and was fined $1,500. He returned to the pulpit on March 28. The church was also charged as an entity for exceeding allowable capacity at Sunday services in February.

  • A look at COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada on Sunday, April 11, 2021

    The latest numbers on COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada as of 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday April 11, 2021. In Canada, the provinces are reporting 205,920 new vaccinations administered for a total of 7,991,727 doses given. Nationwide, 797,265 people or 2.1 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated. The provinces have administered doses at a rate of 21,086.753 per 100,000. There were no new vaccines delivered to the provinces and territories for a total of 10,618,140 doses delivered so far. The provinces and territories have used 75.26 per cent of their available vaccine supply. Please note that Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the territories typically do not report on a daily basis. Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting 36,701 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 105,652 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 201.768 per 1,000. In the province, 1.85 per cent (9,674) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Newfoundland and Labrador for a total of 144,700 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 28 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 73.01 per cent of its available vaccine supply. P.E.I. is reporting 5,784 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 30,937 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 195.027 per 1,000. In the province, 5.20 per cent (8,241) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to P.E.I. for a total of 44,265 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 28 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 69.89 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Nova Scotia is reporting 26,945 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 138,348 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 141.765 per 1,000. In the province, 3.16 per cent (30,838) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Nova Scotia for a total of 264,790 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 27 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 52.25 per cent of its available vaccine supply. New Brunswick is reporting 30,913 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 151,586 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 194.331 per 1,000. In the province, 2.02 per cent (15,771) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to New Brunswick for a total of 211,545 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 27 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 71.66 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Quebec is reporting 61,465 new vaccinations administered for a total of 1,890,476 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 220.936 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Quebec for a total of 2,429,695 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 28 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 77.81 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Ontario is reporting 94,794 new vaccinations administered for a total of 3,139,743 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 213.747 per 1,000. In the province, 2.27 per cent (333,150) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Ontario for a total of 4,028,725 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 27 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 77.93 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Manitoba is reporting 6,070 new vaccinations administered for a total of 279,145 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 202.719 per 1,000. In the province, 4.96 per cent (68,258) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Manitoba for a total of 409,470 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 30 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 68.17 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Saskatchewan is reporting 13,170 new vaccinations administered for a total of 282,065 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 239.21 per 1,000. In the province, 3.49 per cent (41,134) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Saskatchewan for a total of 331,985 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 28 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 84.96 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Alberta is reporting 28,941 new vaccinations administered for a total of 847,630 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 192.554 per 1,000. In the province, 3.71 per cent (163,532) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Alberta for a total of 1,208,955 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 27 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 70.11 per cent of its available vaccine supply. British Columbia is reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 1,025,019 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 199.747 per 1,000. In the province, 1.71 per cent (87,606) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to British Columbia for a total of 1,403,510 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 27 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 73.03 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Yukon is reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 39,687 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 951.02 per 1,000. In the territory, 36.77 per cent (15,343) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Yukon for a total of 51,400 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 120 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 77.21 per cent of its available vaccine supply. The Northwest Territories are reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 38,574 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 854.939 per 1,000. In the territory, 32.07 per cent (14,471) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to the Northwest Territories for a total of 51,600 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 110 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 74.76 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Nunavut is reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 22,865 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 590.43 per 1,000. In the territory, 23.88 per cent (9,247) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Nunavut for a total of 37,500 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 97 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 60.97 per cent of its available vaccine supply. *Notes on data: The figures are compiled by the COVID-19 Open Data Working Group based on the latest publicly available data and are subject to change. Note that some provinces report weekly, while others report same-day or figures from the previous day. Vaccine doses administered is not equivalent to the number of people inoculated as the approved vaccines require two doses per person. The vaccines are currently not being administered to children under 18 and those with certain health conditions. In some cases the number of doses administered may appear to exceed the number of doses distributed as some provinces have been drawing extra doses per vial. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published April 11, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Canadians should expect 'significant' move in budget for child care, early education: LeBlanc

    Access to national early learning programs and child care have become an "economic imperative" and Canadians should expect a "significant" announcement in the forthcoming federal budget, said Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc. "Access to safe early learning and child care, high-quality child care, we think is now an economic imperative," LeBlanc told CBC's chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton on Rosemary Barton Live. "It's one social program done properly that has a direct impact on the growth of the Canadian economy." LeBlanc said that rolling out a national child care and early learning program would be difficult because each of the provinces have different mixes of private and public child-care systems. Despite those challenges the government is determined to push the policy forward. "I think Canadians should expect our government to do something very significant in this area because it's critical for the rebuilding of the economy as well as the social fabric of the country," he said. "It, frankly, allows parents to participate in the workforce in a way that's not only good for the economy, but it's also good for families." LeBlanc also said that despite the challenges of rolling out and funding a universal basic income, the Liberal Party was also prepared to consider "any thoughtful policy proposition." "I have a number of my colleagues in caucus who have been working for, in some cases a number of years, on what a universal basic income might look like," he said. WATCH | Expect 'significant' investment in budget for child care, LeBlanc says: While LeBlanc said that a discussion around a universal basic income is a valuable one to have, the economic challenges of rolling out a policy that would cost an estimated $85 billion a year makes it a significant challenge. "That's exactly the challenge, and that's why it hasn't been [implemented]. If it was very easy, some previous governments would have done it," LeBlanc said, noting that he still felt it is "a policy that we think deserves a lot of consideration." Will Mark Carney run for Liberals? The intergovernmental affairs minister also commented on former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney's address to the Liberal convention in which he said he wanted to work to support the party. "I would hope Mr. Carney might, might consider running for the party. He obviously has a huge contribution to make to Canada, to the discussion, to the policy around fighting climate change," LeBlanc said. It was very significant when Carney agreed to speak at the Liberal convention, LeBlanc said, noting that while the former central banker was appointed by former prime minister Stephen Harper, he now appears to be fully in the Liberal camp. "He has an enormous contribution to make to public policy in the country," LeBlanc said. "And the fact that he's chosen to do it with the Liberal Party, I think says something very reassuring about the economic direction of our government."

  • Nova Scotia student suspended after posting photo online says she's back in class

    AUBURN, N.S. — A Nova Scotia high school student says she's back in class after being suspended for bringing attention to someone wearing a shirt that she found offensive. In an interview Sunday, Kenzie Thornhill said she returned to West Kings District High School in Auburn, N.S., on Friday, following a conversation with the school's principal who told her the local school board had reversed its decision. The 17-year-old Grade 12 student says she was suspended last week after posting a photo online of someone wearing a shirt with lyrics on the back that mimicked the style of "Deck the Halls," with one line reading: “'tis the season to be rapey.” "Knowing people that are (sexual assault) victims, and not liking that at all, I did what pretty much any teen would do with social media and I posted it," said Thornhill. Thornhill said she had also shown the photo to a teacher and hall monitor and was told the issue would be handled. But although the photo only showed the shirt and not the student, said Thornhill, the school board suspended her for five days for violating school rules. She said they told her posting the photo on social media was a form of cyberbullying. "I was being punished for posting this photo, but the kid who did wear the shirt, however, was just told not to wear the shirt again," she said. Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education executive director Dave Jones would not discuss specific details citing privacy. In an emailed statement sent Friday, he said, "the school has revisited the decisions made in recent days related to discipline." Jones also said it was an opportunity to engage with students and to help them feel "safe and supported" and to feel they can report any incident within their school or its community. "Any language that promotes sexual violence is never acceptable or tolerated at our schools, and it was not acceptable in this instance," he said. Thornhill said she wasn't given a specific reason why her suspension was revoked and she's asked her principal to seek an apology from school board officials. "To be made public if that would be OK, but if they can't then just to me would be fine," she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • 4-Week-Old Puppy Quickly Finds New Best Friend

    Gryffin, a 4-week-old puppy, meets a huge Bernese Mountain Dog named Eiger!

  • 'Cockroaches, bodily fluids and drug paraphenalia': Inside a troubled Saskatoon condo tower

    On a warm spring morning, the problems with the Prairie Heights condo tower assault the senses. The tangy stench of urine wafts up from the open parking area beneath the tower at 1416 20th Street W. in Saskatoon. The incessant cooing of pigeons roosting on balconies almost drowns out the traffic passing by. The ground is littered in various places with syringes, food wrappers, bird feces, discarded shoes, shirts and pieces of furniture. Assistant fire chief Yvonne Raymer toured the property earlier this month after vandals trashed the sprinkler system, flooding seven floors. "I would say that 90 per cent of the issues that we saw had to do with cockroaches, bodily fluids and a lot of drug paraphenalia," she said. "We did note that it appears public corridors, stairwells, are being used for lunches, drugs use, possibly sleeping, bathroom facilities." The decline of Prairie Heights frustrates the city and the people who own units in the building. Former condo board members say infighting among owners and a cumbersome legal process are behind what's playing out in the tower. "It's just like pushing a boulder uphill," said former board member Geoff Wilkie. He sold his unit in January at a $70,000 loss. "It doesn't matter how hard you try. This doesn't seem to get any better unless you have all the players in the building willing to co-operate." The parkade after vandals caused the building to flood.(Courtesy of Jay Korven) Raymer said that the fire department has issued "multiple orders" to fix the protection systems in the building since last fall. She said the owners have not complied. "We've notified the owners, indicated the work that needs to be done and it's been declined," she said. "We indicated we're going to do what is needed to be done to maintain the minimum standard for these protection systems. We've repaired and restored them, fully operational, and the cost is being invoiced to the owner." The bill totals $58,371 and covers off work done by the fire department, police and contractors. Condo conundrum Bobbi Korven bought a suite at Prairie Heights in 2008 as an investment, intending to rent it out. She said the plan worked fine until about two years ago, when the building took a precipitous decline. This decline is reflected in statistics from the city. The Saskatoon Fire Department was called to the building 109 times in 2020 and 45 times so far this year. These do not include inspections and investigations. Saskatoon Police took 403 calls for service to the building in 2020, half for suspicious people or disturbances. The remaining calls included domestic disputes, weapons and intoxicated people. Bobbi Korven says people sleeping in hallways is an unfortunate reality.(CBC) There are 44 suites in the eight-storey tower. While the units are individually owned, there are also blocks of suites held by individuals. Land titles records show that Wynyard hotel owner Larry Bozek owns 15 of the suites, while a Lethbridge, Alta., real estate investor named Tapio Lindholm owned another 11. Lindholm, who spent time in prison after pleading guilty to a 2008 manslaughter in Saskatoon, died in January of this year. Korven said Lindholm's relatives are trying to manage the suites. The relatives did not returns calls from CBC. Bozek agreed there are problems with the building. He said finding a property manager, and more effectively screening potential tenants, are ongoing challenges. "The most frustrating thing is trying to find help, to manage my properties in Saskatoon and look after that end of it," he said. Bozek said some of his tenants have created problems in the building. "I guess I give everybody a chance and I guess a guy learns later on that, hey, maybe that wasn't a good choice." Bozek said that he's evicted three problem tenants and has another five empty suites. Bobbi Korven served on the condo board with Geoff Wilkie. Both say the decline began in earnest when the tower lost its property managers. "When they left, that's when things started to go south," said Wilkie. In the past, the managers would meet monthly with the board and the group would make decisions about what needed to be done in the building. Without a building manager, getting the work done fell onto the board. "It's been really frustrating," said Korven, who is 75 years old. "I'm getting older and I've never run a condo before." Further complicating things, she said some owners in the building simply stopped paying condo fees. The board has the power take the owners to court, but it's a costly, time-consuming fight that few had the appetite to tackle. Korven said people simply stepped away from the board. She said the building currently has no functioning board. As Wilkie said, "it's like a headless horse."

  • Three banned from fishing, holding licences in Canada after overfishing violations

    NOOTKA, B.C. — Three people have been banned from fishing or holding a fishing licence anywhere in Canada after pleading guilty to overfishing on Vancouver Island in 2019.Nootka Sound RCMP investigated the trio in September of that year after reports the three were overfishing in the Gold River area.When police found the individuals, only one of the three had a valid fishing licence and the group had dozens of fish, including salmon, which were not properly recorded.Mounties seized the group's 30-foot fishing vessel and all equipment on board at the time, along with Chinook salmon, rock fish filets and ling cod filets.The three appeared in Provincial Court in Campbell River, B.C., this past February and pleaded guilty to violating the Fisheries Act.Greg Askey, a fishery officer and field supervisor with the Campbell River Fisheries Department Detachment, says in a statement that this was the most significant sport fish violation he's seen in more than 20 Years.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • You can now apply to isolate on a trip in Yukon's wilderness

    Instead of isolating in a hotel room, Canadian visitors to Yukon can now apply to isolate on a trip in the backcountry. The Wilderness Tourism Association of Yukon (WTAY) came up with the idea after seeing the government approve alternative self-isolation plans for the mining industry and for outdoor outfitters last year. It was approved by Yukon health officials last month. "For the operators that choose to conduct business this summer, this is the way forward," Kalin Pallett, WTAY's president, told CBC's Elyn Jones on Yukon Morning. "There's no community contact at all, unless the trip is more than 14 days." Safety is paramount According to the Yukon government's website, outdoor tourism operators and Canadian clients can make alternative self-isolation plans. Companies have to apply for an exemption by completing an operation plan and submitting it for approval. "Canadian guests are intercepted at the airport by the operator and taken out to the backcountry, as expeditiously as possible," explained Pallett. If the trip is more than 14 days long, they're able to interact with the general public afterwards. "If it's less than 14 days, then they need to exit the Yukon as expeditiously as they arrived," he said. The association came up with a set of management practices for wilderness tourism operators amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Pallett said they include a step-by-step guide on how to greet guests and how to get them to the backcountry along an approved travel corridor, and what to do if a guide or client develops COVID-19 symptoms while on the trip. "We are Yukoners, we live here, we raise families here, keeping you safe is paramount. These guidelines do that," he said. Pallett said although WTAY has received blanket approval for all of the outdoor tourism operators who are part of its membership, each operator will need to submit its own operational plan to the government's COVID Response Unit. "I don't anticipate seeing visitors into the territory until probably mid to late June." 'From disastrous to surreal' Pallett said the alternative isolation plan isn't a solution for every outdoor tourism operator in the territory, but it does offer a lifeline to some. "I don't think I can possibly overstate how absolutely devastating [the pandemic] was. I mean, we've got businesses that haven't generated a revenue for well over a year now," he said. Neil Hartling, chair of Tourism Industry Association Yukon, told Yukon Morning that being able to isolate in the backcountry is "one tiny bit of helpful change." But he also noted it only applies to a small number of operators. "I would describe the situation right now as going from disastrous to surreal," Hartling said. Operators are struggling to retain staff as they pursue other lines of work, he said, and they're struggling to get insurance. "It's getting harder, not only expensive, but harder to get," he said. "Insurance wholesalers are moving out of what they would consider riskier markets completely, so there's fewer selling and rates are going up." Pallet believes isolating while on a trip is better than isolating in a hotel because it removes the temptation to violate public health orders by quickly grabbing a coffee or a souvenir somewhere. "They don't have that option, because they're not in town," he said. "So, if anything, I think it's actually keeping Yukoners safe."

  • Ontario man believed to be 1st Canadian with COVID-destroyed lungs gets transplant

    TORONTO — Timothy Sauve was brushing his teeth one morning in December when he was hit by a dizzy spell that knocked him off his feet. The 61-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., didn't expect that to be the first sign of a COVID-19 infection. But within days he had developed a fever, experienced breathlessness in his sleep, and was rushed to hospital with a deteriorating condition that eventually required a double-lung transplant — believed to be the first done in Canada on a patient whose lungs were irreparably damaged by the virus. Sauve, a healthy, physically fit man before he contracted the virus, saw the infection wreak havoc on his lungs over his two-month stay in the intensive care units of two different Toronto area hospitals. While his lungs were scarred beyond repair, the virus didn't damage any of Sauve's other organs, making him a candidate for the rare procedure that saved his life. "Things were pretty bleak," Sauve said of his pre-transplant condition, fighting back tears during a phone interview from the University Health Network's Toronto Rehab Bickle Centre. "They told me my (lungs) weren't getting better and for me to make arrangements to say goodbye to my loved ones." After consulting with his family and doctors, Sauve was transferred from Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga to UHN's Toronto General Hospital, home to Canada's largest organ transplant program. A careful assessment at the Ajmera Transplant Centre determined he was physically strong enough to undergo a transplant in February. Dr. Marcelo Cypel, the surgical director at the transplant centre who led the team performing the operation, said Sauve was on "very high amounts of oxygen" when he met him, and scans of his lungs showed heavy amounts of scar tissue called pulmonary fibrosis. While he was only on a ventilator for a short amount of time during his transfer to the Toronto hospital from Mississauga, Sauve did need the advanced lung support therapy called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) — a machine that pumps and oxygenates the blood. Cypel said Sauve's lungs had shrunk during his infection, becoming stiff and resistant to air flow. "Lungs should be very light, like balloons — you can push air in very easily," Cypel said. "(Sauve's) were very similar actually to patients with chronic lung disease." While the surgery was a success, Cybel said transplants are not expected to become frequently used treatments for severe COVID cases. The procedure has only been done about "40 or 50" times worldwide, he said. Sauve's situation was unique in that the virus, aside from the irreversible damage it caused to his lungs, hadn't left the rest of his body in a weakened state, Cybel explained. Sauve had also cleared his COVID infection by the time he was assessed for a transplant, which was a main prerequisite before he could undergo surgery. As Sauve put it, "it would be a waste to give someone who wasn't healthy new lungs." Cybel says the rise of variants of concern that are causing severe disease in more younger patients may increase the number of transfer referrals going forward. UHN says its transplant program is currently evaluating three additional COVID patients for candidacy. Even though only a very "small subset" of people would qualify, "it is a very powerful, life-saving therapy for some specific patients," Cybel said. While Sauve is doing well in recovery now, he says the last few months had been a nightmare for his family. His entire household, including his common-law partner Julie Garcia, her 24-year-old son and her father, 80-year-old Juanito Teng, all tested positive for COVID around the same time Sauve became ill. Teng died in the ICU shortly after being admitted to hospital, in a room right next to Sauve's. The family doesn't know how members became infected or who got the virus first. Sauve, who had no prior comorbidities that put him at higher risk for infection or severe disease, says he hopes his story can resonate with anyone who thinks COVID-19 isn't that big a deal. "People don't realize what COVID does to people ... and sometimes they're putting their guard down," he said. "I thought that when I got the disease, I'd get over it." Sauve said the immediate aftermath of his surgery is a blur, with pain killers so strong they made him hallucinate — a normal reaction, his doctors told him. He also doesn't remember much from the day he found out he was getting his new lungs. "I just remember waiting," he said. "And the next thing I knew I was waking up from the operation — after the hallucinations wore off — and I realized I wasn't wearing an oxygen mask." Recovery time varies for patients after transplants, so Sauve isn't sure how long he'll need to stay at the rehab centre. But he doesn't want to rush things. "I want to leave here on my own two feet," he said. "I want to go home to my beautiful partner, Julie, but I don't want to need a walker. I'll stay here a little longer if I have to — it may take two months, three months, but my goal is to get back home." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021. Melissa Couto Zuber, The Canadian Press

  • Hot real estate market sparks warnings to potential buyers as complaints to regulator double

    As home sales in the province continue on a dizzying trajectory, the province's real estate watchdog and regulator are warning buyers to be wary of what they may be getting into. The Real Estate Council of B.C. (RECBC) and the Office of the Superintendent of Real Estate said that in the first three months of 2021, they have seen an increase in inquiries and complaints. Calls to the regulator were up 42 per cent over the previous year, while complaints, such as how offers were made and accepted, were double the number received in the same period in 2020. "Buying a home is one of life's biggest financial decisions. There are potential risks at the best of times, but with the added pressure and stress of the current market conditions, those risks are amplified," Micheal Noseworthy, superintendent of real estate, said in a statement. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says sales in the region have continued at a record-setting pace. Residential home sales covered by the board totalled 5,708 in March 2021, up 126.1 per cent from March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and up 53.2 per cent from February of this year. Rural and suburban areas have experienced the biggest spikes. For the past two weeks, Jay Park has been in the middle of the buying frenzy. He and his partner are trying to upgrade from their one-bedroom apartment to a two-bedroom condo or townhouse in Vancouver. "I wish we had done this a month or two ago," he said. A condo tower under construction is pictured in downtown Vancouver in February 2020.(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck) Park put an offer on a $1-million condo, $4,000 above asking price. "To entice the [seller], we put in a subject-free offer, but it wasn't successful," he said. "They accepted $110,000 over asking price that was also subject-free." The hot market has led to bidding wars. Some would-be buyers have even lined up outside for days to try to get a jump on a property. Erin Seeley, the CEO of the council, is warning buyers to do their research and be aware of risks before making an offer. "It's really important that buyers have engaged with their lender before they're making offers so they know how to stay within a reasonable budget," she said. Seeley said some of the complaints the council has heard from buyers is that they weren't aware the seller has a right to take an early offer. "And the seller was really in the driver's seat about setting the pricing," she said. Demand continues to outstrip supply for housing in cities like Vancouver.(Rafferty Baker/CBC) Aaron Jasper, a Vancouver realtor, advises clients to avoid cash offers and to include finance clauses even if it may mean they lose a deal. "There's a lot of frustration among buyers, feeling pressure to take some risk," he said. "You're better to be delayed perhaps a year getting into the market as opposed to being completely financially ruined." Jasper also says realtors are limited in the advice they can give to clients on legal matters, home inspections, potential deficiencies with homes, and financing. 'Caught up in the craziness' Other tips from the council include seeking professional advice before making a subject-free offer or proceeding without a home inspection, and speaking to a professional to determine how market conditions may be affecting prices. Meantime, people like Jay Park say they are still keen to buy. Park has more viewings scheduled and is optimistic. "It's a very exciting time for us, but I also don't want to get caught up in the craziness and make a purchase that's above our means."

  • One dead, seven injured as five-alarm fire sweeps through Montreal apartment building

    MONTREAL — One person was found dead and seven were taken to hospital after a five-alarm fire swept through a low-income seniors housing complex in Montreal Sunday morning. Antoine Ortuso of the Urgences-Sante ambulance service said the death was declared at the scene, but the cause had not yet been established. He says seven people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and other medical problems while five more were treated at the site. Urgences-Sante said it received a call at about 9:20 a.m. and sent five ambulances to the building southwest of the downtown core. The address of the building is listed on a Montreal government website as a 105-unit building that houses low-income seniors. Premier Francois Legault tweeted his condolences to the family of the victim, and added that the ministers in charge of seniors and of housing would work to find new homes for the residents. Dominique Anglade, the head of the provincial Liberal party and legislature member for the riding, also expressed sadness at the event. "This morning, a person died in the fire that raged in my riding," she wrote on Twitter. "My condolences to the loved ones but also to the residents who are especially shaken by what is happening." The fire department first tweeted about the blaze shortly after 9 a.m., asking people to avoid the area. Images from the scene showed firefighters using ladders to evacuate the residents from their balconies as smoke rose from the building. Firefighters posted again about three hours after the initial message to say the fire had been controlled. A spokeperson for Montreal police said the force would likely be called to investigate the death after the firefighters' work is complete, but as of early Sunday afternoon had not yet received the call. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021 Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press

  • 'You cannot claim any more:' Russia seeks bigger piece of Arctic Ocean seabed

    IQALUIT, Nunavut — Russia wants to stretch out imaginary lines on the ocean floor — and below it — and that has one northern security expert worried about consequences for other Arctic countries like Canada. Last week, Russia filed a submission to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend a claim to the Arctic Ocean seabed. The UN still has to review the submission but, if it's approved, Russia would have exclusive rights to resources in the seabed and below it, but not in the water. The new submission would push Russia's claim all the way up to Canada's exclusive economic zone, an area 200 nautical miles from the coastline, in which Canadians have sole rights to fish, drill and pursue other economic activities. Philip Steinberg, a political geography professor at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom, estimates Russia's submission expands its original claim by about 705,000 square kilometres. Robert Huebert, a political science professor at the University of Calgary, said Russia's request gets as close to Canada's 200-mile limit as possible. "This is a maximalist submission. You cannot claim any more," said Huebert, an Arctic security and defence analyst with the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies. Countries have sovereignty over their zones but can submit scientific evidence to the UN to claim control over the soil and subsoil of the extended continental shelf. Russia's amended submission overlaps with those from Canada and Denmark, but does not extend into the north of Alaska. "In effect, they’re claiming the entire Arctic Ocean as their continental shelf in regards to where their Arctic comes up against Canada’s and Denmark's." Huebert said. The claims from Canada, Denmark (on behalf of Greenland), and Russia already overlap at the North Pole, but the amended claim goes beyond that, Huebert said. "We haven’t seen a country before that’s extended over its neighbours. Here’s a situation where they’re claiming the entire Canadian and Danish continental shelf as part of their continental shelf." Huebert noted there have been recent reports of an increased Russian military presence on the Ukrainian border over the last two weeks. "If the Russians reinvigorate the conflict with Ukraine, that is going to spill into all of this." he said. “I don’t think anyone should assume that Russia will do anything less than pursue its maximum foreign policy interests." Whitney Lackenbauer, a professor at Trent University who specializes in circumpolar affairs, disagrees. "Russia is playing by the rules. And for those of us who are concerned about Russia’s flouting of the rules-based order, I actually take a great deal of comfort in seeing Russia go through the established process in this particular case," Lackenbauer said. He believes Russia's submission signals eventual talks between the three countries to determine the limits of their continental shelves. "Setting out to negotiate where the outermost limits would be was something that was always in the cards," Lackenbauer said. "I’m not worried about Russia’s actions as an Arctic coastal state seeking to determine the outermost limits of its extended continental shelf." Nor is he concerned about potential conflict, since Russia has submitted the required scientific evidence. "You can’t sit on a continental shelf and claim squatter’s rights to it." In a statement, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said Canada "remains firmly committed to exercising in full its sovereign rights in the Arctic" according to international law. The statement also said Russia's revised outer limit "does not establish new rights for Russia over the newly created overlap areas." It said Canada is studying Russia’s revised claim on its outer limits to prepare an appropriate response. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021. ___ This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship Emma Tranter, The Canadian Press

  • Canadian special forces supported major Iraqi military assault on ISIL last month

    OTTAWA — The commander of Canada's special forces says his soldiers supported a major military offensive last month that U.S. and Iraqi officials say killed dozens of Islamic State fighters. The two-week offensive codenamed Operation Ready Lion took place in a mountain range in northern Iraq and involved using Iraqi and coalition airstrikes to flush ISIL fighters from their tunnel complexes and bunkers. Those who fled were either captured or killed by Iraqi military snipers. The Canadian Armed Forces has been relatively quiet about what its roughly 200 special forces soldiers in Iraq have been doing in recent years. But in an exclusive interview with The Canadian Press, Maj.-Gen. Peter Dawe says his troops helped plan the operation and then helped with surveillance, resupplies and medical evacuations as it was underway. The federal government recently extended Canada's anti-ISIL mission, which first started in late 2014, currently includes hundreds of other troops in addition to the special forces soldiers until next March. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Pakistani transgender woman finds a niche in tailoring

    As Pakistani transgender woman Jiya measures customers at her tailoring shop in a brand new Karachi market, her eyes gleam with the prospect of a busy Ramadan season and her ambitions to expand. Already, Jiya, 35, who goes by a single name like many trans people in Pakistan, has broken ground by opening a public shop to make clothes for women and transgender women. Many landlords were reluctant to give a shop to a transgender woman, Jiya told Reuters at The Stitch Shop in the southern port city.

  • 40 caribou illegally harvested in N.W.T., says territorial government

    WARNING: This story contains a graphic image. Forty caribou were harvested illegally during a blizzard somewhere in the Northwest Territories, according to the territorial government. In a Facebook post published Saturday, Environment and Natural Resources did not say exactly where or when the animals were killed. However, the post noted it was unfortunate news to close out the winter road season. "This is unacceptable — and against the traditional values Elders have taught for generations," the post reads. Illegal harvesting of caribou has been a growing problem this winter season. Back in March, Environment Minister Shane Thompson said the department was investigating the illegal harvest of more than 50 caribou. That was compared to less than 10 illegally harvested caribou at the same time the previous winter. "We're working with Indigenous leaders to chart a new path forward for encouraging respectful harvesting," read Saturday's post by Environment and Natural Resources. "Everyone needs to take action today to ensure there are caribou for the next generations."

  • Crumbling Cape Breton rail line has not been inspected in six years

    Nova Scotia's Department of Transportation and Active Transit says it has not ordered any inspections of the discontinued rail line that is crumbling in various places across Cape Breton. In an email, officials said the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway's Sydney subdivision has not been inspected for the past six years. They said rail lines that are no longer operational are not expected to remain at an operational standard, but should be inspected to a public safety standard. However, they also said that while there are operational safety standards, there are no public safety standards defined in the Railways Act or regulations. They said it "is a general standard." The department would not make anyone available for an interview and the minister, Lloyd Hines, declined. Trains stopped running in 2015 The province is paying a subsidy to the owner of the railway that includes more than 100 kilometres of track running between Sydney and St. Peters Junction just outside Port Hawkesbury. The railway company stopped running trains on that section in 2015 and applied for and received provincial government permission to discontinue the line. The province was paying up to $60,000 a month to the owner to keep the line from being abandoned, because municipal officials and developers said they would need a rail line if they could attract a container terminal to Sydney harbour. That subsidy was reduced to $30,000 a month this year. But the line has been deteriorating since it was discontinued. The rail bed has washed out from underneath the tracks in several locations, leaving rails and ties hanging in mid-air, and trees more than two metres tall are sometimes found growing between the ties. The rail preservation agreement between the province and the company stipulates that the money is not to be used for repairs or enhancements to the line, unless those are required by law. It also says the company shall perform periodic inspections and maintenance as required under the Railways Act. Transportation officials say discontinued lines should be inspected to a public safety standard, but also say there is no written standard.(Tom Ayers/CBC) In response to questions from CBC News, the transportation department said inspections are only done on operational tracks. "Discontinued or abandoned rail lines should be maintained to a public safety standard, which is different from an operational standard," the department said. When pressed for a list of the differences, the department said operating standards "are very high, ensuring safe operation of trains. This includes the infrastructure including rails, lights, signals and signage, operating procedures, etc. "A public safety standard is not defined in the Act or [regulations], it is a general standard." MORE TOP STORIES

  • Jordanian prince makes first public appearance since arrest

    AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan's Prince Hamzah on Sunday made his first public appearance since he was placed under house arrest last week, reciting Quranic verses together with King Abdullah II at the graves of their forefathers. The gesture appeared to be an attempted show of unity on a major Jordanian holiday. Abdullah has attempted to signal in recent days that the situation is under control. But Sunday's staged event left it unclear whether the king and his popular half brother have truly put aside their differences. The conflict had escalated into the most serious public rift in the ruling family in decades, although Hamzah has denied any wrongdoing. Hamzah joined members of the Jordanian royal family marking the centenary of the establishment of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate that preceded the kingdom. The royal palace released a photo and video with Abdullah and Hamzah joining other dignitaries at the grave of their father, the late King Hussein, and the late King Talal, their grandfather. A photo and video showing the family together reciting the opening chapter of the Qur’an appeared to be aimed at sending a message of unity at a sensitive time for the kingdom. The chapter, known as the Fatiha, is traditionally recited at people's gravesides. It was the first time that Hamzah was seen in public since he was placed under a form of house arrest on April 3 following accusations that he was involved in a “malicious plot” to destabilize the kingdom. In statements leaked to the media, Hamzah denied the accusations and accused the country's government of corruption and incompetence. Hamzah has said his actions are out of love for the country. But his past criticism of government policies, and more recently, his outreach to powerful tribal leaders critical of the government, have been seen as threats to the king. Abdullah subsequently said authorities had thwarted an attempt at sedition involving his half brother and some 18 suspects, while saying he was angry and in shock. Abdullah also suggested there was continued control over Hamzah's movements, saying the prince was “with his family at his palace, under my care.” Authorities have imposed a sweeping gag order on any coverage of the royal dispute in a sign of how sensitive they are to how it is perceived. The gag order and the king’s willingness to sanction his own brother also reaffirmed what Jordanians understand as their “red line” — an absolute ban on criticizing the monarch or the royal family. Sunday's appearance by Hamzah indicated that he was safe, but it remained unclear whether he had come voluntarily or been released from the restrictions on his movement. Hamzah, wearing a suit, traditional headdress and blue surgical mask, joined his relatives in prayers but did not comment in public. His whereabouts after the ceremony were not immediately known. There also has been no sign that authorities have released up to 18 other detainees, including members of one of the powerful tribes on which the monarchy has historically relied. Even before the palace drama, Jordan was grappling with an economic crisis exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, with one in four people out of work. Longstanding complaints about corruption and misrule have fueled scattered protests in recent months. At the same time, the region’s strategic landscape is shifting as powerful Gulf states pursue closer ties with Israel, potentially undermining Jordan’s role in the Middle East peace process. The United States, along with regional allies, have all rallied behind the king. Jordan has long been seen as a relatively stable western ally in the Middle East in a turbulent region. But the past year of the coronavirus has rocked the country’s largely tourism-dependent economy. Abdullah and Hamzah are both sons of King Hussein, who ruled Jordan for nearly a half-century before his death in 1999 and remains a widely beloved figure. Abdullah had appointed Hamzah as crown prince upon his succession but stripped him of the title in 2004 and gave his eldest son the title instead. Jordan has a large Palestinian population, including more than 2 million refugees from past wars with Israel and their descendants. The monarchy has granted most of them full citizenship but has historically viewed them with suspicion. Its main base of support is powerful tribes from east of the Jordan River, who dominate the security forces. For decades, the monarchy has cultivated close ties with the U.S. and other Western nations, which it has used to press for the creation of a Palestinian state including the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. That strategy has hit a wall in recent years as the peace process has ground to a halt. Israel and Jordan made peace in 1994 and maintain close security ties, but relations have soured amid a series of recent diplomatic spats. At the same time, Gulf countries have been cultivating closer ties with Israel over their shared antipathy toward Iran, relations made public last year when the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations with Israel in a U.S.-brokered deal. Saudi Arabia has at times appeared to be weighing a similar move. ___ Federman reported from Jerusalem. Josef Federman And Omar Akour, The Associated Press