Dog watches people sledding, proceeds to do it herself

Layla the dog notices other people going down hill on a sled, so she does the same with her two front paws on her frisbee. How cool is that?

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  • Man pleads guilty in brutal attack on Moncton bartender

    A 21-year-old accused of the severe beating of a Moncton bartender changed his plea to guilty in a Moncton courtroom on Monday. Abdallah Abu Zeid originally pleaded not guilty to a charge of aggravated assault against Jacques Vautour, and Monday was the first of what was scheduled to be a 10-day trial. Communicating through an interpreter, Zeid instead pleaded guilty to the offence, which happened on Nov 8, 2020. Crown prosecutor Martine Cormier read out the agreed statement of facts. At around 3:30 a.m., Vautour was walking home from his shift at Navigators Pub. He was on Foundry, on the west side of the Atlantic Lotto building, when a blue Honda Civic pulled up. "Upon stopping, Zeid exited the vehicle and started striking Vautour," Cormier said. After the attack, Zeid got back in the car and left. Victim suffered injuries Vautour was left with a fractured orbital bone, a broken nose, broken teeth and a concussion. The Crown said the attack was in "retribution for denying entry to Mr. Zei" to Navigators Pub. Cormier said the assault was caught on a security camera. The driver of the Honda was interviewed and alleged he drove Zeid to Vautour after Zeid called and asked for a drive. Jacques Vautour was left with a fractured orbital bone, a broken nose, broken teeth and a concussion.(Tori Weldon/CBC) The Codiac RCMP seized Zeid's cellphone and got a warrant to search it for evidence. The Crown also said blood was found on the front passenger door of the Honda. Through the interpreter, Judge Paul Duffie asked if Zeid agreed with the statements of facts. He said, "Yes." The court expects a victim impact statement from Vautour and joint recommendation at the sentencing scheduled for June 22. Zeid will remain in custody.

  • The latest numbers on COVID-19 in Canada for Monday, Apr. 19, 2021

    The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4:00 a.m. ET on Monday April 19, 2021. There are 1,121,498 confirmed cases in Canada. Canada: 1,121,498 confirmed cases (87,925 active, 1,009,950 resolved, 23,623 deaths).*The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers. There were 7,593 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 231.35 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 59,023 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 8,432. There were 32 new reported deaths Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 294 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 42. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.11 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 62.16 per 100,000 people. There have been 29,907,670 tests completed. Newfoundland and Labrador: 1,043 confirmed cases (26 active, 1,011 resolved, six deaths). There was one new case Sunday. The rate of active cases is 4.98 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there has been 14 new case. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is two. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 1.15 per 100,000 people. There have been 234,141 tests completed. Prince Edward Island: 170 confirmed cases (10 active, 160 resolved, zero deaths). There were three new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 6.26 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of eight new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 134,704 tests completed. Nova Scotia: 1,807 confirmed cases (49 active, 1,691 resolved, 67 deaths). There were seven new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is five per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 39 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is six. There were zero new reported deaths Sunday. Over the past seven days there has been one new reported death. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is zero. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.01 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 6.84 per 100,000 people. There have been 464,263 tests completed. New Brunswick: 1,788 confirmed cases (154 active, 1,601 resolved, 33 deaths). There were 10 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 19.71 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 66 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is nine. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 4.22 per 100,000 people. There have been 283,622 tests completed. Quebec: 336,952 confirmed cases (13,449 active, 312,701 resolved, 10,802 deaths). There were 1,344 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 156.85 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 10,569 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,510. There were nine new reported deaths Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 60 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is nine. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.1 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 125.98 per 100,000 people. There have been 7,813,292 tests completed. Ontario: 416,995 confirmed cases (41,588 active, 367,691 resolved, 7,716 deaths). There were 4,250 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 282.26 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 30,387 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 4,341. There were 18 new reported deaths Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 164 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 23. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.16 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 52.37 per 100,000 people. There have been 13,328,247 tests completed. Manitoba: 36,159 confirmed cases (1,688 active, 33,512 resolved, 959 deaths). There were 170 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 122.38 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 946 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 135. There was one new reported death Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 10 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is one. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.1 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 69.53 per 100,000 people. There have been 626,901 tests completed. Saskatchewan: 38,160 confirmed cases (2,742 active, 34,953 resolved, 465 deaths). There were 289 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 232.63 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,856 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 265. There was one new reported death Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 11 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.13 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 39.45 per 100,000 people. There have been 723,594 tests completed. Alberta: 170,795 confirmed cases (17,935 active, 150,820 resolved, 2,040 deaths). There were 1,516 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 405.6 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 9,893 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,413. There were three new reported deaths Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 27 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is four. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.09 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 46.13 per 100,000 people. There have been 3,913,177 tests completed. British Columbia: 117,080 confirmed cases (10,259 active, 105,291 resolved, 1,530 deaths). There were zero new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 199.29 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 5,221 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 746. There were zero new reported deaths Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 21 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is three. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.06 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 29.72 per 100,000 people. There have been 2,349,763 tests completed. Yukon: 76 confirmed cases (two active, 73 resolved, one deaths). There were zero new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 4.76 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of two new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 2.38 per 100,000 people. There have been 8,740 tests completed. Northwest Territories: 43 confirmed cases (one active, 42 resolved, zero deaths). There were zero new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 2.21 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 16,904 tests completed. Nunavut: 417 confirmed cases (22 active, 391 resolved, four deaths). There were three new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 55.9 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 22 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is three. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 10.16 per 100,000 people. There have been 10,246 tests completed. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published April 19, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Mexican president to propose extension of welfare programs to curb migration

    Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday that he plans to propose his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden an extension of one of his key welfare programs to Central America to help curb immigration. "What I want to propose is that the program Sembrando Vida is implemented in Central America," Lopez Obrador said in a video message from Palenque in southern Mexico. One of Lopez Obrador's key welfare programs, Sembrando Vida aims to provide Mexicans with work and support the country's agriculture.

  • Emotions show as call to prayer broadcast during second Ramadan in lockdown

    EDMONTON — Moona Khan says every time she hears the call for prayer playing from the speakers at her mosque, her heart sings and she's happy the tradition is finally being accepted in Canada. The woman from Edmonton says the call, known as the "Athaan" or "Azaan," is usually recited in Muslim countries five times a day and invites congregants to not only pray, but to join their community in goodness. "To be able to hear it live like that ... it goes deep within my soul. You really (feel) like you belong, like you know your traditions are now being accepted and being celebrated here," Khan says. The Azaan is usually prohibited under city noise bylaws. But about 40 mosques in Edmonton, some in Calgary and at least one in Mississauga, Ont., have brought the tradition to Canada for the month of Ramadan. They have been allowed by their municipalities to play the call at sunset, the time when Muslims across the world take their first food and water after fasting from dawn to dusk. Muslims also mark Ramadan with almsgiving and spiritual reflection on compassion. Large gatherings are a feature of the holy month. Family and friends come together to cook, eat and stand shoulder to shoulder to pray. That can't happen this year because of COVID-19, but playing the Azaan can help boost morale, says Khan, who is also a board member with the Muslim Association of Canada's Islamic School in Edmonton. Yasin Cetin, a community outreach and engagement adviser for the association, agrees broadcasting the Azaan is exactly what Canadian-Muslims need to celebrate a second Ramadan in lockdown. "The challenge is that we miss the communal connection," Cetin said while sitting outside the centre's Rahma Mosque, west of Edmonton, an hour before sunset. He says he even misses what used to annoy him about Ramadan: finding a parking spot on a busy night of prayers or waiting in line to fill up a plate with food only to learn that someone took all the chicken from the biryani. "Who would've thought?" he says with a laugh. This is the second year mosques in Edmonton are broadcasting the call for prayer, but Cetin says it's not the last. The city has given permission to continue in future years, which he says has made this Ramadan more peaceful for Muslims. "The second time around, knowing that this is a part of an inclusive policy, there's an extra level of comfort in being an Edmontonian." The Muslim association checked with the city to see if there were any noise or general complaints. There weren't. At Rahma Mosque, community members gather every night with masks to observe as a volunteer rolls a portable speaker and mic to the front entrance of the building and sings serenely. The incantation echoes across the community for about two minutes. "It's hard to explain the significance of this," Cetin says. "But looking at last year, we had a number of elders who've never heard the Athaan broadcasting like this since leaving their home countries. They were here listening to that ... for the first time in decades and it was an emotional moment for a lot of them." Many were moved to tears while sharing with their Canadian children and grandchildren what they never thought they would experience again. Then they came inside the mosque and prayed standing two metres apart. Bilal Moumad, 14, was the first person to recite the Azaan at Rahma Mosque. "I just want to make sure there are kids out there that are inspired to recite," Moumad said. "Some kids are shy and I want to bring that power to them. It's peaceful." Khan said she pulled up in her car with her family just as Moumad was reciting on the first day of Ramadan last week. "It was surreal for myself and my mom and my husband, because it's something we had never heard in Canada. "To be able to share that with my children was really special." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2021 ___ This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship. Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press

  • Ontario sees 4,447 new COVID-19 cases as admissions to ICUs top 750

    Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, is scheduled to hold a briefing on the COVID-19 situation in the province at 3 p.m. ET. You'll be able to watch it live in this story. Ontario reported another 4,447 cases of COVID-19 and 19 more deaths of people with the illness on Monday, while the number of hospitalizations topped 2,200. It's the sixth straight day of more than 4,000 new infections in the province. They come as labs completed 42,873 tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and logged a positivity rate of 10.5 per cent — the highest since Ontario began reporting the measure last April. There are 2,202 people with COVID-19 in hospitals, according to the Ministry of Health. Of those, 755 are being treated for COVID-related critical illnesses in intensive care units. A total of 516 patients require a ventilator to breathe. All three figures are new pandemic highs for Ontario. Health officials warned last week that admissions to hospitals and ICUs are expected to continue to rise for the next several weeks, as they are lagging indicators to the explosive growth in cases this month. WATCH | Ontario doctors prepare to use triage protocol: Public health units collectively administered just 66,897 doses of vaccines Sunday, the fewest in two weeks. As of last evening, some 346,005 people in the province had received both doses. Ontario has given out 3,904,778, or about 80 per cent, of the 4,852,885 total doses of vaccines it has received thus far. Provincial health officials said early last week that public health units have combined capacity to administer up to 150,000 shots per day. Then during a news conference Friday, Ontario's Chief Medical of Health Dr. David Williams repeatedly said the province could be doing up to 500,000 shots daily, though it is unclear how he arrived at that figure, as no government official had cited it publicly before. CBC Toronto has reached out to the government for clarification on the discrepancy between the numbers. Meanwhile, Williams confirmed Monday morning that starting Tuesday, Ontario will begin offering the AstraZeneca vaccine to adults aged 40 and older. The vaccine had previously been limited to those 55 and up. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec have also said they would lower age requirements for the vaccine. About 1,400 pharmacies throughout the province are offering the AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as some primary care physicians in six public health units. The new cases reported today include: 1,229 in Toronto 926 in Peel Region 577 in York Region 233 in Ottawa 227 in Hamilton 205 in Durham Region 203 in Niagara Region 169 in Halton Region 114 in Simcoe Muskoka The seven-day average of daily cases rose slightly to 4,348. While it is too soon to draw conclusions, it does appear that a month-long period of exponential growth in the seven-day average has slowed. The 19 additional deaths in today's update pushed the official toll to 7,735. The seven-day average of deaths stands at 24. New COVID-19 measures face backlash Students across Ontario returned to the virtual classroom Monday morning as school buildings remain shuttered following the spring break. The provincial government announced the move to remote learning early last week as it dealt with a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. It also announced a suite of new measures meant to curb the spread of COVID-19, including limiting interprovincial travel. Checkpoints are set up at interprovincial border crossings and only those coming into Ontario for work, medical care, transportation of goods and exercising Indigenous treaty rights are allowed through. The province held firm to that measure over the weekend, despite walking back other public health rules that were announced at the same time Friday. Premier Doug Ford on Saturday reversed his decision to shutter playgrounds, following a swift backlash from parents and public health experts alike. They said the move was unlikely to curb the spread of COVID-19, as evidence suggests most transmission happens indoors. WATCH | Director of Ontario's COVID-19 science table disappointed with new measures: The government did, however, keep in place a number of controversial limitations on outdoor activities. In an interview with CBC News Network today, the director of Ontario's COVID-19 science advisory table said the restrictions were the "opposite" of what the group of experts recommended to cabinet. Dr. Peter Jüni, who is also a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Toronto, said the new round of measures failed to address the root causes driving the growth in cases in Ontario. "Right now we have a pandemic that is focused on essential workers and their families," he said. "We need to pay people in an uncomplicated and efficient manner to stay home." The science table and other health experts have repeatedly called for Ford and his cabinet to institute a provincially-run paid sick leave program. The federal counterpart, the Canadian Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), is "too complicated, not enough and the help comes too late," Jüni said. Ford and Ontario Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton have urged Ontarians to rely on the federal program, saying the province wants to avoid duplication. And during question period at the legislature today, House Leader Paul Calandra said the province expects the federal government to improve the CRSB in today's budget, including paid time off for vaccinations. The Ontario government voted against a series of Opposition motions aimed at supporting essential workers Monday, including one that sought to create a provincial paid sick-leave program. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath presented the motions — which required unanimous consent of the legislature to pass — during a session Monday morning. A frustrated Jüni said that "political considerations" are behind the government's refusal to take the science table's advice. "I don't think we can be any clearer: this is not a problem at the sending end, it's a problem at the receiving end. We need to stop having political considerations guide this pandemic (response)," he told host Heather Hiscox. "This does not work. It hasn't worked in the past, it won't work now. It hasn't worked in other jurisdictions and it wont work in Ontario." On Saturday the province also quickly rescinded new powers given to police officers, saying officers will no longer be able to stop any pedestrian or driver during the stay-at-home order to request their home address and their reason for being out of the house. Instead, police must have "reason to suspect" that a person is out to participate in an organized public event or social gathering before stopping them. Speaking to reporters today, Solicitor General Sylvia said that despite the public outcry and condemnation from legal experts that the powers generated, the details were "very clearly laid out." Jones said the government initially decided to enact the new powers because the science table recommended limiting mobility. "We've all seen those photographs of people who continue to basically ignore the advice of the science table and the stay-at-home. And the intention was always to ensure those large public gatherings were stopped and didn't continue because it puts everyone else at risk," she said.

  • World can bring pandemic under control within months - WHO chief

    The world can bring the global COVID-19 pandemic under control in the coming months provided it distributes the necessary resources fairly, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) told a news briefing on Monday. Global climate change activist Greta Thunberg, joining the briefing as a virtual guest from Sweden, took a swipe at "vaccine nationalism" and said it was unethical that rich countries were prioritising their younger citizens for vaccination ahead of vulnerable groups in developing countries. "We have the tools to bring this pandemic under control in a matter of months, if we apply them consistently and equitably," said the head of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

  • Analysis: Beijing huddles with friends, seeks to fracture U.S.-led 'clique'

    China is shoring up ties with autocratic partners like Russia and Iran, as well as economically dependent regional countries, while using sanctions and threats to try to fracture the alliances the United States is building against it. Worryingly for Beijing, diplomats and analysts say, the Biden administration has got other democracies to toughen up to a rising, more globally assertive China on human rights and regional security issues like the disputed South China Sea. "China has always resolutely opposed the U.S. side engaging in bloc politics along ideological lines, and ganging up to form anti-China cliques," the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement to Reuters.

  • Ontario doctors prepare to triage care for sickest COVID-19 patients

    With Ontario’s intensive care units approaching a breaking point, doctors are preparing to use triage protocols to determine which of the sickest patients there is capacity to save.

  • Woman who shot FreshCo arrest video says incident was important to record

    The woman who shot a video of a violent arrest by a private security guard at a Saskatoon FreschCo. earlier this week says she was frozen in fear as she watched the incident unfold before her. Now, after taking some time to reflect and steady herself, she says she's glad she recorded the video, but wishes she had stepped in. Jade Acikahte watched the entire arrest unfold, saying the Indigenous woman complied with the security guard fully before she was arrested. Acikahte says the security guard stopped the woman as she was leaving the store on 33rd Street West in the city's Mayfair Neighbourhood, and said he suspected her of theft. She says that when asked, the woman followed instructions from the man fully, emptying the contents of her purse as requested. However, when that didn't satisfy the guard, the man told the woman to follow him back to the store, at which time she said she didn't want to. "As she was putting her stuff back in her purse, she said 'No, I don't want to go with you. I'm not going with you,'" Acikahte said. The guard was blocking the woman's path, according to Acikahte, when the woman tried to walk away. Acikahte said the security guard grabbed the woman by her wrist and tried to force her into handcuffs. When she fought back, the man threw her to the ground. "With her hands still behind her back, so she wasn't able to brace for that fall," she said, and at that point, that's when she took out her phone and started to record. The incident has spurred calls for the security guard in the video to be fired and has already resulted in the termination of the contract between the FreshCo. store and the security firm that employs him. The woman, a 30-year-old, has been charged with theft under $5,000 and assault as a result of the incident. Calls for guard to be fired, charged The security guard has not been charged, but many — including Indigenous leaders with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the Saskatoon Tribal Council — want that to change. They also want all charges against the woman dropped. As for Acikahte, she says she had never seen anything like the arrest before, noting she agrees the guard should be fired and charged. "I felt really confused and scared for her," she said. "All I know is that I had to record." A photo of Jade Acikahte, an Indigenous woman in Saskatoon who recorded a violent arrest in a Saskatoon parking lot by a private security guard on April 14,2021. (Supplied by Jade Acikahte ) The company that employs the guard, Emergency Security Management Solutions, has told CBC News previously that every company has its policies and procedures around their employees and says they will be followed. Acikahte says the recording has been shared with police, as she does not feel the guard's behaviour was appropriate. It's also circulated widely online, with the original post being shared almost 2,000 times. WATCH | Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations calls for security guard to be fired following violent arrest at Saskatoon store: Acikahte, who saw photos of the arrests aftermath, says the woman in the video suffered numerous injuries as a result. "It was literally her entire body," she said. Acikahte, who is also Indigenous, says the fact the woman was charged as a result of the incident is "absolutely outrageous." "Just witnessing it from beginning to end, the force he used at the very beginning was just not necessary," she said. "I feel like she acted out of self-defence. Completely." However, Acikahte says while the video was shocking, it wasn't surprising, as it's a sign of a larger problem. "This is normal life for Indigenous people. I really hope that this situation can be an example and it's rectified in a positive way," she said. "It's upsetting. It's really, really upsetting to watch this unfold." Mayor addresses racism, profiling Saskatoon's Mayor Charlie Clark has also publicly stated the video has left him feeling angry, and this type of violence "needs to stop. "We can't ignore as a community that not everyone would have been treated this way. Our city has been coming to terms with the reality of our history and ongoing impacts of violence against women, and violence against Indigenous women," said Clark in the statement. "We have also been coming face to face with the reality that systemic racism, and profiling of people in stores and institutions in our community, carries on in large and small ways," he said. "The video of this arrest highlighted this. I hear too often from people who are Indigenous, Black, and people of colour that they regularly face discrimination, profiling and violence." In the statement, Clark says this type of violence has a real impact on a person's life and those who do not experience need to "listen and hear directly from people who do. "We have work to do to address the training and accountability of security guards, the racial profiling of people in stores and institutions, to address the hard truths of the impacts of a colonial relationship, and to build a way forward where we see each other as relatives and where everyone has opportunity here." Clark says he's committed to the work necessary to bring an end to this type of injustice and has already had communication with Saskatoon Tribal Chief Mark Arcand on steps forward. "I will keep working with leaders throughout the community towards these goals," he said in the statement. "We can only be successful by doing it together as a community." The woman has been offered support by both the FSIN and the STC, and Acikahte says she too will do all she can to help. She's spoken to the woman about why she didn't get involved, as she was afraid of charges, and for her safety and said the conversation was important. "I apologized profusely for not stepping in for not being more help," she said. "She was not upset with me. She was not angry with any of us bystanders, she was glad it was recorded." On Friday morning, the Saskatoon Police Service confirmed its investigation into the matter is ongoing, but did not have any updates. "As with any call for service, we respond with the information we have at the time," the statement said. "I can add that if we need to seek an opinion from the Crown following the investigation, we will."

  • Sale of Chinese painting shows art value rising in pandemic

    HONG KONG — A Chinese painting from 1924 is expected to fetch at least $45 million in an auction in Hong Kong, as collectors' appetite for art continues to rise even amid economic uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. The painting by influential Chinese modern artist Xu Beihong depicts a slave hiding in a cave and a lion. It is based thematically from ancient Roman mythology and Aesop’s Fables, according to Christie’s auction house, which unveiled the painting Monday. Xu frequently uses the lion in his work to exemplify his faith in the rise of the Chinese nation. The lion in the painting is wounded, but remains dignified, righteous and proud – a symbol of the Chinese spirit, the auction house said. The “Slave and Lion” painting is considered a groundbreaking work that inspired Xu’s later paintings and one of the most important oil paintings in Chinese art history. “Xu Beihong himself is one of the most important modern artist in China who has influenced generations of painters and artists,” said Francis Belin, President of Christie’s in Asia Pacific. “That kind of work and that kind of size, and that kind of prestige, does not come to the market very often.” The painting is estimated to fetch between $45 million to $58 million in a single-lot auction on May 24. Belin said there is a diverse appetite for modern and contemporary masterpieces and the market is expected to remain strong. Last year, a 700-year-old Chinese painted scroll titled “Five Drunken Princes Returning on Horseback” from the Yuan Dynasty fetched $41.8 million at a Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong. Katie Tam, The Associated Press

  • Police will begin stopping Ontario-bound passenger vehicles Monday

    Ottawa police say they will have officers stationed at all five interprovincial bridges and two ferries linking the Outaouais and Ottawa. It's all in response to a provincial order restricting only essential travel into Ontario from neighbouring provinces. The measures come into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, and restrict travel to those who live or work in Ontario, are entering the province for health-care reasons, Indigenous Treaty Rights, child care or custody matters, transporting goods, or are travelling through the province to go somewhere else. Officers will be stationed 24/7 on the Ontario side of the Champlain, Portage, Chaudière and Macdonald-Cartier bridges as well as the docks for the Quyon and the Bourbonnais ferries, the Ottawa Police Service wrote in a release Sunday afternoon. Officers will also be stationed at the Alexandra Bridge, as the provincial order also applies to pedestrians and cyclists, according to the statement. We have to trust that people are going to be honest. - Inspector Michel Marin Police said officers will only stop private passenger vehicles and not commercial ones, which are exempt from the provincial order. "We're going to ask for a reason why you're going into Ontario and then you'll be sent on your way," said Inspector Michel Marin. "If we're asking [drivers] to turn around for whatever reasons, we'll be keeping tabs on that." No written documentation needed He said officers don't have plans to issue fines to people who may re-offend. "Most people we're dealing with have the good commonsense approach to why we're doing this and the general public generally tends to be very co-operative and we're not anticipating any major issues on those bridges," said Marin. He said officers won't require written documentation to show someone has an essential reason for entering Ontario. "We have to trust that people are going to be honest," he said. "There are quite a number of people that live on the Gatineau, Que., side that come to Ottawa every day to work and a lot of those folks are essential workers ... We'll simply allow them through." Ontario Provincial Police will also have officers stationed on interprovincial roadways, including highways 401, 417, and 17, and the interprovincial bridge at John Street in Hawkesbury, Ont.

  • Hong Kong bans flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines for 2 weeks

    Hong Kong will suspend flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines from April 20 for two weeks after the N501Y mutant COVID-19 strain was detected in the Asian financial hub for the first time, authorities said in a statement late on Sunday. The three countries would be classified as "extremely high risk" after there had been multiple imported cases carrying the strain into Hong Kong in the past 14 days, the government said. Hong Kong has recorded over 11,600 cases in total and 209 deaths.

  • Alma Wahlberg, mother of Mark, Donnie Wahlberg, dies at 78

    Alma Wahlberg, the mother of entertainers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg and a regular on their reality series “Wahlburgers,” has died, her sons said on social media Sunday. She was 78. “My angel. Rest in peace,” Mark Wahlberg tweeted. Donnie Wahlberg posted a longer tribute to his mother on his Instagram account. “It’s time to rest peacefully, mom,” Donnie Wahlberg wrote. “I love you, miss you, thank you and will celebrate you, today and always.” No information was given about the cause, date or location of her death. Donnie Wahlberg often posted about his mother on his accounts and in July updated his fans on her health, writing that she “didn’t remember much and was often confused but somehow she was still Alma.” The Boston-born mother of nine became a household name thanks to her appearances on the A&E series “Wahlburgers,” about the family’s burgeoning burger chain. “She made no apologies for who she was, but never put herself above anyone else. She kicked our butts if we messed up, kicked anyone else’s butts if they messed with us. Taught us right, made us pay the price when we were wrong,” Donnie Wahlberg wrote Sunday. “She was the epitome of the word grace.” He also included a video of them dancing at his wedding to one of her favourite songs, “If I Could” by Regina Belle. He wrote that she danced to that song at each of her children’s weddings, but at his own, he surprised her by having Belle there to perform it live. On the “Today” show in 2018, Alma Wahlberg opened up about her parenting and how hard it was early on. “I invented the craziest meals,” she said. English muffin pizzas were among her creations to feed her hungry lot. More than a few of her children went on to great successes and fame. Her son Paul Wahlberg, who is the chef behind the namesake burger chain, also named the Alma Nove restaurant in Hingham, Massachusetts, after her. “People know me as being the mother of famous children, and although this fact has brought many gifts into my life and has afforded me opportunities that may never have been possible otherwise, there is a whole lot more to my story than most people know,” Alma Wahlberg said in an interview with Boston’s WCVB-TV in 2018. “I’ve lived with alcoholism and abuse; struggled with poverty and experienced great wealth; lost so many that I’ve loved; struggle to raise nine children, and I love them more than anything else; watch them suffer, learn and come out on the other side; lost myself; found myself, again and again; and kept moving forward, no matter what.” Alma Wahlberg is survived by eight children. Her daughter Debbie died in 2003. Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press

  • Francophones, allophones should be forced to attend CEGEP in French, PQ says

    The Parti Québécois will push for the province's language laws to be applied to the CEGEP network, meaning it wants to force francophone and allophone Quebecers to do their collegial studies in French. At an online meeting Sunday, party members voted overwhelmingly (94 per cent) to back a motion put forward by the PQ's youth wing to extend the application of Bill 101 to CEGEPs. "We see it every day: our national language is losing ground. Taking strong measures is no longer an option; it is a necessity," the party said in a statement on social media. It is a notable policy shift for a number of reasons. Current party leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, opposed the measure during his leadership campaign. The previous PQ leader, Jean-François Lisée, also left it out of the party's 2018 provincial election platform. In the past, many in the party had been uneasy at the idea of dictating the language of instruction of Quebecers older than 18. But concerns about the health of the French language have been running high in recent months. And the PQ's main rival on French-language issues is the governing Coalition Avenir Québec. The government has promised to present plans this spring to beef up Bill 101, but it has ruled out expanding the scope of the law to CEGEPs. "We're a democratic party. Either I don't give members and MNAs the right to vote freely, or this right is exercised freely and offers up a democratic result," Plamondon said following the vote. He added the PQ would only support the CAQ's Bill 101 reforms if they include an expansion to CEGEPs. Bill 101, also known as the Charter of the French Language, was passed by the first PQ government in 1977. Party members will have to meet again in the fall to vote on whether to include the proposition in the platform for the next provincial election, scheduled to take place in October of 2022.

  • Freeland's 1st budget could be one of the most significant in decades. Here's how to watch and listen

    Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will deliver her first federal budget on Monday — Canada's first in two years. The budget will map out Canada's path toward economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and account for record levels of emergency spending intended to offset the impact of the crisis. Freeland will lay out more than $2 billion for a national child-care program while keeping the federal deficit for the past year under $400 billion, CBC News reported Sunday. The budget will also acknowledge that pandemic financial supports must continue to flow as parts of the country enter a third wave of the public health emergency. The finance minister is also expected to unveil details of Ottawa's three-year stimulus plan, valued between $70 billion and $100 billion, which will launch when life begins to return to normal. Here's how you can keep up with the day's events. Television CBC News special coverage starts Monday afternoon on CBC News Network and livestreamed on cbcnews.ca, CBC Gem, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. From 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET, tune into the Power & Politics pre-budget show hosted by Vassy Kapelos. Stay on for CBC's budget special, hosted by chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET. Follow the rest of CBC's budget coverage with Power & Politics from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Online There will be full coverage and analysis of the budget on cbcnews.ca. Watch coverage on cbcnews.ca, the CBC News app and CBC Gem beginning at 3 p.m. ET. There will be a live stream on the main cbcnews.ca page, and continued analysis and reaction throughout the day. Radio and podcasts CBC Radio will provide full budget coverage from Susan Bonner, the host of The World at Six, and Chris Hall, CBC's national affairs editor and host of The House. Coverage begins at 4 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m. ET. Tune in for wide-ranging analysis from economist Armine Yalnizyan and Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada. Federal opposition parties will offer their reaction, along with politicians across the country, including Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. Hear from interest groups such as Child Care Now, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the Canadian Mental Health Association. On Tuesday morning, listen to CBC's daily news podcast Front Burner for a deep dive into the most relevant parts of this year's budget with host Jayme Poisson, who will also be joined by Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos. The episode will be available at 6 a.m. ET wherever you get your podcasts.

  • Canada's Trudeau mobilizes federal workers to battle COVID-19 in Toronto and rest of Ontario

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday he would send federal healthcare workers to help Toronto and the province of Ontario battle a third wave of COVID-19 infections that has forced shutdowns of schools and businesses. "We are mobilizing federal healthcare workers from across government departments to deploy on the front lines in Ontario and specifically the Greater Toronto area where the situation is most critical," Trudeau said in a video posted on Twitter. Other provinces, especially on the Atlantic coast, are working "to determine what human resources and equipment they could free up over the coming days," Trudeau said, adding that the federal government would cover the costs of that help.

  • Woman with dementia locked into 10-year home-heating contract — with a $15K lien on her property

    When Matt Fuchs needed money to hire a home-care worker for his 82-year-old mother, who has dementia, he figured getting a line of credit based on the equity in her house would be easy. After all, the home was mostly paid off. Instead, the application was denied over a $12,500 lien on the property for home heating and cooling equipment. Fuchs says he and his mother knew nothing about it. The lien was later increased to more than $15,000. Fuchs says the lien was put there after a company called Nationwide Home Comfort showed up at Mercedes Chacin de Fuchs's door in 2017 and convinced her to sign a 10-year rental contract for a furnace and air conditioner. "They came in and convinced somebody that has cognitive issues that they needed something they didn't need," Fuchs told Go Public. He says his mom, who also has Parkinson's disease, told him the salesperson said the company was part of a provincial environmental program that saves homeowners money. "She was duped. No doubt," Fuchs told Go Public. "Later, when I found out that this was a widespread problem across Canada, I got even more disgusted." Tens of thousands of Canadians are locked into similar "unconscionable," deals says paralegal John Robinson, who fights such contracts in court, including that of Fuchs and his mom. How it works, according to Robinson, is an HVAC company that sells the contracts; mostly to seniors, people with disabilities or those with English as a second language. Then a different company buys that contract and starts collecting the monthly payments — providing "financing." That way, Robinson says, the financing company can say it had nothing to do with how the contracts were signed. Those companies then slap liens on the property for the equipment, usually right away, that often aren't discovered by the homeowners until they go to sell or refinance, he says. In tiny print and written in legalese, Chacin de Fuchs's contract says the company has "the right to register a security interest" on the property, and that the owner waives the right to get a copy of the registration. (Wendy Martinez/CBC) Robinson says land title departments in some cities allow companies to register security interests, or liens, without informing homeowners. The HVAC companies "don't [inform owners] because if they did, no one would agree to these agreements. No one would sign them," Robinson said. It's a convoluted web of companies, he says, that often make a lot of money off the backs of the most vulnerable. Less than a month after Chacin de Fuchs signed, her contract was taken over by a financing company called Home Trust, which slapped a $12,500 lien on the property. A year later, in November 2018, the contract was sold to Crown Crest Capital, which replaced the first lien with its own security interest for more than $15,000. Few answers Getting answers from some of the companies is tough. Go Public found a lot of their websites are shut down, the phone numbers are out of service, and the emails bounce back. Home Trust didn't reply to Go Public's repeated requests for comment. Nationwide Home Comfort is no longer operating, according to its former director Roman Berson, who now heads up two other HVAC companies. WATCH | Woman with dementia locked into 10-year home-heating contract: He says any claim of misrepresentation by the salesperson is "completely false" — Berson says Chacin de Fuchs invited the representative into her home by booking an appointment and that their vehicle was clearly marked with the Nationwide logo. He says all Nationwide's contracts now belong to Crown Crest Capital and another company. Crown Crest Capital, owned by Simply Group — a major player in the HVAC industry — said in an email to Go Public it has "worked so hard to counter bad practices" in the industry and has supported consumer protection reforms. "Sometimes, customers facing financial challenges try to renege on their commitments after years of complaint-free leasing by claiming to have been misled at the time they signed up," wrote vice president of customer experience Tasleemah Ladak. The Fuchs family is suing the companies involved. Matt Fuchs says he discovered the $15,000 lien on his mom's home years after she signed the contract. (Tina MacKenzie/CBC) In its statement of defence, Crown Crest Capital denies all allegations, saying it is only the financial institution that took on the contract after it was signed. In her email, Ladak also says less than 0.01 per cent of its accounts end up in litigation. The company would not say how many customers it has. Ladak also said Crown Crest Capital does not have any liens on properties but instead registers "interest in the leased equipment" so future homeowners know the equipment won't automatically become theirs. Robinson calls that last point "semantics" saying, "it makes no difference what you call it, everyone knows what a lien is … it's the same thing." Crown Crest Capital also says it regrets the Fuchs sued before reaching out to the company directly. Another family, Joddy Prevost and his wife Cherie Prevost of Tillsonburg, Ont., found liens of almost $17,000 on his dad's property after Norm Prevost passed away in November 2019. He'd signed the contract two years earlier, when he was 73. Joddy Prevost, right, and his wife Cherie Prevost say they had no choice but to pay out thousands on a contract his dad signed but didn't understand.(Mark Bochsler/CBC) "It was Ontario Energy Savings that was on all the papers, but when we called … they said, 'No, we just installed, you need to call whoever you purchased it from,'" Cherie said. They were finally told the contract was owned by Utilebill, another major player in the industry. Utilebill wanted $21,000 to buy the contract out, so Joddy hired a lawyer to negotiate with the company, ultimately paying $15,600. The couple says they felt they had no choice but to pay. Neither Ontario Energy Savings nor Utilebill responded to Go Public's questions. Fix is failing Robinson, the paralegal, says such liens hold consumers hostage because people who sell or refinance their homes have no choice but to pay out the contract if they want to remove the lien. Consumer protection agencies across the country have received over 2,000 complaints about HVAC contracts in the last five years. Paralegal John Robinson says governments need to do a lot more to protect consumers against certain home heating and cooling companies.(Stephane Richer/CBC) Ontario has laid the most charges, 1,235, against HVAC companies under its Consumer Protection Act, but its convictions are low, just five since 2017. The province has a "consumer beware list" where the public can search for details on all charges laid against businesses and owners. Cases involving these contracts have been flooding the courts, with consumers suing the companies over the contracts and vice versa, says Robinson. He says the business — mostly led by just a few multimillion-dollar companies — is so lucrative it's worth it for the companies to fight in court or pay consumer protection fines. In 2017 and 2018, Alberta and Ontario banned these kinds of door-to-door sales and required more transparency with the contracts. Manitoba is set to follow, but Robinson says bans are just a small "Band-Aid" for a big problem. Matt is suing all the companies involved in the HVAC contract and the resulting liens on his mother's home.(Tina MacKenzie/CBC) He says the changes did nothing for the tens of thousands of Canadians still stuck with contracts and says some companies have learned to work around the rules — by soliciting new customers over the phone and under false pretenses, to get to the doorstep and say they were invited by the homeowner. The rules also fail to address liens. "Stop that and you'll solve the problem, because then they have no incentive … There's no monetary incentive," Robinson said. The Fuchses' case is now winding its way slowly, because of the pandemic, through the courts. Robinson was able to negotiate a temporary removal of the lien with Home Trust — before Crown Crest Capital took over the contract — so the family could secure the line of credit and get the home care his mother needs. The lien was then put back on. Submit your story ideas Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC-TV, radio and the web. We tell your stories, shed light on wrongdoing and hold the powers that be accountable. If you have a story in the public interest, or if you're an insider with information, contact GoPublic@cbc.ca with your name, contact information and a brief summary. All emails are confidential until you decide to Go Public. Read more stories by Go Public.

  • 'There's still good in the world': Canmore woman thanks volunteer rescuers after nearly fatal 100-metre fall

    The last thing Patricia Paul remembers is the feeling of falling. The 44-year-old woman from Canmore, Alta., was exploring Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park, B.C., on the evening of March 27, when she realized the icy terrain was difficult, she didn't feel safe and she wanted to turn back. She expressed her concerns to the group she was with, who knew the area better than her, but said she wasn't taken seriously. What happened next, she isn't sure — the head trauma makes her memories come in flashes. She heard a voice in her head, telling her to roll like she used to roll down hills as a kid — protecting her head. "I remember hitting rocks … I remember holding my head and trying to pay attention so that I could protect myself and stay awake. I think I was going in and out of consciousness. I remember being in the water and having to roll over, and being in extreme pain," she said. Paul has pieced together a version of events based on what others have told her. She said she was told the others proceeded ahead without her, until they heard a scream. She said police got a call around 10:45 p.m., and Columbia Valley and Kimberley Search and Rescue Teams headed out to the site where they worked, late into the night, to use ropes to raise her 100 metres up the steep, treed slope, before airlifting her to hospital. She was put on life support, with her ribs broken, right forefinger broken and tendon severed, other fingers broken, and a broken vertebrae in her neck — not to mention severe head trauma that saw her skull exposed, and road rash and bruises all over her body. Nobody contacted her family. But, by chance, two fishermen spotted her purse the next day — covered in blood. They contacted her loved ones, who were able to track down the hospital where she was being treated. "I remember like the team of nurses and doctors waking me up and telling me what had happened. I was just waking up from surgery and that my sister and mom were coming to visit me," she said. 'I could have died' Paul said she's still emotionally processing her ordeal. "I still haven't fully absorbed all of it … I think I'm still in shock," she said. "I've had some brief moments where I'm just like, oh my God, I just about died. When I think about all of the what ifs, like … I could be paralyzed, I could have lost a limb, I could be in a coma, I could have died." She joked that she's feeling pretty tough — but she definitely doesn't want to test her fortitude again. Paul faces a long recovery. She's out of hospital, but it'll be weeks until her hands have healed enough for her to resume work, and she has extremely limited mobility, requiring more home care than Alberta Health Services is currently able to provide. Her sister has started an online fundraiser in her name to help with her expenses. Despite everything, Paul said she's feeling luck and gratitude. "This sounds like the worst luck a person could have, but going through this, and all of the help I've received — the doctors, surgeons and nurses and saved my life, and the search and rescue teams (like, they're volunteers) — they came and they saved my life!" she said. "I wouldn't have been able to come this far if it wasn't for all of this help and support. I want people to remember that, you know, there's still good people in the world. There's still good in the world."

  • Pakistan foreign minister says no plan to meet Indian counterpart in UAE - newspaper

    Pakistan's foreign minister has welcomed mediation efforts by the United Arab Emirates between his country and India but told UAE newspaper Khaleej Times that he was not planning to meet his Indian counterpart in the country. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar are visiting the Gulf state at the same time.

  • Huawei CFO's team asks judge for adjournment in final extradition hearings

    VANCOUVER — Lawyers for Meng Wanzhou are asking a B.C. Supreme Court judge today to delay the final leg of hearings in the Huawei executive's extradition case. They say in court documents they need time to review new evidence obtained through a court order in Hong Kong that may support their argument that the United States misled Canadian officials in describing the allegations against Meng. Meng's legal team also says Canada's attorney general should launch an investigation into whether Meng was arrested based on inaccurate information and they are seeking an adjournment until such a probe is completed and the risk of COVID-19 subsides. Lawyers for Canada's attorney general say in their response that none of those factors justify a months-long adjournment and accuse Meng's team of trying to turn the extradition case into a trial. Three weeks of arguments in Meng's case are set to begin April 26. Meng was arrested at Vancouver's airport in 2018 at the request of the United States to face fraud charges related to America's sanctions against Iran, which both she and Huawei deny. In its response, the Crown says after 2 1/2 years of legal proceedings, "and mere days from reaching the finish line, the applicant asks this court to take a several month pause. Her request should be denied." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2021. The Canadian Press