Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny will return to Russia on January 17
Former President Donald Trump considered replacing the acting attorney general with an official willing to pursue unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, and he pushed the Justice Department to ask the Supreme Court to invalidate President Joe Biden’s victory, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal said the efforts in the last weeks of Trump's presidency failed because of resistance from his Justice appointees who refused to file what they viewed as a legally baseless lawsuit in the Supreme Court. Other senior department officials later threatened to resign if Trump fired then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, several people familiar with the discussions told the Journal.
Quebec's Hasidic Jewish council is asking all community members to follow public health guidelines after Montreal police intervened at several illegal gatherings in Outremont and the Plateau this weekend. "It is with regret that the Council of Hasidic Jews of Quebec has learned that certain members of the community have not respected the public health guideline limiting the number of people in a religious institution to 10," the council said in a statement Saturday night. In all, police were called to nine places where people were allegedly contravening public health rules on Saturday, and identified 223 offenders. Police issued 15 tickets for illegal indoor assemblies as well as one for breaking the curfew. According to SPVM spokesperson Const. Véronique Comtois, police were called to a synagogue on the corner of Hutchison Street and St-Viateur Avenue around 9:30 Saturday morning. There, Comtois said, officers found dozens of people inside the building. Police identified them and issued a general offence report, Comtois said. That report will be analyzed and more fines may be issued at a later date, she said. Just over two hours later, Montreal police issued another general offence report after being called to a place of worship on Durocher Street, near the corner of Lajoie Street. Comtois said officers found a group of people gathered both inside and outside. 2nd incident at same location According to Montreal police, it was the second time in less than a day that officers were called to the Durocher Street synagogue, after another illegal gathering around 5 p.m. Friday. In that incident, people fled when officers arrived. Police have since set up a security service in the area to make sure public health measures are being followed and to intervene if there are violations, a spokesperson said. While the Council of Hasidic Jews is denouncing any illegal gatherings that took place, the organization is also accusing the SPVM of not properly enforcing the law. At least one of the establishments in question has three separate entrances into three separate closed off spaces, the council said, allowing them to safely accommodate 10 people each. Mayer Feig, a member of the Council of Hasidic Jews, said the government's new regulations are confusing. "Before, it was 25 people per room. Now, it says 10, and that came late on Friday. We didn't know if it was [10] per room or per building," he said. Feig also denounced what he called a "disproportionate" police presence at the synagogues this weekend. "I don't think you need 30 police cars for 15 people," he said. "It's really frustrating." 'Now is not the time to gather,' Guilbault says The province had ordered all places of worship to shut down earlier this month, with an exception for funerals. But earlier this week, the province reversed that decision, opting to limit religious gatherings to a maximum of 10 people instead. In a statement to Radio-Canada, Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault called illegal gatherings "unacceptable" and said it's important for all Quebecers to keep following the public health guidelines put in place. "The regulations are the same for everyone," the statement said. "Now is not the time to gather. The situation is still fragile in our hospitals." Outremont Mayor Philipe Tomlinson said he was disappointed to see people in the borough not following the rules. "It's a matter of public health. It's not just their health, it's everyone's health."
BIRMINGHAM, England — Aston Villa returned to winning ways and climbed into the top 10 of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory against Newcastle on Saturday. Club-record signing Ollie Watkins scored for the first time in 10 matches to set Villa on its way to all three points with a 13th-minute strike, before Bertrand Traore doubled the lead shortly before halftime. Villa boss Dean Smith watched from the stands as he served a one-match touchline ban after he was charged by the FA for using abusive and/or insulting language towards referee Jon Moss during the defeat at Manchester City. He will have been pleased with what he saw as Villa moved up to eighth in the table. For Newcastle, the downward spiral continued and Steve Bruce’s team has dropped to 16th spot after a sixth defeat in a eight-match winless run in the league. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The Associated Press
After an long-awaited inquiry into ground search and rescue was formally established earlier this month, Liberal Leader Andrew Furey says another inquiry, one looking into Innu children in care, won't start until the search and rescue inquiry is finished. The provincial government established the search and rescue inquiry in a wave of announcements on Jan. 14, the day before the election was called. The inquiry into search and rescue was promised in 2015, after 14-year-old Burton Winters perished when his snowmobile became stuck on the sea ice outside Makkovik three years prior. Winters's family has repeatedly asked for the inquiry to begin and explain why it took two days for a military aircraft to be dispatched to aid ground search and rescue. However, the search and rescue inquiry will focus on policy, instead of investigation. It will hold one hearing into the search for Burton Winters. It's not clear when inquiry commissioner and former provincial court justice James Igloliorte will begin formally gathering facts and holding hearings, but proceedings are expected to wrap up sometime in June. But, Furey says the long-awaited inquiry into Innu children in care in Newfoundland and Labrador won't happen at the same time. "They're not going to happen simultaneously, but we have had really good progress with the Innu Nation and it looks like we've secured a council and a framework to move forward," Furey said Thursday. The province said more than three years ago it would launch an inquiry into Innu children in the child-care system, but there's been little to no movement in the time since. The suicide of Innu teen Wally Rich, while he was in the care of a group home in the child protection system in May 2020, renewed calls for that inquiry to begin last year. A shortage of Supreme Court judges hindered the search for a commissioner for the inquiry, and the Innu Nation previously agreed agreed to allow a commissioner from out of the province to head the inquiry. PCs, NDP call for inquiry to start PC Leader Ches Crosbie said Saturday that he doesn't know why the inquiry into Innu children in care has taken so long. "This has been bouncing around for something like three years, I think. The point about that is that it should have been done and over with by now," he said. "I don't understand why the government is dragging its feet." Alison Coffin, leader of the New Democratic party, echoed Crosbie's comments. "I think that we need to start that inquiry sooner rather than later. I don't understand why they would think that they can't be concurrent," she said. "Those are two separate and distinct things and I think they both deserve to be addressed, [it's] something that we said we were going to do for a really long time, I'm not sure why he's put it off." The Innu Nation says it will have more to say about the inquiry and other issues next week. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
Germany's motor vehicle authority (KBA) is looking into safety risks related to touchscreen displays in Tesla cars and has asked the U.S. auto maker to provide information following a similar request by U.S. authorities, a KBA spokesman was quoted as saying. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Wednesday asked Tesla to recall 158,000 Model S and Model X vehicles over media control unit (MCU) failures that could pose safety risks by leading to touchscreen displays not working.
New Zealand health officials said on Sunday they were investigating what they said was probably the country's first community coronavirus case, in months in a woman who recently returned from overseas. The 56-year-old, who returned to New Zealand on Dec. 30, tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 days after leaving a two-week mandatory quarantine at the border where she had twice tested negative. New Zealand, one of the most successful developed nations in controlling the spread of the pandemic, last recorded a community coronavirus transmission on Nov. 18, according to the Health Ministry website.
An effort to shake off some homesickness led Adam DuBourdieu to mix pop culture and provincial politics — namely, taking politicians involved in this election and matching them with their visual counterparts on "The Simpsons." Originally from Kippens on the province’s west coast, DuBourdieu, 30, moved to Edmonton, Alta., just before the COVID-19 pandemic set in. As with many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, he experienced homesickness in the months that followed the move. A keen follower of local politics when living in the province, DuBourdieu set about combatting his traveller’s lament by having some fun with the upcoming provincial election. Combining his love for "The Simpsons" and politics, he matched the politicians running in the election with the Simpsons character he saw as their cartoon counterparts. “I always loved watching 'The Simpsons,'” DuBourdieu. “I watched it with my dad.” Some matchups were tough, while others were easy fits, such as the NDP’s Jim Dinn, a former schoolteacher, and his match with Principal Skinner. "You can't take yourself too seriously. Being a teacher, that's par for the course," Dinn said of that character match. Dinn has seen the rather large social media thread containing the pictures. He said that as a teacher, he learned long ago that you have to have a sense of humour, and it's a lesson he's taken with him to politics. Seeing the thread, he took it in good fun. He said it could be worse. It could turn into a meme like a recent picture of United States Senator Bernie Sanders. "Let's have a laugh with it," said Dinn. "It's a good thing. It's a bit of good fun." The result was a 47-part thread on Twitter filled with pictures of the politicians and their characters side by side. It is a mixture of retiring MHAs, incumbents and party leaders of all political stripes. "The Simpsons" and politics have a bit of history. Across its 32 seasons, the show has mixed humour and politics. The show seemingly predicted the start of the United States presidency of Donald J. Trump, and the Lisa Simpson presidency that followed him. Coincidentally, Torngat Mountains MHA Lela Evans is paired with the presidential Lisa. The relationship, however, between "The Simpsons" and the political arena doesn’t stop at a coincidental presidential prediction. The show has often tackled topics of the day, such as same-sex marriage and gun control, and it has often been accused of having a liberal bias. Springfield’s Mayor Quimby is a regularly appearing character, and DuBourdieu saw him as a perfect match for Conception Bay East-Bell Island incumbent David Brazil. Homer Simpson — coupled with Topsail-Paradise MHA Paul Dinn — once fought former U.S. president George H.W. Bush after the two became neighbours. Former U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Gerald Ford have also made cameo appearances on the show. DuBourdieu tabbed Ford as the right match with Mount Pearl North MHA Jim Lester. “Politics has always been in 'The Simpsons,' and Newfoundland politics has some characters,” said DuBourdieu. Harbour Grace-Port de Grave MHA Pam Parsons knew at once who voiced Bart Simpsons’ former babysitter, Laura Powers. “That’s the one where Darlene from Roseanne voiced the character. Sara Gilbert,” she said. Like other children of the ’80s and early ’90s, Parsons grew up in the early years of "The Simpsons." She saw the show move from animated shorts on "The Tracy Ullman Show" to a pop culture phenomenon on Fox. “Growing up as a child, I certainly watched 'The Simpsons.' I loved Bart Simpson. I think we all did,” said Parsons. “I even had the little toys that McDonald’s was putting out.” Parsons is one of 10 women featured in the long Twitter thread. Of the 10, nine are incumbent MHAs and their animated doppelgangers. The remaining one is Newfoundland and Labrador Lt.-Gov. Judy Foote. She was paired with Springfield Elementary second-grade teacher Mrs. Hoover. “I like that (Dubourdieu) was non-partisan,” said Parsons, who appreciated the comedic break it offered. “I got a good chuckle out of it.” The response to the sizeable thread has been favourable online. It was something that surprised DuBourdieu at first. Since it went online, there have been dozens of interactions between politicians and the public. People have marvelled at how perfect some of the comparisons are, such as independent MHA Eddie Joyce being matched with oil tycoon Rich Texan. “It is something people are familiar with,” DuBourdieu said about why he chose to use "The Simpsons" as a reference point. Liberal candidate George Murphy tweeted that he thought of himself as the lovable barfly Barney Gumble instead of Police Chief Wiggum, the character he is attached to. Other candidates, such as Progressive Conservative candidate Kristina Ennis and the NDP’s Jenn Deon, have expressed interest in being connected to their Simpsons doubles. Lake Melville NDP candidate Amy Hogan even went ahead and did her own. It was Jerri Mackleberry, the mother of notable twins Sherri and Terri. “I think I’m probably the twins, Sherri and Terri’s mom, Jerri. It’s is the purple hair and the glasses,” Hogan tweeted. DuBourdieu pledged to do a third part of the thread if there is enough interest. In the days since it was posted, a link to the thread made its way around the Progressive Conservative email chain. “We got a good kick out of it,” said Conservative MHA Barry Petten. "You can’t help but laugh.” The Conception Bay South representative readily admitted he wasn’t much of a Simpsons watcher and had little background on Superintendent Chalmers or why he was paired with him. Still, Petten said he appreciated the work and the humour it brought to the election. “It’s all good humour,” he said. Looking back on the process and the result of his humourous entry into the Newfoundland and Labrador political scene, DuBourdieu has no regrets about piecing everything together. Some comparisons were easy, while others required a bit more thought, he said, and he learned a little along the way, namely, how male-dominated this province’s legislature is. As the province rolls toward the election on Feb. 13, DuBourdieu will watch from his home in Alberta. In the meantime, he is glad he got to contribute to the run-up in some way. “I’m glad I did it and I hope people get a good chuckle out of it,” said DuBourdieu. Nicholas Mercer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Central Voice
PARIS — Improving Monaco beat Marseille 3-1 in the French league on Saturday for a fifth win in six games, while the struggling visitors slipped to a fourth straight defeat despite taking an early lead. After defender Guillermo Maripan equalized for Monaco, midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni headed in the second goal and forward Stevan Jovetic thumped in a superb angled free kick in the last minute to complete what ended up as a comfortable win. Fourth-place Monaco moved one point behind third-place Lyon, which plays on Sunday, while Marseille remains in sixth spot. Arkadiusz Milik started on the bench for Marseille after joining on loan from Italian club Napoli. The Poland striker, who signed an 18-month deal late Thursday night, scored 48 goals in four seasons for Napoli but had not featured for the Italian club during this campaign. Marseille took a deserved lead in the 11th minute when winger Nemanja Radonjic chased a long ball out of defence, sprinted clear down the left flank and finished confidently from close range. For much of the first half Marseille looked the better side, but familiar frailties resurfaced. Maripan headed in the equalizer from a corner just after the break, with Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda rooted to the spot as the ball sailed into the top corner. Milik replaced the ineffective Dario Benedetto on the hour mark, and Marseille coach Andre Villas-Boas brought on playmaker Dimitri Payet and forward Valere Germain shortly after. But Villas-Boas may have been better off securing things at the back. Terrible defending cost Marseille again, this time as Tchouameni was completely unmarked when heading Aleksandr Golovin's corner from the left past the stranded Mandanda in the 74th. SCORER LIMPS OFF Youcef Atal paid the price for scoring for Nice in a 1-0 win at Lens, limping off injured with a hamstring injury moments after his goal. The speedy winger netted in the 49th minute when he cut inside the penalty area from the right and finished smartly with his left foot. The win moved Nice one place up to 13th, while Lens was in seventh spot ahead of Sunday's games. SUNDAY'S ACTION Second-place Lille needs to win at fifth-place Rennes on Sunday to move level on points with leader Paris Saint-Germain, which has a much better goal difference. Lyon travels to local rival Saint-Etienne, which is missing several players because of the coronavirus. Also, Raymond Domenech looks for his first win as Nantes coach away to midtable Metz. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press
VANCOUVER — Several Metro Vancouver taxi companies have lost a court bid to quash the approvals of ride-hailing operators Uber and Lyft in British Columbia. Nine cab companies filed a petition asking the B.C. Supreme Court to overturn the decisions of the provincial Passenger Transportation Board that allowed the two major ride-hailing providers to operate. The cab companies argued that the board's decisions were "patently unreasonable," because they allowed Uber and Lyft an unlimited fleet size while the number of taxis is capped. The companies, including Yellow Cab and Black Top Cabs, claimed that the board failed to consider whether there was a public need for an unlimited number of ride-hailing cars in the province. The board also did not consider whether granting unlimited licences to Uber and Lyft would promote "sound economic conditions" in the passenger transportation business in B.C., the cab companies argued. The cab companies said that the board had extensive evidence before it describing the economic harm suffered by taxi operators in other jurisdictions as a result of allowing unlimited ride-hailing. However, Justice Sandra Wilkinson said in a written ruling this week that the board carefully considered fleet size and decided not to limit ride-hailing cars at this time, but left the issue open for future review. "In each of the decisions, the board devotes numerous paragraphs to discussing whether an indeterminate fleet size will promote sound economic conditions in the passenger transportation industry," she wrote in the decision dated Jan. 20. "This is not a deferral of a decision or a failure to consider the issue of fleet size. I would go so far as to say that the board made a very common sense decision in the circumstances." The board's decisions were made one year ago, on Jan. 23, 2020. Wilkinson added there is nothing in the board's decisions that is "obviously untenable" or "clearly irrational," and therefore they cannot be considered "patently unreasonable." She dismissed the petition and granted costs to Uber and Lyft. The B.C. Taxi Association, Yellow Cab and Black Top Cabs did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling. Uber said in a statement that the ruling of the justice is clear and speaks for itself. "Uber is excited to be celebrating one year in Metro Vancouver this weekend, and looks forward to making the app available in more communities in 2021," it said. Lyft did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The arrival of ride-hailing in Metro Vancouver early last year, long after it was already common in many other Canadian cities, was contentious. The provincial government has said it spent two years developing legislation and regulations in advance of ride-hailing licences being approved by the Passenger Transportation Board. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2021. Laura Dhillon Kane, The Canadian Press
A 97-year-old woman in Montreal may be the first person in Quebec to receive a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, albeit accidentally. Two weeks after receiving the Moderna vaccine, Antonietta Pollice was given a dose of the Pfizer-Bio-NTech vaccine, said her daughter, Patrizia Di Biase. Pollice, who has dementia, did not understand what vaccine she was receiving, Di Biase said. The mix-up has left the daughter livid. "Shocked. I was upset," she said. "How can that happen? 'Mistakes happen,' well, it's not a small mistake." Di Biase said Pollice received a dose of the Moderna vaccine on Jan. 7 at CHSLD Herron. With the owners of the private seniors' home deciding to close the facility, Pollice was transferred temporarily to CHSLD Joseph-François-Perrault on Jan. 11. Di Biase said staff at the CHSLD called her on Friday to inform her that Pollice had accidentally been given the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. She says she was in shock and had staff repeat the information twice before she hung up because she couldn't process the news. "It's unacceptable. They have to do something about it," Di Biase said. "I don't want this to happen again. It's happened now, we can't go back for my mom, but we need to go forward and have everybody know." Quebec Premier François Legault made the decision earlier this month to delay all second doses of the vaccine in favour of inoculating more people with a first dose instead. The government has said that everyone who received the first dose so far will get the second after 90 days. Di Biase said she has reached out to Quebec Public Health seeking answers. A spokesperson for the regional health authority in charge of CHSLD Joseph-François-Perrault said the situation has been brought to its attention and it is currently investigating. The CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'Île-de-Montréal wouldn't give further details, citing confidentiality. But spokesperson Valérie Lafleur said that if this happened, a rigorous review would be put in place involving the medical team, public health and a team from infection prevention and control. Mixing COVID-19 vaccines Most concerning to Di Biase is the effect of inoculating her mother with two different vaccines. The Public Health Agency of Canada says Canadians should receive the same COVID-19 vaccine for both shots — except in very specific and unlikely situations. According to the public health agency's recommendations on the use of the vaccine, "no data exist on the interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines." Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Public Health England share those same recommendations. Infectious disease specialist and microbiologist Dr. Donald Vinh, who is also an adviser to the federal government's COVID-19 task force, said each individual's situation is different but that the jury is still out on mixing vaccines. "The short answer is that we don't know anything," he said. "There is no data to determine whether or not that's efficacious. There is simply an experience, or more of a gut feeling, among people who have vaccine and immunology experience that it is probably acceptable to use different mRNA-based vaccines." WATCH | Montreal woman says vaccine mix-up 'not a small mistake': Jörg Fritz, an associate professor in the department of microbiology and immunology at McGill University in Montreal, agrees. Still, despite the lack of data, he said mixing the two vaccines should not be immediate cause for alarm. "I wouldn't be too worried because both vaccines were approved, they went through rigorous testing," Fritz said. "It shouldn't happen, a mix-up like that, but I don't think it'll have any negative consequences. There is no scientific reason to believe there are any negative consequences."
WASHINGTON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made clear to President Joe Biden on Saturday that he's eager to forge a new U.S.-U.K. trade deal. The push for a new deal came in a broad-ranging call between the two leaders that touched on the global response to the coronavirus pandemic as well as the Biden administration announcing this week that the U.S. would rejoin the Paris climate accord and the World Health Organization, according to a statement from Downing Street. A new trade agreement between the allies is a higher priority for Johnson than it is for Biden. The U.K. regained control over its national trade policy at the start of the month following the end of a post-Brexit transition period. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that the administration had no timeline for forging a new trade deal as Biden's attention is largely focused on getting the coronavirus pandemic under control and pressing Congress to pass the president's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan. Janet Yellen, Biden's Treasury secretary nominee, also signalled during her confirmation hearing earlier this week that Biden wasn't eager to negotiate new trade deals. “President Biden has been clear that he will not sign any new free trade agreements before the U.S. makes major investments in American workers and our infrastructure,” Yellen said. Downing Street said Saturday that Biden and Johnson discussed “the benefits of a potential free trade deal between our two countries," and Johnson “reiterated his intention to resolve existing trade issues as soon as possible." The White House in its own statement said that the two leaders spoke about combating climate change, containing COVID-19, and ensuring global health security as well as shared foreign policy priorities in China, Iran and Russia. But the statement notably made no mention of discussion on trade. The call with Johnson was at least Biden's third call with a foreign counterpart since Friday. The president spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Friday evening. Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press
Liquor restrictions in Fort Simpson are set to be lifted on February 1, the village's mayor has said. The village voted to lift the restrictions in November. However, the change requires formalization from the N.W.T. government, meaning the restrictions did not simply lift the day following that plebiscite. Mayor of Fort Simpson Sean Whelly on Friday said a regulation had now been drafted that would lift restrictions from February 1. The territorial government's Department of Finance, which holds oversight of the relevant legislation, did not respond to confirm that date when approached by Cabin Radio. Fort Simpson will still have restrictions in place, despite the plebiscite's result, as the territory must abide by separate, pandemic-related restrictions on alcohol sales mandated for all N.W.T. communities. The plebiscite applied only to a set of restrictions specific to Fort Simpson that had existed before the pandemic. The pandemic rules state customers are limited to a maximum spend of $200 per day at any N.W.T. liquor store, plus a limit of six mickeys (375-ml bottles) of spirits in any 24-hour period. The plebiscite was held in response to a petition signed by more than 150 Fort Simpson residents asking for the village's restrictions to be removed. November's ballot saw 240 of 730 eligible residents vote, with 175 in favour of the change. Fifty-eight were opposed while seven ballots were rejected. The result was criticized by some residents who felt not enough public notice had been given beforehand. Finance minister Caroline Wawzonek dismissed that complaint. “Based on all of the information I have received to date, I am confident in the integrity of the plebiscite held in the village of Fort Simpson,” Wawzonek said in response. Sarah Sibley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio
LA QUINTA, Calif. — Max Homa has been tearing up the Stadium Course at The American Express for two days. If he can do it one more time Sunday, the Southern California native could be raising his second career PGA Tour trophy. Homa made nine birdies and shrugged off a double bogey on the way to a 7-under 65 in the third round Saturday, joining Tony Finau and Si Woo Kim atop the leaderboard at 15-under 201. Richy Werenski also shot a 65 and moved within a shot of the lead on the Stadium Course at PGA West near Palm Springs. Roger Sloan of Merritt, Ont., is in a seven-way tie for 13th place after a 3-under 69 Saturday, four strokes behind Homa. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. shot a 2-over 74, to fall into a tie for 31st place. Taylor finished his second round in second place, one stroke behind then-leader Sungjae Im. Fellow Abbotsford native Adam Hadwin also shot a 2-over 74 and is now in a tie for 55th place. Brantford, Ont. native David Hearn is in a tie for 63rd at 2-under par. Burlington native Michael Gilgic failed to make the cut to play Saturday. Scotland's Russell Knox shot the day's low round with a 64 — one stroke off the course record — to join Brian Harman and Emiliano Grillo at 13 under. Finau and Kim both shot 67. Kim was bogey-free, while the streakier Finau bounced back from a double bogey on the 13th with three consecutive birdies. The field played through sparse desert rain in the afternoon. Precipitation finally fell in earnest when the final group reached the 18th hole, with Finau and Kim forced to pull out their umbrellas. Second-round leader Sungjae Im struggled to a 73, leaving him five shots off the lead after four bogeys — including a triple bogey on the ninth after putting two straight shots in the water. First-round leader Brandon Hagy shot a 72 and was even with Im at 10 under. Homa is in prime position for his second career win in his first tournament of the new year. He began the day just three shots off Im's pace at 8 under, and he swiftly closed the gap with four birdies in his first five holes. Homa has 17 birdies in the last two rounds on the Stadium Course. “There’s obviously a handful of very daunting holes, but I’ve been fortunate enough to play here a ton, so I have a pretty good feel for the place,” Homa said. “I’ve been able to put myself in a position to have good looks for birdie, and I’ve been putting great. It’s just something about these greens. It feels like home.” The Burbank-born son of a well-known acting coach put his tee shot in the water and two-putted for that double bogey on the seventh, but Homa made up for it with birdies on five of his next eight holes, including three in a row down the back stretch. Finau put his tee shot in the water on the 13th and then missed a 10-inch putt for double bogey, but the Utah native rebounded with three of his eight birdies on a series of impressive approach shots. Werenski charged into fourth with a round that included six birdies and was highlighted by an eagle on the fifth after an exceptional 224-yard approach shot left him a 4-foot putt. The 29-year-old Massachusetts native is seeking his second PGA Tour win. After going bogey-free through his first 48 holes at The American Express, he finally missed a 10-foot par putt on the 13th before rallying with two more birdies down the stretch “I’ve been giving myself plenty of looks and just haven’t been converting them, and today I finally made some (putts),” Werenski said. “So I think we’re kind of turning the corner.. ... I’ve always liked this place. I’ve never finished really, really high here, but I’ve always known that I could play really good. It just fits my eye.” Australia's Cameron Davis had the shot of the day on the 15th, holing out for eagle from 157 yards away from a section of rough below the fairway. Davis finished the third round at 12-under 204 along with Rory Sabbatini, Chase Seiffert, Francesco Molinari and Doug Ghim. ___ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Greg Beacham, The Associated Press
Toronto police say they have arrested 10 people flouting provincial orders at anti-lockdown protests in the downtown core Saturday. In a news release late Saturday evening, police say they monitored and attended "several large gatherings" at Nathan Phillips Square, Yonge-Dundas Square and Queen's Park. Among the 10 people charged, seven protesters are facing criminal charges. Of those, five are facing charges for obstructing a police officer, two for common nuisance, one for assaulting a police officer and one for four counts of public mischief. All 10 protesters were arrested at Yonge-Dundas Square. Police say nine charges were also laid against attendees at the gatherings for failing to comply with the province's emergency orders, and three charges were laid under the Highway Traffic Act. This comes exactly one week after Toronto police arrested three people and issued 18 charges for failure to comply with the provincial stay-at-home order currently in effect for protesters in large gatherings that were flouting the order. "[We] continue to respond to calls to attend large gatherings and will take steps to disperse. Police will issue tickets and summonses to individuals when there is evidence of non-compliance of the provincial order under the EMCPA or the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA)," police said in a news release.
The federal government is providing Ontario with some much-needed support in the fight against COVID-19. Ottawa is deploying two mobile health units – an additional 200 beds – to the Greater Toronto Area. The assistance comes as the province grapples with the growing strain on its hospital system. Morganne Campbell has more in this report.
TORONTO — The federal government has approved an Ottawa company's made-in-Canada rapid COVID-19 test, Health Canada confirmed Saturday as the nation's top doctor warned the virus's impact on the health-care system showed no signs of abating. The test developed by Spartan Bioscience is performed by a doctor and provides on-site results within an hour, a spokeswoman for the federal agency said. Spartan bills the test as the first "truly mobile, rapid PCR test for COVID-19 for the Canadian market." "The Spartan system will be able to provide quality results to remote communities, industries and settings with limited lab access, helping relieve the burden on overwhelmed healthcare facilities," the company said in a news release Saturday. The company originally unveiled a rapid test for COVID-19 last spring but had to voluntarily recall it and perform additional studies after Health Canada expressed some reservations. At the time, Spartan said Health Canada was concerned about the "efficacy of the proprietary swab" for the testing product. The new version uses "any nasopharyngeal swab" rather than one of the company's own design, Health Canada said, and meets the agency's requirements for both safety and effectiveness. The Spartan COVID-19 System was developed through clinical evaluation completed in Canada and the U.S., with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute as one of the testing locations. The company said it has already started production on the rapid tests. The news comes as Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, warned that COVID-19 continues to strain the health-care system even as daily case counts decline in several long-standing hot spots. "As severe outcomes lag behind increased disease activity, we can expect to see ongoing heavy impacts on our healthcare system and health workforce for weeks to come," she said in a written statement. Surging new infection rates continued to show signs of easing in multiple provinces, though one jurisdiction was poised to impose new restrictions in a bid to stem the ongoing spread. Public health officials in New Brunswick reported 17 new cases across the province, 10 of which were in the Edmundston region, which was set to go into a lockdown first thing Sunday morning. Starting at midnight, non-essential travel is prohibited in and out of the area, which borders northern Maine and Quebec's Bas-St-Laurent region. The health order forces the closure of all non-essential businesses as well as schools and public spaces, including outdoor ice rinks and ski hills. All indoor and outdoor gatherings among people of different households are prohibited. Saskatchewan, meanwhile, logged 274 new cases of the virus and three new deaths, while Manitoba counted three more deaths and 216 new diagnoses. Alberta logged 573 new cases and 13 virus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, while both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new infections on Saturday. Both Quebec and Ontario reported fewer cases Saturday — 1,685 and 2,359 respectively. But officials in Ontario expressed concern about a highly contagious U.K. variant of the virus that was detected at a long-term care facility north of Toronto. Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed the variant was behind the outbreak at Roberta Place Retirement Lodge in Barrie, Ont., where 32 residents have died of COVID-19 and dozens of others have tested positive. "Stringent and consistent efforts are needed to sustain a downward trend in case counts and strongly suppress COVID-19 activity across Canada," Tam said. "This will not only prevent more tragic outcomes, but will help to ensure that new virus variants of concern do not have the opportunity to spread." Fears of variants that can circulate quickly come as the federal government considers a mandatory quarantine in hotels for travellers returning to Canada. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2021. Victoria Ahearn and Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
Alberta reported 573 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, and 13 more deaths. Active cases continue to drop, with 9,727 total cases of the illness in Alberta reported Saturday, a decrease of 260 from Friday. Hospitalizations also saw a slight decrease, with 676 people in hospital with the illness on Saturday — down 15 from Friday — including 114 in intensive care unit beds. On Friday, there were 691 people in hospital, with 115 in intensive care unit beds. Provincial labs completed 10,894 tests for the disease on Friday, for a positivity rate of about 5.3 per cent, down fromabout 13,000 tests completed on Thursday. The positivity rate remained about the same from the previous day, which had a positivity rate of five per cent. Of the 13 deaths reported Saturday, two involved people in their 20s: a man and a woman, both in the Calgary zone. Three deaths in total were in the Calgary zone, four in the Edmonton zone, four in the North zone, and two in the Central zone. The deaths occurred between Dec. 16 and Jan. 22. Since the pandemic began last March, there have been 120,330 cases of COVID-19 in Alberta, including 1,525 deaths from the disease. Here's a regional breakdown of active cases: Calgary zone: 3,786 Edmonton zone: 3,407 North zone: 1,325 Central zone: 799 South zone: 396 Unknown: 14 An additional 1,022 doses of vaccine had been administered by the end of the day on Friday, bringing the total number of doses administered to 98,807. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, will provide her next in-person COVID-19 update on Monday.
Amber Stewart, executive director of the Battlefords Sexual Assault Centre, wanted to make it easier for victims of sexual assault to file a police report if they wanted to pursue that option. "We know that the [statistics] on reported cases are extremely low," she said. "So how do we get those barriers down? And if we can make this experience even a little bit less painful and traumatizing, then I really wanted to make that happen." So the centre, which provides counselling to people affected by sexual or gender-based violence, teamed up with the Battlefords RCMP. Together, they have created a new safe space for interviews and counselling, located in the sexual assault centre. "It's actually a counselling room that we use to see clients" at the centre's office, Stewart said. Renovations were done for soundproofing, and to make sure it met RCMP's audio and visual requirements for recording statements, she said. According to Battlefords RCMP Staff Sgt. Jason Teniuk, having a warmer, welcoming and — most importantly — truly private place for victims of sexual assault to come forward was long overdue. Previously, people who wanted to report a sexual assault had to go to the Battlefords RCMP detachment. "When you come into our area, our waiting room is a very unprivate area, and you'll meet somebody at the front desk who is behind a barrier glass," said Teniuk. The front office area is often "full of people in various capacities," he said. "So now you put somebody who's just been involved in an extremely traumatic event, and you bring them into that environment, and they're standing in front of a glass wall talking to somebody on the other side, in full earshot of everybody else. That is intimidating. "I would even hazard to say that we're revictimizing that person by bringing them into that environment — but unfortunately, that's what we were presented with." Now, the process will be significantly different, with support for victims and survivors prioritized at every step. RCMP will have a direct line to the sexual assault centre, Stewart said. When RCMP receive a report of a sexual assault, the officer who takes the call will phone the line and be met at the BASC office by staff or a volunteer, and taken to the new interview space. "From there, our role is to support the RCMP and the victims for before and after they give their statement — making sure that they're comfortable, making sure they have everything they need, letting them know that we're there to talk before or after. "Then, of course, the RCMP will do their interview the way they need to do it." Breaking down barriers Stewart hopes the sexual assault centre will now be more able to address some of the other barriers that keep people from reporting sexual assault, such as access to child care. When people come into the new space to make a report, volunteers will be available to help out. "If you have small children and you can't leave them, you can bring them in and we've got someone here," she said. "We can play video games or watch Netflix or eat snacks, whatever the case may be, so that there really is no barrier. And that's what the end goal was for us — to address the barriers." Teniuk says child care has been significant issue in the past for people with young children who wanted to make a report to the RCMP. "I can't tell you the amount of times I've been involved in a situation where there has been a sexual assault, or any other kind of violent incident, and you'll have a young person or a young mom or young dad come in and they have their kids with them," he said. "And we've got to try and sort out a way that we can get a statement from that person, while trying to keep the kids entertained." From January to September of 2020, Saskatchewan RCMP say they received 3,711 reports of intimate partner violence. With the new space at Battlefords Sexual Assault Centre, Teniuk hopes more people will feel they can safely come forward and make a report. "I hope victims will come in and just feel as though they are being supported, that they're heard, and something is going to be done," he said. "That is extremely important to me. And while it does happen when they come [to the RCMP detachment], I think support has been a big component of what we're missing."
FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn didn't practise Saturday, a day after his right leg buckled awkwardly during a collision in the season opener. Coach Rick Bowness provided no update after practice on Benn's condition or his status for Sunday's game, when the Stars play Nashville again. The coach only repeated what he said after the 7-0 win over the Predators on Friday night, saying Benn has a lower-body injury and is day-to-day. Benn got hurt when colliding with Viktor Arvidsson in the second period. Benn went to both knees on the ice, before going to the bench and then being helped down the tunnel before gingerly walking himself. The Stars captain returned a few minutes later for a power play, but didn’t play after the second intermission, when Dallas already led 5-0. The Stars were the last NHL team to open the season after their first four games were postponed because of COVID-19 protocols. They started with their most lopsided victory since beating the New York Rangers 10-2 on Feb. 6, 2009. It was their most goals in a shutout victory since blanking Anaheim 8-0 on March 21, 2001. ___ More AP NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL The Associated Press
La Septîlienne Émilie Maïsterrena est auteure et éditrice de ses propres romans d’horreur-fiction. Grâce à Cauchemars Airlines, l’auteure propose aux gens d’embarquer à bord de vols au cœur de son imagination, avec elle comme commandant. Déjà à la maternelle, son enseignante de l’époque avait remarqué qu’Émilie se passionnait pour l’écriture. Elle a quelque peu perdu la flamme à l’adolescence, mais s’y est remise depuis 3 ans. À présent, elle revient en force avec un concept soutenu, tournant autour des voyages, de l’horreur et d’histoires dignes des pires cauchemars. Dans son roman Oslav, Émilie propose aux lecteurs d’embarquer à bord du vol 218, à destination de la Côte-Nord, afin de découvrir ce territoire d’une toute autre manière. Il respecte son univers, tout comme ses autres créations, toutes autant surprenantes les unes que les autres. Le vol 513, sa prochaine parution, sera sorti tout droit de son côté obscur, qu’elle dit ne pas avoir montré complètement dans Oslav, œuvre qu’elle juge plus douce. Le site web et la page Facebook de l’auteure contiennent et des informations inédites sur les personnages, à travers de courtes nouvelles. De plus, Émilie Maïsterenna s’y entretiens en direct à ses lecteurs. Son roman est disponible en s’adressant directement à la dame, via ces plateformes. Il est actuellement en réimpression, les premières copies ayant toutes été vendues. Voici le lien de la page Facebook de l’auteure :https://www.facebook.com/emiliemaisterrenaauteureKarine Lachance, Initiative de journalisme local, Ma Côte-Nord
