LOS ANGELES — Kanye West agrees with Kim Kardashian West that they should have joint custody of their four children and neither of them need spousal support, according to new divorce documents. West's attorneys filed his response Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court to Kardashian West's divorce filing seven weeks earlier, which began the process of ending their 6 1/2-year marriage. West's filing was virtually identical to Kardashian West's original petition, agreeing that the marriage should end over irreconcilable differences, and that the two should share custody of their children: North, age 7, Saint, age 5, Chicago, age 3, and Psalm, who turns 2 next month. And like Kardashian West's filing, West's asks that the court's right to award spousal support to either person be terminated. According to Kardashian West's Feb. 19 petition, the two have a pre-nuptial agreement, and under it they kept their property separate throughout their marriage. The divorce filings bring an impending end to one of the most followed celebrity unions in recent decades, between the 40-year-old reality TV superstar Kardashian West, and the 43-year-old rap and fashion mogul West. It was the first marriage for West and the third for Kardashian West, who has not asked the court to change her name back to just Kardashian, though she may still do so during the divorce process. The Associated Press
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at St. John Vianney Catholic Elementary School in Windsor. The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board made the announcement on Monday morning. In a news release, the board said public health officials made the declaration after receiving confirmation that of an additional case in one of two cohorts dismissed on April 6. The update has yet to be reflected on the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's website as of Monday morning. "As per provincial direction, a school outbreak is declared if there are two or more cases in a school and if there is evidence that at least one case could have been infected in the school," the board said in a statement. According to the board's website, there are three cases of COVID-19 active within the school. The board said a COVID-19 variant of concern has been identified in the cohort. Those who may have been affected are being contacted by the health unit. The board said the rest of the school community is considered low risk and can continue attending as usual. Schools are currently on spring break. There are 22 active cases of COVID-19 within the Catholic board, its website shows. The public school board has seen 17 cases declared since the beginning of the month, according to its website. There are two other outbreaks active at other schools in the region — Centennial Central Public School and St. Peter Catholic School. Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health for the region, said Monday that Windsor-Essex is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases within schools, with many cohorts dismissed. "We are monitoring the cases in our schools to assess any changes in the local risk," he said at the health unit's daily briefing, adding that he'll provide an update if the risk changes or a switch to online learning becomes necessary.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada faced a five-fold increase in Mi'kmaw fishing for baby eels in 2020 primarily on Nova Scotia rivers — an event it did not expect and could not manage, according to internal DFO documents obtained by CBC News. The federal department had been closely monitoring, and in some cases prosecuting, the unauthorized sale of baby eels harvested by Mi'kmaq under Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) eel licences since 2017. The appearance of more than 110 Indigenous fishermen at the beginning of April 2020, up from 21 across the region in 2019, quickly forced a shutdown of the little known but lucrative fishery throughout the Maritimes, the documents state. It was the first time that had happened. About the fight over elvers DFO was in the middle of a collision between Mi'kmaq asserting treaty rights and commercial harvesters anxious to protect a fishery worth $38 million in 2019. Nine licence holders share a total allowable catch of 9,960 kilos of baby eels — known as elvers. They are primarily sold to Asian fish farms where they are grown to adulthood for consumption. A researcher with the group Coastal Action measures an elver caught in the East River near Chester, N.S., on June 18, 2019.(Richard Cuthbertson/CBC) The tightly regulated commercial fishery was worth an average of $4.3 million per licence in 2019. Making the case to shutdown 'unmanageable' fishery Unlike commercial licences where quotas and landings are tracked via logbooks and verified by dockside monitoring, FSC elver catches are not reported and sales are not allowed. "Given the high value, and since elvers are not known to be a traditional or current food fish for Indigenous people, this harvest is suspected to be for sale into international markets," Deputy Minister Timothy Sargent wrote to federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan on April 22. Sargent was recommending the first of what would turn out to be two temporary 45-day closures, which effectively ended the entire 2020 season. It was a response to the unprecedented increase in Mi'kmaw elver fishing and fears over escalating conflict as harvesters competed over access. "The unexpected, heightened scale of the activities that have been observed to date (which by far exceeds what DFO had expected based on previous years) has led DFO to determine that those concerns cannot be managed through localized closures," Sargent wrote. "This level of fishing, in addition to the commercial fishery, has become unmanageable and represents a threat to the conservation of the species." Lawsuit pulls back curtain on a hidden struggle In July 2020, commercial harvesters filed a lawsuit in the Federal Court of Canada seeking to overturn the shutdown order. They argued DFO had not done enough to stop unregulated fishing. In its defence, the department filed 60 pages of documents justifying its actions. The lawsuit was later dropped. But the documents reveal what has been a mostly hidden struggle that features nighttime confrontations illuminated by flickering flashlights at the side of a river. The DFO documents included advice from senior bureaucrats, assessments from its enforcement branch, Conservation and Protection, and detailed economic analysis of the fishery. What we learned Mi'kmaw involvement in the elver fishery was first observed in 2016 when two or three harvesters claimed to be fishing for food, social and ceremonial purposes on rivers in southwestern Nova Scotia. The FSC fishery has expanded to every elver river in southwestern Nova Scotia, including Yarmouth County where commercial fishing is not allowed and a range of elver rivers in eastern Nova Scotia. A 2017 investigation led to the raid of a warehouse near Pearson Airport in Toronto, where police seized about eight kilograms of what they said was FSC-harvested elvers worth $170,000 — an amount DFO said represented a fraction of the current alleged illegal activity. No charges were laid due to lack of evidence. The shutdown was projected to reduce landed values for commercial licence holders to $6.5 million. Unauthorized elver fishing in Nova Scotia continued despite the order. Over a 23-day period from late April and May, fishery officers made 25 arrests, seized 16 trap nets, 19 dip nets and three weapons and returned about eight kilograms of elvers to rivers. It is not clear if the arrested were Mi'kmaq. DFO proceeded despite risk of alienating Mi'kmaq DFO was aware its actions would be seen as an infringement of the Mi'kmaw right to harvest for food, social and ceremonial purposes, and risked a "negative effect" on discussions over the treaty right to earn a moderate livelihood. "However, risks to conservation and proper management and control of the fishery are currently believed to be at a level where this is necessary," Sargent wrote. The shutdown was followed, after the fact, by discussions with Mi'kmaw bands where responses to the ministerial order varied. A summary of the engagement said some Mi'kmaw communities supported the shutdown to protect American eel while others strongly opposed any changes to FSC licences that would potentially restrict access. There was also "considerable displeasure about a perceived lack of consultation" in some communities, including Kwilmu'kw Maw-klusuaqn, KMKNO, which is the negotiation office for the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw chiefs. Canada moves to end FSC elver fishery in 2021 In February 2021, DFO imposed a 10-centimetre minimum size on all FSC American eel licences issued to all bands in the Maritimes. Before this, most licences did not contain a minimum size. The condition is expressly designed to prevent FSC elver fishing and was urged in a DFO Conservation and Protection report in 2020. "The ability to protect the species and deter over-harvesting will be much greater enabled through decisive action with respect to the introduction of of size limits and gear restrictions as part of the food, social and ceremonial licence conditions - which would accord much stronger enforcement mechanisms to fishery officers and Public Prosecution Services of Canada (PPSC)," the report said. "Elver is a lucrative commodity which is easily harvested. There are individuals fishing elver who are affiliated with criminal entities due to the ability to rapidly sell their catch and funnel the proceeds toward other endeavours. MAR C&P is working increasingly more closely with policing counter-parts to disrupt these elements." The DFO documents do not mention any Mi'kmaw harvesters being charged in these cases. Arrest continue in 2021 The shutdown has not ended confrontations on elver rivers. Since the season opened in March, fishery officers have arrested 14 people and made a number of seizures over alleged unauthorized elver fishing. It's not clear if the enforcement actions relate only to Mi'kmaw fishermen. Some of the arrests involved members of the Sipekne'katik band. Chief Mike Sack says the fishermen were exercising their treaty right to fish for a moderate living. Chief Mike Sack says fishing for elvers falls under the Mi'kmaw treaty right to earn a moderate livelihood.(Nic Meloney/CBC) "It falls under that. And I fully support any of our members that are out there exercising their right under any fish or wildlife or resources that there may be," he said. Chiefs say cut the commercial harvest if there is a conservation issue. In a statement, the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs asserted First Nations interest in fishing elvers under food, social and ceremonial licences, and objected to the unilateral decision to suspend elver fishing in 2020 by DFO. "While the protection and conservation of all species is always a concern for our people, the Mi'kmaw have a desire to fish elvers for Food, Social and Ceremonial purposes," Annapolis Valley First Nation Chief Gerald Toney said in a statement. "We should be able to fish any species, as needed and as required, while respecting concerns for conservation, as outlined in Sparrow," he said, referencing the 1990 Supreme Court case that spelled out steps required to infringe on a treaty right. In December, one of their negotiators told DFO that elvers are a viable food source for Mi'kmaw communities and commercial licences should be cut first if there are conservation issues. In a statement, DFO said it will respond accordingly to conserve the population and maintain a sustainable and orderly fishery in 2021. It is the same language it used last year when it shut down the fishery. MORE TOP STORIES
Doctors in the Canadian province of Ontario may soon have to decide who can and cannot receive treatment in intensive care as the number of coronavirus infections sets records and patients are packed into hospitals still stretched from a December wave. Canada's most populous province is canceling elective surgeries, admitting adults to a major children's hospital and preparing field hospitals after the number of COVID-19 patients in ICUs jumped 31% to 612 in the week leading up to Sunday, according to data from the Ontario Hospital Association. The sharp increase in Ontario hospital admissions is also straining supplies of tocilizumab, a drug often given to people seriously ill with COVID-19.
Two days after he married his partner of many years, Anselm Bilgri, a former monk and prior at one of Germany's most famous monasteries, learned that the Vatican would not bless relationships like his. But the ruling in March by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Catholic Church's doctrinal watchdog, that priests could not bless same-sex unions has not been well received by one of the world's richest national churches. It dismayed many who had hoped Pope Francis would soften the hard line taken on sexual morality by John Paul II and his successor, Germany's Benedict XVI.
A former Inuvik, N.W.T., resident says RCMP ignored or downplayed her allegations of childhood sexual assault. Angie Snow, now 30, says she was abused when she was nine years old. Born and raised in Inuvik, Snow first publicly shared her story on the Preacher Boys podcast with her husband, Norman Snow, earlier this year. The podcast focuses on alleged mental, physical and sexual abuse within the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement. On the podcast, she spoke about her time as a member of the First Bible Baptist Church in Inuvik. She said the assaults happened three times in her childhood home in Inuvik over about a year, although she admits that, decades later, the timeframe is fuzzy. "I knew it was weird because I froze up completely … But no [I didn't realize it was sexual assault]," Snow said. "When I tried to tell my mom, I obviously didn't do a good job. I didn't have any words to say what was happening." "As you get older, and older you start to realize oh my gosh, that did happen. And that was abuse." Eric Skwarczynski is host of the Preacher Boys podcast, which focuses on alleged mental, physical and sexual abuse within the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement.(Submitted by Eric Skwarczynski) Eric Skwarczynski, host of the Preacher Boys podcast, said most of the guests he speaks to live in the United States, where a statute of limitations can impact charges being able to be laid. "Victims do often wait to share their experience with anyone 10,15, 20 years down the road," said Skwarczynski. Reilly Featherstone is pastor for the First Bible Baptist Church in Inuvik. He said he had heard about Snow's allegations second-hand. He says whenever he hears about any sort of abuse allegations, he encourages the person to report the incident to RCMP. "It's the RCMP's job to do a thorough investigation on the matter," he said. Allegations reported to RCMP Snow says she reported the incidents and her alleged perpetrator to RCMP in Inuvik years after they occurred, when she was about 27 years old, after being contacted by someone who said they were a recent victim of her alleged attacker. "I got into the RCMP [detachment], sit down and they are like, 'So you want us to keep an eye on him, right?' and I'm like, 'No, I'm here to charge him,'" Snow said on the podcast. "That was something I was shocked over." Snow told CBC that it took a lot of mental work for her to get to the point of reporting the alleged incidents to the RCMP, and "getting over the hurdle of 'I'm going to ruin his life' … and 'he's a changed man.'" Whoever reviewed it just thought there was not enough evidence. - Angie Snow However, learning there may have been at least one more recent victim was her tipping point. She also said she wasn't the only one who came forward about the abuse she experienced. Her parents also gave statements to the RCMP, as well as Jessica Francis, a childhood friend who says she witnessed the assaults. CBC has reviewed email records to RCMP that show Snow shared contact details for Francis and her parents with RCMP. RCMP acknowledged receipt of the information and an officer wrote that all would be contacted. Snow not alone, but allegations too old Francis, who now lives in Fort McPherson, N.W.T., also alleges the person who abused Snow attempted to abuse her multiple times as well. She was the same age as Snow when the assaults happened and told CBC via Facebook Messenger that the perpetrator "didn't go as far with me as he did with Angie." Both Francis and Snow say they were about 9 years old when the alleged abuse happened, and that their alleged perpetrator was several years older. Despite both women and Snow's parents giving statements to RCMP about what happened, Snow says she was told they could not continue an investigation. I felt at least I tried, but then I also felt like, 'shoot, this is not good.' - Angie Snow "One [RCMP officer] showed up and just kind of told me there was nothing they could do," said Snow. "That whoever reviewed it just thought there was not enough evidence." She also said she was told that too much time had passed from when the alleged assaults had happened, even though Canada doesn't have a statute of limitations that imposes a time frame on reporting criminal sexual assault complaints. "I felt at least I tried, but then I also felt like, 'shoot, this is not good.' I did trust them … and took their word for it," she said. It was also hard for Francis to hear nothing would be done. "I was really disappointed," Francis said. "Especially because I had given my statement and told them my story and timeline thinking that something would be done but nothing happened. "I think it makes it very hard for people to come forward with reports of rape, assault or sexual harassment because it just shows how little is being done to bring justice for the victims and how easy it is for people to get away with these things." An RCMP truck in Inuvik, N.W.T. The police force says they are trying to improve their response to complaints of sexual assault. (David Thurton/CBC) Snow also remembered being taken aback when RCMP asked her to describe what she was wearing during her alleged assault when she was nine. "That was another shock," said Snow. "They need some kind of training and like sexual abuse, gaslighting, just everything like that you could think of like that deals with the brain psychology. I think that would have definitely made things different." Police 'actively trying to engage' complainant, say RCMP N.W.T. RCMP spokesperson Marie York-Condon wrote in an email that although she can't speak to specifics about Snow's file, she said an investigation was conducted after the allegations were reported, "including engagement and consultation with the office of Public Prosecution Service." She also said N.W.T. RCMP are proactively working to improve sexual assault investigations. "We have taken action to strengthen police training and awareness, investigative accountability, victim support and public education and communication." York-Condon said RCMP is looking to speak to Snow and "are actively trying to engage her." As of Thursday, Snow said she still hadn't been contacted by RCMP. Earlier this month, N.W.T. RCMP held a news conference addressing a review from a committee of advocates, justice officials, and police on how they handle sexual assault allegations. The review found that while officers generally showed victims respect, some misunderstood consent law, rape myths or included irrelevant personal opinions in their investigations. During that news conference, RCMP family violence coordinator Jesse Aubin said that officers undergo mandatory training about consent law and common rape myths, and that they are working on a sexual assault investigator course specific to the North. Two more reviews are scheduled this year: one in April, and another in the fall. If you have your own story that you'd like to share, email mackenzie.scott@cbc.ca
THE LATEST: Health officials announced 3,289 cases of COVID-19 and 18 new deaths over the last three days. The provincial death toll from the disease is at 1,513. There are currently 9,937 active COVID-19 cases in B.C. So far, 1,112,101 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. There are 368 patients are in hospital, including 121 people in critical care. Health officials announced 3,289 cases of COVID-19 and 18 new deaths over the last three days. A three-week "circuit breaker" was implemented on March 29, putting in place sweeping new restrictions on indoor dining in restaurants, group fitness activities and worship services. Since that time, the province has announced several record-breaking single-day case counts and has seen a rise in hospitalizations. As of Monday, Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced there were 368 patients in hospital, including 121 people in critical care. The number of patients in critical care with the disease has risen to a record high. Vaccination registration expanding The province has announced dates for those aged 40 and older to register for their vaccine: Monday, April 12 — born 1966 or earlier (55+) Wednesday, April 14 — born 1971 or earlier (50+) Friday, April 16 — born 1976 or earlier (45+) Monday, April 19 — born 1981 or earlier (40+) Registering for a vaccine is not the same as booking the appointment to get your shot. Once registered, users receive a confirmation code. They then wait for an email, text or call telling them they are eligible and can then book their vaccine appointment using that code. A man wears a protective face mask to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as he walks past a billboard in Vancouver. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press) Indigenous people 18 or older and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable can also now register to book their vaccine appointment through B.C.'s new Get Vaccinated system. The province is also continuing to vaccinate people between the ages of 55 and 65 with the AstraZeneca vaccine in local pharmacies throughout the province. Vaccine registration There are three ways to register for vaccinations: By phone through the provincial phone line at 1-833-838-2323. In person at any Service B.C. location. Health Minister Adrian Dix said on Saturday that vaccine doses would also be set aside to vaccinate people in communities where there were outbreaks. Whistler jabs On Sunday, Vancouver Coastal Health announced that all adults who live and work in Whistler, B.C., will be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday. The health authority says it's launching the two-week vaccination program because of increasing transmission of the virus in the ski resort community. It says there were 1,505 confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in Whistler between Jan. 1 and April 5, which is the highest rate of COVID-19 of any local health area in the province. Cypress Mountain on Vancouver's North Shore announced Sunday was its last day of operations for the ski season, marking an early closure. The resort said it made the decision based on the rapid spread of more contagious coronavrius variants in the region, despite good snow conditions that could have allowed for an extended season. People waiting to get on a lift at Whistler Blackcomb in January 2021.(Submitted) On March 30, Whistler Blackcomb decided not to reopen for the tail end of the ski season following a provincial health order that closed the hills until April 19. On Friday, the province said there are currently 4,111 cases of COVID-19 that are confirmed variants of concern in B.C. Of the total cases, 105 are active and the remaining people have recovered. Read more: What's happening elsewhere in Canada As of Sunday, Canada had reported 1,060,157 cases of COVID-19, with 73,447 cases considered active. A total of 23,315 people have died of the disease. What are the symptoms of COVID-19? Common symptoms include: Fever. Cough. Tiredness. Shortness of breath. Loss of taste or smell. Headache. But more serious symptoms can develop, including difficulty breathing and pneumonia. What should I do if I feel sick? Use the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's COVID-19 self-assessment tool. Testing is recommended for anyone with symptoms of cold or flu, even if they're mild. People with severe difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, difficulty waking up or other extreme symptoms should call 911. What can I do to protect myself? Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Keep them clean. Keep at least two metres away from people outside your bubble. Keep your distance from people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Wear a mask in indoor public spaces. More detailed information on the outbreak is available on the federal government's website.
A high school student in the Annapolis Valley who was suspended after posting a photo of another student's "rapey" T-shirt says the whole ordeal has taught her the importance of speaking out. The shirt was printed with modified lyrics to the Christmas song Deck the Halls, including the line "'tis the season to be rapey." "People are saying, 'It's just a shirt.' Well, it's more than a shirt, and that's why this matters.… Rape is not OK," said 17-year-old Kenzie Thornhill, a student at West Kings District High School. "People are always gonna agree with you, and disagree, but it's time to make a change. It's time that we stop staying silent." 'Blew my mind' Thornhill said: "It just blew my mind. I think I did what any teen would do, I snapped the photo and posted it on social media," adding she made sure to frame it in a way that made it impossible to identify the person in the photo. Thornhill posted this photo to Snapchat, including a filter that shows the photo's location as West Kings District High School. She said she made sure the student was not identifiable in the photo.(Submitted by Kenzie Thornhill) She showed the picture to a teacher and hall monitor, who told her it would be dealt with. Thornhill said as far as she knows the student was not disciplined, but told not to wear the shirt to school again. Meanwhile, Thornhill received a five-day suspension. The suspension has since been revoked and Thornhill was back in school on Friday. She was told the discipline will be removed from her permanent record, but wasn't given an apology or an explanation. A statement posted on the Annapolis Valley Centre for Education's website confirmed the school had "revisited the decisions" related to discipline, but did not go into detail. "We are having positive dialogue with students and staff on the issue of sexual violence.… We want all students to feel safe and supported," the statement said. Thornhill said she's heard the school is taking steps to bring awareness to sexual violence, including having teachers read a letter to their classes. "It sucks this had to go viral and all this stuff had to happen for that to happen, but if there is some sort of action and awareness being spread, I'm very proud of the school and the school board for doing that," she said. Walkout in support Before the decision was reversed, Thornhill's suspension prompted about 100 students from the school to walk out of class on Thursday in a show of support. Students wore short skirts, spaghetti straps and other clothing that violated the dress code while holding up signs saying things like, "Enough is Enough" and "Rape is not a Joke." The event was covered by a number of local news outlets. Thornhill said about 100 students took part in the walkout.(Submitted by Kenzie Thornhill) Thornhill, who wasn't allowed on school grounds due to her suspension, cheered them on from across the street and said it was "amazing" and "overwhelming" to see. After all the media attention, Thornhill said her phone is "blowing up 24/7" with messages of support from peers and strangers, as well as personal stories from sexual assault survivors. "To have a stranger reach out to you and trust you with that sort of information, it's just amazing," she said. Not everyone agrees with Thornhill's actions. Some have been trying to poke holes in her story or twist her words, but Thornhill said they're "completely missing the point." 'A teachable moment' Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarsen, human rights activists and the co-founders of Persons Against Non-State Torture, called the ordeal a "missed opportunity" to have an open conversation with students about sexualized violence and why discussions around it are often silenced. "This is a teachable moment. We can transform this into a very powerful message to young people and the students. No student needs to be suspended," Sarsen told CBC's Mainstreet on Friday. During the walkout on Thursday, Thornhill cheered her classmates from across the street because she wasn't allowed on school grounds.(Submitted by Kenzie Thornhill) "With education, his thought process could change. But suspension and secrecy is not going to get us out of sexualized violence." Thornhill agrees this is a teachable moment, especially for the student who wore the T-shirt. "It's so much more than just that kid wearing this shirt. It's not his fault he wasn't educated or doesn't know why it's wrong to wear something like that," she said. "His life shouldn't be ruined for it, but what he did was wrong, and he needs to know that. He needs some type of consequence, but not harassment." MORE TOP STORIES
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P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison confirmed three new cases of COVID-19 on the Island Monday afternoon. University and college convocations are going ahead on P.E.I., but they'll still look different than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Larger weddings may be possible on P.E.I. this summer. Even as the Atlantic bubble is scheduled to bring down barriers in the Atlantic provinces in a little more than a week, many P.E.I. tourism operators are still trying to decide whether to open this season. Coffee shops in Charlottetown are delicately discouraging "computer campers" from taking up tables for hours at a time when space is at a premium. There will be no cruise ships visiting P.E.I. this year but Port Charlottetown is optimistic about 2022, with bookings in place for a record number of visitors. Some golf courses on P.E.I. opened last weekend, the earliest they have ever opened. Prince Edward Island has had 165 known cases of COVID-19. Seven are active. Elsewhere in the Atlantic region: Also in the news These Islanders are currently eligible for a vaccine People over 60. People over the age of 55 may book for an AstraZeneca vaccine at a pharmacy. People over the age of 55, with birthdays from January to April, may book at a public clinic. People providing health care services to the public — including optometrists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists — and their support staff. Firefighters, police officers, power-line workers. Residents and staff of long-term care homes. Adults living in Indigenous communities. Residents and staff of shared living facilities. Truck drivers and other rotational workers. Further resources Reminder about symptoms The symptoms of COVID-19 can include: Fever. Cough or worsening of a previous cough. Possible loss of taste and/or smell. Sore throat. New or worsening fatigue. Headache. Shortness of breath. Runny nose. More from CBC P.E.I.
Saskatoon softball officials are trying to silence parents after a prominent coach was charged with child abuse, says one mother. Heidi Dutton says parents were told to sign a confidentiality agreement before entering an emergency meeting over the weekend. The meeting was called to discuss the sexual assault charges against 56-year-old Ricky Davis. Dutton refused to sign. "It's 2021. It's time we teach our girls and women that sexual assault is something we talk about openly and we don't hide," Dutton said. Dutton says officials need to create a safe space to invite any other victims to come forward. But she said softball officials are trying to shut down discussion with the attempted "gag order." 'We've done our job' Saskatoon Minor Softball League volunteer board member Noreen Murphy declined to discuss the non-disclosure agreement. She said they've dealt with the issue, and there's nothing more they can do. "We've done our job. We've suspended him. To me, that's all we're involved in. That's it. We're moving forward. We have a league to prepare for," Murphy said. According to police, Ricky Davis, 56, was charged with sexually assaulting a child between the ages of five and nine between February 2012 and December 2017. Police investigators "are concerned that there may be other victims" and are asking them to come forward, according to a news release. After charges were announced late last week, Davis was suspended from his positions as coach of the under-16 girls' Saskatoon Hustlers team, as the team's local zone commissioner and as Saskatoon Minor Softball League board member. An emergency meeting was held at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex in Saskatoon on Saturday. Dutton and other parents were asked to sign a form as they entered. Non-disclosure agreement Dutton said she thought it was a standard COVID-19 contact tracing form, but it was a non-disclosure agreement. She refused to sign and took her seat. Shortly after the meeting began, she said another parent asked why they had to sign, and asked if police told officials it was necessary. According to Dutton, an official said the forms were necessary because they "didn't want to see discussions in the media." An official asked her to leave, but she argued against it and was allowed to stay. During the meeting, Dutton said, she and others raised concerns about Davis. Dutton said this was the first she's heard of any alleged criminal behaviour, but she and others have lodged multiple complaints over the years about Davis's methods and lack of transparency. Dutton said she and others have either resigned or been forced off the minor softball board for questioning Davis. Ricky Davis, 56, is accused of sexually assaulting a child.(Supplied by Heidi Dutton) Murphy said the league, like other minor sports organizations, has a rigorous, 10-step screening process for coaches and volunteers that includes a criminal record check. Murphy said they will be posting a statement on the SMSL website and social media notifying everyone of the suspension. The Hustlers team posted a statement on its website Monday afternoon. "Protecting the participants within our softball community is our first priority and it is a responsibility we take seriously," read the statement. Davis's first court appearance was scheduled for Monday morning in Saskatoon, but it was delayed due to a backlog of other cases. No one from Softball Saskatchewan could be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
CALGARY — An 18-year-old-man charged as a young offender in the hit-and-run death of a Calgary police officer has asked for another court delay as he tries to find a lawyer.The accused is charged with first-degree murder in the New Year's Eve death of Sgt. Andrew Harnett, who had tried to pull over an SUV because its plates didn't match its registration.Police have said Harnett was dragged by the SUV before he fell and was hit by another car.The alleged driver of the SUV, who was 17 when he was charged, can't be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.He had a lawyer during a previous bail hearing and says he is close to hiring another lawyer for trial.The case was adjourned to April 26.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021. The Canadian Press
TORONTO — Timothy Sauve was brushing his teeth one morning in December when he was hit by a dizzy spell that knocked him off his feet. The 61-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., didn't expect that to be the first sign of a COVID-19 infection. But within days he had developed a fever, experienced breathlessness in his sleep, and was rushed to hospital with a deteriorating condition that eventually required a double-lung transplant — believed to be the first done in Canada on a patient whose lungs were irreparably damaged by the virus. Sauve, a healthy, physically fit man before he contracted the virus, saw the infection wreak havoc on his lungs over his two-month stay in the intensive care units of two different Toronto area hospitals. While his lungs were scarred beyond repair, the virus didn't damage any of Sauve's other organs, making him a candidate for the rare procedure that saved his life. "Things were pretty bleak," Sauve said of his pre-transplant condition, fighting back tears during a phone interview from the University Health Network's Toronto Rehab Bickle Centre. "They told me my (lungs) weren't getting better and for me to make arrangements to say goodbye to my loved ones." After consulting with his family and doctors, Sauve was transferred from Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga to UHN's Toronto General Hospital, home to Canada's largest organ transplant program. A careful assessment at the Ajmera Transplant Centre determined he was physically strong enough to undergo a transplant in February. Dr. Marcelo Cypel, the surgical director at the transplant centre who led the team performing the operation, said Sauve was on "very high amounts of oxygen" when he met him, and scans of his lungs showed heavy amounts of scar tissue called pulmonary fibrosis. While he was only on a ventilator for a short amount of time during his transfer to the Toronto hospital from Mississauga, Sauve did need the advanced lung support therapy called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) — a machine that pumps and oxygenates the blood. Cypel said Sauve's lungs had shrunk during his infection, becoming stiff and resistant to air flow. "Lungs should be very light, like balloons — you can push air in very easily," Cypel said. "(Sauve's) were very similar actually to patients with chronic lung disease." While the surgery was a success, Cybel said transplants are not expected to become frequently used treatments for severe COVID cases. The procedure has only been done about "40 or 50" times worldwide, he said. Sauve's situation was unique in that the virus, aside from the irreversible damage it caused to his lungs, hadn't left the rest of his body in a weakened state, Cybel explained. Sauve had also cleared his COVID infection by the time he was assessed for a transplant, which was a main prerequisite before he could undergo surgery. As Sauve put it, "it would be a waste to give someone who wasn't healthy new lungs." Cybel says the rise of variants of concern that are causing severe disease in more younger patients may increase the number of transfer referrals going forward. UHN says its transplant program is currently evaluating three additional COVID patients for candidacy. Even though only a very "small subset" of people would qualify, "it is a very powerful, life-saving therapy for some specific patients," Cybel said. While Sauve is doing well in recovery now, he says the last few months had been a nightmare for his family. His entire household, including his common-law partner Julie Garcia, her 24-year-old son and her father, 80-year-old Juanito Teng, all tested positive for COVID around the same time Sauve became ill. Teng died in the ICU shortly after being admitted to hospital, in a room right next to Sauve's. The family doesn't know how members became infected or who got the virus first. Sauve, who had no prior comorbidities that put him at higher risk for infection or severe disease, says he hopes his story can resonate with anyone who thinks COVID-19 isn't that big a deal. "People don't realize what COVID does to people ... and sometimes they're putting their guard down," he said. "I thought that when I got the disease, I'd get over it." Sauve said the immediate aftermath of his surgery is a blur, with pain killers so strong they made him hallucinate — a normal reaction, his doctors told him. He also doesn't remember much from the day he found out he was getting his new lungs. "I just remember waiting," he said. "And the next thing I knew I was waking up from the operation — after the hallucinations wore off — and I realized I wasn't wearing an oxygen mask." Recovery time varies for patients after transplants, so Sauve isn't sure how long he'll need to stay at the rehab centre. But he doesn't want to rush things. "I want to leave here on my own two feet," he said. "I want to go home to my beautiful partner, Julie, but I don't want to need a walker. I'll stay here a little longer if I have to — it may take two months, three months, but my goal is to get back home." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021. Melissa Couto Zuber, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The federal government is expecting Moderna to make good on a previously promised batch of 855,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses that were expected last week, but have yet to arrive.Those delayed doses along with a little more than one million shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine represent the extent of Canada’s expected vaccine deliveries this week, even as the number of new COVID-19 cases across Canada continues to surge.Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the military officer overseeing the federal government’s vaccination distribution effort, blamed the delay in Moderna’s planned delivery on a “backlog with quality assurance."“It's part of the manufacturing process, at the tail end of the manufacturing process, that they want to go through the proper quality assurance processes, and there's a backlog,” he said last week.Officials have indicated there could be a similar delay in the delivery of 1.2 million doses from Moderna next week.“It’s prudent planning on our part right now to bank on the last week of April,” Fortin said.In comparison, Pfizer-BioNTech has been consistently delivering more than 1 million shots to Canada each week for more than a month, a trend that is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.The Public Health Agency is not expecting any shots of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine this week. Canada has also approved a vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson, but it is not clear when the first of those doses will be delivered.The rush to get vaccines into Canadians' arms has grown more urgent as Canada continues to see a massive spike in the number of new COVID-19 infections.Thousands of new cases were reported on Sunday, including a record 4,456 in Ontario alone. Dr. Theresa Tam, the country's chief public health officer, noted admissions to intensive care units surged 23 per cent last week compared to the one before and said the Canada is approaching the peak of the current pandemic wave. Tam said many of those getting sick are younger than in previous COVID-19 surges, which experts have blamed on virus variants that are spreading across the country.That has prompted some provinces to start looking at changes to how they are distributing their vaccines.More than 10 million doses had been distributed across Canada as of Sunday afternoon, according to covid19tracker.ca, with nearly 8 million having been administered.Almost 20 per cent of the population has received at least one shot.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021. Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press Note to readers: This is corrected story. A previous version said Canada was only expecting one million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine to be delivered this week.
Regina council has unanimously approved an option for an undisclosed company to purchase more than 250 hectares of land north of the city despite last-minute opposition to the sale. The purchaser is described only as "an independent commercial party" in a report that was approved by council at a special council meeting on Monday. The $4-million purchase price for the 633.6 acres (256.4 hectares) of land is below market value, but the potential development was touted as bringing "substantial economic opportunity for the City of Regina," according to the report. Although the public is not privy to the discussions, councillors confirmed during the special meeting that they know the identity of the developer. They've also been provided a more detailed economic assessment than what has been shared publicly. The parcel of land in question is north of the city, and shown on this map with blue diagonal stripes.(City of Regina) The city's administrative staff confirmed that the developer's board will be making a decision on where to locate the potential development, which includes Regina, "very soon." Business opposition Despite the unanimous support that it received from council, the decision was not universally praised. Two companies presented council with their objections to the deal ahead of the vote on Monday. AGT Foods opposed the sale, citing a lack of consultation and concern over the developer's intentions. Representatives from Federated Co-Op Ltd. (FCL), whose refinery borders on the parcels, voiced their opposition to the deal. The company said they only found out about the potential sale by reading a CBC News story on the subject and claimed the potential future development would box FCL in and restrict future expansion. FCL recently acquired True North Renewable Fuels. The deal, representatives told council on Monday, was made with the knowledge that they would look to expand into land adjacent to the refinery — including some or all of the parcels up for vote. Although FCL wanted to be offered the chance to take part in a bidding process, that door was swiftly closed by council's vote. The undisclosed developer has now been granted a $4-million option to purchase the land, with $50,000 of that being considered a non-refundable fee. That option to purchase will be required to be exercised within one year. The City of Regina and the developer would also need to come to further agreements on a number of unspecified details that require further study. Those would come before council for approval and would likely include further details on the developer and its plans. If the option to purchase is exercised but construction of the proposed development doesn't get underway within two years of the purchase, the City of Regina would have the right to take ownership of the parcels. That process would require the city to refund the $4-million option, minus the $50,000 fee.
The federal government will pay out $145 million to the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation in northwestern New Brunswick in what is now the largest federal land claim settlement in Maritime history. The settlement settles a dispute that wound through the courts for more than two decades. "This claim strikes at the heart of what it has meant to have grown up on reserve lands" and to be "marginalized as a people," Madawaska First Nation Chief Patricia Bernard said in a statement. "Our ancestors did not surrender their right to the land.'' In addition to $145 million, the settlement includes an option for the First Nation to acquire up to 783 hectares to add to its reserve. The land can be anywhere in the province and there is no time limit on its acquisition. The band's court battle for legal recognition of its claim dates back to 1996. In that claim, the band argued Canada breached its lawful obligations in transferring lands — including lands that now encompass most of downtown Edmundston — to third parties and did not fulfil the provisions of the Royal Proclamation of 1763. In November 2017, a federal tribunal ruled that the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation's claim to 1,578 hectares was valid. However, the tribunal does not have the authority to return the land, so four years of negotiations for financial compensation settlement followed before the settlement was reached in mid-March. On Monday evening, Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister for Crown-Indigenous Relations, congratulated Bernard and the Maliseet First Nation on the conclusion of the "historic settlement." "Achieved through the unwavering dedication, determination and hard work of Chief Bernard and the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation, this settlement will stand as a major step forward on the path of renewal and reconciliation between our two nations," Bennett said in an email. Bennett's office confirmed the $145-million settlement is the largest federal land claim settlement in the Maritimes. Previously, the largest settlement in the Maritimes was the Halifax County 1919 Invalid Surrender specific claim with the Millbrook and Sipekne'katik First Nation, which was settled on April 24, 2020, for $49,204,071. "Honouring Canada's legal obligations to First Nations and working collaboratively to renew relationships are key to advancing reconciliation with First Nations in Canada," the office said Monday evening. The settlement also includes an option to acquire 783 hectares anywhere in New Brunswick to add to the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation's land reserve.(Julia Wright / CBC News file photo) Victory represents a new beginning, chief says In an interview Monday, Bernard, who is also the lawyer who launched and litigated the initial claim and was the negotiator in the settlement, said the hard-won victory represents a new beginning for the Madawaska community. "We're putting $50 million into a legacy trust fund that will generate money on a continuous basis," Bernard said. As well, she said, all of the community members will get per-capita distribution. The money will also fuel economic and infrastructure development for the community, Bernard said. Consultations will now get underway with the community to determine the sort of lands Madawaska should be considering for acquisition. "We're going to consult with the community with respect to, you know, what are we are looking for," Bernard said. "Are we looking for an area to practise traditional ceremonies, are we looking for residential, are we looking for economic development? So we have to consult with the community on that." For Bernard, the road to victory has been a long and personal journey. "The amazing thing for me is that I was involved right from the beginning," she said. "I did the initial research, the initial legal opinion, litigated the claim in the tribunal and then did the negotiation. "This has been a personal goal of mine to see it through, and having it done has been an amazing feeling, so I'm quite happy with the outcome."
EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is urging the public to hold on a little longer by following COVID-19 restrictions while condemning those using threats and intimidation to protest the rules. Provincial sheriffs estimated about 750 people gathered at the legislature on Monday to protest public-health restrictions. Some chanted "lock her up" in reference to the province's chief medical health officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw. "They also chanted 'just say no' to vaccines," Kenney later said on Twitter. "It’s particularly offensive to threaten a committed public servant like Dr. Hinshaw, a consummate professional who has offered the best possible health advice to govt. I call on those responsible to stop the threats & law breaking, which is a disservice to their own cause." Kenney added that another large protest on Sunday at GraceLife Church west of Edmonton, which was recently closed by health officials for violating restrictions, resulted in the arrest of a protester who allegedly shouted racial insults at a First Nations woman on a nearby reserve. Kenney said a car belonging to the chief of Enoch Cree Nation was also vandalized. No tickets were issued at the legislature protest, Alberta Justice spokesman Jason van Rassel said. "Albertans respect the freedoms of speech and protest," said Kenney. "But breaking the law, trespassing, threats and intimidation go too far. I condemn these actions and statements. It is increasingly clear that many involved in these protests are unhinged conspiracy theorists." Earlier Monday, Kenney held a news conference and asked Albertans to keep following the rules and get vaccinated. Kenney said the amount of available vaccine is increasing and he expects a quarter of Albertans will have some protection from the novel coronavirus in a matter of weeks. Half of the population should have at least one shot by the end of May, two-thirds by the end of June and three-quarters by mid-September, he said. "We're nearing the end of a long and tiring journey. It is our path to recovery and freedom," Kenney said. "Once two-thirds of us have immunity, we'll start to feel back to normal. There'll be no formal restrictions. (Calgary) Stampede, sporting events, other festivals will be possible, especially if outdoors. "Once three-quarters of us are immune, we expect we'll be fully back to normal." Kenney said masks and physical distancing will still be encouraged of Albertans but not mandated. The province has opened what it calls rapid flow vaccination clinics in Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. Mega clinics — each able to able to administer up to 1,000 doses per hour and 6,000 per day — opened in Calgary and Edmonton on Monday. Kenney has said vaccine rollout is critical, as the impact of COVID-19 on the province has become a race between the rise of the variants and getting a critical mass of people vaccinated. The variants, which are more contagious than the original strain, now make up about half of Alberta's 14,800 active cases. On Monday, Alberta reported a slight dip in new COVID-19 cases with 1,136 infections. It said 679 new variant cases were also identified. There were also 390 people in hospital because of the virus and 90 were in intensive care. "Right now the variants are winning that race," said Kenney. He added that socializing among young people remains a concern. A Calgary high school had to shut down recently because students were having house parties. And in Athabasca, northeast of Edmonton, a number of schools had to be closed because of infections. "A bunch of kids from one of those schools were brought together by their parents for a birthday party," Kenney explained. "Apparently the virus had a 100 per cent attack rate at that birthday party. All of the kids, who came to that birthday party, got sick." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021. — By Bill Graveland in Calgary The Canadian Press
The man who drove a snowmobile drunk four years ago now has a federal prison sentence for his role in the western Newfoundland collision that killed his passenger, with the judge saying a message needs to be sent that impaired driving is "completely unacceptable in our society." Justice George Murphy delivered his sentence Monday afternoon in Corner Brook Supreme Court, concluding the case involving Thomas Whittle and giving him three years behind bars with a four-year driving ban to follow upon his release. In January, Whittle was convicted of three charges related to the crash, including impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death. The charges stemmed from what Murphy called "a fateful decision" by Whittle and passenger Justyn Pollard to hop aboard a snowmobile in the early hours of Feb 19, 2017. That morning, their snowmobile collided with a taxi van on the bridge to Humber Valley Resort. Pollard, 21, died from his injuries. While Whittle pleaded not guilty to the charges he faced, Murphy said he should not be punished for that decision. Murphy also noted that Whittle had a positive upbringing, a supportive family, and no prior criminal record. But Murphy said he shared concerns the Crown had raised at trial, and prior to the sentencing, that Whittle had shown a lack of insight into his actions and their impact on Pollard and Pollard's family. "I'm not convinced he fully accepts responsibility for his actions that day," Murphy told the court, citing times Whittle had complained about the impact of court-imposed conditions on him that forced him to miss events such as weddings. Justyn Pollard, 21, was killed when the snowmobile he was on collided with a taxi on the bridge to the Humber Valley Resort.(Submitted by Sherry Pollard) Murphy said such impacts paled in comparison with that of Pollard's family and friends. Pollard's mother and best friend watched the sentencing via video link, while his aunt and uncle listened over the phone. All of them delivered emotional victim impact statements on Thursday detailing their grief. "There is no doubt that they have all suffered an immeasurable loss," said Murphy. Murphy sided with the Crown's recommendations for the three-year sentence and four-year driving ban, but declined to grant the Crown's request for a DNA order to put a sample from Whittle into a national database, saying Whittle didn't show any "criminal propensity" to repeat his behaviour. Whittle, who represented himself, had asked for an intermittent sentence to be able to continue working in the community, an arrangement Murphy said was unavailable for any sentence longer than 90 days. Two of Whittle's three convictions were each given the three-year prison sentence, which will be served concurrently. Murphy stayed one other conviction, of driving with a blood-alcohol content above 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, resulting in an accident causing death. Sending a message In handing down his sentence, Murphy ruminated on the continued instances of impaired driving in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada, saying that society's way of dealing with it doesn't appear to be working. "It is a complex problem with no easy solution," Murphy said. He hoped his sentence would work toward accomplishing two goals — demonstrating to society that impaired driving is "completely unacceptable," and sending a message to anyone thinking of drinking and driving. While Murphy called Whittle's actions that night "reckless and extremely risky behaviour," Murphy also said he highly doubted Whittle would ever drink and drive again, and that the sentence was meant more as a general deterrence to society. Whittle was quiet throughout the proceedings, offering only "no comment" when given the chance to weigh in on the proceedings. He has been in custody since Thursday, time that Murphy credited toward Whittle's sentence at time-and-a-half, shaving eight days off Whittle's total to be served. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
Saskatchewan has set an ambitious timeline for getting its adult population vaccinated. On Wednesday, the province's chief medical health officer predicted that by mid-May all willing and able residents in the province aged 18 and older could have access to their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. But an analysis by CBC News shows the province will have to substantially speed up its efforts if it wants a chance of meeting its goal and avoiding a high-profile misstep for a government that has touted vaccines as the only way out of the pandemic. Last week the province averaged 9,681 vaccine doses per day. To get a dose in every adult's arm, Saskatchewan would need to more than double that. That goal may be already out of reach. Population challenges As of July 2020, StatsCanada estimated that there were 905,623 adults in the province. As of Sunday, 240,931 adults in Saskatchewan had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That would leave about 664,692 adults yet to be vaccinated. The province has averaged 5,508 jabs a day since March 5. Even with the rate increasing to more than 8,000 per day during the week of March 29 to April 4, it is still nowhere near the pace needed to meet its rapidly approaching target. As of Monday, there are only 33 days until May 15. To vaccinate every adult in that period, the province will need to complete more than 20,000 jabs a day. So far, the most people Saskatchewan has vaccinated in one day is 13,170, on April 11. Every day the government doesn't reach the necessary daily average, it means more must be vaccinated in the days to come. How many will be vaccinated? Is the province capable of scaling up its vaccination efforts? It's not clear. The Saskatchewan government would not provide answers to any of the questions CBC News asked for this story. Instead, all inquiries were directed to a news conference on vaccines from April 7. None of the questions were addressed in that news conference. Meeting the goal will, paradoxically, be helped by vaccine hesitancy. It's very unlikely that every person in the province will be willing to get vaccinated. Saskatchewan would not provide any information on how many people it has predicted will oppose vaccinations. Health Minister Paul Merriman has insisted that everyone get inoculated. "That's the very best way to protect yourself and those around you and that is the way to the end of this pandemic. In fact, it's the only way to the end of this pandemic," said Merriman at a provincial update on Wednesday. According to the World Health Organization, the percentage of a population that needs to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity varies with each disease. Health Canada's chief medical adviser Dr. Supriya Sharma previously told the House of Commons health committee in February that vaccination rates will likely need to be high in order to counter the emergence of COVID-19 variants. "With the emergence of variants and because they are more transmissible, I think a lot of people are adjusting those numbers up toward more like 85 per cent, or even potentially 90 per cent, coverage to achieve herd immunity," she said. "Certainly it's a moving target, because, as we know, the virus and its transmissibility and how contagious it is is changing." Even if the province is hoping to inoculate 85 per cent of the adult population, it must ramp up efforts on an extraordinary scale. Rapid vaccinations, but high case counts On a per capita basis, Saskatchewan ranks highly among the provinces in two significant categories. It is the top province in Canada for vaccinations per capita. As of Monday, the province had vaccinated 23,947 per 100,000 people in the province. "We are leading the country. We are getting as many shots into people as soon as we possibly can, and that's the way through this," Merriman told media on Thursday. But Saskatchewan is also among the top provinces in known COVID-19 cases per capita — third in both active and total cases per capita. Premier Scott Moe has resisted calls to implement stricter province-wide COVID-19 restrictions. The province is in a race to vaccinate as quickly as possible. And the clock on the province's self-imposed deadline is ticking.
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine's leader has asked for a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Russian troop buildup across his country's border and the escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine, but the request has not been answered so far, his spokeswoman said Monday. The concentration of Russian troops along the frontier comes amid a surge of cease-fire violations in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-ba?ked separatists and Ukrainian forces have been locked in a conflict since Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. More than 14,000 people have died in fighting in eastern Ukraine and efforts to negotiate a political settlement have stalled. “The Kremlin, of course, has the request to talk to Vladimir Putin. We haven't received a response so far and very much hope that it's not a refusal of dialogue,” Iuliia Mendel, a spokeswoman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told The Associated Press. The request was lodged on March 26, when four Ukrainian troops were killed in a mortar attack in the east, she added. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday he hasn't seen any requests from Zelenskyy “in recent days.” Western and Ukrainian officials have raised concerns about increasingly frequent cease-fire violations in the conflict area. Reports of Ukraine's military casualties have been occurring daily over the past week, and rebels also have reported losses. On Monday, Ukraine’s military reported one more serviceman killed, bringing the total to 28 this year. The G-7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the United States said Monday they are “deeply concerned by the large ongoing build-up of Russian military forces on Ukraine’s borders and in illegally-annexed Crimea.” They said the large scale troop movements are threatening and destabilizing and urged Russia “to cease its provocations.” Zelenskyy is expected to head to Paris soon for talks on the buildup with French President Emmanuel Macron, Mendel said Monday. She said Russia has accumulated 41,000 troops at its border with eastern Ukraine and 42,000 more in Crimea. These numbers are likely to grow as the troops “keep arriving," she said. During a call with Putin last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for the removal of Russian troop reinforcements "in order to achieve a de-escalation of the situation.” Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said Monday that Germany has been following the Russian military buildup along the border with Ukraine very closely, adding it has been "of great concern to us.” The Kremlin has maintained that Russia is free to deploy its troops wherever it wants on its territory and has repeatedly accused the Ukrainian military of “provocative actions” along the line of control in the east and plans to retake control of the rebel regions by force. Kremlin officials charged that Kyiv's actions have threatened Russia’s security, warning that Russia may intervene to protect Russian speakers in the east. Speaking on a trip to Egypt on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that “the current regime in Kyiv might resort to reckless actions in an attempt to restore its ratings.” Amid the rising tensions, the United States has notified Turkey that two U.S. warships will sail to the Black Sea on April 14 and April 15 and stay there until May 4 and May 5. Russia long has bristled at Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO and its increasing military co-operation with the U.S. and its allies. Lavrov argued that while Russia was moving troops on its own territory, "a question what the U.S. ships and servicemen taking part in NATO activities in Ukraine are doing thousands of kilometres away from its territory has remained unanswered.” ___ Frank Jordans in Berlin and Sam Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report. Yuras Karmanau, The Associated Press
