Canada & World

A panel of experts with the Health Standards Organization has developed updated guidance for how care homes should operate in light of the deadly and tragic toll the pandemic took on Canadian residents and their quality of life. A man looks out the window at the Camilla Care Community centre overlooking crosses marking the deaths of multiple people that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mississauga, Ont., on May 26, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Time is of the essence to bring in and enforce new long-term care standards: authors

The Health Standards Organization released updated standards Tuesday

B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, from left to right, Carolyn Bennett, federal minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and B.C. Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside stand together during a news conference in Vancouver, on Monday, January 30, 2023. Decriminalization of people with small amounts of illegal drugs for their own use has become a reality in British Columbia, but substance users and researchers say the move is expected to make little immediate difference because of a toxic drug supply that is killing people. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

‘Dangerous’ to think B.C.’s decriminalization plan will reduce OD deaths: researcher

Users will not be arrested or have their drugs seized by police starting Tuesday

Jennifer Chan, front centre, the sister of late Vancouver Police Const. Nicole Chan, who died by suicide in 2019, returns to a coroner’s inquest, in Burnaby, B.C., on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. A Vancouver Police sergeant who says he was Nicole Chan’s friend and mentor has told a coroner’s inquest that Chan believed she would never return to work because human resource officers went to the hospital when she was apprehended under the Mental Health Act. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Const. Nicole Chan feared never working at VPD again after hospital stint: sergeant

‘She had zero contact with anybody from the VPD, other than myself, at the end’

Water flows down a wash into Lake Mead at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, near Boulder City, Nev. More than 10% of the water carried by the Colorado River evaporates, leaks or spills as the 1,450-mile powerhouse river of the West flows through the region’s dams, reservoirs and open-air canals. (AP Photo/John Locher)

In the American West, pressure mounts to count water lost to evaporation

As jurisdictions battle for their share, 10% loss on the Colorado can no longer be ignored

Water flows down a wash into Lake Mead at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, near Boulder City, Nev. More than 10% of the water carried by the Colorado River evaporates, leaks or spills as the 1,450-mile powerhouse river of the West flows through the region’s dams, reservoirs and open-air canals. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A food delivery rider walks up a staircase near restaurants only allowing take away in a shuttered commercial distirct as part of COVID-19 controls in Beijing, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

WHO decided the COVID-19 global emergency isn’t over. What happens next?

In the past 8 weeks, at least 170,000 people have died around the world in connection with the virus

A food delivery rider walks up a staircase near restaurants only allowing take away in a shuttered commercial distirct as part of COVID-19 controls in Beijing, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada speaks to reporters at the COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Sunday, December 18, 2022. The federal Liberals will not change Ottawa’s environmental protection law to make it mandatory for every toxic substance to have a pollution prevention plan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Government says there is no need for every toxic chemical to have a pollution plan

Green party proposal for environmental bill amendment voted down

Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada speaks to reporters at the COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Sunday, December 18, 2022. The federal Liberals will not change Ottawa’s environmental protection law to make it mandatory for every toxic substance to have a pollution prevention plan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
A man steers his boat that is used by residents to move around the street flooded with rain water in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. A tropical storm Cheneso made landfall across north-eastern Madagascar on January 19, brought strong winds to coastal regions, while heavy rain brought significant flooding to northern parts of the country. (AP Photo/Alexander Joe)

Tropical storm leaves 30 dead, 20 missing in Madagascar

Flooding and landslides caused by the passage of tropical storm Cheneso across…

A man steers his boat that is used by residents to move around the street flooded with rain water in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. A tropical storm Cheneso made landfall across north-eastern Madagascar on January 19, brought strong winds to coastal regions, while heavy rain brought significant flooding to northern parts of the country. (AP Photo/Alexander Joe)
In this file photo dated Wednesday, March 11, 2015, showing Jean Vanier, the founder of L’ARCHE, an international network of communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together, in central London. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Lefteris Pitarakis, FILE

Report finds that L’Arche co-founder Jean Vanier sexually abused 25 women

Canadian spent decades with L’Arche, a program helping those with developmental disabilities

In this file photo dated Wednesday, March 11, 2015, showing Jean Vanier, the founder of L’ARCHE, an international network of communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together, in central London. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Lefteris Pitarakis, FILE
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, from left to right, B.C. Premier David Eby and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh prepare to march in the Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown, in Vancouver, on Sunday, January 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Singh meeting with Trudeau about private health care ahead of sit-down with premiers

‘The deal will be a failure if it doesn’t include major commitments to hire more health-care workers’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, from left to right, B.C. Premier David Eby and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh prepare to march in the Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown, in Vancouver, on Sunday, January 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Army soldiers and police officers clear the way for ambulances rushing toward a bomb explosion site, at the main entry gate of police offices, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. A powerful bomb went off Monday near a mosque and police offices in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least a few people and wounding some 70 worshippers, police and government officials said. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)

Pakistan mosque suicide bomber kills 59, wounds over 150

A commander for the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter

Army soldiers and police officers clear the way for ambulances rushing toward a bomb explosion site, at the main entry gate of police offices, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. A powerful bomb went off Monday near a mosque and police offices in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least a few people and wounding some 70 worshippers, police and government officials said. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)
A group of demonstrators protest outside a police precinct in response to the death of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police officers, in Memphis, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

6th Memphis officer relieved of duty in Nichols arrest

A sixth Memphis Police Department officer has been disciplined for his involvement…

A group of demonstrators protest outside a police precinct in response to the death of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police officers, in Memphis, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh listens to a question during an availability on Parliament Hill, Thursday, January 19, 2023 in Ottawa. Singh says he will call on the House of a Commons to hold an emergency debate on the privatization of health care. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

NDP to call for emergency debate in House of Commons over private health care

Singh concerned for-profit facilities will poach doctors and nurses away from hospitals

New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh listens to a question during an availability on Parliament Hill, Thursday, January 19, 2023 in Ottawa. Singh says he will call on the House of a Commons to hold an emergency debate on the privatization of health care. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland speaks to the media at the Hamilton Convention Centre, in Hamilton, Ont., on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. The federal government failed to spend tens of billions of dollars in the last fiscal year on promised programs and services, including new military equipment, affordable housing and support for veterans. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn

Federal departments failed to spend $38B on promised programs, services last year

Feds say much of the money remains available for future years

Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland speaks to the media at the Hamilton Convention Centre, in Hamilton, Ont., on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. The federal government failed to spend tens of billions of dollars in the last fiscal year on promised programs and services, including new military equipment, affordable housing and support for veterans. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), talks to the media at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. Monday could mark a major milestone in the history of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the World Health Organization stands poised to decide whether or not to declare an end to the global public health emergency. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Keystone via AP-Salvatore Di Nolfi

WHO decides the COVID-19 global emergency isn’t over

‘No doubt that we’re in a far better situation now’

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), talks to the media at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. Monday could mark a major milestone in the history of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the World Health Organization stands poised to decide whether or not to declare an end to the global public health emergency. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Keystone via AP-Salvatore Di Nolfi
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives to Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. The House of Commons resumes today following the winter recess. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Parliamentarians return to House of Commons facing rocky economic year

MPs will sit today for the first session of 2023 after retreating to strategize priorities

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives to Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. The House of Commons resumes today following the winter recess. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
People hold pictures of the victims at a vigil to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting, in Quebec City, Monday, Jan. 29, 2018. A ceremony will be held this evening to mark the sixth anniversary of Quebec City’s deadly mosque shooting. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Emotional prayer room ceremony marks 6th anniversary of Quebec mosque shooting

6 were killed, 19 were injured during 2017 attack

People hold pictures of the victims at a vigil to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting, in Quebec City, Monday, Jan. 29, 2018. A ceremony will be held this evening to mark the sixth anniversary of Quebec City’s deadly mosque shooting. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
FILE - The building that housed office space of President Joe Biden’s former institute, the Penn Biden Center, is seen at the corner of Constitution and Louisiana Avenue NW, in Washington, Jan. 10, 2023. The discovery of classified documents at an office Biden used during his brief time outside government has thrust his namesake think tank into an unwelcome spotlight. The Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement was a landing spot for the president after he left the vice presidency in 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Classified docs probe pushes Biden think tank into spotlight

Penn Biden Centre served as a transition point between vice presidency and presidential run

FILE - The building that housed office space of President Joe Biden’s former institute, the Penn Biden Center, is seen at the corner of Constitution and Louisiana Avenue NW, in Washington, Jan. 10, 2023. The discovery of classified documents at an office Biden used during his brief time outside government has thrust his namesake think tank into an unwelcome spotlight. The Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement was a landing spot for the president after he left the vice presidency in 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
Thousands of small starfish wash ashore during low tide on Garden City Beach, S.C., Monday, June 29, 2020. A Canadian national research group says it has proven that seastars are tied with polar bears as the top predator of the coastal Arctic marine ecosystem. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP

There’s a hungry Arctic predator with a lot of arms that eats dead polar bears

Starfish sit higher in the food chain than expected

Thousands of small starfish wash ashore during low tide on Garden City Beach, S.C., Monday, June 29, 2020. A Canadian national research group says it has proven that seastars are tied with polar bears as the top predator of the coastal Arctic marine ecosystem. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP
A condo project is shown in Langford, B.C., on October 22, 2021. The federal government has set aside billions of dollars to quickly build affordable housing across the country, but delays in construction suggest many of the projects approved for funding are missing their deadlines. The Rapid Housing Initiative is a federal program launched in 2020 that provides funding to cities and non-profit organizations to build affordable homes for vulnerable Canadians, including people experiencing homelessness. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Majority of affordable homes approved under federal program not yet constructed

Just 1,449 units have been completed, according to November document

A condo project is shown in Langford, B.C., on October 22, 2021. The federal government has set aside billions of dollars to quickly build affordable housing across the country, but delays in construction suggest many of the projects approved for funding are missing their deadlines. The Rapid Housing Initiative is a federal program launched in 2020 that provides funding to cities and non-profit organizations to build affordable homes for vulnerable Canadians, including people experiencing homelessness. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Inuvialuk sculptor David Ruben Piqtoukun sits in front of his piece entitled “Thar She Blows!” at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, ahead of his exhibition “Radical Remembrance: The Sculptures of David Ruben Piqtoukun.” THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris YoungC

‘Make peoples’ jaws drop:’ Inuvialuk sculptor shaped by cultural stories

David Ruben Piqtoukun says his work is inspired by Inuit stories and environmental issues

Inuvialuk sculptor David Ruben Piqtoukun sits in front of his piece entitled “Thar She Blows!” at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, ahead of his exhibition “Radical Remembrance: The Sculptures of David Ruben Piqtoukun.” THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris YoungC