Canada markets closed

  • S&P/TSX

    17,845.91
    -70.29 (-0.39%)
     

  • S&P 500

    3,841.47
    -11.60 (-0.30%)
     

  • DOW

    30,996.98
    -179.02 (-0.57%)
     

  • CAD/USD

    0.7863
    -0.0050 (-0.63%)
     

  • CRUDE OIL

    51.98
    -0.29 (-0.55%)
     

  • BTC-CAD

    40,954.39
    +468.29 (+1.16%)
     

  • CMC Crypto 200

    651.44
    +41.45 (+6.79%)
     

  • GOLD FUTURES

    1,855.50
    -0.70 (-0.04%)
     

  • RUSSELL 2000

    2,168.76
    +27.34 (+1.28%)
     

  • 10-Yr Bond

    1.0910
    -0.0180 (-1.62%)
     

  • NASDAQ

    13,543.06
    +12.15 (+0.09%)
     

  • VOLATILITY

    21.91
    +0.59 (+2.77%)
     

  • FTSE

    6,695.07
    -20.35 (-0.30%)
     

  • NIKKEI 225

    28,631.45
    -125.45 (-0.44%)
     

  • CAD/EUR

    0.6455
    -0.0045 (-0.69%)
     

Small towns in B.C. Interior see a COVID-19 spike

There has been a spike in COVID-19 cases in smaller communities in B.C., where resources to fight the pandemic are scarce.

Latest Stories

  • The 5 best Amazon deals you can get this weekend

    The best Amazon sale items to shop this weekend include an über-popular electric fireplace, a Cuisinart cheese grater and more—shop our top picks.

  • Colombia's FARC party changes name to Comunes

    Colombia's FARC political party - which was formed following the demobilization of the guerrilla group with the same acronym - will change its name to Comunes, it said on Sunday. The leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group signed a peace deal with Colombia's government in 2016. The signing of the pact ended the FARC guerrillas' role in a more than 50-year conflict that left more than 260,000 dead and millions displaced.

  • Chiefs have Edwards-Helaire, no Bell, Watkins vs Bills

    The Kansas City Chiefs have Clyde Edwards-Helaire but are missing fellow running back Le'Veon Bell and veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins for their AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Edwards-Helaire has been out since mid-December, when the 32nd overall draft pick sustained a high-ankle sprain in a game in New Orleans. Edwards-Helaire returned to practice for a single day before he was inactive in last week's divisional-round win over the Browns, but he looked good this week in practice and was active for the Bills.

  • Too soon to know if Canada's COVID-19 case decline will continue, Tam says

    MONTREAL — It's still too soon to know whether the recent downward trend in new COVID-19 cases will continue, Canada's chief public health officer said Sunday as several provinces grappled with outbreaks that threatened to derail their fragile progress. Dr. Theresa Tam said there's been an improvement in the COVID-19 numbers in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, but the disease is regaining steam elsewhere. "While community-based measures may be starting to take effect in some areas, it is too soon to be sure that current measures are strong enough and broad enough to maintain a steady downward trend across the country," she wrote in a statement. Some long-standing virus hot spots have made headway in lowering the number of new cases in recent weeks, but are still fighting outbreaks and flare-ups as they race to vaccinate vulnerable communities. The federal public safety minister announced Sunday that the Canadian Armed Forces will support vaccine efforts in 32 First Nations communities in northern Ontario. Bill Blair said on Twitter that armed forces personnel will support vaccine efforts in 32 communities of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation. The military has previously been asked to help with the vaccine rollout in communities in Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba. Health officials in Ontario were also investigating whether a long-term care home could become the second in the province to be linked to a U.K. variant of COVID-19, after a first home in Barrie, Ont., made headlines when it became infected with the more contagious strain. The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit said Sunday that an individual with the U.K. variant within the region had close contact with a person who is also part of a COVID-19 outbreak at Bradford Valley Care Community, a long-term care home in Bradford West Gwillimbury, south of Barrie. Quebec, meanwhile, reported a fifth straight day with a decline in the number of hospitalizations as the health minister urged citizens to keep following health measures. But the province was still dealing with more than 1,350 active outbreaks, including one at a jail north of Montreal with over 60 cases. Farther west, Manitoba logged 222 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and three more deaths. Saskatchewan also counted three new deaths linked to the virus, as well as 260 new infections. Nunavut recorded a surge in new COVID-19 cases Sunday, logging 13 new diagnoses in the remote community of Arviat. The community of about 2,800 had been the centre of Nunavut's largest COVID-19 outbreak and at one point had 222 cases. But the territory went weeks without any new diagnoses until new cases were identified on both Friday and Saturday. While some provinces and territories reported flare-ups of cases, other provinces had better news to report. Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new cases of COVID-19, while Nova Scotia found just one. New Brunswick, a fellow Atlantic province, fared less well as it reported 20 new cases, just hours after the hard-hit Edmundston region entered lockdown. In a statement, Tam said the prospect of vaccines has offered Canadians "hope that the end of the pandemic is in sight." But in the meantime, she stressed that all Canadians need to keep following health measures, even after they're vaccinated. She said vaccinated people still need to be careful because vaccines aren't 100 per cent effective, don't start working immediately, and it's not yet clear whether vaccinated people can still transmit the disease to others. She said following public health measures will also reduce the spread of new variants of COVID-19, including the ones identified in the U.K., Brazil and South Africa. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan 24, 2021 With files from Victoria Ahearn in Toronto and Kevin Bissett in Fredericton Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press

  • Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reveals how practice makes perfect for Bruno Fernandes

    The Portuguese midfielder was working on free-kicks ahead of the FA Cup clash against Liverpool.

  • Joe Biden stops motorcade on return from church to buy bagels from trendy bakery

    First family orders sesame bagels with cream cheese

  • Center-right incumbent wins Portugal's presidential election

    LISBON, Portugal — Portugal’s president was returned to office for a second term Sunday, in an election held amid a devastating COVID-19 surge that has made the European country the worst in the world for cases and deaths. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa captured 61.5% of the vote, with 98.5% of districts reporting. He had been widely expected to win. In a stunning development, newly arrived right-wing populist André Ventura was in a close race for second place with Socialist candidate Ana Gomes, with both polling around 12%. Such a showing for Ventura would have been unthinkable until recently and will send a shudder through Portuguese politics. Four other candidates ran for head of state. Rebelo de Sousa, a centre-right moderate and former leader of Portugal’s Social Democratic Party, will serve a second and final 5-year term. One of the re-elected president’s first tasks will be to decide next month whether to approve a new law allowing euthanasia. Parliament has passed the bill, but the head of state could try to block it or send it to the constitutional Court for vetting. The turnout was less than 40% — significantly lower than in recent elections and apparently confirming concerns that some people would stay away for fear of becoming infected with COVID-19. Political leaders said that when the pandemic began to worsen there was no longer enough time to change the Portuguese Constitution to allow the election’s postponement. Portugal has the world’s highest rates of new daily infections and deaths per 100,000 population, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, and its public health system is under huge strain. Rebelo de Sousa, 72, was long viewed as the clear front-runner. He is an affable law professor and former television personality who as president has consistently had an approval rating of 60% or more. Rebelo de Sousa has worked closely with the centre-left minority Socialist government, supporting its pandemic efforts. He also has endeared himself to the Portuguese with his easygoing style. Photographs taken by passers-by of him in public places, such as one last year of him standing in line at a supermarket wearing sneakers and shorts, routinely go viral. With the country in lockdown, the election campaign featured none of the usual flag-waving rallies but restrictions on movement were lifted for polling day. Authorities increased the number of polling stations and allowed for early voting to reduce crowding on election day. In other precautions, voters were asked to bring their own pens and disinfectant to polling stations. Everyone voting wore a mask and kept a safe distance from each other. Prime Minister António Costa, in a tweet, urged people to turn out for the ballot, saying that “unprecedented planning” had gone into ensuring that the vote could take place safely. Portugal has 10.8 million registered voters, around 1.5 million of them living abroad. Every Portuguese president since 1976, when universal suffrage was introduced following the departure of a dictatorship, has been returned for a second term. No woman or member of an ethnic minority has ever held the post. Barry Hatton, The Associated Press

  • Chicago Teachers Move Toward Strike; District Delays Return

    (Bloomberg) -- Chicago public school teachers are moving toward a strike in the nation’s third-largest district as union members voted to only work remotely, prompting officials to delay teachers’ required return to classrooms this week by two days.The Chicago Teachers Union said in a statement Sunday that 71% of its voting members approved a resolution to “conduct remote work only” when kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers were scheduled to report to work in-person on Monday, according to the union, which cited safety concerns.After the union released the vote results, the district pushed back teachers’ required return to Wednesday to create more time to reach an agreement, school officials said. Kindergarten through eighth-grade students have the option to return Feb. 1.“We now agree on far more than we disagree, but our discussions remain ongoing, and additional time is needed to reach a resolution,” Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Janice Jackson and Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade said in a statement.School officials want to avoid the second strike in as many years for the district. The clash over reopening comes as school administrators across the country are grappling with how to bring students back to the classroom amid the pandemic and slow ramp-up of vaccinations.U.S. President Joe Biden has vowed to reopen most schools in his first 100 days and has directed the departments of Education and Health and Human Services to provide guidance on reopening.Biden’s Bid to Reopen Schools Risks Reigniting Union TensionBargaining Continues“We will continue to work remote so we can keep ourselves, our families and our school communities safe,” the teachers’ union said in its statement, noting that bargaining continues. “If we are locked out by the mayor and CPS, then the choice to strike is theirs, not ours.”Chicago Public Schools plan to offer in-person instruction amid a broader easing of Covid-19 restrictions in the city and across Illinois, where average positivity rates and case numbers have been falling. In Chicago, the seven-day rolling positivity rate is 7.3%, down from 9.1% a week earlier, according to the latest data on the city’s website.On Friday, Jackson said that it would be considered a strike if teachers don’t report for work. The district is confident it can reopen buildings safely for more than 70,000 kindergarten through eighth-grade students on Feb. 1, according to Jackson. In-person learning began almost two weeks ago for the first time since March for preschool and special-needs students. Not all teachers have reported in-person as required, and not all students who had indicated they would return to buildings have done so.Jackson said the past two weeks have shown that safety protocols are working. The district plans to start offering vaccinations to employees in mid-February.The union said 86% of its members participated in the vote, which took place Thursday through Saturday.‘Too Risky’Kirstin Roberts, a preschool teacher at Brentano Elementary, said she wants more specific plans that do more to improve safety and prevent the spread of Covid-19 in school buildings.Roberts, who voted to stay remote and declined to return to in-person instruction earlier this month, wants detailed protocols for testing, contact tracing and vaccinations, as well as improvements in remote learning for those students who don’t choose in-person instruction.“CPS has a lot of work to do,” Roberts said. “The virus is not under control.”(Updates with district quote in fourth, teacher comments starting in 12th paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

  • Jose Mourinho: Join Gareth Ainsworth’s rock band? I would destroy it!

    Jose Mourinho has hailed Wycombe's rock-and-roll manager Gareth Ainsworth for his longevity in management. Tottenham face Wycombe in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Monday night when Mourinho and Ainsworth will meet in the dugout. Ainsworth has been in charge of Wycombe for more than eight years and is the second longest-serving manager in England.

  • Jose Mourinho impressed by the way Gareth Ainsworth gets a tune out of Wycombe

    But the Tottenham head coach says he would ruin the music if he attempted to sing in Ainsworth’s rock band.

  • Pep Guardiola gives talk of a clean sweep the brush-off

    His Manchester City side are still fighting for four trophies this season.

  • Injury hampered Christian Walton in Brighton number one battle – Graham Potter

    The 25-year-old had seven loan spells away from the Amex Stadium.

  • Trump plots revenge on Republicans who betrayed him as Senate trial looms

    Trump plots revenge on Republicans who betrayed him as Senate trial looms

  • Tottenham manager Mourinho warns Gareth Bale he 'cannot give' minutes

    Tottenham manager Mourinho warns Gareth Bale he 'cannot give' minutes

  • Labour issues warning over Government plans to ‘increase council tax’

    Labour’s Opposition Day debates on Monday will focus on the Government’s ‘proposed increase in council tax’ and its plans for employment rights.

  • No. 1 Louisville stays unbeaten, beats Wake Forest 65-63

    WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- Louisville spent most of Sunday looking little like the nation's top-ranked team, from struggling to make shots to keeping a determined opponent off the boards. Of course, it helps to have Dana Evans to offset all that - and allow the Cardinals to barely avoid a huge upset in their first week at No. 1. The reigning Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year hit a driving shot for the go-ahead three-point play with 8.0 seconds left to help Louisville hang on to beat Wake Forest 65-63 on Sunday.

  • Will the Covid-19 vaccine work on the new variants?

    At the moment, there are two broad kinds of mutations scientists are keeping an eye on: Some that make the virus more infectious, and others that appear to make it capable of evading antibodies generated by vaccines. “What’s going on now is the virus is adapting to a new host,” says David Topham, a microbiologist and immunologist at the University of Rochester in New York. The first kind of mutations scientists have noticed, which seem to make the virus more infectious, first popped up in the UK.

  • Salma Hayek, 54, stuns in red swimsuit

    The actress is spreading some "Sunday vibes" with another swimsuit shot.

  • 'Kong bows to no one': Two beloved behemoths face off in first 'Godzilla vs. Kong' trailer

    The first 'Godzilla vs. Kong' trailer is here, and the beloved movie monsters vie for supremacy, smacking each other around on ships and in cities.

  • Action Express gives Chase Elliott a Rolex 24 milestone

    Action Express Racing put one of its two Cadillacs - the one featuring NASCAR champion Chase Ellott - on the pole for the Rolex 24 at Daytona in a first-of-its-kind qualifying race for the crown jewel endurance event. The No. 31 Cadillac DPi will be driven next week in the twice-round-the-clock race by Felipe Nasr, Pipo Derani, Mike Conway and Elliott in Elliott's IMSA sports car debut.