While the United States evacuates its citizens from the quarantined Diamond Princess Cruise Ship, the Canadian government said they are still “urgently assessing” the situation.
Global Affairs Canada said in a statement to Global News Saturday that three officials from the Public Health Agency of Canada arrived in Yokohama, Tokyo, on Friday to determine the best course of action for Canadians who have been quarantined on the ship since Feb. 5.
“Officials from Global Affairs Canada are engaging with Japanese authorities to determine next steps,” they said. “They are urgently assessing the situation aboard the ship.”
A group of quarantined passengers exercise on the Diamond Princess cruise ship Feb. 15, 2020, in Yokohama, near Tokyo.
Jae C. Hong / The Associated Press
Canadians quarantined on the Diamond Princess with medical concerns were advised to consult ship personnel and medical authorities on board.
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Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in a tweet four Standing Rapid Deployment Team members arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday. He added two medical officers from the Canadian Armed Forces were expected to be deployed in the coming days.
The federal government said their Canadian Embassy in Japan was working to provide consular support to all 255 Canadians on board.
Princess Cruises said in a statement to Global News Saturday that 285 passengers, including 244 guests 41 crew members, had tested positive for COVID-19. The total amount of Canadians on-board infected with the virus rose to 15 after the cruise ship company confirmed 67 new cases over the weekend.
➡️4 Standing Rapid Deployment Team members have arrived in Tokyo on Feb. 12 ➡️3 Public Health Agency Canada members will arrive on Feb. 14 ➡️2 Canadian Armed Forces medical officers will soon be deployed
— François-Philippe Champagne (FPC) ?? (@FP_Champagne) February 14, 2020
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The Japanese Ministry of Health has allowed 12 “medically vulnerable” guests who tested negative for the coronavirus to disembark from the ship on Saturday. They said the term “medically vulnerable” refers to passengers aged 80 years or older who are either staying in a cabin without a balcony or have chronic medical conditions. The cruise company added 55 guests who tested negative chose to remain on-board.
An elderly Quebecois couple aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday.
The couple’s daughter told The Canadian Press in an interview that Diane and Bernard Menard, both 75 years old, called around 2:30 a.m today to inform the family.
Chantal Menard said her parents were feeling weak and fragile, and were confined to their cabin on the cruise ship. She said the couple, from Gatineau, Que., are currently waiting to be transported by ambulance to a military hospital where they will be kept in isolation until they no longer test positive for the virus.
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan said in a statement Saturday that all 380 Americans aboard the ship would be flown to a military base on a government-chartered flight for screening. They said passengers are expected to leave Sunday evening to the Travis Air Force Base in California, where they will face a two-week quarantine upon arrival.
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“To fulfill our government’s responsibilities to U.S. citizens under our rules and practices, as well as to reduce the burden on the Japanese healthcare system, the U.S. government recommends, out of an abundance of caution, that U.S. citizens disembark and return to the United States for further monitoring,” the statement read.
MONTREAL – A pair of environmental activists who scaled Montreal’s Jacques Cartier Bridge Tuesday morning will remain detained after being charged with mischief and wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer.
Olivier Huard and Jacob Pirro appeared in court Wednesday, along with a third protester.
The third person, Michèle Lavoie, is facing only a mischief charge, in relation to obstructing, interrupting or interfering with the lawful use of property.
Their lawyer, Barbara Bedont, said all three remain detained pending their next court date on Oct. 31 after the prosecution objected to their release.
Huard and Pirro climbed to the top of the bridge early Tuesday as part of a climate protest, leading police to close one of the main access points onto the island for several hours during the morning rush hour.
The groups Last Generation Canada and Antigone Collective took credit for the protest, demanding an end to fossil fuel extraction and denouncing government inaction on climate change.
The groups urged supporters to rally outside the courthouse Wednesday morning.
Bedont, reached by phone, described the prosecutor’s decision to oppose the activists’ release as “incomprehensible.”
“There’s a long history of civil disobedience leading to very positive changes in our society,” she said, adding that her clients were not violent. “This is an important part of a democratic system.”
Laura Sullivan, a spokesperson for Last Generation Canada, reiterated a call for the protesters’ release, and for the federal government to “commit to ending fossil fuels by 2030.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.
VANCOUVER – A coalition of Jewish organizations says it is “deeply alarmed” by a rising tide of antisemitism at the University of British Columbia in recent weeks.
A joint statement sent out by six groups, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and Canadian Jewish Advocacy, says Jewish staff, students and faculty members at the university have faced “an increasingly hostile environment” since the start of the academic year.
The statement lists incidents such as campus buildings being vandalized with antisemitic slogans, Jewish faculty members who were targeted by a smear campaign, and an anti-Israel student’s club promoting violence and disinformation.
The statement released Wednesday says they are grateful for ongoing conversations with the university’s administration about the “growing threats” targeting the Jewish community, but more urgent actions are needed to address the hatred and harassment.
The university says in a statement that it is working with the RCMP on one act of vandalism that was reported this month at Green College, where slogans were spray-painted on exterior walls and one window was broken.
UBC spokesman Matthew Ramsey says the vandalism is “unacceptable” and contrary to the university’s values, and any community members found to have been involved in this “will face disciplinary action.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.
WASHINGTON (AP) — New rules from the White House on the use of artificial intelligence by U.S. national security and spy agencies aim to balance the technology’s immense promise with the need to protect against its risks.
The rules being announced Thursday are designed to ensure that national security agencies can access the latest and most powerful AI while also mitigating its misuse, according to Biden administration officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.
Recent advances in artificial intelligence have been hailed as potentially transformative for a long list of industries and sectors, including military, national security and intelligence. But there are risks to the technology’s use by government, including possibilities it could be harnessed for mass surveillance, cyberattacks or even lethal autonomous devices.
The new policy framework will prohibit certain uses of AI, such as any applications that would violate constitutionally protected civil rights or any system that would automate the deployment of nuclear weapons.
The rules also are designed to promote responsible use of AI by directing national security and spy agencies to use the most advanced systems that also safeguard American values, the officials said.
Other provisions call for improved security of the nation’s computer chip supply chain and direct intelligence agencies to prioritize work to protect the American industry from foreign espionage campaigns.
Officials said the rules are needed not only to ensure that AI is used responsibly but also to encourage the development of new AI systems and see that the U.S. keeps up with China and other rivals also working to harness the technology’s power.
Lethal autonomous drones, which are capable of taking out an enemy at their own discretion, remain a key concern about the military use of AI. Last year, the U.S. issued a declaration calling for international cooperation on setting standards for autonomous drones.
