N.S. school backtracks from no-uniform request for its Remembrance Day ceremony

Halifax police have charged a third adult in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old boy at the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this year.

Police say they charged a 44-year-old woman who allegedly provided false information to investigators and helped the accused avoid arrest.

The woman — who is the third adult in the case to face a charge of accessory to committing an indictable offence — is scheduled to appear in Halifax provincial court today.

Last month, a 14-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter for their involvement in the death of Ahmad Maher Al Marrach.

The 16-year-old was found badly injured in a parking garage next to the Halifax Shopping Centre on April 22, and he later died in hospital.

Two other teenage boys — ages 17 and 15 — are facing trials for second-degree murder.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

TORONTO – Moderna says Health Canada has approved its mRNA vaccine to protect against respiratory syncytial virus in adults age 60 and older.

The company says it expects the RSV vaccine — called mRESVIA — to be available in early 2025. There are two other vaccines already available in Canada to protect seniors against severe illness caused by RSV: Arexvy, manufactured by GSK, and Abrysvo, made by Pfizer.

Earlier this year, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended RSV immunization for adults 75 years and older.

It also recommended adults 60 years and older get an RSV shot if they live in long-term care homes or other chronic care facilities.

Moderna says its mRNA vaccine is the first RSV shot to come in a pre-filled syringe and says that will save time for health-care workers and reduce any errors in administering it.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

OTTAWA – Canada’s unemployment rate held steady at 6.5 per cent last month as hiring remained weak across the economy.

Statistics Canada’s labour force survey on Friday said employment rose by a modest 15,000 jobs in October.

Business, building and support services saw the largest gain in employment.

Meanwhile, finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing experienced the largest decline.

Brendon Bernard, a senior economist at hiring website Indeed, said October brought “more of the same” for the labour market.

“Employment eked out modest gains, once again swamped by still strong population growth. It’s a familiar pattern: population has outpaced job growth in all but one month so far this year,” Bernard wrote.

Many economists see weakness in the job market continuing in the short term, before the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cuts spark a rebound in economic growth next year.

Despite ongoing softness in the labour market, however, strong wage growth has raged on in Canada. Average hourly wages in October grew 4.9 per cent from a year ago, reaching $35.76.

“The job market isn’t delivering for those out of work, but for those in stable employment, pay gains are looking healthy,” Bernard said.

Friday’s report also shed some light on the financial health of households.

According to StatCan, 28.8 per cent of Canadians aged 15 or older were living in a household that had difficulty meeting financial needs – like food and housing – in the previous four weeks.

That was down from 33.1 per cent in October 2023 and 35.5 per cent in October 2022, but still above the 20.4 per cent figure recorded in October 2020.

People living in a rented home were more likely to report difficulty meeting financial needs, with nearly four in 10 reporting that was the case.

That compares with just under a quarter of those living in an owned home by a household member.

Immigrants were also more likely to report facing financial strain last month, with about four out of 10 immigrants who landed in the last year doing so.

That compares with about three in 10 more established immigrants and one in four for people born in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.