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on this Wednesday night
Canada's tougher action on Kovach 19 the
goal to protect the health of Canadians
and the economy we as a country are very
well positioned to face big challenges
as Canada's military starts preparing
plus Italy's unprecedented measures and
separation anxiety a Quebec woman
cleared of the virus but her husband
still in the hospital in Japan a
victorious former vice president this
campaign will send down shop packing the
new two-way race after Super Tuesday and
one year after being diagnosed with
cancer now I'd be lying if I said the
journey had been an easy way what is
Alex Trebek's update on his health
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global national with Donna freezin
good evening and thanks for joining us
Canada is now ramping up the federal
response in case what's happening in
other countries with kovat 19 starts to
happen here it would strain both our
already overstretched health care system
and the economy so a special new cabinet
committee led by Deputy Prime Minister
Chrystia Freeland has been set up to
tackle it the job of this committee is
to ensure that Canada is ready and
prepared for all eventualities and we
are we take the cove in nineteen out
break very seriously there's natural to
be concerned about what Cove in 19 might
mean for you and your family's health
this is a concern that public health
authorities across Canada are taking
very seriously and government at all
levels are engaged in the response the
Bank of Canada also slashed its key
interest rate today by half a percentage
point saying the virus is a negative
shock to Canada's economic outlook we'll
have more on that in just a moment but
we begin with the outbreak itself there
are now 34 confirmed cases in this
country all our NBC in Ontario except
for one in Quebec in tonight's top story
David akin looks at Canada's rapidly
evolving response to what is an
unprecedented outbreak so today we had
our first meeting of the Cabinet
Committee Deputy Prime Minister
Christophe Freeland chairs this special
committee but it will be Health Minister
patty haidu who will take the lead on a
whole-of-government effort to make sure
health care systems across the country
can contain the virus and if that fails
deal with an outbreak so far so good
cases in Canada all related to travel no
cases yet of community transmission and
our discussions and work has focused on
ensuring that our self surveillance
systems are detecting cases and our
health systems are prepared for an
increased activity a key task for public
health officials communicating to
Canadians that most kovat 19 infections
are mild such patients can be cared for
in the community while reserving of
course very scarce resources potentially
for those who really need it
tam says phone ahead before going to the
hospital now half of the
special committee holds economic
portfolios in Trudeau's cabinet that's
no coincidence every forecaster now
including the Bank of Canada says the
country's economy will take a hit we
recognize there are many different
people and industries that are seeing
challenging situations because of the
coronavirus that's why opposition MPs
are pressing for quick action now on the
economic front and so what I'm looking
for from the government are things like
is there a fiscal stimulus plan is there
a jobs plan I'd like to see some support
for workers who may have to self
quarantine to make sure that they're
there's some financial compensation for
them so that there's not a disincentive
to to stay at home so lots of pressure
on the prime minister and his co vid 19
committee to rapidly deliver results on
both the health front and the economic
front and Donna there's gonna be not
much margin for error David there is
news tonight about how the Canadian
military is preparing in case this
outbreak impacts their operations tell
us about that
that's right Donna a general order went
out to the military today because they
are getting prepared in case there's a
pandemic we have two main objectives
want us to preserve the force and our
ability to function should there be a
pandemic gathers to support Canadians
and of course the military first of all
has to protect its own members and so
these new orders ban all non-essential
travel to countries with an outbreak
commanders also have the authority to
cancel vacations for the troops the
military is also going to review whether
it ought to hold large gatherings now
second of all the military has to have
plans in place to assist a federal or
provincial government or municipal
government in trying to deal with a
pandemic here chief a defense staff
Jonathan Vance telling global news that
the military is making those plans on
the worst case assumption and that is
that they might have as many as 25% 25%
of their members could be in quarantine
or fighting kovin 19 Donna wise to make
worst-case-scenario plans David akin in
Ottawa thanks the outbreak is already
having an impact on supply chains of
companies in Canada and the Bank of
Canada is concerned about the economic
outlook for this country so it cut
Canada
key interest rate by half a percentage
point overnight its dropped from 1.75 to
one point two five percent that's the
first drop since 2015 and it's in line
with the cut the US Federal Reserve made
yesterday it's hoped the lower rate will
boost consumer confidence and help
settle the markets which have been on a
rocky ride over the past week today the
TSX closed up 355 points
Doug Porter the chief economist at
says it's a smart decision given the
situation very few people saw Bank of
Canada interest rate cuts anywhere close
to this this soon so obviously the world
has changed in a very short period of
time and I think this is a constructive
step in helping to address the the risks
of the economy from from the virus the
drop in interest rates might help those
looking to buy a home or a vehicle but
it won't help cover the costs if your
company's employees have to stay home or
other parts of your daily life are
disrupted by the outbreak Porter says
the rate cut is an immediate step
policymakers can take and they do have
other tools they can use further down
the road if the economy slides if things
really do get tough and challenging in
the in the months ahead there there is
room certainly at the federal level for
the government to to either cut taxes or
to to spend more money to support the
economy in the US California has now
reported his first death from Cove in 19
and the governor of that state just
declared a statewide emergency the
latest case to be confirmed as a medical
worker who was screening passengers at
Los Angeles International Airport cities
like Los Angeles have also declared a
public health emergency which will
trigger more state and federal funding
to help deal with the outbreak 11 people
have now died in the u.s. there are more
than 150 known cases across 16 states
the virus has also spread to America's
biggest city there are now six confirmed
cases in New York City including the
first case of community spread a lawyers
in lawyer in his 50s who works in
Manhattan has Co vid 19 and where he got
it is not certain he has spread it to
others New York's governor says the
man's wife two children and a neighbor
who drove him to the hospital
all of whom live in Westchester County
have tested
they're now at home in self-isolation
and the man is in critical condition in
the hospital there are going to be
dozens and dozens and dozens of people
and the more people you test the more
people you're going to find public
health officials there are now tracing
who the newest case came in contact with
staff at the man's law firm are being
monitored the school and university has
children attend of closed temporarily
New York's transit system is ramping up
disinfection to try to minimize the
spread the biggest outbreak outside
China is still in South Korea more than
5,600 people have tested positive there
and that's overwhelming the hospitals at
least 32 people have died to try to stop
the chain of transmission up to 10,000
people a day in South Korea are being
tested this is one way they're going
about it drives through testing centers
it is quick it keeps people away from
clinics and emergency rooms and reduces
the risk of spreading the infection
South Korea has screened more than
100,000 people Italy and the UK are two
other countries to watch Italy is taking
drastic action now all schools and
universities are closing tomorrow for at
least 10 days and for the next month all
sports events including major rugby and
soccer matches will be played in empty
stadiums there are more than 3,000
confirmed cases in Italy and 107 deaths
and in the UK the number of positive
cases also jumped today to 87 the worst
case scenario says the UK's chief
medical officer is that up to 80 percent
of the population could be infected
crystal commencing is in London tonight
halting education nationwide from
preschool to University Italy's prime
minister says the country is fighting
with all measures against kovat 19
Giuseppe Conte says we felt it was the
right thing to do to suspend educational
activity until the 15th of this month so
not so demented a cordon says parent
says I completely agree and I hoped for
this decree because I feared an outbreak
in the school the military is preparing
to help care for those who are ill
it's shared video from multiple sites
being set up the Italian government
warned that no matter how good the
health system is it is at risk of being
overburdened a third red zone is being
considered to restrict the movement of
people in hopes of slowing the spread of
the virus and there are plans to ban
public events and shut down movie
theaters measures that could be in the
near future for UK residents we're not
at the point yet where we are asking
large numbers of people to self isolate
knowing compliance could be an issue
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his
Conservative government will bring in
legislation giving three more days of
statutory sick pay for workers who are
self isolating hospital emergency rooms
in England now have coronavirus pods
they're set up to separate potentially
infected people from everyone else
basically their small shed like
structures at the hospital entrance
where people can check in Donna all
right crystal commencing in London
thanks in other news tonight another
contender has dropped out of the race to
be the next president of the United
States Mike Bloomberg the billionaire
former mayor of New York City has
concluded he has no path to victory in a
Democratic nomination he did badly on
Super Tuesday the biggest election day
of the Democratic primary calendar and
he's now endorsed former Vice President
Joe Biden who made a huge comeback
yesterday there are now three main
candidates left in the ones crowded
field so where do things go from here
Abigail Beeman picks up the story from
Washington if Bill Clinton was called
the comeback kid with Joe Biden it's
more like Lazarus he was dead and buried
as far as pundits and even the
leadership of the Democratic Party was
concerned Joe Biden won most Super
Tuesday states including a surprise win
in Texas as part of his southern sweep
[Applause]
and make no mistake about it
this campaign I will send dog shop
packing was a great comeback for Joe
Biden incredible comeback when you think
about it and more Joe mentum Wednesday
as Michael Bloomberg dropped out the
billionaire backing Biden I entered the
race for president to defeat Donald
Trump and today I am leaving the race
for the same reason it isn't that Joe
Biden inspires them it's that they think
he might be able to defeat Donald Trump
and that is priority one two and three
for the Democrats he even won in
Massachusetts where Bernie Sanders spent
a lot of time and energy trying to beat
Elizabeth Warren in her home state she
came in third but Sanders did win the
biggest Super Tuesday prize projected to
win California where results are still
coming in Joe has his ideas his record
his vision for the future I have mine
and I look forward to a serious debate
on the serious issues facing this
country the field has narrowed to a
two-man race but there's still a long
road ahead with more primaries next week
six states are up for grabs and
blue-collar Michigan will be especially
interesting Sanders won it in 2016 and
he's pushing hard for it again but it
was Donald Trump who won the state
overall Donna all right Abigail Beeman
in Washington thanks the draft deal on
rights in title in northern BC Willie
wit so it and people agree to it the
tough task on their hands that's coming
out
the past months has made clear how much
work there is to do on reconciliation in
this country and to clear up unresolved
issues about indigenous rights and title
including who has the authority to say
yes or no to projects like pipelines now
attention is on a new draft deal in
whether the widtsoe itand hereditary
Chiefs in DC and the elected band
councils will agree to it
Sarah MacDonald reports there appears to
be a moment of calm in northern BC a
draft deal centered on rights and title
brought up through intensive talks with
government now left in the hands of this
nation and its people I'm glad they're
doing that because we have to be
listened to
tasked with coming to a consensus on how
to proceed with the proposal that
wouldn't impact this project but would
no doubt carry weights moving forward
when the conditions have been met to
everyone's satisfaction I don't see how
it's possible anyone can actually stop
it at this point the end of the line for
that already fully permitted pipeline
promising economic opportunity to the
First Nations along its corridor here in
Kitimat where the liquefied natural gas
will ultimately be exported to Asian
markets this skills built on this
project are going to be lifelong the
elected leaders of high slow nation
among 20 band councils signing on in a
bid to inject their communities with
jobs and funding something many whatso
attend are also seeking as a power
struggle over leadership leaves this
nation divided we empathize with their
community unfortunately most First
Nations communities do endure those
types of disagreements when it comes to
leadership difficult and deeply personal
work that now needs to be resolved
internally within what so it's a nation
we want all our elders and young people
to work together
away from the world stage it's largely
never asked to be on Sarah MacDonald
Global News wits SBC torture memos still
I had a Canadian man's tale of abuse in
an Egyptian prison
there's a call for help tonight from a
Canadian man who came to this country as
a refugee and found himself behind bars
in Egypt accused of espionage without
friends or family to champion his cause
Joseph l8r has been largely forgotten
now in a series of letters he alleges
Egyptian authorities have tortured him
and he's begging the Canadian government
for help our Ottawa bureau chief
Mercedes Stevenson has this story this
is Joseph elet our in 2007 it was the
last time he was seen in public
proclaiming his innocence
before he was locked up in a notorious
Egyptian prison accused of being an
Israeli spy by the Egyptian government
elet our did confess but in court
shouted out the confession was extracted
under torture immediately all sorts of
flags from a human rights perspective
senior Canadian government and
intelligence officials told Global News
Al Attar is no undercover operative
former deputy director of CSIS Andy
Ellis has personally taken up his case
there is no truth to the allegations
that he was working for the Israelis or
working for anyone else officials
believe a Letarte was targeted over his
beliefs and his conversion to
Christianity
it's a tragedy it's a Canadian tragedy
in a highly unusual move
CSIS Canada's Intelligence Agency
approached Amnesty International
encouraging them to take on Allah tars
case years later nothing has changed and
Al Attar is issuing a cry out loud from
the prison condemning the silence of the
Canadian government on my torture he
says in letters penned from prison
obtained by Global News what is
happening here is against all human
rights charters Al Attar says he was
forced to drink his own urine he was
tortured very severely the mistreatment
has continued that the prison conditions
have been very very hard for him to
endure majid al Shafi is the Toronto
church leader who Ella thar has been
writing to he is asking for help he's in
a very dark spot and he's simply asking
for help
al ATAR is not alone government memos
obtained by Global News reveal over two
dozen Canadians detained in foreign
countries have made credible allegations
of torture
to the federal government since 2014 the
Canadian government needs to make this
case a top priority and that means for
Minister champagne that means for the
Prime Minister Canadian government
sources say they are pushing hard behind
the scenes for allit arse freedom and
have been doing so for years but there
is no sense that Egyptian authorities
are open to releasing him before the end
of his sentence or even possibly after
it but they hope that having his case
raised in public may help a lot are in
the future
Mercedes Stevenson global news Ottawa
next to Quebec couples separated during
the Cova 19 outbreak still stuck in
Japan
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the one-year survival rate for stage 4
pancreatic cancer patients is 18% I'm
very happy to report I have just reached
that marker very happy indeed and
remarkable jeopardy host Alex Trebek who
is 79 is celebrating a milestone since
his diagnosis of cancer there were
moments of great pain days when certain
bodily functions no longer functioned
and sudden massive attacks of great
depression that made me wonder if it
really was worth fighting on Trebek
credits his medical treatment his faith
in God and the prayers of millions of
fans for getting him to this point plus
the support from his soul mate his wife
Jean another couple a husband and wife
from Quebec have also been each other's
support systems during a health crisis
they were passengers on board the
diamond princess the cruise ship that
became a hot spot for kovat 19 they both
tested positive and ended up in
different Japanese hospitals and as Mike
Armstrong reports they're anxious for
their unexpected stay in that country to
come to an end as vacation photos go
manic Adele and Julian bizarro have been
collecting some odd ones most over the
last couple of weeks have involved
Japanese health care workers and masks
but then came these ones Tuesday bears
oh ho in his hospital room
his wife outside it was the first time
they'd seen each other in more than a
week it was about 10 days to des says it
was so long they spent all day Tuesday
speaking to each other over cell phones
through the window now when the couple
got off the diamond princess Belle
Jarreau had already tested positive for
kovat 19 Goodell had not but she wasn't
leaving her husband behind in Japan sick
they were taken to a hospital in the
city of toyota about 260 kilometers west
of Tokyo that's when the strange
photographs started and the situation
got worse a few days later could have
tested positive as well communications
in hospital are over an iPad translation
app and it's been difficult
good as limited English translated to
japanese and back didn't always work she
didn't mean to ask for example is my
husband from my hometown expensive
another complication was that the app
doesn't include the term coronavirus
vanessa says when she asked if she had
the coronavirus it was translated as do
i have cocaine she says everyone laughed
that wasn't her question Goodell has now
tested negative for kovat 19 twice she's
free and living in a hotel but Bowser
Hall's recovery has been slowed by
pneumonia in both lungs the cruise ship
company is picking up their bills for
now and they still don't know when this
trip might end what else is they missed
a family members funeral last week
they'll miss a friend's funeral next
week and at the end of the month
they have a new grandchild expected
they'd very much like to be home for
that Mike Armstrong Global News Montreal
and that is global national for this
Wednesday I'm donor Friesen tonight
share Canada is white shell Provincial
Park in Manitoba we'd love to see your
Canada please email it to viewers at
global national comm thanks for watching
and I hope to see you here again
tomorrow
bye bye
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