All countries 'dangerously unprepared' for future pandemics: report
GENEVA -
The world is "dangerously unprepared" for future pandemics, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) say in a report published on Monday, calling on countries to update their preparedness plans by year-end.
In its World Disasters Report 2022, the IFRC said "all countries remain dangerously unprepared for future outbreaks" despite COVID-19 killing more people than any earthquake, drought or hurricane in history.
"The next pandemic could be just around the corner. If the experience of COVID-19 won't quicken our steps toward preparedness, what will?" said Jagan Chapagain, secretary general of the IFRC, the world's largest disaster response network.
"There will be no excuse for a continued lack of preparedness after having gone through three terrible years."
The report said that countries should review their legislation to ensure it is in line with their pandemic preparedness plans by the end of 2023 and adopt a new treaty and revised International Health Regulations by next year that would invest more in the readiness of local communities.
It also recommended that countries increase domestic health finance by 1% of gross domestic product and global health finance by at least US$15 billion per year, which Chapagain described as a "good investment to make."
"The important thing is there has to be a political will to commit to that," he said. "If it is there, it's possible."
(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; editing by Sharon Singleton)
COVID-19 COVERAGE
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Liberals to go after predatory lending in today's budget, invest in dental care plan
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is set to table a federal budget in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon, which a federal source says will include plans to go after predatory lending and more details on dental care as part of a pitch to make life more affordable.
Nearly all Canadian adults had COVID antibodies for about half of 2022, most through previous infection: survey
A newly released survey finds nearly all Canadian adults had antibodies against COVID-19 for about half of 2022, with most acquiring them through a previous infection.
Nashville police release chilling security camera footage of suspected school shooter
Nashville police have released security camera footage of a suspected shooter entering the private Christian elementary school. The shooting claimed the lives of three children, all aged nine, and three adults.
Family sues Hamilton, Ont. school board after 5-year-old girl loses part of finger in alleged bullying incident
The mother of a five-year-old girl said her daughter was allegedly bullied so badly she was left with a partially amputated finger from an incident in the washroom.
Quebec police officer stabbed and killed during arrest, second wounded
A Quebec provincial police officer was fatally stabbed Monday night while performing an arrest in Louiseville, west of Trois-Rivieres, Que. The Surete du Quebec (SQ) has confirmed the identity of the officer, Sgt. Maureen Breau, who had been on the force for over 20 years. She was assigned to the post of the MRC de Maskinonge. Another officer was injured during the incident, but their life is not in danger.
Nashville shooter was ex-student with detailed plan to kill
The former student who shot through the doors of a Christian elementary school in Nashville and killed three children and three adults had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance of the building before carrying out the massacre.
Elephant in the dining room: Startup makes mammoth meatball
An Australian company lifted the glass cloche on a meatball made of lab-grown cultured meat using the genetic sequence from the long-extinct pachyderm, saying it was meant to fire up public debate about the hi-tech treat.
B.C. to limit access to diabetes drug Ozempic that has social media fame for weight loss
British Columbia's health minister says he's pushing through a regulatory change to limit the sale of the diabetes drug Ozempic to non-Canadian residents as celebrities promote its weight loss side-effects.
Russian whose daughter drew anti-war picture gets two years' jail but flees
A Russian who was investigated by police after his daughter drew an anti-war picture at school was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in a penal colony on charges of discrediting the armed forces.
Canada
-
Quebec police officer stabbed and killed during arrest, second wounded
A Quebec provincial police officer was fatally stabbed Monday night while performing an arrest in Louiseville, west of Trois-Rivieres, Que. The Surete du Quebec (SQ) has confirmed the identity of the officer, Sgt. Maureen Breau, who had been on the force for over 20 years. She was assigned to the post of the MRC de Maskinonge. Another officer was injured during the incident, but their life is not in danger.
-
Teen girl shot and killed in northeast Calgary
A teenage girl was shot and killed in northeast Calgary community of Martindale on Tuesday.
-
Family sues Hamilton, Ont. school board after 5-year-old girl loses part of finger in alleged bullying incident
The mother of a five-year-old girl said her daughter was allegedly bullied so badly she was left with a partially amputated finger from an incident in the washroom.
-
'A miracle': Advocate says help being planned for victims of Calgary house explosion
A leader in Calgary's South Sudanese community says efforts will be made to provide financial help to 10 people seriously injured in a house explosion.
-
Accused bus driver in Laval daycare crash to undergo further evaluation
A Quebec man accused of killing two children after ramming a city bus into a Laval daycare last month will require further psychiatric evaluation.
-
Asylum seekers in Atlantic Canada struggle to obtain legal counsel
An influx of asylum seekers into Canada via unofficial border crossings has prompted the federal government to relocate refugees from Quebec as far as Atlantic provinces, some more than 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) away, and hire a risk mitigation company to deal with the record surge.
World
-
Nashville police release chilling security camera footage of suspected school shooter
Nashville police have released security camera footage of a suspected shooter entering the private Christian elementary school. The shooting claimed the lives of three children, all aged nine, and three adults.
-
What we know about the Nashville Christian school shooting
Six people were killed at a small, private Christian school just south of downtown Nashville on Monday after a shooter opened fire inside the building containing about 200 students, police said.
-
Migrants start fire at Mexico detention centre, killing 40
Migrants fearing deportation set mattresses ablaze at an immigration detention centre in northern Mexico, starting a fire that killed at least 40 people, the president said Tuesday, in one of the deadliest events ever at a Mexican immigration lockup.
-
China ambassador arrives in North Korea in sign of reopening
China said Tuesday its new ambassador to North Korea has taken up his post, in a sign the North is reopening amid reports it has been suffering heavily from the COVID-19 pandemic and food shortages.
-
Kim wants North Korea to make more nuclear material for bombs
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for his nuclear scientists to increase production of weapons-grade material to make bombs to put on his increasing range of weapons.
-
US FAA presses aviation industry to eliminate 'close calls'
The acting head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday the aviation industry must work to eliminate near-miss incidents that have triggered recent safety concerns.
Politics
-
Liberals to go after predatory lending in today's budget, invest in dental care plan
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is set to table a federal budget in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon, which a federal source says will include plans to go after predatory lending and more details on dental care as part of a pitch to make life more affordable.
-
Freeland's budget to include grocery rebate for lower income Canadians, here's what else to expect Tuesday
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
-
MP Han Dong says he's retained lawyer, plans to sue Global News over interference report
Toronto MP Han Dong says he is taking legal action over a media report that alleged he spoke to a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 about delaying the release of two Canadians detained in China at the time.
Health
-
More research needed into discrimination against Muslim women in Canadian health-care settings: report
A new report investigating discrimination towards Muslim women in health-care settings has revealed a lack of Canadian data on the topic.
-
Shoppers Drug Mart moves away from medical cannabis, will send patients to Avicanna
Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. is moving away from its medical cannabis distribution business and preparing to transfer patients to a platform run by biopharmaceutical company Avicanna Inc.
-
Nearly all Canadian adults had COVID antibodies for about half of 2022, most through previous infection: survey
A newly released survey finds nearly all Canadian adults had antibodies against COVID-19 for about half of 2022, with most acquiring them through a previous infection.
Sci-Tech
-
New source of water found in moon samples from China mission
Scientists have discovered a new and renewable source of water on the moon for future explorers in lunar samples from a Chinese mission.
-
Elephant in the dining room: Startup makes mammoth meatball
An Australian company lifted the glass cloche on a meatball made of lab-grown cultured meat using the genetic sequence from the long-extinct pachyderm, saying it was meant to fire up public debate about the hi-tech treat.
-
Uncrewed Russian spacecraft that leaked coolant lands safely
A Russian space capsule safely returned to Earth without a crew Tuesday, months after it suffered a coolant leak in orbit.
Entertainment
-
Feel the Force: Hamill carries 'Star Wars' voice to Ukraine
It's a surreal moment in an already surreal war: the grave but calming baritone of actor Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker of 'Star Wars,' urging people to take cover whenever Russia unleashes another aerial bombardment on Ukraine.
-
Angelique Kidjo, Chris Blackwell, Arvo Part awarded Sweden's Polar Music Prize
Five-time Grammy Award winner Angelique Kidjo, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell and Estonian composer Arvo Part have won the 2023 Polar Music Prize, a Swedish music award.
-
Prince Harry returns to court in tabloid phone hacking case
Prince Harry returned to a London court Tuesday for a second day of hearings to see if the phone hacking lawsuit he brought with Elton John and other celebrities can withstand a challenge from the publisher of The Daily Mail.
Business
-
Silicon Valley Bank main cause of its own failure: U.S. official
The nation's top financial regulator is asserting that Silicon Valley Bank's own management was largely to blame for the bank's failure earlier this month and says the Federal Reserve will review whether a 2018 law that weakened stricter bank rules also contributed to its collapse.
-
Some Flair customers say they're owed more after plane seizures, flight cancellations
Flair Airlines said Monday it has reimbursed virtually all 1,900 passengers whose flights were cancelled after the seizure of four of the carrier's planes earlier this month, but some customers say they are owed more money.
-
China spent US$240B bailing out 'Belt and Road' countries - study
China spent US$240 billion bailing out 22 developing countries between 2008 and 2021, with the amount soaring in recent years as more have struggled to repay loans spent building 'Belt and Road' infrastructure, a study published on Tuesday showed.
Lifestyle
-
71-year-old Canadian woman runs every single day for more than 1,000 days
It may seem improbable - even impossible to some - but each day for the last three years, a 71-year-old Toronto woman has laced up her shoes, put one foot in front of the other, and headed out for a run
-
'Be myself': Growing training spaces for trans and non-binary fitness
Alex Jung found his way back to the water in 2018 and began instructing other trans swimmers. But, he says, it was a 'challenging pursuit' without a community. Now creating that sense of support is becoming more mainstream at local fitness centres.
-
'It was my responsibility': Manitoba girl saves siblings from destructive house fire
A 12-year-old Manitoba girl is being hailed a hero after saving her two younger brothers from a house fire.
Sports
-
MLB free agent watch: Ohtani leads possible 2023-24 class
Shohei Ohtani is among several players going into their final seasons before they are eligible for free agency. There is still time for signatures and press conferences before opening day, but history shows a new contract becomes less likely once the real games begin.
-
Athlete tells parliamentary committee Gymnastics Canada's handling of abuse broke him
A gymnast says he was abused in his sport and then broken by a Canadian system that failed to address that abuse.
-
Indonesia's stance on Israel overshadows world soccer event
Indonesia could lose its chance to host a global youth soccer tournament, and its chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, after refusing to welcome a team from Israel.
Autos
-
U.S. opens investigation into Tesla seat belts coming loose
U.S. highway safety regulators have opened yet another investigation into problems with Teslas, this time tied to complaints that the seat belts may not hold people in a crash.
-
California lawmakers OK potential fines for high gas prices
California lawmakers on Monday approved the nation's first penalty for price gouging at the pump, voting to give regulators the power to punish oil companies for profiting from the type of gas price spikes that plagued the nation's most populous state last summer.
-
Formula Equal: Inside the plans to launch a '50 per cent male, 50 per cent female' F1 team
Craig Pollock's latest project, Formula Equal, would be the first team in the sport that's 50 per cent men and 50 per cent women, he says, with that equal split applying across the whole organization -- from the cockpit to the engineers to the boardroom.
