B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Japan said on Monday it would shut its borders to foreigners to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, joining Israel in imposing some of the strictest border controls since the variant's discovery in southern Africa.
Japan will bar entry to foreigners from midnight on Monday, and Japanese returnees from specified nations will have to quarantine in designated facilities, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.
"These are temporary, exceptional measures that we are taking for safety's sake until there is clearer information about the Omicron variant," Kishida told reporters.
"I'm prepared to bear all criticism from those saying the Kishida administration is being too cautious."
The tougher restrictions mark a rapid tightening after Japan on Friday said it would strengthen border controls on people arriving from six African nations, even though no cases of Omicron have been detected in the country and much about the new variant remains unknown.
Nations around the world have enacted border curbs since the WHO dubbed Omicron a "variant of concern."
But Japan's measures are among the strongest, following Israel in banning entry of foreigners, and Morocco, which has halted all inbound flights for two weeks, and they mark a rapid change of course.
The Foreign Ministry later said the tighter measures included extending mandatory hotel quarantines to six days instead of three for travelers from the United Kingdom. For those from nations including Australia and Austria the duration rises to three days from none.
Business lobbies in Japan clamoured for months for the government to ease what were some of the world's most restrictive border controls.
Only last week a monthly limit on inbound travellers was raised from 3,500 to 5,000 and earlier this month, quarantine periods were shortened for vaccinated passengers.
A government official said all the easing will be reversed, although foreigners holding current, resident visas will be allowed back into Japan, as will some diplomatic travelers and humanitarian cases.
Kishida said he would bolster Japan's response to the pandemic after dissatisfaction over handling of the crisis prompted the resignation of his predecessor Yoshihide Suga in September.
Koji Wada, a professor at Tokyo's International University of Health and Welfare and adviser to the government on the pandemic response, said Japanese citizens were expected to support the "radical decision" even if the business community was unhappy.
"This is a good opportunity for the government to show their attitude toward COVID-19, and I think many people will support this decision," Wada said.
"The problem is, shutting down the border is not a solution. The government should have a middle-term plan on how to handle this Omicron virus," he added.
Health Minister Shigeyuki Goto said a traveller from Namibia has tested positive for the novel coronavirus but further tests were needed to find out if it was from the new variant.
After a slow start, Japan's vaccination rate is the highest among Group of Seven economies, and COVID-19 infections have fallen significantly since a fifth wave peaked in August.
Tokyo reported eight new cases on Monday, down from more than 5,000 a day in the weeks following the Summer Olympics held in Japan's capital.
Health experts are however concerned about a possible rebound this winter, and a round of booster shots are scheduled to start from Dec. 1.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it could take "days to several weeks" to determine the severity of the new variant.
(Reporting by Elaine Lies, Kantaro Komiya and Rocky Swift; Editing by Tom Hogue, Stephen Coates and Barbara Lewis)
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.