Coronavirus crisis
Chinatopix / The Associated PressA doctor takes a swab from a woman to test for the COVID-19 virus at a fever clinic in Yinan county in eastern China’s Shandong province Wednesday.
Death toll spikes: China reported 254 new deaths from COVID-19 and 15,152 new cases of infections today, a huge increase after a different method of diagnosis was introduced. Meanwhile, Japan reported its first death from the virus, a woman in her 80s. READ MORE
Stopping the spread: Canada is set to spend $6.5 million on research aimed at halting the virus, The Canadian Press reports. READ MORE
Weather
Your forecast: An extreme cold warning remains in effect. Today’s forecast is sunny with a low of -28 C and a high of -21 C, wind at 15 km/h and wind chill as low as -40 this morning.
What’s happening today
Dollars for data project: Millions of dollars in funding will be announced for a new project at the University of Manitoba aimed at integrating clinical health data into a readily accessible health data platform.
Sudan announces settlement: Sudan’s transitional government said it has reached a settlement with families of the victims of al-Qaida’s attack on the USS Cole in 2000. The African country is seeking to be removed from the U.S. terrorism list, The Associated Press reports. READ MORE
Pipeline protests
Demonstrators block a portion of the Canadian National rail line just north of Wilkes in Diamond, MB, Wednesday morning. (Danielle DaSilva / Winnipeg Free Press)
Train tracks blocked: Protesters say they will continue blocking a CN rail line west of Winnipeg as part of the nationwide Wet’suwet’en protests, despite a bitter cold snap. Danielle Da Silva reports from the RM of Headingley. READ MORE
Province going to court: The Manitoba government said Wednesday it will seek a court injunction to prevent the protesters from continuing to disrupt rail traffic. Larry Kusch reports. READ MORE
In case you missed it
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free PressDoctoral Candidate and Arabic Language Instructor, Rawia Azzahrawi, inside one of the classes she teaches at the University of Manitoba.
Language barrier: An instructor who teaches Arabic language classes at the University of Manitoba says she’s worried they might be cancelled because of a lack of community funding. Language courses require outside financial support, and fundraising can be a challenge, the U of M says. Carol Sanders reports. READ MORE
Apartment evacuated: A three-storey apartment block in the 2300 block of Pembina Highway was evacuated Wednesday night after a fire caused by unattended cooking. The damage was contained to one suite.
Drug trafficker’s appeal dismissed: Manitoba’s Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of a Winnipeg man sentenced to eight years in prison. He was one of nine Manitobans charged in 2014 as part of a 15-month drug investigation called Project Distress. Ben Waldman reports. READ MORE
On this date
On Feb. 13, 1987: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that a Manitoba judge opened the way for businesses, including large retail stores, to open seven days a week. Manitoba’s attorney general Roland Penner said the province would provide $400,000 more each year to improve justice services in the north, including recruiting Indigenous paralegals, justices of the peace, and other positions. In Quebec, Progressive Conservative MP Roche LaSalle said he would consider resigning if it would help his party, after it was reported he was guest of honour at a party where businessmen paid $5,000 each to attend in hopes of getting government contracts. READ MORE
Today’s front page
Get the full story: read today’s e-edition of the Winnipeg Free Press READ MORE
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