Alanna Smith

Evidence links Indian officials at Vancouver consulate to Nijjar killing New Delhi had long accused the B.C. Sikh leader of being a terrorist and called for his arrest

Canadian national-security officials were presented with evidence that Indian consular staff operating in Vancouver supplied information to assist in the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, @mikehager.bsky.social and Greg Mercer report:
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

As the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran continues to spread around the Middle East, the Lebanese front might prove the most volatile of all.

My updated report from Beirut

What does health care coverage for newcomers cost Alberta? Experts weigh in on the potential effects of the province’s coming referendum on immigration

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has placed significant blame on immigration for the fiscal strain on the province's health system. But how much do newcomers actually cost? by @alannasmith.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber... via @theglobeandmail.com

Flu vaccine reduced risk of serious illness by about 40%, estimate says Research head says assessment was reassuring as it revealed jab still offered worthwhile protection despite being a mismatch for the dominant strain

ICYMI: While this fall’s influenza vaccine was a mismatch for the dominant strain, it still cut the risk of serious illness by roughly 40 per cent, according to a Canadian network that has long tracked the performance of the annual shot. #cdnhealth #fluseason @theglobeandmail.com

Alberta doctors speak out against move to broaden parent access to children’s health records Parent or guardian access to children’s medical information extended to age 18, up from 12

Alberta doctors say the provincial government’s decision to broaden parental and guardian access to their children’s medical records could put youth at risk of harm and infringes on their privacy, by @alannasmith.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... via @theglobeandmail.com

Alberta doctors speak out against move to broaden parent access to children’s health records Parent or guardian access to children’s medical information extended to age 18, up from 12

Alberta doctors say the provincial government’s decision to broaden parental and guardian access to their children’s medical records could put youth at risk of harm and infringes on their privacy. #ableg @theglobeandmail.com

Death of premature Alberta baby with measles was not made public for months, documents show Alberta has the highest rate of cases per capita of any province or territory, and has been under scrutiny for its response

A premature baby in Alberta who contracted #measles in utero – the province’s only death linked to the current outbreak – died last July, but health officials did not make the public aware until October, documents obtained by @theglobeandmail.com show. #ableg

Opinion: The B.C. ostrich saga has come home to roost with a big bill The only reason it cost so much was the stubborn refusal of the farm’s owners to comply with the cull order

From @picardonhealth.bsky.social: $6,810,846. That’s roughly how much the seemingly endless B.C. ostrich saga has cost the federal government (read: taxpayers) so far.

Amid a wave of Canada-wide unity, Alberta’s separatism movement pushes back Alberta separatists are taking their message on the road, campaigning across the province for an independence referendum

Be wary of the notion that Alberta's independence movement is growing. But due to changes by the UCP gov't, a referendum might happen anyway, activating a full-fledged independence campaign.

My dispatch on the separatists' divorce pitch: #ableg #cdnpoli

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber...

Alberta seeks court dismissal for lawsuit challenging opioid-prescribing rules Judge granted injunction in 2023 that exempted woman from rules, allowing her to continue using prescribed hydromorphone at home

The Alberta government is asking the court to dismiss a lawsuit that challenged the province’s opioid-prescribing rules on the basis of Charter violations. #ableg #abpoli

Opioid deaths have declined sharply in Canada. These five factors help explain why Overdoses, driven to new heights in the 2010s, are not killing as many Canadians as they did a few years ago. Health officials aren’t yet sure whether that’s cause for celebration

After a decade into Canada’s toxic drug crisis, recent data show death rates across the country are falling. But national averages can mask profound disparities, and experts caution that it’s too early to draw conclusions.

A look at the recent shift:
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Vancouver mogul Jim Pattison’s company under fire for proposed sale of U.S. property to ICE Canadians are organizing boycotts of businesses tied to the billionaire while Virginia residents are planning demonstrations

A suburban county in central Virginia is considering its legal options over a plan by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to purchase a warehouse property owned by Vancouver-based Jim Pattison Developments to use as a holding and processing centre
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Up to 89 percent of ambulances for overdoses concealed in record year, as Alberta health care careens into crisis The Alberta government says it has “the most transparent data reporting system in North America" for drug toxicity. In reality, internal data manipulation causes most emergency calls to go unreported.

Alberta Health Services docs obtained via freedom of information request show that up to 85 percent of provincial EMS dispatches for drug toxicity were not reported by the Alberta government, @drugdatadecoded.ca reports:
drugdatadecoded.ca/up-to-89-per...

Alberta minister says cases of preventable deaths raised by doctors ‘concerning’ Matt Jones, one of the province’s four health ministers, says these scenarios do not reflect system as a whole

An Alberta health minister says reports of recent deaths and near-misses in overflowing emergency departments are concerning but he is confident that Albertans will still get the urgent care they need at hospitals. #ableg

B.C. health authorities tried to allow purchase of regulated heroin without prescriptions, court hears Effort to reduce toxic-drug deaths was ultimately derailed by political blowback

As two British Columbians challenge their conviction for creating a compassion club, court hears the province tried for years to create its own: www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... via @andreawoo.bsky.social

Wild times.

“It is believed to be the first time in a century that the Canadian Armed Forces have created a model of an American assault on this country, a founding member of NATO and a partner with the U.S. in continental air defence.”

www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

Why the flu is so bad this year This year’s dominant variant is a mutation of influenza A called Subclade K

Always love joining our amazing Decibel team! On today's episode, we chat about why this flu season has been so intense. @theglobeandmail.com #cdnhealth

Lancet study refutes claim of a link between Tylenol and autism Trump’s contentious remarks stoked fears and may delay critical research in the field, experts say

Lancet study finds “no evidence” that Tylenol use in pregnancy increases the risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability, despite claims by Trump and backers, by Jennifer Yang www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... via @theglobeandmail.com

Preventable deaths, ‘near-misses’ caused by overcrowding in Alberta emergency rooms, documents show Physicians in Edmonton’s major hospitals recently called on the province to declare a formal emergency due to overcrowding

At least six preventable deaths and more than 30 “near-misses” occurred in Alberta emergency departments since the beginning of the year because of overcrowding, according to documents obtained by @theglobeandmail.com. #ableg #abpoli

Senior with influenza waited 90 hours in Edmonton emergency department, family says Patients are languishing for days in makeshift waiting areas to receive care

For 90+ hours, Carla Peck's 79 y/o dad was confined to a stretcher in an Edmonton ED, which worsened his condition. Many Alberta patients are languishing for days in makeshift waiting areas as patient demand exceeds hospital bed availability. #ableg #abpoli @theglobeandmail.com

Senior with influenza waited 90 hours in Edmonton emergency department, family says Patients are languishing for days in makeshift waiting areas to receive care

79-year-old with influenza waited 90 hours in Edmonton emergency department, family says. Patients are languishing for days in makeshift waiting areas to receive care, by @alannasmith.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... via @theglobeandmail.com #CanadaWAITS

Alberta separatist lawyer threatened 'war crimes,' 'murder' charges over COVID vaccine, law society claims Separatist lawyer Jeffrey Rath is challenging claims he breached professional conduct rules by writing to government officials during the COVID-19 pandemic — but admits he used "overly aggressive" lan...

New from me: the Alberta lawyer leading the charge for separatism had a law society hearing today over his COVID-era correspondence with government and public health officials — some of whom he threatened with prosecution for “crimes against humanity” edmontonjournal.com/news/politic...

Edmonton hospital doctors urge province to keep inpatient beds open Physicians say closing beds will further strain an already overburdened system and hinder patient care

Doctors at an Edmonton hospital have penned a joint statement urging the Alberta government to reverse its plan to close 21 inpatient beds at a time when hospitals are overflowing with patients. #ableg #cdnpoli www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Video: Videos Contradict Trump Administration Account of ICE Shooting in Minneapolis An analysis of footage from three camera angles shows that the motorist was driving away from — not toward — a federal officer when he opened fire.

A New York Times video analysis of an ICE agent’s fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis contradicts the Trump administration’s account. Watch our investigation here.

The call comes shortly after the much-publicized death of Prashant Sreekumar, who died on Dec. 22 after spending eight hours in the ER at Edmonton’s Grey Nuns Community Hospital. On Wednesday, the Globe learned that he was actually one of three people who died in the Grey Nuns ER that day. #ableg

Edmonton doctors call on Alberta government to declare state of emergency as hospitals overflow Call follows deaths of three patients in Grey Nuns Community Hospital emergency on Dec. 22

Doctors working in Edmonton’s major hospitals are calling on the Alberta government to declare a state of emergency because there is no more room to safely accept patients. #ableg @theglobeandmail.com