The World Health Organization is working to ship COVID-19 medical supplies into North Korea, a possible sign that the North is easing one of the world's strictest pandemic border closures to receive outside help.
WHO said in a weekly monitoring report that it has started the shipment of essential COVID-19 medical supplies through the Chinese port of Dalian for "strategic stockpiling and further dispatch" to North Korea. WHO officials on Thursday didn't immediately respond to requests for more details, including what those supplies were and whether they had yet reached North Korea.
Describing its anti-virus campaign was a matter of "national existence," North Korea had severely restricted cross-border traffic and trade for the past two years despite the strain on its already crippled economy.
UN human rights investigators in August asked the North's government to clarify allegations that it ordered troops to shoot on sight any trespassers who cross its borders in violation of its pandemic closing.
While North Korea has yet to report a single case of COVID-19, outside experts widely doubt it escaped the illness that had touched nearly every other place in the world.
The North has told WHO it has tested 40,700 people for the coronavirus through Sept. 23 and that all the tests were negative. Those tested in the last week reported included 94 people with influenza-like illnesses or other symptoms and 573 health care workers, according to the WHO report.
Experts say an epidemic in North Korea could be devastating, considering its poor health care system and chronic lack of medical supplies.
But despite implementing severe border controls, North Korea hasn't shown the same kind of urgency for vaccines even as its mass immunization campaign continues to be delayed amid global shortages.
Analysts say North Korea could be uneasy about international monitoring requirements that would be attached to the vaccines it receives from the outside world. There are also views that leader Kim Jong Un has domestic political motivations to tighten the country's self-imposed lockdown as he calls for unity and tries to solidify his grip on power while navigating perhaps his toughest moment after nearly a decade of rule.
The latest WHO report came weeks after Kim during a ruling party meeting ordered officials to wage a tougher anti-virus campaign in "our style" after he turned down some foreign COVID-19 vaccines offered via a UN-backed immunization program.
UNICEF, which procures and delivers vaccines on behalf of the COVAX distribution program, said last month that North Korea proposed its allotment of about 3 million Sinovac shots be sent to severely affected countries instead.
Some analysts say the North is angling to receive more effective jabs amid questions about the Sinovac vaccine's effectiveness.
UNICEF said the North Korean health ministry said it will continue to communicate with COVAX over future vaccines.
Prosecutors have recommended that Erik and Lyle Menendez be resentenced for the 1989 killings of their parents in the family's Beverly Hills home.
The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
The federal government is slashing immigration targets to levels that will flatten population growth as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admits the government did not get the balance right after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Montreal police say four teenagers suffered stab wounds after an altercation near John F. Kennedy High School in the city's Villeray鈥擲aint-Michel鈥擯arc-Extension borough on Thursday.
Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.
A new lawsuit alleges Vince McMahon knowingly enabled the sexual exploitation of children by a WWE employee in the 1980s.
Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon.
Emergency crews responded to a call for a stabbing at Paul Landry Park on Uplands Drive, between Paul Anka Drive and Bennett Street, at 11:25 a.m. Thursday.
Diverse firefly species lit up the night during the late Mesozoic period, scientists have confirmed.
The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
Montreal police say four teenagers suffered stab wounds after an altercation near John F. Kennedy High School in the city's Villeray鈥擲aint-Michel鈥擯arc-Extension borough on Thursday.
The RCMP is warning residents in northeast Saskatchewan to seek shelter and avoid picking up hitchhikers as police search for a group of armed and dangerous suspects.
Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon.
Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.
Another local homeowner says trees owned by the City of Regina have caused damaged to his property for years and has resulted in tens of thousands of dollars spent from his own pocket.
Prosecutors have recommended that Erik and Lyle Menendez be resentenced for the 1989 killings of their parents in the family's Beverly Hills home.
An Israeli strike on a school where displaced people were sheltering in the central Gaza Strip killed at least 17 people on Thursday, nearly all women and children, Palestinian medical officials said.
Donald Trump said Thursday that if he wins the White House, he will fire special counsel Jack Smith 'within two seconds' of taking office.
Colorado funeral home owners accused of misspending nearly US$900,000 in pandemic relief funds and living lavishly, all while allegedly storing 190 decaying bodies in a building and sending grieving families fake ashes, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal fraud charges for defrauding customers.
Elon Musk's super PAC didn't announce a winner for its "daily" $1 million giveaway to registered swing state voters on Wednesday, the same day news broke that the Justice Department warned Musk鈥檚 group that its sweepstakes might be illegal.
Widespread flooding and landslides set off by a tropical storm in the northeastern Philippines on Thursday left at least 24 people dead, swept away cars and prompted authorities to scramble for motorboats to rescue trapped villagers, some on roofs.
The federal government is slashing immigration targets to levels that will flatten population growth as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admits the government did not get the balance right after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said he would lead his Liberal party into the next election despite mounting unhappiness among some legislators about his performance.
Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly is attending a conference on Lebanon as leaders try to help the country cope with the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes.
A Colorado man has filed the first lawsuit against McDonald鈥檚 relating to its E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounders that, so far, has led to at least 49 illnesses across 10 states, including one death.
Radon is a radioactive gas found in nearly every Canadian home. A new research study is putting a renewed spotlight on the invisible, odourless element that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canada.
Blood tests of several people who were in contact with a patient in Missouri who caught H5N1 bird flu without any known exposure to infected animals reveal at least one of them also had the virus.
Diverse firefly species lit up the night during the late Mesozoic period, scientists have confirmed.
European scientists have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm capable of interpreting pig sounds, aiming to create a tool that can help farmers improve animal welfare.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services received its first shipment of new firefighting gear on Wednesday, advancing the department's plans to reduce cancer risk for its members.
A new organization that aims to help people struggling with addictions officially launches in Ottawa Thursday, named after the late Matthew Perry.
Argentina's police raided the Buenos Aires hotel where ex-One Direction singer Liam Payne stayed before dying last week after falling from a third-floor balcony, a government official said Thursday.
A new lawsuit alleges Vince McMahon knowingly enabled the sexual exploitation of children by a WWE employee in the 1980s.
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Rogers Communications Inc. is selling a minority stake in a portion of its wireless network infrastructure for $7 billion amid a 'pivot' in strategy as it seeks to pay down debt.
Shake Shack has announced plans to open two more Toronto locations in the coming months.
A Toronto man who only recently checked a Lotto 6/49 lottery ticket he bought back in June is now $2.5 million richer.
Within a year of dating, 31-year-old Siara Rouzer crossed a major relationship milestone. The guy she was seeing was no longer a boyfriend but her partner.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Chris Boucher was back, for at least one game. The veteran forward spent most of last season at the far end of the Toronto Raptors' bench, rarely seeing playing time.
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A town in southern Alberta will be one of the first to let golf carts be driven on select roads as part of a provincial pilot program.
An increased risk of fire has prompted the recall of thousands of Honda hybrid vehicles in Canada.
A senior executive for Volkswagen in China has been deported for allegedly using cocaine and marijuana while on vacation in Thailand, according to Chinese authorities and German media reports.
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Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon.
Two Green Party legislators could hold the balance of power in British Columbia after Saturday's provincial election gave neither the NDP nor the B.C. Conservatives a majority of seats after the initial count.
A 29-year-old man has been charged with arson and assault with a weapon after police were called last week to a fire in the Newton neighbourhood of Surrey, B.C.
Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.
It's a dream for many Canadians, trying to save up enough money for a down payment on their very first home. That was also the dream for the Esmeralda family, a family of five with two dogs who currently live in a Scarborough apartment building.
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A Calgary business owner is frustrated and looking for answers after Google removed his business' profile without warning, resulting in a loss of bookings and damage to his company鈥檚 reputation.
International graduate students at the University of Calgary say recent changes to the cap on international students, along with more cuts to Canada's immigration targets, is causing uncertainty -- and could drive talent away from the country.
A man has been charged in connection with two separate stabbings in downtown Calgary last month.
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A new organization that aims to help people struggling with addictions officially launches in Ottawa Thursday, named after the late Matthew Perry.
A man is facing charges after copper wire and a utility trailer were stolen from a business in eastern Ontario Wednesday.
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Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante announced Wednesday she would not seek a third mandate. Her decision has many talking about the demands of municipal leadership, particularly for women.
An investigation into a climate of fear at a Montreal primary school has reignited a debate about secularism in Quebec's education system, with the provincial government pledging to consider new measures to keep religion out of classrooms.
You could be the new owner of an iconic Edmonton chain.
The man who cut up the body of his grandson's mother is going to prison after the Alberta Court of Appeal overturned his previous sentence.
One person was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a reported shooting on Wednesday night.
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The Nova Scotia Liberals are accusing former member Fred Tilley of accessing party files one day before he crossed the aisle to join the Progressive Conservatives.
The Manitoba man who brutally murdered his partner and two young children stood in court, voice wavering, and apologized for his actions that ended the lives of three people he said he loved very much.
A pair of councillors in the RM of Springfield plan on bringing forward a motion to opt out of Plan 20-50 when they are first able to.
The parents of an infant who was found to be malnourished and abused are facing charges.
A man is dead and two other people were injured in a two vehicle collision north of Regina on Wednesday evening.
The Regina Police Service (RPS) says it learned on Thursday that an officer responded to an incident at a Saskatchewan Party campaign office Monday evening and did not inform the service of their response.
The RCMP is warning residents in northeast Saskatchewan to seek shelter and avoid picking up hitchhikers as police search for a group of armed and dangerous suspects.
Erick Buhr, the man on trial for second-degree murder in the death of his grandmother Viola Erb, took the stand Thursday to testify in his own defense.
A triple stabbing at a University of Waterloo gender studies class last year was clearly motivated by hate, prosecutors argued Thursday, pointing to a manifesto written by the man who pleaded guilty in the case and his comments to police.
The federal government is slashing immigration targets to levels that will flatten population growth as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admits the government did not get the balance right after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Saskatoon police are investigating a series of suspicious fires that were lit in the Mayfair neighbourhood on Thursday morning.
The RCMP is warning residents in northeast Saskatchewan to seek shelter and avoid picking up hitchhikers as police search for a group of armed and dangerous suspects.
Federal housing minister Sean Fraser says he鈥檚 going to work directly with the cities of Saskatoon and Regina to tackle homeless encampments, after the province ignored his funding offer last month.
The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
Greater Sudbury Police have released a photo of a person they say escaped by driving their motor vehicle on a sidewalk past pedestrians and then the wrong way down a one-way street.
A 72-year-old driver was charged Wednesday with following two closely after a five-vehicle crash sent several people to hospital in Parry Sound.
London Ont. born astronaut and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen spoke with thousands of high school students across the country today about the upcoming Artemis II mission.
An employee followed the man outside and tried to stop him, however the man hit the employee with one of the bottles of alcohol, physically assaulting them.
Ineos Styrolution will not restart production at its Sarnia plant. The chemical company has been shut down since April after the nearby First Nation reported members getting sick from elevated benzene levels.
Emergency crews were called to attend a fire that broke out in a grassy area in Barrie on Thursday morning.
A haunted house in the Ontario Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.
Karen Zulynik and her neighbours refuse to give up their fight to stop the town's plans for a new administration building.
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Windsor police are investigating a break-in and theft at a local mosque.
Ottawa has unveiled The Levels Plan to limit the number of people moving to Canada, including temporary residents and foreign workers.
Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon.
At least 1,749 people have died from toxic and unregulated drugs in British Columbia since the start of the year 鈥 a rate of more than six people per day, according to the latest data from the provincial coroner's office.
Two Green Party legislators could hold the balance of power in British Columbia after Saturday's provincial election gave neither the NDP nor the B.C. Conservatives a majority of seats after the initial count.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
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Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
A three-game road trip across the prairies got off on a sour note Wednesday night as the Medicine Hat Tigers defeated the Calgary Hitmen 4-2.
A town in southern Alberta will be one of the first to let golf carts be driven on select roads as part of a provincial pilot program.
A Lethbridge recovery centre, tasked with helping residents struggling with addictions, is celebrating its first year of success in the community.
Police seized drugs, $70,000 and a large gold chain in a drug trafficking bust earlier this month in Thunder Bay.
An annual event held in Sault Ste. Marie is back for the 29th year to ensure local kids get the winter clothing they need as the temperature dips.
The lack of 24-hour public washrooms has been a long-standing issue in the Sault, especially considering the rise in homelessness.
Investigators found the remains of a 77-year-old American man on Wednesday at the scene of a fire that destroyed a hotel in western Newfoundland earlier on the weekend.
Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, the scene at the Lions Club in Clarenville, N.L., rivalled any rowdy St. John's bar that thumps with music late on a weekend night.
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