Tuesday, December 23, 2025
ADVT 
National

PHAC head grilled on firing of two scientists

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Mar, 2021 12:43 AM
  • PHAC head grilled on firing of two scientists

The president of the Public Health Agency of Canada has been given until the end of the week to explain why two Canadian government scientists were let go 18 months after being escorted from Canada's only Level 4 laboratory.

Iain Stewart told the special committee on Canada-China relations he can't go into details because of an ongoing RCMP investigation.

But after heated exchanges with opposition members of the committee, he agreed to seek legal counsel about whether he could give the committee details in confidence.

The committee agreed to give him until Friday to provide answers about why PHAC terminated the employment of Dr. Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, in January.

The pair were escorted out of the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg in July 2019 over what was described as a possible policy breach and administrative matter.

PHAC has said their departure had nothing to do with the fact that four months earlier, Qiu had been responsible for a shipment of Ebola and Henipah viruses to China's Wuhan Institute of Virology.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. police put down pit bulls after farm attack

B.C. police put down pit bulls after farm attack
Cpl. Madonna Saunderson says police were called Sunday morning after receiving a report that dangerous dogs were attacking livestock at the farm.

B.C. police put down pit bulls after farm attack

Wind and snowfall warnings up for B.C.

Wind and snowfall warnings up for B.C.
Wind warnings have been issued for Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast and the Southern Gulf Islands.

Wind and snowfall warnings up for B.C.

Beijing blasts Rae over 'genocide' allegations

Beijing blasts Rae over 'genocide' allegations
During a news conference in Beijing Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian described Bob Rae's comments as "ridiculous," adding that Canada itself better fits the description of having perpetrated a genocide.

Beijing blasts Rae over 'genocide' allegations

Vancouver Police arrests suspect in Saturday night homicide

Vancouver Police arrests suspect in Saturday night homicide
The murder happened at about 9 p.m. near East 57th Avenue and Prince Edward Street. The victim, 34-year-old Damien Franklin Leung, was rushed to hospital but later died.

Vancouver Police arrests suspect in Saturday night homicide

Liberals agree to back off delay tactics on WE

Liberals agree to back off delay tactics on WE
Government House leader Pablo Rodriguez says his party has agreed to send unredacted documents linked to the controversy to the parliamentary law clerk, who will then decide what information needs to be blacked out to protect personal privacy.

Liberals agree to back off delay tactics on WE

PM denounces imprisonment of journalists overseas

PM denounces imprisonment of journalists overseas
Canada has been vocal in condemning the clampdowns on democracy and free expression by the Chinese government in the former British colony of Hong Kong and the fraudulent presidential election in Belarus that has given rise to pro-democracy protests.

PM denounces imprisonment of journalists overseas