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Toronto Sun
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
No injuries after 'explosive device' left at B.C. minister's office
VANCOUVER, B.C.: June 27, 2025 - Police inspect the office of Bowinn Ma, British Columbia's Minister of Infrastructure and MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale, after an explosive device was detonated outside the constituency office in North Vancouver, B.C. on June 27, 2025. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG MLA Bowinn Ma confirmed there were no injuries and that police are investigating after a security problem at her constituency office on Friday morning in North Vancouver. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'All meetings and appointments at my constituency office are cancelled for the day due to a security incident that occurred in the early hours of this morning,' Ma said in a statement. 'Thankfully, nobody was injured, but incidents like this can be quite frightening.' In a note to MLAs and their offices, it was confirmed the incident involved an explosive that had been left at the door of Ma's office. Shane O'Grady, Legislative Assembly staff sergeant for the MLA Safety Program, sent out a letter to MLAs and their constituency offices early Friday morning informing them that 'an unknown person left an explosive device at one of our North Vancouver constituency offices, which detonated and caused damage to property but fortunately no one was in the area and thus there were no injuries.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He added that constituency offices around the Lower Mainland should 'exercise caution, report any suspicious activity to police and reach out to my team if you need anything.' MLA Bowinn Ma is pictured in this 2017 file photo at her North Vancouver constituency office alongside former B.C. premier, the late John Horgan. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG North Vancouver RCMP remain at Ma's office near Esplanade and Chesterfield Avenue on Friday around noon but have yet to provide details on the incident. A news conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the North Vancouver RCMP's detachment. Late Friday morning, the sidewalk in front of Ma's office entrance remained cordoned off to pedestrians. Access to an investment office and a dental clinic two doors over were also restricted while police continued to investigate. Several police cruisers were parked nearby, some with lights flashing, while a large white RV-sized police van with no windows was also parked nearby. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. There were no impacts to vehicle traffic along Esplanade. Ma's office, which backs onto train tracks and sits between an e-bike shop and a private investment office, was sealed off with police tape. Laura Yarwob, who works at the Fresh Street Market across the street from Ma's office, heard what she described as an explosion from her home a block away around 2:30 a.m. 'It sounded like a really loud bang, but it didn't sound like trains,' she said. 'It sounded like something more. It wasn't a car crash. It was like a big like the It shook the house. 'It was crazy.' Talking with customers throughout the morning, Yarwob said from their accounts the loud noise could be heard throughout a three-block radius in the normally quiet neighbourhood near Lonsdale Quay and the Shipyards District. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I didn't call the police because you don't know what it is, because with the trains moving all the time, you never know what's going on there,' she said. 'They change tracks, so they're always loud, but it wasn't a train.' An RCMP officer at the scene said there was no danger to the public, which didn't assuage Yarwob. 'It shouldn't be happening here in North Vancouver or anywhere,' she said. 'It's kind of scary.' Premier David Eby voiced his support for Ma Friday, calling her 'an incredible community leader, who I am proud to work with every day.' 'No matter who you are, or what you do for a living, you have a right to safety at work,' he wrote in a post on X. Bowinn Ma is an incredible community leader, who I am proud to work with every matter who you are, or what you do for a living, you have a right to safety at work. My thoughts are with @BowinnMa, her staff and the community affected by this incident. — David Eby (@Dave_Eby) June 27, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Opposition Leader John Rustad also called for MLAs, regardless of party affiliation, to stand with Ma and her team. 'The idea that someone would set off a device to damage or somehow threaten an MLA's CA office is deeply concerning,' he said. 'No one in B.C. should feel scared to go in to work.' Every member of the Legislative Assembly of BC must stand with NDP MLA Bowin Ma & her Constituency Office idea that someone would set off a device to damage or somehow threaten an MLA's CA office is deeply concerning. No one in BC should feel scared to go in to work. — John Rustad (@JohnRustad4BC) June 27, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ma said she appreciated the concern expressed by community members. 'I am grateful to serve such a caring and compassionate community,' said Ma in her statement. 'I'd also like to thank the officers who responded for their diligence and professionalism.' Ma said she would not be commenting further due to the active police investigation unfolding. More to come… sip@ gordmcintyre@ alazenby@ Read More Music Crime Canada Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Raptors
ABC News
17 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
PNG declares national HIV crisis
Andy Park: Papua New Guinea has declared a national HIV crisis with the number of new cases increasing by almost 50% in the last decade. PNG correspondent Marion Faa has the story. Marian Faa: Living as a transgender woman in Papua New Guinea, discrimination is part of Nancy's everyday life. Nancy: Papua New Guinea, like PNG, they still have this thing that, I mean if you're a man, you're a man and they don't really, like it's a male or a female, it's just one gender. Marian Faa: But when she was diagnosed with HIV 10 years ago, the stigma doubled. Nancy: I felt hopeless. I just felt like that was the end of my life, yeah, and it really affected me mentally. Marian Faa: Nancy is now healthier than ever thanks to the antiretroviral medication she takes regularly. That's not the case for many. Of the 120,000 people estimated to have HIV in PNG, less than half are accessing medication. And there's concern about a dramatic increase in new infections. Ken Wai is the National Health Secretary in PNG. Ken Wai: The biggest worry is we don't want to run the risk of increasing these numbers. Marian Faa: In the past decade, the number of new cases has nearly doubled from around 6,000 per year in 2015 to 11,000 last year. If the trend continues, Mr Wai says the whole country will suffer. Ken Wai: Then we are going to buy HIV medicine only and then we will run out of money to buy TB drugs and malaria drugs and typhoid drugs and diarrhoea drugs and every others. Marian Faa: He says the PNG government is doing its bit. Ken Wai: Government does not fail in providing money to buy HIV medicines. For the last five years, seven years, we've never run out of HIV medicines and we've never run out of HIV testing reagents. Marian Faa: But UNAIDS, the United Nations HIV prevention arm, says the health department could be doing more. Manoela Manova is the UNAIDS country director in PNG. Manoela Manova: The need for controlling the epidemic is huge, it's enormous and it is estimated to cost 280 million per year. It requires resources and our call is for the government at least to match and to allocate double the amount that is currently allocated. Marian Faa: In PNG, authorities say it'll take a concerted effort from individuals, donors and the government to get things under control. They're urging individuals to practice safe sex, use condoms and get regular health checks. Andy Park: Marion Faa there.
ABC News
a day ago
- Health
- ABC News
Papua New Guinea declares national HIV crisis as cases surge
Papua New Guinea is grappling with a severe resurgence of HIV, prompting the government to declare a National HIV Crisis. New data reveals a doubling of new infections since 2010, with an estimated 30 people contracting the virus daily in 2024, totalling approximately 11,000 new cases last year alone. It's a worrying trend for the country, at a time when global infection rates are on the decline. This alarming trend highlights a deepening crisis, particularly impacting women, children and young people. And it comes at a time described as an "existential crisis" for HIV health with ambitions to end the global HIV epidemic as a public health threat by 2030 look increasingly out of reach. Experts fear there could be an increase in new infections for the first time in decades after billions of dollars in foreign aid and medical research were slashed by the US government. Infants increasingly infected A deeply concerning aspect of the resurgence in PNG is the high rate of mother-to-child transmission. In 2024, around 2,700 infants were newly infected with HIV, equating to about seven babies per day. The primary reason for these preventable infections is that most mothers were unaware of their HIV status and, consequently, did not receive the crucial antiretroviral therapy (ART) that could have prevented transmission to their babies during pregnancy or breastfeeding. This significant gap in maternal health services highlights the urgent need to boost antenatal care uptake and broaden HIV testing, counselling, and treatment services for all pregnant women across the nation. 'A national HIV crisis' "The rise in new HIV infections in PNG is deeply concerning. And as such, I am declaring this a national HIV crisis," Health Minister Elias Kapavore said. Mr Kapavore further stressed the societal roots of the epidemic and his commitment to addressing them. "HIV is a disease of inequality. We need to support and empower those most impacted. It is time for all of us to step-up," he said. "I personally commit to raising this issue with my fellow ministers and parliamentarians and ensuring the urgent allocation of resources to protect our people — especially the next generation of Papua New Guineans." Department of Health acting secretary Ken Wai echoed Mr Kapavore's call to action, emphasising the need for expanded access to vital services. "We must scale-up access to HIV testing and treatment, particularly for groups most at risk." He added that these critical initiatives need to be available at health facilities nationwide and will require robust community leadership and support. Robust health system required The World Health Organisation PNG country representative, Sevil Huseynova, highlighted the importance of robust health systems in the fight against HIV. "We must strengthen our health systems to ensure universal access to HIV testing, treatment, and prevention services, especially for pregnant women and young people," Dr Huseynova said. "This is a test of our collective commitment to health for all. WHO stands firmly with the government of Papua New Guinea to scale up integrated, person-centred care that leaves no one behind." UNAIDS PNG country director Manoela Manova strongly endorsed the statements from Mr Kapavore and Mr Wai, drawing attention to the pervasive issue of stigma. "This is a shared public health crisis that demands shared responsibility. Everyone has a role to play in dismantling harmful myths, stigma, and discrimination associated with HIV," Ms Manova said. These attitudes undermine prevention, testing and treatment efforts, and hold us back from ending HIV as a public health threat in Papua New Guinea." The United Nations says it will provide as much support as needed to the government to contain this crisis. The declaration of a National HIV Crisis will trigger an emergency response plan, aiming to enhance cross-sector coordination and prioritise investments in HIV services at all levels. 'I felt hopeless' Living as a transgender woman in Papua New Guinea discrimination is part of Nancey's everyday life. "Papua New Guinea ... they still have this thing that, I mean, if you're a man, you're a man and they don't, really... they only have one like it's a male or a female. That's just one gender," she said. But when Nancey was diagnosed with HIV 10 years ago she says the stigma doubled. "I felt hopeless. I just felt like that was the end of my life. Yeah, and it really affected me mentally." Nancy is now healthier than ever thanks to the anti-retroviral medication she takes regularly. "You can actually be on that treatment and live a longer life and live a healthy life and you can still do things that you are doing. "You can still play sports. You can still actively participate in anything that you're doing." But that's not the case for many of the 120,000 people estimated to have HIV in PNG, with fewer than half accessing medication. RNZ/ABC
Time Business News
2 days ago
- Business
- Time Business News
Fix Your Audit Documentation Before It Fails
Audit documentation requires proper organization and maintenance to ensure transparency, support accountability, and meet all applicable regulations. Concise records, whether used for internal control or external audit purposes, help the teams in confirming transactions, tracking decisions, and resolving discrepancies promptly. Yet, most organizations inadvertently confuse their audit documentation by inserting loose image-based documents, particularly PNGs. Approval screenshots, scanned receipts, or system outputs preserved in the PNG format tend to be loose and unstructured. Unstructured files inevitably lead to slow audits and opportunities for errors. This piece provides real-world advice for keeping audit records tidy and coherent. From a true-to-life example, you can observe how small steps such as normalizing file formats can help minimize audit prep mayhem. Whether you work in an internal audit department or are developing compliance reports, this primer will assist you in keeping your audit records neat and organized. Writing Highlights PNGs clutter audit trails. PDFs ensure format consistency. Mixed file types slow down reviews. Format switching wastes time. Indexing boosts traceability. Central storage prevents duplication. Assign roles for documentation. Standardization speeds audits. Audit Reviews Get Complicated When Files Aren't Standardized Audit procedures rely on traceable, dated, and summarized evidence. Every document – a receipt, system printout, or approval has to be easily attributable to a particular transaction or step of control. Unless you have templates for consistent formats, it is difficult and error-prone to keep such a trail. According to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), staff expect that approximately 40% of the audits reviewed will have one or more deficiencies in 2024. These deficiencies are often related to poor documentation practices, including inconsistent formats that obscure the completeness, accuracy, or relevance of audit evidence. PNG Files: Convenience with Hidden Costs PNGs are most frequently utilized for screenshotting approvals, scanned invoices, or transaction histories. Convenient as it may be, PNGs do not have rudimentary features such as metadata, version history, or in-built markup functions. PNGs are thus hard to contextualize, annotate, or combine, frequently causing review delays as well as communication lapses within audit cycles. Fragmented Formats Slow Workflow and Increase Risk Where audit folders contain a combination of PNGs, PDFs, spreadsheets, and emails, the trail of audit becomes more difficult to track. Reviewers are compelled to toggle between tools, manually assemble support evidence, and stitch together fragmented stories, particularly troublesome in tight reporting timelines. Without format standardization, teams stand to lose precious time and miss important details. PCAOB's perspective supports this: documentation quality and consistency continue to be ongoing issues that have a direct bearing on audit effectiveness and reliability, especially in workflows involving steps like budget approval. Discrete PNGs Form Bottlenecks PNG files are often the guilty party in causing documentation chaos. Approvals or system outputs are routinely captured as PNGs and never merged. Scanned documents, receipts, and contracts often get exported as PNG images. Comments or annotations could be applied to PNGs manually and would make them difficult to search or index. Having dozens or hundreds of individual PNG files is a waste of time for auditors, who must sort, rename, and mark up each image. Context is lost when a screenshot is not embedded in the entire document. Auditors frequently find themselves converting PDF to PNG just to obtain a markup layer, or vice versa, which results in a back-and-forth process that saves no time and causes confusion. Inconsistent Formats Disrupt Internal Controls Where audit documentation is scattered among different file formats (JPG, PNG, PDF), a lot of unnecessary confusion and back-and-forth occurs. Different formats will be handled differently: Some are more difficult to annotate, others are unwieldy to merge or search, and not all systems support each type consistently. This inconsistency tends to disrupt both the workflow of the preparers and reviewers. Audit teams depend on a uniform format to confirm supporting proof promptly. When someone files a combination of images, unsearchable documents, and solitary PDFs, it makes reviewers unnecessarily change tools over and over again simply to view or read information. That leaves room for mistakes, lost approvals, unauthorized numbers, or copied entries. Time Lost to Format Conversions One of the significant time sinks in audit work is having to keep converting PDF to PNG for screenshots or visual references, or vice versa, aggregating image files into a single document. These conversions are not always smooth, particularly when performed manually. Non-uniformity not only wastes time but also disrupts audit trail continuity. Envision having to review five documents for one transaction: a PNG for the screenshot of the invoice, a JPG for the payment receipt, and a PDF for approval. Without proper formatting, the information flow becomes disjointed. Reviewers might lose track of steps or take extra time to reorder the evidence constructively. Difficulty in Maintaining Data Integrity With inconsistent structures, data integrity becomes more difficult to ensure. Image files may be edited or cropped without any audit trail, compared to PDFs, which have timestamped comments, password security, and change tracking. This results in difficulty proving authenticity, particularly where audits need version control or verifiable timelines. Audit Evidence Transformed into a Document Nightmare I was completing our year-end audit package, and receipts and approvals were in PNG format. There were dozens of screenshots of vendor payment confirmations, department sign-offs, and breakdowns of the budget lying around in different folders. Every file was labeled differently, and none conformed to a standard naming convention. Manual Merging Made Everything Slower What should have only taken a day became a three-day fight. I had to open up each image, check which transaction it validated, and attempt to align it with the related ledger entry. Adding comments was another challenge, particularly because PNGs are not as easy to comment on or use markup tools like PDFs. I even ended up having to make a whole separate spreadsheet just for keeping track of what each screen cap was. Worse still, sending this batch to the audit committee involved individually attaching each picture with explanations, something that not only raised the likelihood of error but also questioned document completeness. One Change That Simplified Everything Finally, I decided to turn all the PNGs into a single reviewable file. With the use of a simple converter to change PNG to PDF, I was able to finally put the audit trail into a neat, uninterrupted flow. This one document clustered like approvals, payments, and reasons together, in the sequence they were found in our general ledger. What had previously appeared to be an unruly cluster of disorganized papers now became a clear, well-organized paper awaiting inspection. Well-defined Structure Assures Fewer Mistakes Once converted, my comments were simpler to insert, and reviewers could scroll through the document without having to flip between formats or tabs. It minimized the number of reviewer questions and eliminated misunderstandings due to mismatched or missing approvals. The audit committee loved the clarity and even mentioned that this year's submission was simpler to review compared to earlier ones. Best Practices to Avoid a Cluttered Audit Trail By implementing these best practices throughout, audit teams can eliminate ambiguity, keep an unbroken chain of evidence, and enable effective, error-free examinations. Below are some of the best practices: Use Standardized File Types Consistency of file types minimizes confusion and facilitates ease in tracking the trail of documentation for auditors. PDF is the most preferred because it has a fixed layout, tagging and annotation capabilities, and system compatibility. It is different from PNG files or any image-based type of format because PDF keeps documents' context intact and prevents content from being inadvertently changed or misread. Batch Conversions Early Waiting to get organized and convert files until the last audit phase inevitably means that the resulting documentation is hurried and prone to errors. Get all supporting documents, particularly images such as PNGs, converted into PDFs early in the process. This keeps the documentation coordinated right from the start and prevents last-minute formatting issues. It also minimizes having to keep converting repeatedly later on or encountering issues when attempting to convert PDF to PNG for rechecking. Maintain an Index An indexed audit trail lets the reviewer easily find pertinent documents without the need to browse through folders. A basic spreadsheet with each document, its file name, related audit area, and inclusion date is usually enough. This enhances transparency as well as exhibits procedural discipline when conducting audits. Centralize Storage Storing papers on multiple drives or email threads creates redundancy and disorganization. Adopt a central, access-controlled folder or document management system where all audit proof is stored in a single location. Organize folder structures by audit phases or categories—e.g., revenue, procurements, payroll. Assign Documentation Responsibility Assign an individual or team to handle and review the audit paper as it's gathered. This prevents a situation where files are accumulated randomly or left undone. Explicit roles also maintain that formatting and file quality checks occur on an ongoing basis, not only during audit season. Version Control is Key When updating documents, save more recent versions with timestamps or version numbers marked. This avoids having old documents submitted by mistake and keeps changes easily trackable for audit review. Final Considerations Clean audit documentation has as much to do with adopting regular, ordered practices early in the process as it does with using sophisticated tools. From selecting standardized file types to categorizing labeled and centralizing storage, every step contributes to less confusion and greater audit readiness. As in the actual case presented, minor decisions, such as converting PNGs into one combined PDF document, can have a remarkable effect on efficiency and clarity. By taking proactive approaches to formats and workflows, audit teams can enhance accuracy, aid compliance, and make audit cycles more efficient and dependable. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Papua New Guinea declares national HIV crisis as infections surge
020514. Photo RNZ. Papua New Guinea. Photo: RNZ Papua New Guinea is grappling with a severe resurgence of HIV, prompting the government to declare a National HIV Crisis. New data reveals a doubling of new infections since 2010, with an estimated 30 people contracting the virus daily in 2024, totaling approximately 11,000 new cases last year alone. This alarming trend highlights a deepening crisis, particularly impacting women, children, and young people. A deeply concerning aspect of this resurgence is the high rate of mother-to-child transmission. In 2024, around 2,700 infants were newly infected with HIV, equating to about seven babies per day. The primary reason for these preventable infections is that most mothers were unaware of their HIV status and, consequently, did not receive the crucial antiretroviral therapy (ART) that could have prevented transmission to their babies during pregnancy or breastfeeding. This significant gap in maternal health services highlights the urgent need to boost antenatal care uptake and broaden HIV testing, counselling, and treatment services for all pregnant women across the nation. "The rise in new HIV infections in PNG is deeply concerning. And as such, I am declaring this a National HIV Crisis," Health Minister Elias Kapavore said. Minister Kapavore further stressed the societal roots of the epidemic and his commitment to addressing them. "HIV is a disease of inequality. We need to support and empower those most impacted. It is time for all of us to step-up. I personally commit to raising this issue with my fellow ministers and parliamentarians and ensuring the urgent allocation of resources to protect our people - especially the next generation of Papua New Guineans." Mr. Ken Wai, Acting Secretary of the Department of Health, echoed the Minister's call to action, emphasizing the need for expanded access to vital services. "We must scale-up access to HIV testing and treatment, particularly for groups most at risk." He added that these critical initiatives need to be available at health facilities nationwide and will require robust community leadership and support. Dr. Sevil Huseynova, the WHO Country Representative in Papua New Guinea, highlighted the importance of robust health systems in the fight against HIV. "We must strengthen our health systems to ensure universal access to HIV testing, treatment, and prevention services, especially for pregnant women and young people. This is a test of our collective commitment to health for all. WHO stands firmly with the Government of Papua New Guinea to scale up integrated, person-centered care that leaves no one behind." Manoela Manova, UNAIDS Country Director for Papua New Guinea, strongly endorsed the statements from the Health Minister and Acting Secretary, drawing attention to the pervasive issue of stigma. "This is a shared public health crisis that demands shared responsibility. Everyone has a role to play in dismantling harmful myths, stigma, and discrimination associated with HIV. These attitudes undermine prevention, testing and treatment efforts, and hold us back from ending HIV as a public health threat in Papua New Guinea." The United Nations says it will provide as much support as needed to the government to contain this crisis. The declaration of a National HIV Crisis will trigger an emergency response plan, aiming to enhance cross-sector coordination and prioritize investments in HIV services at all levels.
