Half a million COVID cases estimated in Canada, Trudeau bans assault-style guns, Female Genital Mutilation banned in Sudan

Stories: Luca Caruso-Moro

Reporter: Shanellie Marie

Half a million COVID cases estimated in Canada.

Researchers say COVID-19 cases could be close to half a million in Canada. 

That’s about 14 times higher than reported. 

Researchers at l’Université de Montreal say testing rates in Canada are too inconsistent to give an accurate representation of just how many people have the virus. 

They’ve estimated that the large number of people with mild symptoms have driven up the rate of infection,  with the average positive case infecting 12 others. 

Trudeau bans assault-style guns.

Ottawa has banned 1500 so-called “assault-style” weapons in Canada.

Guns used in mass-shootings such as Ecole-Polytechnique and Dawson College are among the guns that have been made illegal. 

Before Monday, several military-grade weapons had been available for restricted use, such as hunting. 

Gun owners have been given a two-year grace period to comply with the new law. 

Female Genital Mutilation banned in Sudan

Female Genital Mutilation has been banned in Sudan. 

The WHO estimates 200 million women and girls in Africa, the Middle-East and Asia have undergone the procedure condemned by the UN as a violation of human rights. 

Perpetrators in Sudan will face a 3 year prison sentence if found guilty of mutilation.