WINNIPEG — The provincial government is being urged to call an inquest into the deaths of two people who had donated plasma at for-profit collection centres in Winnipeg.

Health Canada has promised to investigate the deaths, which occurred in October and January at two Grifols Plasma Donation Centres in Winnipeg.

However, the Manitoba Health Coalition said Health Canada licenses Grifols and it has a conflict of interest.

“We want as independent and (thorough) an investigation as possible for the loved ones of these Manitobans who died, to get real answers and so that harm like this doesn’t happen in the future,” coalition executive director Noah Schulz said at a news conference Friday.

Canada’s national lawyers group has rebuked a call from four premiers for Ottawa to overhaul how it appoints provincial superior court and appeal judges.

The premiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec wrote this week in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney that they want to see only judges appointed who are first approved and recommended by the provinces.

The premiers say doing so would boost public confidence in the courts and “help ensure the judiciary reflects the communities it serves.”

Their call was quickly brushed aside by federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser.

Ottawa OPENS IMPORTED VEGGIES INQUIRY

OTTAWA — The federal government has launched a trade inquiry on global imports of frozen and canned vegetables.

A statement from the Department of Finance says the government sought the inquiry in response to a request from the Canadian Association of Vegetable Growers and Processors.

Domestic producers say Canada has seen a surge of low-priced imports that are disrupting the market.

WINNIPEG — Manitoba has appointed a new ethics commissioner to replace the outgoing watchdog this spring.

Sherri Walsh received the appointment Friday, and will serve as ethics commissioner for the next five years.

Her experience includes nearly a decade of work with the City of Winnipeg, where she was appointed as the municipal government’s first integrity commissioner, in 2017.

“On behalf of our NDP caucus we want to wish Sherri Walsh an excellent five years in her new role,” Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine said in the legislative chamber. “Each and every one of us look forward to working with her as she helps us fill out the many, many different forms that we have to fill out as members of this legislative assembly.”

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is supporting a ruling this week by the International Olympic Committee that bans transgender women from women’s sports at the Games.

The policy change comes ahead of the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 and aligns with an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump.

The new policy will require athletes to undergo mandatory genetic testing to establish their gender.

The test involves a screen of saliva, cheek swabs or blood samples to test for the SRY gene, which is a piece of DNA “typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development in utero,” the policy said.

WASHINGTON — A pro-Iranian hacking group claimed Friday to have hacked an account of FBI Director Kash Patel and posted online what appear to be years-old photographs of him, along with a work resumé and other personal documents dating back more than a decade.

“Kash Patel, the current head of the FBI, who once saw his name displayed with pride on the agency’s headquarters, will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims,” said a message posted Friday from the group Handala.

The message was accompanied by a collection of photographs of Patel, including ones of him standing beside an antique sports car and another with a cigar in his mouth. The group also said that it was making available for download emails and other documents from Patel’s account. Many of the records appeared to relate to his personal travels and business from more than 10 years ago

“The FBI is aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel’s personal email information, and we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity,” the FBI said in a statement. “The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information.”

Elijah Mentuck, 19, was a friend of Tristin Beaulieu. Incorrect information appeared on Page A1 of Thursday’s edition of the Sun.

WASHINGTON — Airports serving Washington, D.C., Baltimore and some cities in Virginia briefly halted all flights Friday evening because of what federal authorities said was a strong chemical smell at the flight centre that controls traffic into the airports.

According to a spokesperson with the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily stopped traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport and Richmond International Airport because of the chemical odor at the Potomac TRACON.

The TRACON is a terminal radar approach control facility that manages air traffic for those regions, according to the FAA website.

FAA spokeswoman Kristen Alsop said Friday that controllers were coming back to work and normal flight operations should return to normal soon.