NEW DELHI: There has been 85 per cent decrease in power cuts in the national capital since 2014, according to a Delhi government report submitted to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday.Huge investment in power sector resulted in transformation in the city, leading to 24×7 power supply to Delhiites, the report said. An official said Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday submitted the department’s document as sought by the chief minister. Also Read – After eight years, businessman arrested for kidnap & murderThe number of electricity transformers was 1,587 in areas covered by BSES Rajdhani (BRPL) from 2014 to 2019 while the same was only 1,198 between 2009-10 and 2013-14, it stated. Similarly, BSES Yamuna (BYPL) had 328 transformers between 2009-10 and 2013-14 in its areas, but the number increased to 730 in the last five years since the AAP government has been formed. The report comes a few days after Kejriwal announced that people consuming up to 200 units of electricity in Delhi would not need to pay their power bills. Also Read – Two brothers held for snatchings”Transformation of Delhi’s power sector is best captured in the reduction of regulatory assets (of discoms) despite constant or reducing tariff rates for five continuous years. “The Regulatory Assets (RAs) have reversed their trend in the last 5 years and instead declined from Rs 11,406 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 8,377 crore in 2018-19,” it stated. It also said Delhi is the first example of a city that has been “people friendly” without sacrificing on performance (24×7 electricity) and financial health of power distribution companies (discoms). Making the announcement last week, Kejriwal had said the Delhi government would give full subsidy to those consuming up to 200 units of electricity. Those consuming 201 to 400 units of electricity would continue to get 50 per cent power subsidy from the government, he had added. read more
Noida: Seven bouncers at Kalindi Kunj MCD toll plaza at Delhi-UP border were arrested by police for allegedly beating to death a truck driver after he denied to pay an over charged toll tax. Cops said that the toll attendants were illegally demanding ten times more than the toll receipt.According to police, the arrested accused have been identified as Manroop, Dharampal, Amit Kumar, Chetan Prakash, Sarajuddin, Manoj, all natives of District Seekar and Churu in Rajasthan and Krishna Kumar from Haryana. Also Read – After eight years, businessman arrested for kidnap & murder”All the seven arrested accused worked as toll attendants/bouncers at Kalindi Kunj toll plaza which was being run by a Maharashtra based company- MEP (Maharashtra Entry Point),” said police officials. Vaibhav Krishna, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Gautam Buddh Nagar said that the toll attendants were trying to extort a 10 times more toll tax from the victim. “The incident came to light on August 10 when the truck driver, identified as Vimal Kumar Tiwari, was driving a loaded truck from Noida’s sector 59 area to Delhi. Vimal somehow didn’t notice the toll and went ahead. He was intercepted by a group of toll attendants ahead of Okhla MCD toll plaza and they tried to extort Rs 14, 600 as toll tax instead of Rs 1, 460 as per receipt,” said Krishna. Also Read – Two brothers held for snatchingsThe officer further said that the accused persons thrashed him badly when he denied to pay money. “When the victim denied to pay money, an altercation broke out between them and they started thrashing him badly with sticks. The accused snatched the truck’s papers from him and kept the truck stationary at toll plaza. They then dumped the body in sector 39 police station area to avoid suspicion. However, the victim was spotted and police took him to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival. A case was registered in this regard and police have booked all these seven persons under IPC sections of extortion and murder,” added Krishna. Police said that the toll manager is absconding after the incident and efforts are being made to nab him as well. Meanwhile, the issue of over-charging and alleged harassment of commuters who use Kalindi Kunj toll has been raised before the officials several times in past too. Drivers have complained about the toll attendants of harassing them on several occasions when they refuse to pay the over charged toll tax. The location of the new toll plaza near the new Yamuna bridge is also a problem as several drivers pass through the toll without noticing. Similar thing happened in this incident when truck driver Vimal drove pass the toll plaza without noticing and was intercepted later by the bouncers. read more
New Delhi: Christian Michel, the alleged middleman arrested in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper scam, moved a court here on Wednesday seeking bail in cases filed by the CBI and the ED.Special Judge Arvind Kumar issued notice to both the agencies and directed them to file their response by August 19, when the court will hear the matter. In his plea, Michel said the investigation regarding him was over and no useful purpose would be served by keeping him in further incarceration. Also Read – Uddhav bats for ‘Sena CM'”The evidence in the present case is primarily and predominantly documentary in nature and is already in their (agencies’) custody/possession or filed before the court. “Furthermore, it is clear that nothing stands to be recovered or discovered at the instance of the accused herein,” the plea said. No particular materials were produced before the court till date to substantiate the allegation levelled against him, Michel said. He further said he would be available to join the probe as and when required. “Applicant will continue to remain available for investigation. It is submitted that there is no scope for any doubt or apprehension with regard to the applicant’s availability in future before this court. “Applicant has made no attempt to suborn the witnesses, tamper with the documentary evidence or, in any other manner, pollute or obstruct the judicial process,” the application said. Also Read – Farooq demands unconditional release of all detainees in J&KMichel, a British national, was taken into custody by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on December 5 last year after his extradition from Dubai, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) took him into custody on December 22 last year. He is currently in judicial custody in both the cases. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the Rs 3,600-crore chopper scam by the two central agencies. Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa are the other two. The agencies had told the court Michel made 24.25 million euros and 1,60,96,245 pounds from the now scrapped AgustaWestland deal. The CBI has alleged that the deal signed in February 2010 to supply VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros caused an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the state exchequer. read more
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Monday greeted Tamilisai Soundararajan over her appointment as Telangana Governor. Purohit greeted Soundararajan over the phone and “expressed his happiness over her appointment,” a Raj Bhavan release said. “He also expressed his best wishes for a period of glorious service to the people of the state of Telangana,” it said. Soundararajan, earlier BJP state unit chief, was on Sunday appointed the Governor of Telangana.
Bangkok: Pope Francis will travel to Thailand and Japan in November for a visit expected to highlight his call for complete nuclear disarmament and honor the small Catholic communities in each country. The Vatican confirmed the Nov. 19-26 trip, and its diplomatic representative in Thailand, Archbishop Paul Tschang In-Nam, announced the Thai stop on Friday. Francis will be in Thailand on Nov. 20-23 before heading to Japan, where government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the pope would meet with the emperor and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Also Read – Saudi Crown Prince ‘snubbed’ Pak PM, recalled jet from USIt will be Francis’ fourth trip to Asia, where he has already visited South Korea, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The last pope to visit Japan was the late Saint Pope John Paul II in 1981. He was also the last pope to visit Thailand, in 1984. During his official visit to Thailand, Francis will preside at religious ceremonies and make pastoral visits to Catholic communities. “When I heard the news about the papal visit, as a Christian, I’m very delighted because it will be a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” said Sister Aranya Kitbunchu, a member of the congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “We will get to meet him as a real person, not through TV. I believe that his visit will bring peace to the people.” read more
HALIFAX – Environment Canada is warning south-facing coastlines of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are going to get a little rough as Hurricane Gert brushes parts of the southern Grand Banks.It says the storm will have no direct effect on land, but waves will pound parts of the provinces’ Atlantic coasts starting Wednesday.It warns “rip currents are likely” and says the public — especially swimmers — should exercise caution as the storm moves into the region.Swells could reach up to two metres along Nova Scotia’s Atlantic coast later on Wednesday into Thursday, while swells of two to four metres are expected along the south-facing coastlines of Newfoundland on Thursday.Environment Canada says “significant wave heights” of three to five metres are likely over the Grand Banks on Thursday.It adds some tropical moisture from Gert could feed into an existing non-tropical weather system over the region later Wednesday or Thursday. read more
REGINA – A Regina police officer has taken to Twitter, asking what it will take to stop impaired driving.Const. Curtis Warnar said a driver pulled over Wednesday morning blew four times the limit while driving children to school.Warnar was so frustrated that he tweeted a message saying that it was one of the few calls that truly bothered him over his nine years in the police service.He ended the tweet with the hashtag “please stop.”Warner also thanked a witness who called in, saying it prevented a potentially fatal situation.The post on the Regina Police Service Facebook page was shared more than 1,300 times in less than 24 hours.“Impaired driving kills, destroys lives and is 100 per cent preventable,” he wrote in the post. “It needs to stop… what is it going to take?”Derek G. Petz, who is 37, is to appear in Regina provincial court on Oct. 17 on charges of impaired driving and exceeding 0.08. He was also charged with having open liquor in vehicle, being a suspended driver and having an unregistered vehicle under the Traffic Safety Act.(CJME) read more
TORONTO – The $17 million jackpot in Saturday night’s Lotto 649 draw went to a ticket holder in Ontario.There were also five guaranteed prizes of $1 million each up for grabs.Two were claimed by tickets sold in Ontario, two in the Prairies and one in British Columbia.The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Dec. 27 will be approximately $5 million.
TORONTO – Unifor says workers at a third Toronto hotel are joining the labour group after voting by a margin of 90 per cent to leave an American-based union.The vote by workers at the Toronto Westin Prince hotel follows similar votes this week at two downtown Toronto hotels, the Courtyard Marriott and the Marriott Yorkville.Workers at several other Greater Toronto hotels will vote on whether to join Unifor for remain with U.S.-based unions over the next two weeks.Unifor says the American parent union of UNITE HERE Local 75 had placed the local into trusteeship this month in a dispute over the right of the local to set its own course, including in bargaining.It also removed elected officers and seized the local’s assets, according to Unifor.Workers at the Westin Prince hotel will become members of the newly formed Unifor Local 7575.“It is truly inspiring to see so many workers in Canada taking a strong stand against the bullying and intimidation tactics we see all too often from American unions,” said Unifor president Jerry Dias in a statement.“The workers are sending a strong message to U.S. unions that workers in Canada will not accept that kind of treatment any longer.” read more
OTTAWA – An Ottawa woman who caught fire in a friend’s backyard says there should be more safety regulations in place for backyard fire products.Hana Engel was left with second- and third-degree burns to 35 per cent of her body after an accident on May 9 that involved an outdoor fire pit table.Her entire body went up in flames that night in NHL player Cody Ceci’s backyard.Jagged and painful scars cover her arms, legs and torso. Multiple surgeries and more than 15 skin grafts helped her survive, but she said her life has permanently changed.She wakes up most mornings unable to move because of stiffness and pain.Two months after her accident, the 24-year-old said more safety rules should be implemented.“I’d like to see a requirement, if you have a fire pit … or a bonfire, to have a fire blanket nearby or water so you have tools to save the person properly, instead of panicking,” she said.The night of Engel’s ordeal started off mundane enough. It was a Wednesday in the spring, and she and her boyfriend, former OHL player Jake Cardwell, 26, went to eat dinner with Ceci and his girlfriend and another couple in Ceci’s backyard.Engel recalls much of what happened leading up to the accident. The couples were sitting around an outdoor fire pit table. But when it started to die out, Engel said one of the others fetched a bottle of fuel and poured some on the fire. But the flames ran up the flow of fuel and set the bottle on fire, and it was then thrown on Engel — who immediately burst into flames.“It was actually crazy, it happened so fast,” she said. The “stop, drop and roll” mantra that she learned in kindergarten came back into her mind, and she ran onto a grass portion of the backyard to do that.Cardwell screamed, Engel said, and jumped on top of her to help smother the flames, as they weren’t receding. He used his dog’s water bowl, that was connected to a jug, to douse Engel.Engel said she thought she was going to die as her body kept burning. She told Cardwell that she loved him, and asked him to tell her family the same.“I laid on the ground, I was mainly in shock. I was going in and out of consciousness,” she said.An ambulance eventually arrived and took Engel to the Ottawa Hospital, where she was put into a medically induced coma for three weeks. During that time, three surgeries were performed including skin grafts on her entire chest, arms and legs.“I’m lucky that my neck and face were saved,” she said, adding that both are still burnt.In the time since her accident, Engel has been surrounded by her family and Cardwell. She’s been released from the Ross Tilley Burn Centre in Toronto and now lives at home in Ottawa.She has to stay mostly indoors to avoid the sun, she said. Cardwell has been keeping her company during his off-season, and is looking for a new contract nearby.“He’s taking care of me and we’re both taking care of each other, and trying to be strong for each other,” she said, adding that Cardwell tells her he loves her and that she’s beautiful, but the scars are a reminder of what happened.Although doctors don’t have a strict timeline for her recovery, Engel said she is starting to feel like herself again. She runs a yoga studio in Ottawa, but is unsure if she can return to work.If you’re near a fire pit this summer, Engel said she’d remind people not to play with fuel and know how to safely operate your pit.Ceci provided a statement to The Canadian Press via his agent, J.P. Barry, expressing his sorrow over the accident concern about Engel’s well-being.“I am deeply sorry that this unfortunate accident took place,” Ceci said in the statement.Marion Kuiper-Lampman, president of the Niagara District Volunteer Firefighters Association, said you should never pour any kind of fuel on outdoor fire products, and you should always follow the label instructions.Stop, drop and roll is the best action to take if you are on fire, Kuiper-Lampman said. She also advised keeping a bucket of water nearby if you have a backyard fire, but not to jump into a chlorinated pool as that could sting. read more
HALIFAX – A lawyer for a Halifax man who strangled an off-duty police officer argues that his mental illness — brought on by the murder — should be a mitigating factor in deciding his parole eligibility.Christopher Garnier, 30, was convicted in December of second-degree murder and interfering with a dead body in the 2015 death of 36-year-old Catherine Campbell.The jury found that Garnier strangled Campbell, a Truro police officer, and used a compost bin to dump her body near a harbour bridge on Sept. 11, 2015, after the pair met at a Halifax bar.The murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence, but a hearing to determine when Garnier will be able to apply for parole is scheduled for Monday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.In submissions filed with the court, defence lawyer Joel Pink said his client was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder by a psychiatrist hired by the defence, Dr. Stephen Hucker, and by the psychologist who is currently treating him.The event that brought on the PTSD: the murder itself.Hucker, who testified at the trial, said in a report that Garnier suffered from acute stress disorder immediately following Campbell’s death, Pink noted.Garnier repeatedly told the jury he does not remember using a large green compost bin to dispose of the woman’s body near the bridge, where it stayed undetected for nearly five days.“The testimony of Dr. Hucker clearly indicates that there is a strong link between Mr. Garnier’s illness and his interference with human remains; therefore, it should be considered a mitigating factor in his sentencing (on that charge),” Pink said in his submissions to Justice Joshua Arnold.“Courts have consistently held that a sentencing court’s application to the principles of sentencing will be influenced by the presence of a mental illness. In such circumstances, the primary concern in sentencing shifts to treatment as the best means of ensuring the protection of the public and that the offending conduct is not repeated.”Parole eligibility for second-degree murder must be set between 10 and 25 years.Pink argues Garnier should serve 10 years behind bars — 10 years for the second-degree murder charge and two years for interfering with a dead body, with the sentences to be served concurrently.He said Garnier should be on the lower end of that spectrum because he has been described as a “kind, caring person” who has shown remorse for the killing, which Garnier has argued happened accidentally during rough sex. The lawyer also included 31 letters of support from friends and family.Garnier’s parole eligibility hearing was previously set for May, but it was adjourned in part to allow Hucker — who is based in Toronto — to testify.Meanwhile, the Crown is arguing Garnier should serve 16 years before he’s able to apply for parole, calling him “calculating,” “manipulative” and “dangerous.”“Mr. Garnier not only murdered Ms. Campbell, he interfered with Ms. Campbell’s remains. He demonstrated a callous disregard for Ms. Campbell, and made an attempt to cover his crime,” Crown lawyers Christine Driscoll and Carla Ball argued in their submissions to Arnold.“The message should be sent that Mr. Garnier should forever be remembered as the person who stole Ms. Campbell’s future for no reason, and then treated her remains like garbage.”The prosecution also noted that Campbell died in a “gruesome way, in that it would not have been quick and immediate.”“Her nose was broken, the cartilage in her neck was broken. He moved her body and concealed numerous pieces of evidence, some of which was never recovered,” the submissions said.“He should be remembered as someone who tried to cover up his crime. His parole eligibility period should reflect the nature of the offence, his future dangerousness, and deterrence.”The Crown has said as many as 10 victim impact statements have been filed as part of the hearing.Garnier is appealing his conviction in part because he says police interview tactics elicited a false confession.Follow (at)AlyThomson on Twitter. read more
BUFFALO NARROWS, Sask. — Sixty years after two men vanished when their float plane crashed on a northern Saskatchewan lake, RCMP divers have helped bring some closure to their relatives by recovering their remains from deep underneath the lake’s frozen surface.“I can’t say enough about their efforts. They really wanted to see this through,” said Martin Gran, the pilot’s nephew, who waited by a hole in the ice on Peter Pond Lake last week as divers entered the plane’s cabin 18 metres below.“I was happy that I could talk to them and impress upon them how important it was for our family to just see this through. They understood completely.”The wreckage of the Saskatchewan Government Airways crash, which killed pilot Ray Gran and conservation officer Harold Thompson, was located in July by a private search effort launched by the pilot’s daughter and son-in-law.Gran was an experienced pilot in the Second World War and had earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. He and Thompson took off from Buffalo Narrows, Sask., on Aug. 20, 1959. They were heading out to investigate poaching and deliver mail to La Loche, Sask., but were never seen again.Mounties initially said when the wreck was found last summer that a dive would be too dangerous. They later agreed to try in August, but strong winds and powerful waves on the lake hampered the search. The team said they would make another attempt in winter, when the lake was frozen and underwater visibility would hopefully be clearer.Martin Gran, who lives in Sudbury, Ont., got a call two weeks ago that the dive would be happening in a few days, and that the team would allow him to come along and watch from the surface.He arrived in Buffalo Narrows last Monday. On Tuesday, he rode in a snowmobile to a tent on the ice, where the team of more than a dozen people, including divers, support staff and a medic, performed the search.“It was 35 below (on Tuesday),” Gran recalled. “It was one of those mornings where the extension cord you use to plug in your truck feels like it’s going to snap it’s so cold.”RCMP posted daily updates on Facebook, explaining that the ice was around two feet thick and they used a chainsaw to remove rectangular chunks to insert sonar equipment to confirm the wreck’s location.On Tuesday, police said a diver took a line down to the plane to help them find their way back and forth to the hole at the surface. A second dive was then meant to take video of the wreck, but visibility was only about one metre, and initial inspection revealed part of the aircraft appeared to be buried, with pieces of debris and metal that divers needed to manoeuvre around.Wednesday was when the divers got inside the plane, but visibility was close to zero.“At the bottom, you can’t see your hand. You have to use a light close to your chest to see what you picked up,” diver Const. Peter Rhead stated in a Facebook post.“I wish I had more time to see the whole plane, but it was important to gather what we could from the cockpit…. I saw the colours and the markings on the plane; it’s obvious it is the right plane.”Gran said it wasn’t looking like the divers would be able to find any remains, but then they found an “item of interest.” He said he was asked to step away while it was lifted from the hole and transferred to a coroner, who was also waiting at the surface.“It was a very, very emotional moment and was kind of the reason for all of this effort to this point. It was pretty incredible,” Gran said.PHOTOS: RCMP recovery operationOpen Gallery7 itemsPolice said some remains of the two occupants of the aircraft were recovered, as well as personal items such as boots, a pendant, a camera, a knife and a wallet.Ray Gran typically flew with his wife, Marcella, but she wasn’t on the doomed flight because she was six months pregnant and the couple decided it would be best for her to stay home.Their daughter, Linda, and her husband Don Kapusta, launched a search for the plane in 2017 in the hopes of solving the mystery for Marcella.“Unfortunately, she’s not here with us to witness it,” said Kapusta from Toronto, explaining that Marcella died just hours after the sonar crew located the wreckage last July, and never learned of the plane’s discovery.—By Rob Drinkwater in EdmontonThe Canadian Press read more
INNISFAIL, Alta. — The RCMP is looking for kids who have great ideas for names starting with an M.The latest 13 German shepherd puppies born at the Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail, Alta., need names worthy of the next generation of canine officers.Mounties say the names must have no more than nine letters and no more than two syllables.Contestants must live in Canada and be 14 years old or youngerOnly one entry per child will be eligible and the deadline is March 26.Children whose names are selected will each receive a laminated photo of the pup they name, a plush dog named Justice and an RCMP baseball cap.Entries can be made online or in a letter. The winners are to be announced April 30.The Canadian Press
WINNIPEG — Police in Winnipeg say they’re investigating an assault and possible robbery at a cafe that was then vandalized and spray-painted with anti-Semitic graffiti.Const. Rob Carver says it happened Thursday night after closing time at the BerMax Caffe and Bistro, the same business where police are already investigating other incidents of anti-Semitic graffiti stretching back to December.In Thursday’s incident, police say they think the cafe was the target of a robbery, and a woman who worked there was assaulted.Police say the business was severely vandalized and spray-painted with hate-related graffiti.The woman was treated in hospital Thursday night and released.Carver says police aren’t saying if they believe the incident is related to past ones at the business, but that investigators would likely look for links.“We’ve got three incidents of graffiti prior to this, and they would have fallen into the category of what most people would call a hate crime. They were anti-Semitic,” Carver said.“And now we’ve got another instance, on top of everything else, there was as well graffiti that was would fall into the category of hate crime and was anti-Semitic in nature.”Police say they are investigating it as a hate-related crime in conjunction with a commercial robbery.Carver wouldn’t say how many suspects may have been involved or if a weapon was used.He said damage to the business was significant.“My understanding was the entire restaurant was vandalized, including the main area, preparation area, office, all of it,” he said.Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman condemned the incident in a social media post, saying people in the city stand with members of its Jewish community to combat racism and anti-Semitism.“To members of Winnipeg’s Jewish community let me say this… Antisemitism will continue to fester as long as good people stay silent. We will not stay silent,” Bowman wrote on Twitter.The Canadian Press read more
The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Dominic LeBlanc is stepping away temporarily from his duties as intergovernmental and northern affairs minister after being diagnosed with a form of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Finance Minister Bill Morneau will take over LeBlanc’s duties on the intergovernmental and internal trade files for now while Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett will take on issues related to northern affairs.More Coming
OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is disputing claims that a bill to end solitary confinement in Canada’s prisons is merely “linguistic trickery” that maintains the practice under a different name.Goodale says the bill, which would create new “structured intervention units,” is much more than semantics.He says inmates confined to such units would get twice as much time out of their cells and at least two hours of meaningful human contact every day.As well, he says they’d have access to mental health care, rehabilitation programs and other intervention services not available to segregated prisoners now.Goodale says the objective is to limit as much as possible the use of segregation, but there are instances in which it will remain necessary to separate prisoners, for their own safety and that of other inmates and guards.He is responding to criticism from independent Sen. Kim Pate, a former prisoners’ rights advocate, who argues the bill simply rebrands the cruel practice of solitary confinement with a new name.The Canadian Press read more
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government’s relationship with the Metis Nation is a tangible and concrete example of what reconciliation can be.At a meeting known as the Crown-Metis Nation Summit, Trudeau said reconciliation efforts will span generations but said the government has come a long way in working with the Metis Nation on long-standing challenges including housing.Metis National Council president Clement Chartier said reconciliation is a term that some people might use as loosely as any other buzzword.But Chartier says the Metis Nation has “witnessed reconciliation in action” with cabinet ministers who have been dedicated to working together on the path forward.Chartier says that when he first met Trudeau, he tried to impress upon him it was critical to address the challenges facing Indigenous Peoples with respect for the unique needs of Metis, First Nations, and Inuit.He says this approach has shown results and presented Trudeau with the Order of the Metis Nation — the highest award it has for people who have made a significant contribution to the Metis.The Canadian Press read more
HALIFAX — Fire officials in Halifax say investigators have been unable to identify the cause of a fire that killed seven children in their family home in February.In the first significant update since the tragic blaze, Chief Ken Stuebing of Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency said today investigators were able to determine only that the fire started in the main-floor living room near a couch.Stuebing says nothing leads investigators to believe the fire was suspicious, and they have ruled out smoking materials, kitchen activities and electrical faults as possible causes.Ebraheim Barho and his wife Kawthar survived the Feb. 19 fire that destroyed their new rental home in the Halifax suburb of Spryfield, although Ebraheim Barho suffered severe burns.The couple’s seven children, who ranged in age from three months to mid-teens, perished inside the home.The family, originally from the war-torn Syrian city of Raqqa, arrived in Canada as refugees in September 2017.The Canadian Press read more
What better way to celebrate the kick off of Breast Cancer Awareness Month than to be a part of PUMA’s Project Pink celebrity soccer match?Soccer pros and celebs have teamed up to play in a friendly match on Saturday, October 13th outside of LA to not only celebrate Project Pink and Breast Cancer Awarenss Month, but to help announce PUMA’s 2012 winning charity.Celebs including Aimee Teegarden, Josh Bowman and Charlie Bewley and pro athletes including Jay Demerit, Dwayne De Rosario, Julie Foudy and Amy Rodriguez have teamed up to show their support, and you can, too!PUMA will donate 100% of the profits from game tickets to the winning charity, so buying your ticket will help to make a difference! Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here.The event takes place at 2pm at Titan Stadium Cal State Fullerton, 800 North State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92834.Source:Puma.com read more
Today, Homes For Our Troops (HFOT), a nonprofit that provides adapted homes for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans, announced its Veterans Day Celebrity campaign lineup.Homes For Our Troops Veterans Day Celebrity AuctionCher, George Clooney, Ben Stiller and Jake Tapper are among the notable celebrities bringing their star power together to support HFOT’s noble cause. Offered through eBay for Charity, bidding for this special online event will go live on November 4, 2017 and close on November 14, 2017 at eBay.com/homesforourtroops. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Homes For Our Troops.The eBay for Charity campaign will give shoppers the opportunity to bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences, luxury items and autographed memorabilia from various movie stars, musicians, and sports figures, while helping the nonprofit’s mission to build adapted homes for injured Veterans.To amplify the reach of this auction, the celebrity participants are harnessing their influential networks by rallying the support of close friends, including other celebrity and entertainment icons, to arrange an extensive assortment of exclusive auction items for this Veterans Day cause.TV star Ellen DeGeneres has donated a pair of autographed sneakers, and Dallas Mavericks owner and entrepreneur, Mark Cuban, has donated pairs of courtside tickets to future Dallas Mavericks games, along with a photo op at center court. Talk show hosts Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert and Seth Myers have all donated tickets, along with Jimmy Kimmel who also threw in a VIP green room experience, show swag, and a chance to drink tequila with Guillermo before the show. Other coveted donation items include: an autographed cast poster from the Broadway smash, Hamilton, donated by Lin-Manuel Miranda; a pair of pink cowboy boots from Cher; a Game of Thrones poster signed by the cast; and a deluxe golf bag autographed by George Clooney. Additional celebrities contributing to the cause include Paul Rudd, Henry Winkler, Owen Wilson, and Whoopi Goldberg.CNN’s Jake Tapper has been an ardent supporter of the Massachusetts based nonprofit for over three years, raising funds on its behalf through the network’s Presidents Day Quiz Show. In 2016, Tapper partnered with comic strip, “Dilbert,” and acted as guest artist for a series of daily comics. The originals were sold on eBay for Charity and the proceeds benefitted Homes For Our Troops.“We have a tremendous opportunity with this auction to advance our capacity to build homes and rebuild lives,” said Tom Landwermeyer, HFOT President and CEO. “Jake and his celebrity team along with the generous bidders will enable HFOT to get more deserving post 9/11 Veterans into the custom specially adapted homes they need.”“Everyone who has witnessed an injured Veteran receiving the keys to an adapted home from HFOT, has seen the impact these special adaptations make in their daily lives,” says Tapper. “I’m honored to be involved with HFOT’s commitment to further America’s promise to take care of its Veterans, and I’m proud to bring attention to its reputation as one of the most effective Veteran and military charities out there.”“With the Homes For Our Troops eBay for Charity campaign, our eBay community will be able to support our Veterans by helping to raise funds and awareness for this worthy cause,” said Chris Librie, eBay’s Senior Director of Global Impact. “At eBay, we’re committed to connecting our community to the causes and charities they care about, while also being able to shop for new and exciting inventory and experiences. Through this campaign, we’re proud to offer an exciting breadth of items for auction, while also giving 100% of the proceeds to Homes For Our Troops.”For more information about Veterans Day Celebrity Auction, please contact eBay.com/homesforourtroops For more information about HFOT, please visit www.hfotusa.org. read more