New Delhi: From shrinking occupancy to losing loyal customers, budget hotels in north Delhi’s Karol Bagh have been severely hit after the new safety norms kicked in banning kitchens on the premises, the hotel managers say. Officially designated as guest houses, a number of these economy hotels in the vicinity of the famous Karol Bagh Market were shut after a massive fire in February at the the five-storeyed Hotel Arpit Palace in the area killed 17 people. Also Read – Cylinder blast kills mother and daughter in Karawal NagarFor Swati Hotel, which is adjacent to Hotel Arpit Palace on Gurudwara Road, it’s not business as usual. “We reopened about two months ago. But kitchen is not allowed on hotel premises. So our guests, who are used to order food through room service, are now looking out for restaurants. This has really affected our business,” said an employee on the condition of anonymity. Pointing to a nearby restaurant, he said, “Most of our guests dine there now, it’s a big loss for us.” Also Read – Two persons arrested for killing manager of Muthoot FinanceMadhurendra Singh, the manager of Royal Holidays, a four-storeyed hotel on a narrow lane between Ajmal Khan Road and Gurudwara Road, said he has lost his loyal customers because of the “kitchen factor”. “Our customers would prefer to order food through room service as it helped them get a consolidated bill. Because of the inconvenience, they are choosing to stay at other places, so our occupancy rate has dropped,” Singh told PTI. The manager at Hotel Intercity, opposite Royal Holidays, has a similar story. “Of course, we are losing loyal customers. People have read about kitchen closure in newspapers and are not coming to Karol Bagh for budget hotel stay. We can’t even keep catering utensils,” he said. “While our hotel was shut, we suffered a huge loss. The kitchen staff and waiters had to be laid off,” he said. Hotel Intercity reopened about a month and a half ago, after complying with all safety requirements mentioned by the fire department, including provision of battery-operated emergency lighting in case of power outage during a fire incident, the manager added. read more

Mumbai: Authorities at the Arthur Road jail here have kept ‘barrack no. 12’ ready if fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi is extradited from the UK in connection with the USD 2 billion PNB fraud and money laundering case, a Home department official said on Tuesday.The prisons department last week shared information with the state Home department about the status of the Arthur Road prison and facilities that can be provided there, in case Modi is to be lodged in the barrack, he said. Also Read – Pak activated 20 terror camps & 20 launch pads along LoCThe Centre recently asked the state government about the same, he said. Modi was arrested by Scotland Yard officers in London on March 19 and faces extradition to India as the “principal beneficiary” of the fraudulent issuance of letters of undertaking (LoUs) as part of a conspiracy to defraud the Punjab National Bank (PNB) and then laundering the money. UK’s Westminster Magistrate’s Court last month denied bail to Modi, who has been behind bars at one of England’s most overcrowded prisons, Her Majesty’s Prison Wandsworth. Also Read – Two squadrons which participated in Balakot airstrike awarded citationsThe state government recently submitted a letter of assurance to the Centre about the facilities which it can provide in the prison, he said. It had last year furnished a similar letter of assurance to the Centre in connection with the extradition of liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is in the UK and is wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore. As per the letter, if extradited, Modi will be kept in one of two rooms in barrack no. 12 of the Arthur Road prison, the official said. As of now, three prisoners are lodged in one room while the other one is vacant, he said, adding that if extradited, Modi and Mallya will be lodged in the same room, having an area of 20 ft by 15 ft and equipped with three fans, six tube lights and two windows. The prison department also assured that Modi will be kept in a cell where the number of other detainees is not more than three, the official said. “If lodged in the barrack, Modi is likely to get three square metre personal space, as per European norms, per person lodged in correction centres, and he will be provided a cotton mat, pillow, bed-sheet and blanket,” he said. He will be permitted out of his cell for exercise and recreation for a reasonable amount of time, which will not more than an hour a day, the official said. read more

Kolkata: Mohammad Sabir, son of Mohammad Sahid following whose death some persons assaulted the junior doctors of Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital on Monday and which later snowballed into the total collapse of medical services in Bengal, alleged that the doctors on duty did not attend to his father on time.Sabir alleged that his father had become weak after observing the month-long Roja. As his condition deteriorated, his sons took him to NRS Medical College and Hospital, where he was admitted on Saturday. Also Read – City bids adieu to Goddess DurgaOn Monday his health condition deteriorated but none of the doctors came to attend to him, alleged Sabir. He said finding no other option, his friend Mohammad Kalim went to call a doctor who in turn sent him to meet the senior doctors. However, the senior doctors who were sitting in an air-conditioned room, did not listen to him. Kalim subsequently brought a junior doctor. The doctor examined his father but did not talk to them. Md Sahid eventually died at around 5.20 pm. Also Read – Centuries-old Durga Pujas continue to be hit among revellersFollowing his death, the doctors allegedly refused to issue the death certificate as well. Finally, they agreed to give it in on condition that the youths who had gone to them should tender an unconditional apology for talking to them inappropriately. Some senior police officers of Entally police station went to the doctors and tried to convince them. But their request was turned down. This infuriated the youths who were present there, who subsequently hurled stones and beat up the doctors. However, Sabir said following the incident, they were feeling scared. read more

New Delhi: Ahead of the Budget, representatives of tech sector and industry bodies like Nasscom, IAMAI and MAIT met Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur Saturday to discuss various issues, including tax structure, and share their views on strengthening digital economy. The pre-Budget consultation meeting also focussed on data issues such as use of Big Data technology in improving the forecasting of economic, financial, climatic etc phenomena by analysing large data sets, for providing a fillip to the SME sector and for public governance, as per an official statement. Also Read – Maruti cuts production for 8th straight month in SepOther issues, which dominated the discussion, included digital infrastructure and role of government, regulation of digital economy especially in privacy, consumer protection and financial regulation and software as service among others, the statement said. The meeting was also attended by officials from the Finance Ministry, Electronics & IT Ministry, Department of Telecommunications, CBDT and others. “The representatives of digital economy and start-ups shared their views and suggestions regarding Big Data, data mining, building of digital infrastructure as the big challenge before Indian economy besides scaling-up and incentivising Research & Development (R&D) within India. While the experts discussed the issues ailing their respective fields, they also suggested a variety of solutions to the sector specific problems,” the statement said. Also Read – Ensure strict implementation on ban of import of e-cigarettes: revenue to CustomsDevelopment of startups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) ecosystem in the country also featured in various suggestions, it added. The representatives gave suggestions related to angel tax, differential tax structure for assembled and manufactured goods, industry-friendly review of spectrum auction norms, reduction of dependence on international software service, continuation of existing tax benefits to digital companies, reduction in Corporate Tax, among others. “We urged the government to deal with the angel tax issue urgently. In February, the government had considered Section 56 (2) of the Income Tax but notices have been served under Section 68,” Internet and Mobile Association of India President Subho Ray said. He added that the association also pointed out that a CBDT paper has proposed that for foreign digital companies, their user base also be used as a factor with high weightage among parameters like assets and revenue for profit attribution. “This, we believe, is not only unfair to foreign digital companies operating in India but fear that the same parameter could be extended to domestic players as well. In a country like India that is rapidly adopting digital platforms, such a move would be a slippery slope for growth,” he said. IT body Nasscom has urged the government to continue the tax incentives to units in special economic zones beyond March 2020, saying that such a move will provide industry with certainty and enable them to invest in long-term strategy. The body – which represents an industry that earns over USD 130 billion in foreign exchange – has suggested that the new tax-friendly SEZ policy should retain existing tax benefits and provide concessional rate of 9 per cent Minimum Alternative Tax (MAT). Other participants included representatives from Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association of India (TEMA), Broadband India Forum, Electronic and Computer Software Export Promotion Council, Manufacturers Association for Information Technology (MAIT); ELCINA (Electronic Industries Association of India), and Indian Cellular and Electronics Association. read more

KOLKATA: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday sent a negative RSVP to Wednesday’s all-party meeting, saying a day’s dialogue is not enough to take a call on the agenda. The meet was to discuss Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “One Nation One Election” initiative. Most of the opposition parties have shot down the idea so far. But few so far have turned down the government’s invite for talks.In a letter to Pralhad Joshi, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mamata Banerjee sought a White Paper on the subject, saying the matter requires consultation with experts. Also Read – IAF receives its first Rafale fighter jet from France”A proper response on such a sensitive and serious subject like the “One Country, one election” in such a short time would not do justice to the subject it deserves. The matter requires consultations with constitutional experts, elections experts and above all the party members. “Instead of doing the matter hurriedly, I would request you to kindly circulate a White Paper on the subject to all political parties inviting their views by providing adequate time. If you only do so, we will be able to give concrete suggestions on this important subject,” she wrote. read more

Houston: The US and India are “natural allies” and share common interests and a genuine friendship, America’s envoy to New Delhi Ken Juster has said, underlining that the two countries could face any challenge with the strong people-to-people relations.The US envoy was speaking at the 20th annual gala of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) held here last Saturday to celebrate its accomplishments for facilitating trade between the US and India and to honour outstanding contributions of the Indian community members. Also Read – Cong may promise farm loan waiver in HaryanaJuster highlighted bilateral trade and challenges that India is facing — like managing the rise of China, countering terrorism, promoting economic growth and modernising its military. He described the relationship as one of natural allies and said the two countries could face any challenge with the strong people-to-people relations shared between the two nations. He said the two countries could face any challenge with the strong people-to-people relations shared between the two nations. Also Read – Modi formed OBC commission which earlier govts didn’t do: ShahDiplomacy, it is said, has no eternal friends, only eternal issues. That may be the case for other countries but in my 20 years of experience, the US and India share common interests and a genuine friendship, Ambassador Juster said. The event was attended by Houston’s business leaders, elected federal and local officials, Consul General of India Anupam Ray and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. As a member of the trade delegation led by Mayor Turner to India in 2018, Chamber President Swapan Dhairyawan highlighted the considerable bilateral trade contacts derived from the visit and the durable friendships and strong economic impact the mission would have in the Mayor’s Office, Greater Houston Partnership, Houston First, NASA, Houston Airport System and Station Houston. Consul General Ray appreciated the friendship between India and the US and said it was not a transactional one but one based on trust. Twenty years from now, India, he said will be known as a rich and powerful country, but should also be known as a kind, gentle and tolerant nation. IACCGH founder and executive director Jagdip Ahluwalia spoke of the chamber’s efforts in helping Houston and India discovering business opportunities. The chamber is also about local job creation, investment in the local economy, connecting small and medium enterprises; professionals and businesses to global corporations, he said. Several prominent Indian community members were awarded for outstanding work in different fields. In a tribute to nurses, who form an integral part of the healthcare system, the Chamber presented the Trailblazers Award for Women in Nursing to Moani Thomas, a nurse who arrived on American shores 50 years ago and paved the way for many others. Indian Nursing Association, president Accamma Kellel accepted the award from Ambassdor Juster on behalf of the organisation. Lifetime achievement award was presented to former Harris county Judge Ed Emmett and Durga Agrawal. Sugar Land Council member Himesh Gandhi was honoured with the Rising Star Award while the Business of the Year Award went to Hilton Americas, Houston. PTI read more

Kolkata: Five days after the death of a class 10 student, another student in a prominent south Kolkata school attempted suicide by slitting her wrist but was saved by the prompt action of school authorities, police said on Wednesday. “We heard about the incident of a school student injuring herself. But there has been no formal complaint as the matter was solved by the school authorities,” a senior Kolkata Police officer said. He said officers of the Gariahat police station spoke to the school authorities in Ballygunge, whose prompt action save the student’s life. Also Read – City bids adieu to Goddess Durga In a stark reminder of last week’s incident, the school girl locked herself in the washroom and slashed her wrist with a blade on Tuesday. “During the last period, students raised an alarm that a girl had injured herself by locking herself in the washroom. I rushed and rescued her. The cut wasn’t very deep, so I washed it with cold water and administered first aid,” the Vice Principal of the school said. Seeing her state of mind, the teachers felt that the student needed her parents’ attention and they should keep a tab on their ward. The injury wasn’t serious, but the girl was in a state of trauma. Also Read – Centuries-old Durga Pujas continue to be hit among revellers “After speaking to some students I found it is a common thing for them to make minor slits on wrists and put WhatsApp status,” the Vice Principal added. The school teachers got more worried after they recovered loose sharpener blades from a class 7 student’s bag on Wednesday. A teenage girl was on June 21 found dead in the washroom of a school in south Kolkata’s Ranikuthi with her wrist slit and a plastic packet tied around her face. A suicide note was also recovered. She was later declared brought dead at a city hospital. “The tendency of deliberate self-harm has increased a lot these days. The expression of sadness is gradually changing and over the past years it has often equated itself with deliberate self-harm,” Sabyasachi Mitra, a city-based psychologist said. read more

Jammu: The BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit on Saturday accused leaders of the NC, PDP and the Congress of deliberately trying to trigger panic among the people as they themselves were frightened, and asserted that the common man has no fear.The party’s state unit president, Ravinder Raina, said every common citizen of the country is safe under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is applying balm on the wounds of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Also Read – Uddhav bats for ‘Sena CM'”Some politicians in the valley are knocking the door of the Governor (Satya Pal Malik) in the dead of night because they are frightened…The governor had also made it clear that those who are corrupt cannot save themselves. Those who have ill intentions, involved in betrayal and looted the money of poor people and filled their coffers are a worried lot,” Raina told reporters after chairing a core group meeting of the BJP here. A delegation of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, J&K Peoples Movement chief Shah Faesal and Peoples Conference leaders Sajjad Lone and Imran Reza Ansari met the Governor Friday night as speculations grew in Kashmir Valley about some possible major decisions regarding the state’s special status. Also Read – Farooq demands unconditional release of all detainees in J&KThe BJP leader, however, asserted that Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution, that give special status to the state, were the main cause for separatism and terrorism. “These provisos are also discriminatory against women and under the garb of these articles, blood of ordinary citizens was suck, Jammu and Kashmir Bank and central funds were looted by a few dynasties,” he claimed. He said political parties such as the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party and the Congress are spreading rumours and creating fear among the people in the valley with vested interest. “The common man has no fear and under the leadership of Modi, every common citizen is safe in the country,” he said. He said Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir a number of times in the past to share the grief of the people of the state. “After A B Vajpayee, he is the only prime minister who is applying balm on the wounds of the people and we should have full faith in him and his government. Every decision this government takes with regard to Jammu and Kashmir will be in the interest of the people of all the three regions of Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir and the country,” he said. read more

London: France football legend Thierry Henry is keen for another chance to prove he can be a successful manager despite his unhappy brief tenure at Ligue 1 side Monaco. The 42-year-old — Arsenal’s record goalscorer — told the Daily Telegraph that although his phone did not ring for four months following his sacking, things have picked up since then and he has received five offers. Henry’s dream return last October to manage Monaco, the club where he established his reputation as a top class striker, turned into a nightmare. Also Read – Puducherry on top after 8-wkt win over ChandigarhHaving been part of Belgium manager Roberto Martinez’s backroom team at the World Cup — where they reached the semi-finals — he lasted just over 100 days after only four league wins. “Call me crazy if you want, but I love football and I believe I can be a successful coach,” he said. “I’m not thinking about the pain, I’m not thinking about failure. I don’t like easy. “I like to lead and it’s on me to make it happen. The same when I joined Arsenal as a player, the same when I went to Belgium with Roberto. Henry, who was a member of the France squads that won both the 1998 World Cup and the Euro 2000 title, said although he has been contacted over jobs, he has yet to find the right fit. read more

Kolkata: A top operative of Bangladesh- based terror outfit Jamat-e-Mujahideen (JMB) was on Monday arrested from Bihar by the special task force (STF) of the Kolkata Police, a senior officer here said. Ejaz Ahmad, a resident of Bengal’s Birbhum district, was apprehended from Gaya in neighbouring Bihar, he said. “He (Ahmad) is the topmost Indian functionary and the main recruiter of the organisation working in this country. He was constantly in touch with the terrorists of the JMB, Bangladesh, all these years. He is wanted in many JMB-related cases,” the senior police officer said. Ahmad has been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Explosive Substances Act, he added. read more

Madrid: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said on Friday that big-money summer signing Eden Hazard has been passed fit and will make his long-awaited La Liga debut against Levante on Saturday. “We all want to see Eden,” said Zidane. “There’s a lot of pressure on him, a lot of expectation. But he is ready and that is the most important thing.” Hazard was expected to make his debut in Vigo in the opening round in mid-August after joining Madrid for an initial 100 million euros from Chelsea in June. Also Read – Puducherry on top after 8-wkt win over ChandigarhBut the Belgian pulled up with a thigh strain at the club’s training base in Valdebebas and had to sit out the first three weeks of the season during which Real struggled, collecting one win and two draws. Zidane, however, called for patience as Hazard finds his feet again. “We have to go gently,” he said. “He (Hazard) was injured for three weeks, he has been back for a week. “We have seven games in 21 days and we will have to go gently. It will be up to me to keep an eye on his minutes and his playing time, because we need him over a long period, for several matches, not for one.” Also Read – Vijender’s next fight on Nov 22, opponent to be announced laterHazard’s return is timely for Madrid who also start their Champions League campaign against Paris Saint-Germain next week, especially as Luka Modric was druled out this week with a groin strain. “The season starts now,” said Zidane. “We have seven games in 21 days and I think that’s what we need, anyway, to play, make matches, compete… that’s what players want.” The Frenchman also shrugged off criticism of the team following their indifferent start to the season. “The comments, everything that is said, that’s not going to change,” he said. “We know what we want to change within (the team), we will do everything to do things well. Enough talk, we have perform on the pitch.” read more

New Delhi: A woman allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a running Metro train on Monday morning. The deceased, identified as Aisa Khan, a resident of Roshanara Garden in Delhi’s Shakti Nagar area. No suicide note was found from the lady’s possession. The incident led to suspension of Metro services between Samaypur Badli and Vishwavidyalaya on Yellow Line and commuters faced inconvenienced during peak morning hours. The body was found on the tracks of the GTB Nagar Metro Station. The Azadpur Metro Police Station received information about the incident at 8:45 am. Khan, committed suicide by jumping in front of an approaching metro at the GTB Nagar Metro Station’s platform number 2, police said. Also Read – After eight years, businessman arrested for kidnap & murderAisa Khan, a resident of Roshanara Garden in Delhi’s Shakti Nagar area, was rushed to Bara Hindu Rao hospital after she was found on the tracks but was declared brought dead, police said, adding Khan reportedly died on the spot. Following this commuters were greatly inconvenienced to reach their work places as Yellow line is one of the busiest lines. Passengers were stranded at various metro stations, including Vishwavidyalaya, GTB Nagar, Adarsh Nagar, Jahangirpuri, Rohini Sector 18 and Samaypur Badli metro station. Also Read – Two brothers held for snatchingsThe DMRC in a tweet said: “Delay in service between Samaypur Badli and Vishwavidyalaya on Yellow Line due to a passenger on track at GTB Nagar. Normal service on all other lines.” The DMRC officials after a few minutes claimed that operations resumed normally on the Yellow line. No suicide note was found from the lady’s possession. However, one mobile number was recovered from her purse. Efforts are on to ascertain further details about the deceased, police said. read more

Chennai: Veteran actor Rajinikanth on Wednesday said the concept of a common langauge in India was “unfortunately” not possible and asserted any attempts of Hindi imposition would be not only resisted by southern states, but even many in the north. The actor’s remarks came in response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent pitch for Hindi as a common language, which drew sharp reactions from various south Indian leaders including DMK President MK Stalin and Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Also Read – India gets first tranche of Swiss bank a/c details The superstar said Hindi should not be imposed, as the concept of a common language was “unfortunately” not possible in the country. “A common language not just for India but any country is good for its unity and progress. Unfortunately, (one cannot) bring a common language in our country. So you cannot impose any language,” he told reporters at the airport here. “Especially, if you impose Hindi, not just Tamil Nadu, no southern state will accept that. Many states in northern parts will also not accept that,” Rajinikanth, who has announced that he will enter politics ahead of the next Assembly polls (2021), said. Also Read – Tourists to be allowed in J&K from Thursday On Saturday, Shah had pitched for a common language for the country and said it is Hindi which is spoken the most and that it can unite the whole nation. The home minister had also said efforts would be made to expand Hindi to different parts of the country and asked everyone to use their native languages as much as possible. “India has many languages and every language has its importance. But it is absolutely necessary that the entire country should have one language that becomes India’s identity globally,” he had said. The remarks had drawn widespread criticism, especially in Tamil Nadu, with the BJP’s ally, the ruling AIADMK saying there will be only “adverse reaction” if Hindi is imposed in the state. The DMK, whose leader MK Stalin had dubbed Shah’s statement as “shocking,” has announced a state-wide stir on Friday against Shah’s Hindi pitch. Incidentally, Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP veteran B S Yediyurappa had asserted Kannada was the principal language in his state and that its importance would never be compromised. While all official languages in the country were equal, Kannada was the principal language in Karnataka and there will be no compromise with its importance, he had said. Rajinikanth’s contemporary and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder-president Kamal Haasan, had warned of a bigger protest in Tamil Nadu than the pro-jallikattu agitation in 2017 against any attempts of Hindi imposition. Tamil Nadu was witness to the famous anti-hindi agitation successfully taken forward by the DMK in the 1960s, against the alleged imposition of the language. To a query on erection of banners, an issue which had hogged limelight following the death of a techie here last week after one such hoarding fell on her, Rajinikanth said he had always advised his fans against such a practice. A 23-year old woman techie riding a two-wheeler had lost balance and fell down after an illegal hoarding put up by an AIADMK functionary crashed on her and she was run over by a water tanker that came behind her. The incident led to a public outrage, with even the Madras High Court frowning on illegal banners. read more

New Delhi: A 47-year-old elephant that had gone missing two months ago and a countrywide alert was issued to trace it has been found, a Delhi forest department official said on Wednesday. The elephant, Laxmi, was traced to Yamuna Khadar area. Its mahout, Saddam, has been arrested, the Delhi Police said. “We had launched a search operation on Tuesday to locate the elephant. Three teams comprising around 12 officials combed the areas along the banks of the Yamuna river and the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border,” the forest department official said. Also Read – After eight years, businessman arrested for kidnap & murder “We requested the police to increase patrolling in the Yamuna Pusta area as we suspected the elephant was being kept somewhere there. The Shakarpur police detained the mahout and the elephant early in the morning and informed us,” he said. The elephant is safe. It was given a bath and breakfast in the morning, he said, adding that the pachyderm will be sent to a rehabilitation centre in Haryana. Forest department officials said Laxmi was being kept in a ground around 100 meters from the office of the Delhi Commissioner of Police (east). Also Read – Two brothers held for snatchings Sources said the elephant was being used for weddings, religious functions and other events all this time. Forest department staff said they would pose as customers while trying to locate the elephant. “The elephant was traced to Yamuna Khadar area and its mahout, Saddam, has been arrested,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Jasmeet Singh said. The owner of the elephant, Yusuf Ali, and his elder son are absconding. Efforts are being made to nab them, he said. Laxmi was brought to Shakarpur police station. However, there was a ruckus outside the police station as the forest department officials tried to seize the elephant. The pachyderm was taken away around 11.30 am on Wednesday, he added. The efforts to trace Laxmi were revived after media reports said the elephant had been seen in the city. Officials of the forest and wildlife department told PTI that the locations combed included Mayur Vihar, Akshardham and Shakarpur, where the elephant was last seen on July 6, when forest department officials had gone to seize it. The elephant, Laxmi, belongs to Ali’s family residing in Shakarpur. Since he could not make proper arrangements for housing, maintenance and upkeep of the pachyderm, the forest department had issued a seizure notice in February this year. Ali then moved the Delhi High Court, which said the forest department can seize the elephant only when “necessary arrangements for its transfer to the new site have been finalised”. Meanwhile, the forest department, which had sought approval from Ban Santoor elephant rehabilitation centre in Haryana to transfer the elephant, received confirmation from the state’s chief wildlife warden on July 1 that Laxmi could be moved there. On July 6, when a forest department team reached the site where the elephant was kept, Ali, his son and their relatives attacked them while the caretaker fled with the pachyderm and disappeared in the forests near Akshardham. In August, the forest department wrote to chief wildlife wardens of all states asking them to alert it if they come to know about the whereabouts of the elephant. The department had also alerted the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau as it suspected that the elephant could have been taken to Nepal. read more

SAINT JOHN, N.B. – A New Brunswick police officer recently caught a ride on a city bus to nab people using their cellphones while driving.Constable Duane Squires of Saint John police says the initiative was modelled after a similar one carried out by York Regional Police in Ontario.He says during his four-hour trip on the bus, he jotted down the make, model and licence plate number of the distracted driver and passed that information along to other officers on the road.Squires says 13 drivers were issued tickets for distracted driving.He says he spotted other distracted drivers too, but police weren’t able to ticket them because of congested traffic, or they lost sight of the vehicles.He says other bus riders were supportive of what he was doing, “and relayed their own stories of distracted drivers.”He says the force plans on continuing the approach. read more

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced the dates for next year’s meeting of G7 leaders in Quebec — June 8-9.Canada will host the summit at a resort in La Malbaie, northeast of Quebec City in the Charlevoix region.The G7 brings together seven of the world’s biggest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.The 2018 event will mark the sixth time Canada has hosted a G7 summit.Past Canadian G7 meetings have been held in Ontario’s Muskoka region in 2010, Alberta’s Kananaskis region in 2002, Halifax in 1995, Toronto in 1988 and the Ottawa and Montebello, Que. regions in 1981.Italy hosted the most-recent G7 summit earlier this year. read more

TORONTO – Prince Harry, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a host of other dignitaries will be on hand for tonight’s opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in Toronto.Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 as a way to inspire and motivate wounded soldiers on their paths to recovery.Harry’s itinerary for the day also includes a visit to Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and a meeting with Trudeau.Later in the evening, he will attend the Games’ opening ceremony at the Air Canada Centre, which will feature performances by Sarah McLachlan, Alessia Cara and the Tenors.At least 550 competitors from 17 countries are slated to compete in 12 sports, including track and field, swimming and, in a first for the Invictus Games, golf.Sporting event tickets cost $25 and both opening and closing ceremony tickets start at $60.Closing ceremony performers include the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams and Kelly Clarkson.The first Invictus Games were held in London, England, in 2014.Dozens of onlookers gathered outside a building in Toronto’s financial district on Friday hoping to catch a glimpse of Harry, but the royal appeared determined to keep the focus on the Games, and didn’t stop to interact with fans who cheered and called out to him.The Games run until Sept. 30. read more

OTTAWA – Bill Morneau made further attempts on Thursday to silence accusations that he’s personally profited from decisions he’s taken as federal finance minister.He announced he’ll donate to charity any gains in the value of his family business’s shares since he was elected two years ago.But that announcement was immediately undercut by news that the federal ethics watchdog is looking into opposition accusations that Morneau was in a conflict of interest when he introduced a pension bill that could benefit Morneau Shepell — his family’s pension management and human resources firm in which the minister still owns some $21 million worth of shares.“Your letter leaves me with concerns in relation to Mr. Morneau’s involvement with Bill C-27,” ethics commissioner Mary Dawson wrote Thursday in response to a complaint lodged last week by NDP ethics critic Nathan Cullen.“Consequently, I will follow up with Mr. Morneau and will inform you of the outcome in due course.”Morneau announced last week that he will sell all of his roughly one million shares in Morneau Shepell and put all his other considerable assets in a blind trust.In a bid to finally spike continuing opposition accusations that his actions as minister could have increased the value of those shares, he went one step further on Thursday. He announced that he will donate to charity the difference in the value of the shares between the date he was elected in 2015 and the day they’re sold.Morneau made the announcement in the House of Commons after meeting with Dawson. He said later that she agreed this additional action was “appropriate.”Morneau said he doesn’t know how much his decision will wind up costing him but it could be as much as $5 million.“Whatever the value is, that’s our decision…. My goal is to make sure that I’m doing the work that I came here for,” he said outside the Commons.“For me, the work that I’m doing right now is the most important work that I will ever do and I want to make sure that Canadians have confidence in that work … Taking these extra steps to give absolute assurance is important.”The announcement did little to quell opposition accusations that Morneau’s failure to divest his Morneau Shepell shares or put them in a blind trust when he first took office two years ago put him in blatant conflict of interest.Cullen quickly labelled the donation “guilt money.”“I think what we saw today was an admission of guilt. From my experience, people don’t generally pay a fine or a fee if they’re innocent of something,” Cullen said.“He’s in a conflict of interest that helped his own personal wealth grow substantially and now he’s saying, ‘I’ve got to put some guilt money together and try to buy my way out of this problem.’”Conservative MP Gerard Deltell similarly said Morneau’s announcement “is just proof, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was in a pure, profitable conflict of interest for the last two years and he only act when he’s trapped in a corner.”Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre pointed out that the donation will entitle Morneau to claim a charitable tax deduction. He suggested Morneau should donate those tax savings to offset the billions he’s added to the federal deficit.Both opposition parties have zeroed in on Bill C-27, legislation aimed at allowing pension administrators to convert direct benefit pension plans into targeted benefit pension plans — a change for which Morneau Shepell had lobbied.Cullen said the value of the company’s shares went up immediately after the bill was tabled and he estimated that Morneau personally gained $2 million in just five days as a result. He acknowledged there was a “big drop” in the value of the shares subsequently.Nevertheless, Cullen said the fact that Morneau was regulating an industry in which for two years he’s had a personal interest “leaves Canadians in doubt” about his ethics.Morneau introduced C-27 just over a year ago and it has sat on the Commons order paper ever since. There has been no debate on the bill and no attempt by the government to move it along. read more

HALIFAX – A tarp, work gloves and rope were among the items found in a car Christopher Garnier was driving when he was arrested in the death of an off-duty police officer, an investigator told a jury Wednesday.Sgt. Kenneth Burton told Garnier’s murder trial he was part of a team that had Garnier, 29, under surveillance in the days after Const. Catherine Campbell went missing.Burton said he followed a white Ford Edge from a home in suburban Clayton Park to central Halifax in the early hours of Sept. 16, 2015, in the area where Campbell’s body was found.The Crown has alleged Garnier punched and strangled the 36-year-old Truro, N.S., police officer inside an apartment and used a green compost bin to dump the body in thick brush on a steep embankment near the Macdonald Bridge.Burton said the car returned to Clayton Park and the driver was stopped by another officer. He says Garnier was placed under arrest and that he saw a green tarp, work gloves, a backpack, yellow rope and tape in the car.Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Joel Pink, the Halifax Regional Police officer told the Nova Scotia Supreme Court jury he did not know what Garnier’s job was, or whether any of the items could have been related to it.Garnier has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and interfering with a dead body.Garnier had met Campbell at a downtown bar on Sept. 11, 2015, and the defence put forth a hypothetical scenario on Tuesday suggesting she died during a consensual sexual encounter after encouraging Garnier to choke her.Also Wednesday, a witness told the jury he saw a man rolling a compost bin towards the wooded area where Campbell’s body was discovered, days after Garnier allegedly killed Campbell.David Yeo said he was having a cigarette on his second-floor balcony, which overlooks Barrington Street near the bridge, just after 5 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2015, when he saw something “very peculiar.”“I saw some strange activities outside,” said Yeo, adding that he left the balcony only for a few minutes to retrieve a coffee.Yeo said he watched a man “struggling” with a compost bin as he pulled it across Barrington towards a tree line.He said he saw the man — who he identified as Garnier — coming back about five minutes later, still dragging the compost bin.“He was throwing it around — cursing and swearing … He wasn’t struggling with it (anymore),” said Yeo.The jury has heard from two other witnesses who testified they saw a man rolling a compost bin down Agricola Street and North Street towards the harbour.RCMP toxicologist Christopher Keddy testified Wednesday that Campbell had alcohol in her system at the time of her death.He agreed that if witnesses have testified Campbell was not showing signs of intoxication, it would be fair to say she “had developed some degree of tolerance to the effects of alcohol.”Nova Scotia chief medical examiner told the jury Tuesday that Campbell died of strangulation, and suffered head injuries including black eyes and a fractured nose. Bowes said her body was found face down and partially decomposed.Follow (at)AlyThomson on Twitter. read more

An Ontario court has thrown out a drunk driving conviction against a South Asian man after finding police failed to get him an interpreter before asking him to take a breathalyzer test.A Superior Court judge says the trial judge erred in allowing the results of the breathalyzer test to be admitted as evidence after finding that police had breached the man’s right to legal counsel.In a recently released decision, Justice David E. Harris says the trial judge was wrong to determine that the breach was mitigated because police thought they had fulfilled their duties.Though the man spoke to a duty counsel three times, Harris says he clearly stated he did not understand and therefore police should have made efforts to rectify the issue rather than immediately making him take the test.The decision says police had noticed the man appeared to be South Asian, had an accent and that English was not his first language, but they believed he spoke it well.The man testified at his trial that his first language is Tamil and while he understands English, he sometimes has difficulties and has to look up words. Court heard he was not asked if he needed an interpreter.“The law has been clear for many years that merely because the police believe they are acting within the law does not end the matter … If this were not true, the conduct of well-meaning but blundering police officers would be given a free pass and would lie beyond the reach of Charter remedies,” Harris wrote.“The fact remains, the appellant said that he did not understand duty counsel. How could the police, hearing this statement, have an honest belief they had satisfied their obligations? The appellant’s complaint remained outstanding and had not been addressed,” he wrote.“However, accepting for the purpose of argument this to be a factual finding owed deference, at the very least it was incumbent on the trial judge to delve into the reasonableness of the police belief. Instead, he accepted the honest belief of the police and looked no further.”The judge also noted that one of the arresting officers admitted that she had knowingly violated her obligations by asking the man how much he had to drink after he expressed a desire to speak to a lawyer, which Harris said “increased the seriousness” of the rights breach.He also found that the trial judge erred in finding that the breach was lessened because police were courteous.“The observation that the police had acted properly before they acted improperly does not significantly mitigate the seriousness of the breach,” he said. read more