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Kolkata: Former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Friday appeared before the CBI officials here in relation to the Saradha Chit Fund scam. He has been summoned multiple times by the Central Bureau of Investigation in recent weeks but failed to appear as he said he was on leave. Kumar, who headed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police department that initially probed the multi-crore scam, reached the central agency’s Kolkata Office at the CGO Complex here at around 10.30 a.m. He is currently posted as the Additional Director General of West Bengal CID.

New Delhi: Ahead of the next month’s Union Budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday interacted with economists and industry experts on current economic situation and took note of their suggestions. In the interactive session organised by Niti Aayog on ‘Economic Policy – The Road Ahead’, over 40 economists and other experts participated. “During the session, participants shared their views, in five distinct groups, on the economic themes of macro economy and employment, agriculture and water resources, exports, education and health,” said a release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. Also Read – IAF receives its first Rafale fighter jet from France The Prime Minister thanked all participants for their suggestions and observations, on various aspects of the economy. The meeting was also attended by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State (independent charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjeet Singh. Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar and senior government officials were also present. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the full Budget for 2019-20 on July 5 in the Lok Sabha. It will be first full Budget of the Modi 2.0 government. read more

New Delhi: A Delhi court has put on trial BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and others in a criminal defamation case filed by Delhi minister Satyendar Jain. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal framed the notice under Section 251 of the CrPC (dealing with issuance of summons in such complaints) against Sirsa and others and fixed the matter for recording of evidence of Jain and his witnesses on July 17. “The accusation under section 251 CrPC has been explained to counsel for accused Manjinder Singh Sirsa as well as to accused Vishnu Prakash Tripathi and Neetendra Srivastava to which they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. Put up for post notice complainant’s evidence on July 17,” the judge said. Also Read – Bangla Sahib Gurudwara bans use of all types of plastic items Sirsa has alleged that he was indulging in circulating huge amounts of illegitimate money within the party, Jain claimed. He has also accused a media house for publishing the alleged “libellous and slanderous statements” made by Sirsa. His counsel had said that these allegations were made in front of the national media but only one newspaper published it which shows they were hand in glove with each other. Jain had filed two criminal defamation complaints against rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra and BJP leader Sirsa for allegedly defaming him by levelling graft charges against him. If convicted, the offence of defamation entails a maximum punishment of two years. Regarding Sirsa, Jain said that, the MLA made libellous statements by levelling corruption allegation against him. He said that making a statement on the basis of “hearsay” without any proof or evidence supporting it, is not only unbecoming of an MLA, but also a crime of defaming a person. read more

Gurugram: Waterlogging in several parts of the city may have left many residents to question the preparedness of the city to deal with heavy rain showers during monsoon. What left the residents impressed was the proactiveness shown by the city cops to not allow the city to stall.According to official sources, there were more than 1,100 traffic cops that were present on the city roads to manage the traffic. Moreover, the Gurugram police also made sure that the communication medium with the residents was also enhanced. Also Read – Bangla Sahib Gurudwara bans use of all types of plastic itemsThrough its helpline numbers and social media, the district police made sure that it informed the commuter of what areas were affected on July 4 rainfall and also gave them alternate routes. Gurugram police commissioner Muhammad Akil has already cancelled the leaves of traffic officials in order to deal with the monsoon rains. The former Gurugram’s commissioner KK Rao strategy to have his constables stationed in the key areas of the city twenty-four hours a day in different is being continued by his successor. The strategy seems to have worked well Also Read – After eight years, businessman arrested for kidnap & murderAccording to Gurugram police, there has been over 20 percent reduction in the cases of snatchings in the city. A large number of stretches that includes the Mahaveer Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Sector-10 are completely dependent on the traffic cops for the smooth flow of traffic. It is however not a completely rosy picture. There have been often been complaints that how most of the Gurugram cops using the pretext of levying fines on traffic violators often the cops harass the commuters. There are also allegations that in many cases, the law enforcement officials tend to go soft on actual violators and target those people which can pay them illegally. “There will be some people who will be against us and that is fine. Yet, the fact remains that no one in the city can complain today that the police is not present in the key locations of the city. Even though we cannot in all parts of the city we have identified the vulnerable spots and increased our presence over there,” said a senior official from Gurugram police. “Challenges galore. There have been occasions when limited resources and hostility by the citizens have taken a toll. We are trying to address the challenges and e will definitely find solutions on some of the difficulties that face our organization,” added the official. read more

Mumbai: Actress Taapsee Pannu who is known for having a jovial relationship with the media has urged them to recommend her name to the people who are making a biopic on the life of Indian women’s cricket team skipper Mithali Raj. Taapsee Pannu was interacting with the media when she met cancer-affected children as a part of fundraising initiative by a radio station on Friday in Mumbai. Actor Taapsee Pannu, who was seen in ‘Badla’ and ‘Game Over’ earlier this year, will be seen in a sports drama based on Indian women’s cricket team skipper Mithali Raj. According to a report of a news website, the actor is all set to play the ace Indian cricketer. Also Read – Hilarie Burton, Jeffery Dean Morgan tie the knot When asked about the development, Taapsee quipped, “If I will get that film then it will be a lot of fun by playing cricket in it. If someone amongst you (media) know makers of that film then, please recommend my name to them because I really wanted to get signed for that film (laughs).” Slated to release this Diwali, Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar starrer ‘Saand Ki Aankh’ is based on octogenarian sharpshooters Chandro Tomar (87) and her sister-in-law Prakashi Tomar (82), who reportedly took up sharpshooting in their 50s, with Chandro being among one of the oldest female sharpshooters in the world. Also Read – ‘Vaastav’ gave me the real sense of being an actor: Sanjay Dutt on film’s 20-year anniversary The film’s teaser, which released yesterday, has been receiving rave reviews, courtesy the incredible real-life story of shooter dadis, and Taapsee and Bhumi’s earnest performances. Talking about audience response to teaser of ‘Saand Ki Aankh’, Taapsee said, “In that film, I am playing one of the challenging roles of my career. I feel making a decision of taking up acting wasn’t as challenging than taking up this role but I have no regrets about it.” Adding further Tapsee said, “In fact, I am very excited and anxious about it and after getting good response to teaser of our film, the level of excitement has gone up among me and Bhumi (Pednekar). Now, I am anxiously waiting for Diwali as it’s the time when our film will be released.” Taapsee also confirmed that she is working with Anubhav Sinha and Anurag Kashyap in their next films with whom she has worked in ‘Mulk’ and ‘Manmarziyaan’ respectively, she said, “Yes.. I am doing a film with Anubhav (Sinha) sir and I am doing a film with Anurag (Kashyap) as well. I will first start shooting of the film with Anubhav sir then, in November – December, I will start shooting for Kashyap’s film.” Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s project on poet-lyricist-author Sahir Ludhianvi and his relationship with Amrita Pritam has been the talk of the town ever since the project was announced. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been on a hunt for his perfect pair of Sahir and Amrita in Bollywood. Recently, reports were rife that SLB has roped in Abhishek Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu for the role of Sahir and Amrita. When asked whether she is part of that film, Taapsee said, “I would love to do this role because I really liked the story but I have not been approached for the role yet.” Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, Taapsee Pannu’s next film ‘Saand Ki Aankh’ will have this year’s Diwali release. read more

New Delhi: E-commerce companies are betting big on small towns to explore the opportunities offered by a large customer base and are expanding their talent pool in these cities to fuel growth, experts say. They expect recruitment to go up by 15 per cent in this space. Small towns are becoming the driving force behind e-commerce growth in the country as online retailers are targeting last mile connectivity and are increasingly focusing on getting the small-town Indian customer to shop online. Also Read – Thermal coal import may surpass 200 MT this fiscalExperts said in order to deal with the rising demands of consumers, e-commerce companies have been setting up warehouses in small towns and have also been expanding their talent base in these towns. The sectors that are expected to grow include logistics, e-wallets, FMCG, and retail as these industries have been focusing on tier II and tier III cities growth and have seen customer base grow faster in comparison to metro cities. “Last year Diwali festive sales showed 40 per cent contribution from tier II and III cities. This is a remarkable change and an indication of the reach of e-commerce. Companies are focusing on warehouse, logistics and last mile connectivity. The job market is growing in these cities and will see a growth of 15 per cent in these cities,” Teamlease Services Head of Digital & IT Mayur Saraswat said. Also Read – Food grain output seen at 140.57 mt in current fiscal on monsoon boostWith competition in metro cities reaching saturation, companies have to look for new markets and hence chasing organic growth in these small towns is a natural option, Saraswat noted. Indeed India Managing Director Sashi Kumar said that as per Indeed data, some of the country’s leading unicorns are seeking talent in tier II and tier III locations. “Haryana sees over 18 per cent of job postings from these companies, as does Uttar Pradesh with 8 per cent of all such job postings. Gujarat (2 per cent) and Rajasthan (2 per cent) also see job postings from these companies,” he said. Some of the job roles that are being posted by these companies include ‘delivery person’, ‘guest service agent’, ‘sales manager’, and ‘field executive’, among others. Kunal Sen, India Managing Director, Korn Ferry RPO and Professional Search noted that “it (hiring in small towns) would be around 30 per cent of the overall hiring share but growing faster than the larger towns”. Experts believe that small cities are future centres of retail growth in the country as there is availability of land at cheaper rates, lower rentals and customers are ready to experiment with new format stores. read more

Amethi: A labourer was lynched to death, while eight others were injured in an attack by a mob, which suspected them of being child lifters. The incident took place in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district on Sunday evening. A video shot by an eyewitness shows a severely injured man, covered in dust, writhing on the ground. A group of people surround him and shout at him. Another video shows four policemen carrying a man away by his hands and legs from a paddy field. Also Read – Uddhav bats for ‘Sena CM’ According to reports, a group of labourers from Pratapgarh had finished their work and stopped by at a liquor shop for some drinks. Outside the shop, they got into an argument with another person, who was drunk. Amethi, Superintendent of Police, Khyati Garg, said: “The labourers thrashed the man till he died. They were trying to shove the body into their vehicle when a villager saw them from a distance and assumed they were kidnapping a child.” Also Read – Farooq demands unconditional release of all detainees in J&K Soon a mob descended on the spot and started beating them up. The injured have been admitted to a hospital and the deceased man’s body has been sent for post-mortem. Child lifting rumours have been leading to mob violence in Uttar Pradesh since the past one month. The police said they have been meeting village heads and making public announcements to guard against the rumours that could escalate into mob killings. At least 12 cases of mob assault on people accused of kidnapping have been reported from Bulandshahr district in the last one month, the police said. In Ghaziabad last week, a video of the woman being thrashed by the mob was circulated on social media. She was taking her grandson for shopping when she was mistaken for a child kidnapper. In Sambhal, a man was lynched when he was taking his nephew to a doctor. His brother was seriously injured in the attack. read more

New Delhi: He might have clinched his second World Cup gold last week but Indian shooter Abhishek Verma says he will have to achieve a “mental stability of a different level” to claim an Olympic medal. The 30-year-old from Haryana, who had secured an Olympic quota place by winning the 10m air pistol gold medal at the Beijing World Cup in April this year, won his second yellow metal in the same event at the Rio World Cup last week. The Indian also bagged a silver with Yashaswini Singh Deswal in mixed 10m air pistol and his performance has fuelled hopes of a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Also Read – Puducherry on top after 8-wkt win over Chandigarh”Shooting is more mental than physical. So for the Olympics, we will need mental confidence and stability of a different level. So I plan to do mental exercises, yoga and meditation as preparation for the Games,” Abhishek told PTI. “I need to work on my overall training technique but the main focus will be on mental calmness. When you are in the final and all are shouting from the back, at that time you can lose focus and that is when you get a 9 or 8, so I need to focus on that.” Also Read – Vijender’s next fight on Nov 22, opponent to be announced laterIn Rio, Abhishek had shot 244.2 in the 10m air pistol final to win gold, beating Turkey’s Ismail Keles (243.1) and teammate Saurabh Chaudhary (221.9). “The feeling has sunk in now. I was well prepared for everything. I have been practicing with my coaches according to my schedule. We had a coaching camp at Rio 15 days ahead of the world cup, so all these adds to the confidence and we all have performed well,” he said. India currently boasts one of the youngest shooting teams in the world and Abhishek said the healthy rivalry at home is helping the Indian shooters. “It is a good opportunity because there is such tough competition at home only. It gives us confidence and exposure,” he said. “From Asian Games, me and Sourabh are room mate in every training camp, every competitions, so we discuss our experiences all the time and it helps improve each other’s performance.” read more

An injured Humboldt Bronco is speaking from his hospital room Wednesday.Ryan Straschnitski, 19, was paralyzed from the chest down in the April crash in Saskatchewan that killed 16 others.Straschnitski, who is from Airdrie, Alberta, was moved to Calgary’s Foothills Hospital last week.

OTTAWA – Satellite imagery proves a much lauded agreement between Canada’s logging industry and environmental groups to protect boreal caribou habitat was a failure, says a U.S. environment group.The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement was signed in 2010 between 19 forestry companies and six environmental groups, including Greenpeace and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.The environmental groups agreed to stop boycotting the forestry companies in exchange for the companies agreeing not to do any logging on about 70 million acres of boreal forest between British Columbia and Newfoundland.The moratorium was to last for three years, during which time negotiations for permanent protection for caribou habitat were to be completed.However, Anthony Swift, director of the Canada program of the Natural Resources Defence Council based in Chicago, said satellite images analysed over the last six months show logging did not stop in at least two areas of Quebec which were supposed to be part of the moratorium.The images indicate significant logging took place both during the three years of the moratorium and in the four years since it ended, which Swift said proves the agreement failed in its stated goal to protect habitat of the endangered woodland caribou.“The moratorium was created as part of an agreement during a time when there was a recognition by all parties that the woodland caribou and the intact boreal forest areas they relied on was under severe threat,” Swift told The Canadian Press on Wednesday. “That’s what led to the agreement. So the fact that we have seen such a further erosion of woodland caribou habitat since then is a cause for alarm.”A spokeswoman for the Forest Products Association of Canada says any logging that occurred in the region was not done by any company that signed the document.The agreement’s goal of a permanent protection plan did not materialize because some parties such as Greenpeace walked away from the table, said Kate Lindsay.She said the Quebec government has stepped in since, including setting a boundary known as the northern limit, beyond which logging is banned.Seventy-five per cent of caribou habitat in Quebec falls north of that boundary, said Lindsay.The forest products association asked Environment Minister Catherine McKenna last week to delay an October deadline for provinces to produce protection plans for each of the 51 woodland caribou ranges in the country.Lindsay said the science linking habitat disturbance from human activities, such as logging or oil and gas development, to caribou loss is incomplete. FPAC believes, for example, the impact of climate change on caribou isn’t known well enough yet and that restricting logging as a way to save the caribou is premature.FPAC also notes for every tree cut down, three are planted and says it is committed to a sustainable future for forests and caribou.The organization represented 18 of the 19 companies which signed the Boreal Forest Agreement.Several environment groups said Wednesday the agreement’s failure is a signal provincial and federal governments must act.Swift said the federal government’s own estimates are that 30 per cent of Canada’s caribou could disappear within the next 15 years, so there is no time for delay.Even if climate change is part of the cause for harm to the caribou, logging operations should still be restricted to protect the habitat as well, he said.-follow @mrabson on Twitter. read more

TORONTO – President Donald Trump’s threat to end protections for those who entered the U.S. illegally as children could spark a new wave of immigration and asylum requests, some analysts warn.If that happens, they say, Canada’s already stressed systems would come under further pressure and potentially intensify a backlash against newcomers.About 1.7 million illegal migrants to the United States — the vast majority of them Mexicans — are either registered or qualify for registration under a five-year-old policy called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA. The program, which Trump wants ended, allows them to obtain work permits and protects them from deportation.If even a fraction of those look north, it would still be a significant number of so-called Dreamers who might try to make Canada home.Guidy Mamann, an immigration lawyer and policy analyst in Toronto, says he has already started getting calls and emails asking if Canada is an option.“Now that there is a real question as to whether or not there is a permanent solution for these DACA kids, many of them are going to start to look towards Canada for both legal and possibly illegal entry,” Mamann said. “I suspect that we’re going to start seeing a real flow at this point because there is so much uncertainty.”Younger Mexicans in the U.S. — those without completed higher education or solid work experience — are unlikely to qualify under Canada’s normal immigrant requirements. As a result, some might opt to claim refugee status, a process likely to take several years to play out, even for those whose claims are rejected.Martha Batiz, an award-winning Mexican-Canadian writer and academic, said Canada would do well to put a system in place to welcome Dreamers, many of whom have grown up in the U.S. and are therefore culturally adapted and speak English as well as Spanish.Otherwise, she said, they might feel desperate enough to create the kind of risky and uncontrolled influx recently seen with Haitian and African migrants.“Canada has to step up,” Batiz said. “It would be better to have some system in place, even if it’s an imperfect system, so that (Dreamers) can apply legally, and Canada can decide who they are going to welcome.”Latest statistics from the Immigration and Refugee Board show a dramatic increase in asylum requests from Mexicans. In 2016, for example, 242 Mexicans applied for refugee status. Almost three times as many — 660 — such claims were recorded in the first seven months of this year alone.Part of the increase stems from Canada’s decision to lift a visa requirement last December, making it easier for Mexicans to come to Canada and claim asylum here. A spokeswoman said the board did not keep data on how many of the claimants had come from the U.S. Nevertheless, roughly six Mexican refugee claims are turned down for each one deemed founded, figures show.Other reported figures indicate a surge in detentions of Mexican nationals by Canadian border agents this year. Canada Border Service Agency said it could not immediately respond to a request for further information.For the moment, at least, Dreamers have some breathing room because Trump has given Congress six months to come up with a plan to deal with them. As a result, Mamann said, the real pressure on Canada is likely to grow as the deadline nears, further straining Canada’s immigration and refugee systems, and the goodwill of Canadians.“If we feel that we are being taken advantage of,” Mamann said, “we’ll shut the door and that will hurt legitimate refugees.”The issue is already a political flashpoint.For example, the Parti Quebecois blamed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tweet welcoming the world’s persecuted people for a torrent of asylum seekers — including thousands of Haitians from the U.S. — into Quebec. PQ Leader Jean-Francois Lisee said last week that many were “victims” of false hope given them by the federal government. On the other hand, Ontario Sen. Ratna Omidvar said this week that Canada should put out the welcome mat for 30,000 Dreamers. read more

CALGARY – The roar of the chainsaw could soon join the calls of the wild in Jasper National Park as Atco Ltd. looks to string power across the town within the UNESCO World Heritage preserve.The Calgary-based power company maintains that a transmission line is the cheapest option for replacing the aging generators that currently power the off-grid town of Jasper. But those opposed to the plan say it will obscure the scenic vistas and threaten wildlife, so more alternatives should be explored.It’s the latest thread in the ongoing tension between the need to meet growing energy demands and local activists’ concerns about the impact of development ranging from pipelines to wind power.“Jasper’s not an average small town. It’s the centre of a world-famous national park, and it’s an important world tourist destination. So, to have these poles going in is really going to look pretty awful,” said Jill Seaton of the Jasper Environmental Association.“We’re going to end up with 483 power poles stretching 47 kilometres across the park. They’re not going to be able to hide all of them. There’s some areas where they’re going to be blatantly obvious.”The utility company conducted “extensive” stakeholder consultations before deciding the power line was the right choice, according to Guillaume Vachon, Atco’s director of engineering and project management.“There was a lot of work to assess if this solution was even feasible,” he said.The plan calls for replacing the roughly 14 megawatts of natural gas and diesel-powered generators that currently operate north of the town with the power line stretching east out of the park to the Alberta grid.Jasper mayor Richard Ireland says the town hasn’t taken a hard position either way on the project, but that his main concern is reliability of power. Parks Canada says it is reviewing the impact assessment filed this summer and so is not yet ready to comment on the proposal.The Alberta Utilities Commission will hold a hearing on the project, which starts Dec. 12.Atco studied alternatives, and found that over a 40-year span, replacing and maintaining the current system in the town area would cost more than $140 million, compared with about $79 million for the power line and plant decommissioning, plus another $28.5 million for Altalink to attach the line to the grid, Vachon said.He added that options on renewables like wind and solar would mean more land disturbance in the park, while the power line plan reduces fossil fuel burning within Jasper.“You would need more land for sure, to disturb new land to put these renewable infrastructures.”Vachon said the company has taken measures to minimize the impact of the project, including doing much of the work in winter to lower disturbances on wildlife and tourism, while the route itself runs along already disturbed land by following Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain route pipeline and roadways.Atco has also kept the planned buffer around the line to 10 metres, smaller than the typical 18-metre path, which it said will limit the amount of vegetation that needs to be cleared to about 30 hectares.But even as Atco works to lessen the project’s impact, some still question whether a power line is the right solution.“Are we seriously going to, in this day and age, run a massive transmission line to supply a tiny load?” said Peter Bubik, who is familiar with the complex world of private utilities though his work as principal at energy storage firm Turning Point Generation.Bubik — noting his own company would have nothing to gain from the process — said the regulator should open the replacement process to a competitive bid, as opposed to the single proposal from Atco that the Alberta Electric System Operator has considered.“Maybe this is an opportunity for Jasper to shine in the world’s eyes,” said Bubik.“I am confident that someone would be able to find a more green, environmentally friendly solution than what Atco is proposing here.” read more

OTTAWA – Young political staffers on Parliament Hill, who are often ambitious and desperate for a foothold in their chosen profession, can be much more vulnerable to the scourge of sexual misconduct than their older, more experienced colleagues and elected counterparts, says Green party Leader Elizabeth May.Indeed, May — who took part in a recent Canadian Press survey of female MPs about their experiences with sexual harassment — is drawing comparisons between the career ladder in political Ottawa and the familiar Hollywood cliche of a “casting couch” mentality.Thirty-eight of Canada’s 89 female MPs took part in the survey, with more than half of respondents — 58 per cent — reporting that they had personally been the target of one or more forms of sexual misconduct while in office, including inappropriate or unwanted remarks, gestures or text messages of a sexual nature.Political staffers often lack job security, making them far less likely to speak up about their experiences — especially when the problem lies with someone who is in a position of authority, said May, who likened their environment at times to the “star culture” of Tinseltown.“There are political equivalents of the casting couch, and if you want to get ahead in certain political parties, you do not want to offend people who are seen to be movers and shakers,” she said.“It is not a normal workplace in that sense. I don’t think the culture is going to change overnight, but I do think it is important to have mechanisms for complaints that allow for confidentiality.”Shifting the culture and fixing the power imbalance on the Hill is going to demand that male MPs speak up when they are made aware of unacceptable behaviour, she added.“If you hear something in your caucus meetings you think is just bad form, tell your male colleagues,” said May, who expressed optimism of change now that the “floodgate” has opened in politics, sport and the entertainment industry.“Politics and power run together, which means power and politics and sex run together, and men in positions of power are going to abuse that,” she said. “To change that culture and to really have men in politics that understand that they’re feminists … that is a big step culturally for politics.”Three MPs who responded to the voluntary survey said they had been victims of sexual assault, while four said they experienced sexual harassment, defined in the survey as insistent and repeated sexual advances. Nearly half of respondents — 47 per cent — were subjected to inappropriate comments on social media.Meanwhile, 63 per cent said they don’t believe the level of harassment in federal politics is any different than any other workplace.May was full of praise for National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier, who told The Canadian Press that she encouraged two young female staffers to file a complaint after noticing their discomfort with someone in a position of authority. The House of Commons has not confirmed receiving the complaint.Lebouthillier, who would not provide further details, told the staffers to add her own name to the complaint; they later told her they would not have done it without her encouragement.“Good for her,” May said.— With files from Joanna Smith and Mylene Crete— Follow @kkirkup, @smithjoanna and @MyleneCrete read more

TORONTO – The Canadian distributor of the EpiPen says there is a shortage of one size of the emergency treatment for people at risk of life-threatening allergic reactions.Pfizer Canada says there is a shortage of the 0.3-milligram form of the EpiPen because of a manufacturing disruption. The 0.15-mg EpiPen Jr product for young children is not affected.The company anticipates the shortfall in supply will be resolved by March 2.It says additional limited inventory will be available at the beginning of February, but will be carefully managed.EpiPens expire on the last day of the month indicated on the product packaging. But Health Canada advises anyone having an anaphylactic reaction to use their expired product and immediately call 911.Pfizer is asking pharmacists to keep the supply interruption in mind when filling prescriptions, as there are currently no alternative auto-injectors available on the Canadian market.“At this time, there is limited supply of auto-injectors at wholesalers, distributors and at pharmacies,” the drug maker said on its website.“While we are working closely with our distributors to avoid long-term supply shortage at the store level, we expect a period of between two and four weeks of no inventory.” read more

EDMONTON – Alberta is suspending portions of its draft plan to protect threatened woodland caribou, saying more research needs to be done and that Ottawa needs to help out.Environment Minister Shannon Phillips told the house Monday the province is acting on concerns about the economic impacts of the protection plan.“The federal Species at Risk Act is an extremely inflexible instrument that has already had negative economic consequences (in Alberta),” said Phillips. “We are going to do our best to make sure that we protect jobs on this.”She said she has sent that message in a letter to her federal counterpart, Catherine McKenna.Phillips is urging the federal government to help Alberta come up with a workable solution rather than have Ottawa impose an environmental protection order.A statement issued by McKenna’s office late Monday said Ottawa is determined to support the protection and recovery of caribou.“Our government is committed to protecting and conserving species at risk by putting in place conservation measures based on science, collaboration and robust recovery strategies,” the email stated. “Boreal caribou is an iconic species and a key indicator of a healthy boreal forest.”The statement added that Ottawa will continue to work with Alberta and others to ensure the conservation of the iconic species.Alberta’s draft plan is in response to an October federal deadline under the Species at Risk Act, and is designed to help threatened woodland caribou recover in 15 different ranges.The province released its draft plan on Dec. 19 and then held a series of town hall meetings.“The public meetings were attended by thousands of Albertans who are concerned about the impact caribou range plans will have on their communities and on the industries that support those communities,” stated Phillips’ letter, which was co-signed by Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd.The federal government has the option of imposing an environmental protection order if a province doesn’t come up with a plan to protect the caribou. The order would halt any development, such as oil drilling, that could harm the animals.The province plans to spend more than $85 million in the next five years to restore caribou habitat by eliminating seismic lines, building birthing pens and bringing in other measures.It has already invested $9.2 million and the estimated cost over the next 40 years is $1 billion.Phillips said the feds need to step up on planning and consultation, and on the money side as well.“Caribou recovery cannot occur without an infusion of federal funds to restore habitat necessary to ensure population growth,” she wrote.“While we need more time and partnership from the federal government on this matter, we also need your support in not prematurely implementing federal protection orders that will not have effective outcomes for Canadians and Albertans.” read more

VILLE-MARIE, Qc – Police say a companion of a 54-year-old man who died while on a hunting trip in northwestern Quebec could be facing charges in the death.Provincial police say the suspect could be charged as of Monday with charges of criminal negligence causing death, careless use of a firearm and discharging a firearm.Police do not have many details about what happened but say they received a call at 1:30 Saturday morning.They met with one of the deceased’s hunting companions and determined that person to be a suspect.Spokeswoman Helene Nepton did not know how many people were on the trip.The death occurred in Bearn, about 650 kilometres northwest of Montreal.

VERNON, B.C. – A pair of robbers used a sport utility vehicle to smash their way into a jewelry store in a mall in Vernon, B.C.Police say mall surveillance video shows the Toyota FJ Cruiser ramming the main mall doors between a coffee shop and a restaurant at around 3 a.m. on Friday.Police say the vehicle drove down the mall until it reached the Peoples Jewellers store and smashed through the doors.Two masked suspects surveyed the store and took what police say was an undetermined amount of jewelry before driving out of the mall.Police say they’re looking for a cream-coloured Toyota that would have significant damage to the front end. (CKIZ)

Five stories in the news for Thursday, Sept. 27___TRUMP LETS LOOSE ON NAFTA, FREELAND, TRUDEAUU.S. President Donald Trump let Canada know how he really feels Wednesday — sharpening his tariff threat, calling out Chrystia Freeland and claiming he denied Justin Trudeau a bilateral meeting, all because of the federal government’s hard bargaining on North American trade. Trump made the comments late Wednesday during a free-wheeling news conference at the end of his two days at the United Nations General Assembly. Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office disputed the president’s statement — insisting for the second time this week that they did not request a meeting and declining further comment.___ONTARIO TO INTRODUCE POT LEGISLATION TODAYThe Ontario government is poised to introduce legislation today governing the licensing and regulation of the province’s private cannabis retail marketplace. The Progressive Conservative government says the bill will make the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario the regulator for the recreational pot marketplace. It will have the power to grant — and potentially revoke — licences as well as enforce provincial rules on cannabis sales. The province said Wednesday that anyone looking to open a pot shop will have to apply for both a retail-operator licence and a retail store authorization for each potential location. Breaching provincial rules on cannabis sales would preclude someone from ever obtaining a licence in the future, it said.___FEDERAL COURT TO HEAR PIPELINE SPY CASEFederal lawyers want closed-door hearings in a high-profile court case about allegations of Canadian Security Intelligence Service spying on anti-pipeline activists. The civil liberties group behind a complaint about the purported CSIS wrongdoing opposes the federal secrecy request, saying it blatantly violates the principle that justice must be seen to be done. The matter is slated to be heard today in an open session of the Federal Court of Canada. The judge’s decision will determine how much the public gets to see and hear in the coming months when the court looks at the central issue: whether Canada’s spy agency overstepped the law in monitoring environmental activists.___HOMELESS CAMPERS TO BE EVICTED NEXT WEEK: MINISTERThe B.C. government says a plan is in place to provide shelter and housing for all homeless campers currently staying at Goldstream Provincial Park, and those who remain past Tuesday will face eviction. In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Housing Minister Selina Robinson says people will transition into housing and shelters in the coming days and B-C Parks will notify the public when the campground is ready to reopen. Robinson says transportation and storage for the campers’ personal belongings are also being co-ordinated for Monday.___TORONTO FIRM LAUNCHES CLASS ACTION AGAINST TICKETMASTERA Toronto-based law firm has launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster, alleging the ticket-selling giant has been taking “double-dip commissions” on the resale market for years. Sotos Class Actions accuses Ticketmaster of allowing professional resellers to buy “massive volumes” of tickets to concerts and other events, then resell them on the secondary market “at significant markups.” None of the allegations contained in the statement of claim have been proven in court and Ticketmaster has not filed a statement of defence. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.___ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:— Privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien will hold a news conference to discuss his annual report, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament.— Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz will give a speech to the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council and Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce.— Romeo Dallaire will testify before the House of Commons committee on national defence about Canada’s contribution to international peacekeeping.— B.C. Finance Minister Carole James and Attorney General David Eby will announce government action to address money laundering in real estate. read more

The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Federal Conservative, Liberal and Green parties all boasted record fundraising hauls as they headed into an election year, but the New Democrats continued to struggle to raise money.According to financial returns filed with Elections Canada, the Conservatives raked in $7.4 million in the last three months of 2018 — the best fourth quarter result the party has ever recorded. That puts their total for last year at $24.3 million, the party’s best ever haul in a non-election year.The governing Liberals were close behind, pulling in $6.4 million in the last three months of 2017 — their best fourth quarter result in a non-election year. Overall last year, the party pulled in $16.6 million.Even the Greens were able to make their own fundraising history. They brought in almost $1.5 million in the last three months of the year for a total annual take of $3.1 million — representing the party’s best fourth quarter ever and best overall non-election year haul.By contrast, the NDP pulled in $1.97 million in the last three months of 2018, its lowest fourth quarter result in eight years. The party took in just under $5.2 million for the entire year, only slightly better than the dismal $4.9 million the NDP raised in 2017, which represented its worst yearly result since 2011.The results are a far cry from 2015, an election year in which the NDP was thought to be a real contender for power. The party raked in $18.6 million that year. read more

VANCOUVER — A group on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside says Indigenous women need to be included in leadership and decision-making positions in governments and other organizations if violence against women is going to stop.It’s one of 35 recommendations made in the Red Women Rising report released by the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.The report is based on interviews with 113 Indigenous women and 15 non-Indigenous women.Co-author Carol Muree Martin says the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which is expected to release its recommends this month, will consider their report.She says she hopes their report — which include personal stories of child apprehensions, lack of access to adequate housing and poverty, and other issues — contributes to an overhaul of existing laws to create a more just society.Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs says the report is “timely,” as it comes the day after former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould, who is Indigenous, was ejected from the Liberal caucus.The Canadian Press read more