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Israel-Hamas hostage deal offers hope for longer-term peace in Gaza: Trudeau

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to reporters before caucus, Wednesday, November 22, 2023 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld TTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a truce-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas might set the groundwork for an eventual end to the fighting. “This is an important bit of progress, but we have to redouble our efforts now to get toward a lasting peace,” Trudeau told reporters Wednesday morning on Parliament Hill. “This humanitarian pause is what Canada and others have been calling for, for weeks now.” He was speaking after Egypt and Qatar, along with the United States, helped mediate ideal between Israel and Hamas, in which 50 hostages of Hamas are to be released in stages over four days, in exchange for what Hamas said would be 150 Palestinians prisoners held by Israel. The Israeli government said it would extend the truce by an additional day for every 10 hostages released, while Hamas is promising that hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid, including fuel, will be allowed to enter Gaza. Global Affairs Canada has said one Canadian is missing, but won’t confirm if that person is being held hostage. The United States said the group of about 240 hostages included American and Canadian citizens in a statement on the weekend. Trudeau added that the deal loomed large during a call with G20 leaders held Wednesday morning, and he hopes it will allow for more Canadians to leave the Gaza Strip. Six weeks of Israeli airstrikes have destroyed large parts of the Palestinian territory. “It is going to allow for hostages to finally be liberated; it’s going to allow for significant amounts of humanitarian aid to get in to the civilians and the innocent people in Gaza who desperately need it,” he said. “It’s going to allow for protecting of civilian life, including hopefully getting even more Canadians and foreign nationals out.” Montreal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said in a post on X, formally known as Twitter, that he was “very pleased that a deal has been reached” during his visit to Israel this week alongside other Canadian MPs. He said he has met with many hostage families in Israel, and he is happy that the deal between Israel and Hamas will lead to the release of 50 hostages and the delivery of significant humanitarian aid to Gaza. On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly expressed hope that a deal would allow all foreign nationals in Gaza to get out of the war zone, saying that still included roughly 200 people connected to Canada. No Canadians were among those on Wednesday’s list of foreign nationals approved to cross into Egypt from Gaza. Joly had said Tuesday that Canada wants “a humanitarian truce, which would lead to a potential ceasefire,” but Trudeau didn’t use the word “ceasefire” in his comments on Wednesday. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs called the deal a relief, but said there must be an “immediate and unconditional” release of all hostages. “Hamas deserves no praise for agreeing to do less than the bare minimum,” the group posted on X. “The Canadian-listed terrorist organization has for weeks been negotiating with innocent Jewish lives, seeking to trade Israeli babies and mothers for Palestinians held on and convicted of terror related offences.” The National Council of Canadian Muslims echoed Trudeau’s comments that a temporary pause should lead to a longer peace, and asked Ottawa to take a leadership role. “Israeli leaders have vowed to keep the war going. Canada now must become a global leader in gathering support among allies and partners for a just peace — an end to violence that works for both Israelis and Palestinians,” the group wrote in a statement. The council wants Canada to convene international leaders to help broker a permanent ceasefire, stop arms exports to Israel if it vows to continue fighting and “take a clear stance on the rhetoric of ethnic cleansing from extremist leaders” in the Israeli government. The group’s requests come after Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared “we are fighting human animals,” and Israel’s intelligence ministry issued a “concept paper” on the possibility of transferring the 2.3 million people living in Gaza to Egypt or other countries. The latest Israel-Hamas war began after Hamas militants killed an estimated 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7. Israel launched a retaliation campaign, including airstrikes and a ground offensive, which the health officials in Gaza say has killed more than 12,700 people. A cease-fire agreement between the Hamas militant group and Israel has been confirmed by both parties, along with Washington and Qatar, which helped broker the deal that would bring a temporary halt to the devastating war that is now in its seventh week. The Israeli government said that under an outline of the deal, Hamas is to free over a four-day period at least 50 of the roughly 240 hostages taken in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and Israel is to release some Palestinian prisoners in exchange. Egyptian state media say the truce will begin Thursday morning. Egypt helped mediate the cease-fire agreement, which would bring the first respite to war-weary Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 11,000 people have been killed, according to health authorities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before the Cabinet voted early Wednesday to back the agreement that the war would continue even if a deal was reached. Some 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the initial incursion by Hamas. JERUSALEM — The Israeli army says it has released an award-winning Palestinian poet it detained in Gaza. Mosab Abu Toha has been contributing pieces to western media since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, painting a dire picture of its toll on civilians through his personal experience. His family announced Monday that Abu Toha had been arrested while evacuating to southern Gaza from his home in the hard-hit Jabaliya refugee camp. Abu Toha last posted to X on Nov. 15, writing: “Alive. Thanks for your prayers.” Diana Buttu, a

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23 criminal charges laid in Ottawa human trafficking ring

Leave a Comment / Canada News, crime /

An Ontario Provincial Police logo is shown during a press conference in Barrie, Ont., Wednesday, April 3, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Ontario Provincial Police has arrested four young adults from Ottawa and laid 23 criminal charges related to human trafficking. Police say the ten-month investigation began in October 2022, where OPP was made aware of a young girl being human trafficked across Ontario and Quebec. Evidence revealed that the victim had been sexually exploited since 2019. The victim is now in a place of safety. The investigation was conducted by the Provincial Human Trafficking Intelligence-led Joint Forces Strategy (IJFS), OPP’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, the Ottawa Police Service, the Kingston Police Service and the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service.  Police believe there could be other victims. Devin Ronald Jessy Huff, 26-years-old from Ottawa, has been charged with:  Possession of a Prohibited Weapon, as per Section 117.01(1);  Sexual Assault, as per Section 271;  Assault, as per Section 266;  Procuring, as per Section 286.3 (1), two counts;  Traffic in Persons, as per Section 279.01;  Material Benefit Resulting from Trafficking in Persons, as per Section 279.02(1);  Material Benefit from Sexual Services, as per Section 286.2(1);  Advertising Sexual Services, as per Section 286.4 C.C;  Possession of a Prohibited device or ammunition, as per Section 92(2); and,  Possession of a Schedule I substance for the Purpose of Trafficking, Section 5(2) CDSA. Huff remains in custody following a bail hearing. Hayl Collis, 22-years-old from Vanier, has been charged with:  Traffic in Persons, as per Section 279.01;  Material Benefit Resulting from Trafficking in Persons, as per Section 279.02(1);  Material Benefit from Sexual Services, as per Section 286.2(1);  Procuring, as per Section 286.3 (1); and,  Advertising Sexual Services, as per Section 286.4. Collis remains in custody following a bail hearing. Alexia Zoe Simard, 26-years-old from Ottawa, has been charged with:  Traffic in Persons, as per Section 279.01;  Procuring, as per Section 286.3(1), and;  Advertising Sexual Services, as per Section 286.4. Simard has been released from custody. She is scheduled to appear on December 12, 2023, at the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa. Haileigh Brooke Devlin, 23-years-old from Ottawa, has been charged with:    Traffic in Persons, as per Section 279.01;  Material Benefit Resulting from Trafficking in Persons, as per Section 279.02(1);  Material Benefit from Sexual Services, as per Section 286.2(1), and;  Procuring, as per Section 286.3 (1). Devlin has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa on Dec. 12. Police are urging anyone with any additional information to contact the OPP non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122 or their local police. The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-833-900-1010. Human trafficking resources are available at canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca Police arrested a fourth person wanted in connection with a human trafficking investigation dubbed Project Chameleon. Earlier this month, police raided an Innisfil property at Yonge Street and the 7th Line on Nov. 1 and said they seized $30,000 worth of drugs and arrested three individuals after receiving a tip that a female was being held for sexual services. Tyrone Aaron DIAS, 38, of Innisfil (L), Jashyna SINGH, 29, of Brampton (C), and Royden REIS, 38, of Barrie (R), face charges in connection with a human trafficking investigation. (Source: South Simcoe Police Services) Police say three female victims were rescued from the Innisfil residence. A second search warrant was carried out in Newmarket. On Monday, police confirmed 37-year-old Burnel Hopkinson surrendered himself to police without incident. Police had issued an arrest warrant for the capture of Hopkinson following the Innisfil raid. He faces charges of human trafficking, material benefit from the trafficking of persons, material benefit from sexual services, advertising sexual services, and sexual assault, and has been held in police custody pending a bail hearing. The allegations against each of the accused have not been tested in court. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtEWmkwLVgU Accused human trafficker Kevin Kielty has taken a guilty plea in a Barrie courtroom on Tuesday, admitting to illegally employing four foreign nationals from Mexico between 2017 and 2019 under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. “Mr. Kielty continues to deny any allegation of mistreatment of those people,” said Carson Hurley, Kielty’s lawyer. Kielty’s plea deal is a victory for the defence, with all criminal charges, including human trafficking, against the former Barrie man and his wife, Patricia Zuniga-Rojas, being stayed. Zuniga-Rojas’ lawyer, Peter Thorning, said she never should have been charged. “And had there been a trial, there’s no doubt she would’ve been acquitted,” he said outside the Barrie courthouse. Kielty, Zuniga-Rojas and her two daughters, Ashley and Patty Camacho Zuniga, initially faced 27 charges each, including the alleged human labour trafficking of 48 Mexican nationals who claimed in 2019 that they were tricked into working for a cleaning company that used them as cheap labour at local resorts and hotels. In 2019, CTV News reported that when Canada Border Services, the OPP and Barrie police announced the bust, some of the workers claimed they were paid $50 a month and lived in terrible conditions in Barrie and Wasaga Beach. Police referred to the workers from Mexico as “modern-day slaves” who were lured to Canada with promises of educational opportunities and good-paying jobs. The four counts Kielty pleaded guilty to on Tuesday carried a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment. He was ordered to serve a conditional sentence of 18 months, which includes house arrest following a joint submission by the Crown and the defence. Kielty pleading guilty to the regulatory charges means his wife and her daughters – who faced the prospect of deportation had Zuniga-Rojas been convicted- can remain in Canada. Charges against Zuniga-Rojas’ daughters were dropped before the trial dates were set. The court heard Kielty ran RTL Services, a cleaning company with an office in Barrie, out of which police said illegal workers were supplied to clean local hotels and resorts in Collingwood and the Blue Mountains. The defence told the court Kielty was very remorseful for his actions. “It’s

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Thousands in Haiti march to demand safety from violent gangs as killings and kidnappings soar

Leave a Comment / social issues, World News /

El Roi Academy students march down on the street after a press conference to demand the freedom of New Hampshire nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter, who have been reported kidnapped, in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) Best CCTV Security Camera in Brampton PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI – Several thousand people — their faces covered to conceal their identities — marched through Haiti’s capital demanding protection from violent gangs who are pillaging neighborhoods in the capital Port-au-Prince and beyond. Haitians’ daily lives have been disrupted by incessant gang violence that has worsened poverty across the country as it awaits a decision from the U.N. Security Council over a potential deployment of an international armed force. The crowd chanted, “We want security!” as it marched for two hours on Monday from the troubled community of Carrefour-Feuilles to Champ de Mars in the downtown area and then to the prime minister’s official residence. The lives of tens of thousands of Haitians have been disrupted by incessant gang violence. Best CCTV Security Camera in Brampton A police officer pats down a motorcyclist at a checkpoint in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) Home CCTV Camera in Brampton A leading human rights group in Haiti warned about an upsurge in killings and kidnappings as the U.N. Security Council met Friday to discuss the country’s worsening violence. In a report issued Thursday, the National Human Rights Defense Network also condemned what it called the government’s inaction. It noted that from May 1 to July 12, at least 75 people were killed and another 40 abducted. Among those killed are an attorney, a schoolboy, two morticians and at least six police officers. Those kidnapped include a female journalist from Radio Vision 2000 who was later released. Her husband, the former president of Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council, was abducted in mid-June and is still being held by gang members. Gangs are also accused of breaking into a hospital in the community of Canaan in the northern part of the capital, Port-au-Prince, stealing medical supplies and abducting at least six security guards. In addition, armed criminals last month set fire to the building that housed the Jamaican consulate in Haiti. The violence recently forced Doctors Without Borders to suspend treatment at one of their hospitals in Port-au-Prince after the group said some 20 armed men burst into an operating room and abducted a patient. Earlier this year, the human rights group said that kidnappings and killings had diminished amid a violent uprising targeting suspected gang members, but noted that gangs have since resumed their attacks. The group urged authorities to disband all armed gangs and restore order and security. Haiti’s National Police is under-funded, under-resourced and largely overpowered by gangs, who have grown more powerful since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and are now estimated to control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince. The department has only some 9,000 active duty officers for a country of more than 11 million people. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has insisted on an international force to help Haiti’s National Police, with one U.N. expert estimating that Haiti needs up to 2,000 additional anti-gang police officers. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry requested the urgent deployment of such a force in October, but the U.N. Security Council so far has opted to impose sanctions on gang members and others. On Friday, it gave the secretary-general 30 days to report back on options to fight Haiti’s gangs, including a possible U.N. peacekeeping force and a non-U.N. multinational force. Cheap CCTV Camera in Brampton A girl carries a sign that reads in Creole, “Free school is broken. Release the nurse,” during a march to demand the freedom of New Hampshire nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter, who have been reported kidnapped, in the Cite Soleil neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) Best CCTV Security Services in Brampton Chants of “freedom” echoed through the streets outside an aid facility in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, on Monday where just days earlier an American nurse and her daughter were kidnapped by armed men. Hundreds of Haitians marched through the gang-ravaged zone, bursting with anger at the abduction, which has become a symbol of the worsening violence plaguing the Caribbean nation. New Hampshire woman Alix Dorsainvil had been working as a community nurse for the religious and humanitarian aid group El Roi Haiti when she and her daughter were taken from its campus on Thursday, the organization said. She is the wife of its founder, Sandro Dorsainvil. Witnesses told the Associated Press that Dorsainvil was working in her organization’s small brick clinic when a group of armed men burst in and seized her. Lormina Louima, a patient waiting for a check-up, said one man pulled out his gun and told her to relax. “When I saw the gun, I was so scared,” Louima said. “I said, ‘I don’t want to see this, let me go.”‘ Other members of the community said the unidentified men asked for US$1 million in ransom, something that’s become standard as Haiti’s gangs turn to slews of kidnappings to line their pockets and bleed the country dry. Hundreds have been kidnapping in Haiti this year alone, figures from the local non-profit Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights show. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, gangs have taken over much of Port-au-Prince, killing, raping and sowing terror in communities already suffering endemic poverty. The same day that Dorsainvil and her daughter were taken, the U.S. State Department issued a “do not travel advisory” for Haiti and ordered non-emergency personnel to leave amid growing security concerns. In its advisory, the State Department said that “kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens.” The violence has stirred anger among Haitians, who say they simply just want to live in peace. Protesters, largely from the area around El Roi Haiti’s campus, which includes a medical clinic, a school and

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Canadian Armed Forces to phase out old housing benefit over three years

Leave a Comment / Canada News, Economy /

The facade of the headquarters of the Department of National Defence is pictured in Ottawa, on April 3, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Best CCTV Security Camera in Brampton OTTAWA – Canada’s military has created a new program to gradually phase out its old housing benefit after hearing feedback from members who were set to lose the payments. The Armed Forces announced plans in March to create a new housing allowance that is based on salary, rather than where a soldier is posted. It was estimated the move would make thousands of people eligible for the new allowance while cutting off thousands of others. The military said that would result in a savings of $30 million a year. In an update to members, the director general of compensation and benefits says an interim program will phase out the old benefit with decreasing payments until July 2026. Brig.-Gen. Virginia Tattersall says eligible members will be enrolled automatically and should get a lump-sum payment to cover the summer months sometime in the fall. The Canadian Armed Forces is rolling out a new housing benefit that a senior commander says will better help troops struggling to find affordable accommodations while saving millions of dollars every year. The Canadian Forces Housing Differential will supplement the incomes of members who have to live and work in areas of the country with high rental costs. That includes Canadian Forces Base Comox on Vancouver Island, where some members were recently told they could contact Habitat for Humanity if they were having trouble finding a place to live. The benefit is set to come into effect on July 1 and will replace an existing allowance called the post living differential, or PLD, that sought to offset the cost of living and working in particularly expensive communities. Unlike that allowance, whose rates have been frozen since 2009, the new housing benefit will be tied to salary to help those who need it most, said Brig.-Gen. Virginia Tattersall, the military’s director general of compensation and benefits. The result is that thousands of members who don’t currently qualify for the PLD allowance will start to receive the housing benefit, while thousands of others will see their PLD cash cut off — at a net savings of about $30 million per year. “This benefit is about us being equitable,” Tattersall said in an interview. “It is truly trying to look after those who need it the most. So hence why it is more the junior ranks that will benefit from this than it is the senior ranks.” She added the aim is to ensure no member is forced to spend more than between 25 per cent and 35 per cent of their monthly salary on rent. An outside company has been hired to assess average rental prices near bases. Online forums catering to military personnel are rife with stories and complaints from Armed Forces members about the lack of affordable housing near military bases where they are required to work. The problem is exacerbated by the cyclical nature of military postings, as troops are routinely forced to relocate from one part of the country to another due to operational demands and career progression. Younger and more junior members face an especially hard time in certain communities such as Comox, Victoria and Halifax, where housing is extremely limited or expensive. There is also a critical shortage of housing on bases, with thousands of military members and their families currently on wait-lists while promises to build new accommodations largely stuck in neutral. To ease the problem, the local base commander at CFB Esquimalt near Victoria has started letting new sailors live in their training quarters for months after their initial training is finished. The focus on housing rather than overall cost-of-living reflects the main cost disparity of living in different parts of the country, Tattersall said, unlike in the past when cost variances were far greater. “Cost of living per se is relatively equal across the country, the one thing that does stand out is that cost of housing, or that affordability of housing,” she said. “And so that’s why we’ve focused the benefit in on that issue, because that more seems to be the real challenge for our members.” Tying the new housing benefit to salary will ensure those who are really struggling get the help they need while cutting down on spending, she added. Armed Forces members living in military housing will also not qualify. The new housing benefit will cost about $150 million per year, compared to $180 million for the PLD allowance. “And so part of finding that sweet spot in terms of something that looked after members was also ensuring that we brought ourselves back within the envelope of funding that had been authorized,” she said. The military estimates that about 28,000 Armed Forces members will qualify for the new housing benefit, which represents about 6,300 more than currently receive the PLD. However, about 7,700 members who have been receiving the existing allowance will be cut off. While the military says most of those already live in military housing or have higher salaries, the move is likely to spark complaints. Best CCTV Camera in Brampton The Royal Canadian Navy’s Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship HMCS Harry DeWolf docks in Victoria after arriving from Vancouver on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Home CCTV Camera in Brampton Canadian taxpayers will foot the bill for repairs to the engines on at least two of the Royal Canadian Navy’s brand-new Arctic patrol vessels because the one-year warranty on those vessels has expired. Defence Department deputy minister Bill Matthews delivered the news during an appearance before the House of Commons public accounts committee on Monday, shortly before the department reported the repairs will end up taking longer than expected. “The warranty on the AOPS (Arctic offshore patrol ships) is one year after in-service,” Matthews said. “You have two vessels that have exceeded that one-year point. So reading the warranty purely, that

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Windsor woman thought her belongings were safe in a gym locker. Then her car was stolen

Leave a Comment / crime, Canada News /

Best CCTV Security Camera in Brampton The GoodLife gym at Tecumseh Mall in Windsor, Ont. A Windsor woman says her gym bag was stolen out of her locked locker, and her car stolen from the parking lot. (Dax Melmer/CBC) Best CCTV Camera in Brampton It was a brazen theft from under her nose: A Windsor woman says her car was missing for days and she’s out thousands of dollars after her bag was stolen from a gym locker this week.  Kelly Rincon said her ordeal started on Saturday, when she went to the GoodLife gym at Tecumseh Mall. She locked her bag into a locker and did her workout. When she returned, her belongings weren’t where she’d left them, the lock having apparently been cut off.  “So I immediately panicked because I said, ‘Oh my God, like, somebody took my bag,’” Rincon said.  Rincon said she immediately went to check on her car to see if it was still in the lot, because her keys were in the bag. It was, and she continued to keep an eye on it as she alerted staff and started calling the police. It was when mall security got there and insisted she speak to them inside that Rincon said she left the car alone. She saw what happened next play out on parking lot surveillance footage after the fact.  “You can clearly see like these people were waiting outside, inside of a black Ford pickup truck,” Rincon said.  “Five minutes later, you see me running outside. They watch me [check on my car] to see if it’s still there. They see me  trying to open the doors.  “When the security guards brought me inside … that’s when you can see them pull up to my car, one of the men get inside the car and drives off with the car.” Rincon said she’s “so frustrated” by the theft.  “It’s honestly one of the [worst] feelings in the world to know that you work so hard for what you have … and then people out there don’t care.” Rincon said she was told her belongings, as well as another woman’s purse, were stolen by a woman who signed up for a day pass. She says staff told her they didn’t take the woman’s identification because she didn’t have it on her. Rincon said she’s been in touch with GoodLife management, who were apologetic even as they told her they’re not liable for any loss or theft — even though she said members are encouraged to use the lockers to prevent tripping hazards on the gym floor.  A spokesperson for GoodLife confirmed that guests must show ID, but couldn’t confirm whether that policy was violated in this case, citing the ongoing police and internal investigations. The fitness chain said, however, that it’s taking steps in response to the theft, including ensuring that staff “are enforcing our secure check-in processes when guests and members enter our clubs.” “GoodLife is taking this criminal behaviour very seriously. It’s upsetting that an individual would target our members in this way,” Kelly Musovic, senior director of experience and safety with the company, said in a statement. Rincon said she is frustrated with police, as she’s been calling constantly trying to get action taken on her case, even now that her car was recovered.  “I’m not getting answers from the cops. Like, I’m not saying they’re not doing their job, but I just think that they don’t think that car theft or any of these things like stealing documents … is high priority.  “I don’t think they understand what this does to us.” Windsor police did not provide comment by deadline. But the service was recently involved in a wide-ranging effort to tackle car thefts in Ontario. Last week, police announced 23 people had been charged — and 279 charges laid — in an auto theft investigation spanning five law enforcement agencies. Cars were destined for illegal sale in five countries.  In Rincon’s case, her vehicle was dumped behind another local gym and has since been recovered by police. She doesn’t have the keys, and said the interior is likely ruined.  And because her permanent resident card was in her wallet, it, too, is gone and a pricey vacation cancelled without recourse.  “It takes up to three months to get a PR card. Unfortunately I needed one for Friday,” Rincon said. “I lost my airline ticket which was $4,000 on top of everything else that I lost.” It’s cost her about $200 in replacement cards, she said, as well as putting blocks on her credit so that the thieves can’t apply for credit in her name. Rincon said she’s afraid for her safety and the possibility of the thieves coming to her home.  “Basically they have my identity with them. So like, they could do anything at this point.” Rincon said years ago her car was stolen and was missing for nearly nine months. As far as she’s aware, the perpetrators weren’t caught in that case.  “It has happened more than once to me and I’m just sick of it,” she said. Accused in thefts involving vehicles later sold abroad also come from London, Toronto area Home CCTV Camera in Brmapton Det.-Insp. Andy Bradford from Ontario Provincial Police speaks to the media at a Project Fairfield news conference Thursday in Windsor. (TJ Dhir/CBC) Cheap CCTV Camera in Brampton Twenty-three people from Ontario face 279 charges after a widespread investigation into a large string of auto thefts related to a “sophisticated crime group.” Windsor police, Ontario Provincial Police and other law enforcement agencies made the announcement in Windsor on Thursday. Investigators say the cases involve 138 stolen vehicles and more than $500,000 in illicit drugs.  Border services, police from London and the Regional Municipality of Peel, and the anti-fraud firm Équité Association were involved in the effort, dubbed Project Fairfield.  Police said the luxury vehicles, newer model pickup trucks, SUVs and other vehicles were stolen from the Windsor area. The culprits modified the vehicle identification numbers, known as “re-vinning,” police said. The vehicles were exported to countries including Kuwait, Lebanon, Colombia and the Congo, and sold through private sales. The investigation saw a breakthrough when police stopped a known “re-vinned” vehicle on Highway

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Ex-Minneapolis officer sentenced to nearly 5 years for role in George Floyd’s death

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Best CCTV Security Camera in Brampton Former officer Tou Thao listens as prosecutor Erin Eldridge speaks during his sentencing hearing in Hennepin County District Court on Monday in Minneapolis. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune/The Associated Press) Best CCTV Camera in Brampton Tou Thao, the last former Minneapolis police officer convicted in state court for his role in the killing of George Floyd, was sentenced Monday to four years and nine months — even as he denied wrongdoing. Thao had testified he merely served as a “human traffic cone” when he held back concerned bystanders who gathered as former officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine-and-a-half minutes while the Black man pleaded for his life on May 25, 2020. A bystander video captured Floyd’s fading cries of “I can’t breathe.” At the sentencing hearing, Thao spoke at length about his growth as a Christian during his 340 days behind bars. He said he was “distressed” by Floyd’s death but denied any role in it. “I did not commit these crimes,” Thao said. “My conscience is clear. I will not be a Judas nor join a mob in self-preservation or betray my God.” Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill responded that he was hoping “for more than preaching” from Thao. “After three years of reflection, I was hoping for a little more remorse,” the judge said. Thao’s lawyer, Robert Paule, said afterward that they will appeal. He declined further comment. Home CCTV Camera in Brmapton Tou Thao, who was a nine-year veteran of the Minneapolis police force, leaves the courtroom after his sentencing hearing on Monday in the death of George Floyd in May 2020. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune/The Associated Press ) Cheap CCTV Camera in Brampton Assistant Attorney General Erin Eldridge said during the hearing that Floyd’s final words “reverberated across the globe.” Floyd, she said, “narrated his own death over the course of a restraint that lasted more than nine long minutes until he lost consciousness, stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating.” Thao, she said, “stood by and allowed it to happen” and stopped others from moving in to help the dying man. “He knew better, and he was trained to do better,” Eldridge said. Floyd’s killing touched off protests worldwide and forced a national reckoning of police brutality and racism. Cahill found Thao guilty in May of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. In his 177-page ruling, Cahill said Thao’s actions separated Chauvin and two other former officers from the crowd, including an emergency medical technician, allowing his colleagues to continue restraining Floyd and preventing bystanders from providing medical aid. “There is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Thao’s actions were objectively unreasonable from the perspective of a reasonable police officer, when viewed under the totality of the circumstances,” Cahill wrote. He concluded: “Thao’s actions were even more unreasonable in light of the fact that he was under a duty to intervene to stop the other officers’ excessive use of force and was trained to render medical aid.” Thao had rejected a plea bargain on the state charge, saying “it would be lying” to plead guilty when he didn’t think he was in the wrong. He instead agreed to let Cahill decide the case based on evidence from Chauvin’s 2021 murder trial and the federal civil rights trial in 2022 of Thao and former officers Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng. That trial in federal court ended in convictions for all three. Chauvin pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges instead of going to trial a second time, while Lane and Kueng pleaded guilty to state charges of aiding and abetting manslaughter. The sentence Cahill handed down Monday will run concurrently with Thao’s three-and-a-half-year sentence on his separate conviction on a federal civil rights charge, which an appeals court upheld on Friday. His state sentence was more than the four years recommended under Minnesota state guidelines. The sentence will be served at federal prison with credit for time served before Thao is transferred to a Minnesota prison to serve out the remainder. Lane and Kueng received three and three-and-a-half-year state sentences respectively, which they are serving concurrently with their federal sentences of 2 1/2 years and 3 years. Thao is Hmong American, while Kueng is Black and Lane is white. Minnesota inmates generally serve two-thirds of their sentences in prison and one-third on parole. There is no parole in the federal system but inmates can shave time off their sentences with good behavior. Best CCTV Security Services in Brampton Former Minnesota police officer J. Alexander Kueng is seen in a booking photograph at Hennepin County Jail in Minneapolis, Minn., on June 3, 2020. Kueng, who is already serving a federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison on a state charge of aiding second-degree manslaughter. (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office/Reuters) Best CCTV Camera in Brampton J. Alexander Kueng sentenced on state charge of aiding 2nd-degree manslaughter The former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s back while another officer kneeled on the Black man’s neck was sentenced Friday to three-and-a-half years in prison. J. Alexander Kueng pleaded guilty in October to a state count of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. In exchange, a charge of aiding and abetting murder was dropped. Kueng is already serving a federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights, and the state and federal sentence will be served at the same time. Kueng appeared at his sentencing hearing via video from a federal prison in Ohio. When given the chance to address the court, he declined. Floyd’s family members had the right to make victim impact statements, but none did.  Attorney Ben Crump, who has represented the family, said in a statement before the hearing that Kueng’s sentencing “delivers yet another piece of justice for the Floyd family.” “While the family faces yet another holiday season without George, we hope that moments like these continue to bring them a measure of peace, knowing that George’s death was not in vain,” he said. Floyd died on May

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