Latest news with #GlobalNews
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Indian Origin Man Charged In Canada For Threatening To Kill Brampton Mayor
Ottawa: An Indian origin man was arrested in Canada for allegedly threatening to kill Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown. Kanwarjot Singh Manoria, 29, was taken into custody by Peel Police on Tuesday and charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm to Brown. Threats received via mail against Brown and his family were reported to police in late June, according to investigators. As a precaution, enhanced security measures were provided to ensure their safety while the matter was investigated. Police believe Manoria acted alone and "is no longer an active threat to the mayor, his family or the community." In an interview with CBC News, the lawmaker thanked police for their swift work and said it was a relief that the accused had been arrested. He also informed that the police do not know the motivation behind Manoria's actions, but said he'll carry on with his mayoral work as usual. "It's part of the job, unfortunately, that when you're in public life, sometimes you attract attention that's not the attention you want ot attract," he said. Earlier, Brown had alleged the threatening mail asked him to leave his role as mayor and the city, or he, his wife and his son would be killed. On Wednesday, Manoria was produced before the Brampton court for a bail hearing, which was set at 10,000 Canadian dollars. The Manoria's father paid the sum, requiring the accused to stay with him, according to a report by Global News. The bail terms also forbid the accused from contacting Brown or going within 200 metres of his family. As the accused was leaving the courthouse, he reportedly abused a Global News reporter. When asked for comments, Manoria's lawyer said he wouldn't comment. But as he was getting into his car, he reportedly called the reporter a "dumb b****" and added, "I will stomp on your face."
Global News
3 hours ago
- Global News
Shooting at Yorkdale mall parking lot leaves 1 male dead
Toronto Police say an early Thursday morning shooting at a mall parking lot has left one male victim dead. Police said the shooting happened just after 6 a.m. at a mall near Highway 401 and Dufferin Street. Global News captured images of the scene at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, near the Indigo book store. Officers had found the male victim who had been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy No age or identity of the victim was released. There is no word on suspects. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
Global News
4 hours ago
- Global News
Man accused of threatening Patrick Brown tells reporter he will ‘stamp on your face'
The man charged with uttering death threats to Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown told a Global News crew he would 'stamp on your face' as he left court on Wednesday, after being granted bail. Kanwarjyot Singh Manoria, a 29-year-old Brampton man, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm to Brown, alleged threats which led to police protection for the mayor. Court documents from Manoria's bail hearing said he made threats to Brown by email on or around June 21. The Brampton mayor alleged the threat told him to leave his role and the city, or he would kill Brown, his wife and his son. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'That's obviously harrowing and egregious that they would bring a child into it,' Brown told Global News. Story continues below advertisement Peel Regional Police took the threat seriously, assigning Brown protective officers, giving him a photograph of their suspect and warning him to remain vigilant. 'We have received and are investigating a threat that was made not just against the mayor, but his family as well,' Peel Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said on Tuesday. 'Because of the nature of that threat, we felt it was prudent, out of an abundance of caution, to supplement him with police security until that threat was investigated appropriately.' On Wednesday, he appeared in a Brampton court for a bail hearing, which was set at $10,000. Manoria's father paid the sum, which required his son to stay with him. It also forbade Manoria from contacting Brown or going within 200 metres of the mayor, his wife or his son. As Manoria left the courthouse on Wednesday, Global News tried to speak to the accused. His lawyer said he wouldn't comment as he walked to his vehicle with his family. As he was getting into the car just before 4 p.m., Manoria appeared to retort 'dumb b****' to questions about whether he made threats to Brown, before adding: 'I will stamp on your face.' After Manoria was arrested, Peel Regional Police said they no longer thought there was 'an active threat to the mayor, his family or the community.' Story continues below advertisement — with a file from Global News' Kevin Nielson
Global News
6 hours ago
- Business
- Global News
‘Denied and obfuscated': Ford government forced to release Eglinton LRT, Ontario Line emails
The Ford government has been ordered to release seemingly innocuous emails containing an outdated schedule for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and details of construction work on the Ontario Line, which it has fought for years not to make public. Since the summer of 2023, Global News has been trying to obtain access to emails between former Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster and Premier Doug Ford's chief of staff, Patrick Sackville, using freedom of information laws. The government refused to disclose six months' worth of messages between the pair covering the first half of 2023. It argued that the messages contained economically sensitive information and advice to the government, among other reasons. Releasing them, Ontario claimed, could lead to economic harm, make it harder to enter into new contracts and disincentivize staff from providing frank advice to politicians. Story continues below advertisement A lengthy freedom of information appeal followed. During that process, Global News confirmed Sackville had lost months' worth of texts after resetting his cellphone. Global News also agreed to only pursue a portion of the messages between the two men to speed up the hearings. The appeal ended, after close to two years, with the Information and Privacy Commission ordering the government to release several pages of withheld messages. A spokesperson for the premier's office said decisions on what to release and what not to are made by non-political staff. 'Non-partisan public officials apply exemptions to records as applicable under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,' they wrote in a statement. 'As noted in the decision, the adjudicator did uphold the application of exemptions in this appeal.' The ruling said the government was right to withhold one of seven pages. It was ordered to release the other six. Duff Conacher, the co-founder of the advocacy group Democracy Watch, said he believes that governments use the lengthy appeal process to slow the release of unflattering information. 'Anyone in government knows the freedom of information system can easily be played through the exemptions and loopholes and complaint process to drag out and keep things secret for two, three years — even longer,' he said. Story continues below advertisement Eglinton Crosstown LRT schedule One of the documents the government fought for almost two years to keep secret is a grainy cellphone photograph of an outdated schedule for the completion of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Parts of the schedule are illegible in the image, which Verster emailed to Sackville in the spring of 2023. The schedule, titled 'T- Schedule,' looks to be a draft from June 15, 2023. At the bottom of the schedule, one line is titled 'final occupancy,' which appears to indicate completion of the project. The date listed is Sept. 12, 2023. A spokesperson for Metrolinx said the final occupancy would be a key milestone but does not necessarily indicate a full opening of the line. 'Construction partners set target schedules for their work, however the outcomes of testing and commissioning ultimately decide an opening date,' they said in a statement. Story continues below advertisement The government has recently said it is hoping the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will be open in September 2025. Two years after the date listed in the draft document. View image in full screen A draft schedule for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT from June 2023. 1 In order to block the release of the schedule, Ontario argued that making the image public could harm the economy. The adjudicator who ordered its release disagreed. 'I note that the proposed schedule at page 70 of record 1 is from 2023 and it has been well known for many years that the ECLRT opening is behind schedule,' the adjudicator's decision said. 'I have no evidence that the publicly available information about the delayed opening of the ECLRT has hindered Cabinet Office or Metrolinx in their ability to enter contracts for other transit projects.' James Turk, the director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the long fight to withhold the documents was indicative of the government's approach to sharing information. Story continues below advertisement 'It's fairly consistently a government that is opposed to any reasonable standard of transparency,' he said. 'It often will claim differently, but when you look at its actions — there are untold media requests for information that are obstructed or denied or obfuscated.' Ontario Line sidewalk complications The second document released to Global News through the appeal appears to be a similarly mundane email from Verster to Sackville. The communication is dated April 21, 2023, with the subject line, 'Unforeseen structural stuff at Hudson Bay store.' It was sent by Verster to a number of high-ranking officials, including Sackville, the chief of staff at transportation and Ontario's top civil servant. 'Just to give you a real and practical sense of why these transit projects has (sic) so much unpredictability,' Verster wrote. He attached a series of photographs showing that tunnelling operations for the Ontario Line around Bay and Queen streets in Toronto had encountered issues. Specifically, he raised concerns about a false floor holding up the sidewalk outside the Hudson Bay Store. Story continues below advertisement 'We have paused work to ensure the pavement (see pdf) stays in place and will now find a new way to support the pavement and continue excavation,' he added. An image sent by Phil Verster to explain construction snags with the Ontario Line. 1 Releasing that email — the government and Metrolinx had argued — could also come with economic repercussions. The adjudicator rejected the claim. 'Neither Cabinet Office nor Metrolinx have provided sufficient evidence to show how the actual information in the email in record 2 or the specific details in the attached photographs… could reasonably be expected be injurious to the financial interests of the Government of Ontario or the ability of the Government of Ontario to manage the economy of Ontario,' the adjudicator wrote. Conacher, who reviewed the documents, said they should have been released two years ago, without the need for an appeal. Story continues below advertisement 'I don't see a reason why they would have been redacted because they're just showing information about a delayed construction project and some reasons for the delay,' he said, 'which is information the public has a right to know.'
Global News
7 hours ago
- Global News
‘Middle-class safety is being eroded': Violent break-ins changing Ontario communities
Amar Pathak thought it was her daughter coming home late. But in fact, the sound of the garage door cracking open around 3 a.m. a few years ago wasn't her child — it was a stranger searching for valuables with a flashlight. 'I was so scared just thinking about what if that guy had come into the house? What if the door had been unlocked?' Pathak, an Oakville, Ont., resident, told Global News. 'Now I hear every day someone's home is broken into and gets hurt.' While overall robberies in Ontario are finally on a slight downward trend for the first time in years, violent break-ins and home invasions with weapons are rising — and with them, the call for more security is too. Story continues below advertisement Police forces across Toronto, Peel, Durham and Halton are reporting a spike in residential break-ins involving weapons, often carried out by young offenders. Police officials, security experts, and residents say the increased availability of illegal firearms, a lack of deterrence in the justice system and highly organized criminal groups are all fueling the crisis. According to Toronto police data, the number of residential robberies was up 49.7 per cent in 2024 when compared with the year prior — the highest jump in recent years. When combined, there were more than 900 armed robberies in both years — almost double the numbers seen in 2022 and prior. 'No consequences' Ron Chhinzer, a former Halton police officer and expert in public safety, told Global News violent break-ins, often armed and increasingly organized, are becoming more common. Story continues below advertisement 'There's really no consequence to a lot of these criminals,' Chhinzer said. 'They can break into a home one day, be out on bail, and then be doing the exact same crime that night.' He said the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many of the root causes. Lockdowns, economic stress, and mental health and addiction crises led to a sharp rise in drug demand, which was met by street gangs, many tied to organized crime. During his time as an officer, he noticed how violent organized crime networks started to shift from auto theft to home invasions. 'The hardened guys who used to deal drugs started seeing their buddies stealing cars and making big money,' Chhinzer said. 'And they said, 'Forget this, I'll do what you do. I've already got a gun.'' 'But instead of learning the tech to steal cars, they just said, 'Why bother? I'll kick in a front door, hold everyone at gunpoint, steal the watches, the cash, and the keys.'' In Halton, break and enters rose to 1,061 in 2024 from 655 in 2020. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy A spokesperson from the Toronto police hold-up squad, a team recently made to deal with armed robberies, confirmed that while car theft-linked invasions have declined slightly this year, total home invasions are up 105 per cent year-to-date. Story continues below advertisement 'We've seen these kinds of cycles before, from a rise in bank robberies to spikes in carjackings and home invasions,' they said. 'Offenders often shift focus to what they see as an easier target.' 'A brutal awakening' Mario Zelaya, the founder of Dura Film, a growing home fortification company, says the demand for protective window film is being driven by fear and real violence. Zelaya said he launched the business eight months ago after noticing just how many people were being harmed in their own homes. 'This business shouldn't even exist, but here we are. I've installed film for people who have been hurt and have had to go to the hospital,' he said. 'I've heard of 65- to 70-year-olds being woken up from their sleep and pistol-whipped, demanded to give their valuables over. They sometimes have to get stitches or have a fractured orbital bone. I can't even imagine how brutal of an awakening that would be.' Story continues below advertisement 1:01 Video shows moment Ontario homeowner scared off four armed home invaders Dura Film applies a thick, laminated film on the inside of windows, designed to keep them intact even after blunt force. The goal isn't to prevent break-ins entirely, but to slow them down long enough for help to arrive. 'Police officers have literally said to just buy them four minutes,' Zelaya said. 'If we can delay robbers, that might save a life.' Police in Halton recently released a stat showing 48 per cent of break-ins occur through back patio doors, typically large glass panels that are easy to shatter. The surge in violent crimes has also been reflected in security patrols in many neighbourhoods. 'Oakville, Etobicoke, York Region … there is private security everywhere now,' Chhinzer said. Story continues below advertisement 'This is where we're headed. People hiring private patrols. Gated communities. Reinforced doors. Middle-class safety is being eroded.' 'They want 18 and under' A major driver in the surge is how organized criminal groups are intentionally recruiting younger offenders, according to Chhinzer. 'Organized crime networks want 18 and under,' he said. 'If you look at some of the data, a lot of these offenders are 15 to 16 years old because they sit under the Youth Criminal Justice Act … minimal repercussions.' The former officer also linked the issue to high youth unemployment and a shrinking legal job market. 'Why work a minimum wage job if someone can make $50,000 in one night?' he said. 'The economic opportunity on the black market is massive and there's no real cost to getting caught.' Story continues below advertisement 2:12 Project Ghost: Nearly 200 charges laid, and 13 members of 'violent criminal network' arrested Peel police announced Tuesday morning that they had completed a recent takedown of a large criminal network that was exploiting youth and targeting residents. Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said the targeting of youth into gangs has played a big role in the violent crime uptick across the region. 'These networks prey on at-risk youth, pulling them into violent criminal activity,' he said. Mississauga Coun. Alvin Tedjo added that 'this was an unusually violent, organized criminal network that terrorized families and drafted vulnerable youth into its activities.' 'I was so scared' Pathak still thinks about what could've happened the night her home was broken into. Story continues below advertisement Looking out the front window, she saw their garage wide open, and a young man inside, using the flashlight from his phone to search for valuables. When she tapped on the glass, the man startled and fled with two other men. 'We didn't realize there is another car and two people inside the car, and they were holding up an object that looked like a weapon,' she said. 'I can only imagine if they got in.' Pathak later discovered the man had accessed the garage using a remote he found inside her vehicle. She called 911 immediately but no arrests were made. 3:10 Ontario couple terrified after violent break- in at their home As home invasions spike, Zelaya warns that the violence is leaving behind long-term consequences for residents. 'Some of these people are permanently traumatized,' he said. 'They don't feel safe in their own home.'
