An Alberta man who murdered his family when he was 15 years old has been granted full parole.
Gavin Joseph Mandin, who now goes by the name Gavin Ian Maclean, killed his stepfather, mother and two sisters. The murders remain unexplained.
In police interviews after his arrest, Mandin, who was previously granted day parole Oct. 31, 2012, said the murders were due to anger built up at his parents over many years and his annoyance at having to do chores.
Mandin has never been able to explain why he also killed his sisters and, in his final parole hearing, he said that he was in such a rage he kept firing his weapon without really knowing why.
At the family's vacation home in Valleyview in northwest Alberta in August 1991, Mandin fired shots from a .22-calibre rifle at each of his sisters from barely an inch away. After killing his stepfather, he tied the body to an ATV and dragged it into long grass and then cut open his dead mother's dress and underwear, exposing her body.
Mandin pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole for a minimum of 10 years.
At the request of the victims' families, Mandin is restricted from entering Alberta. He will also have to attend counselling once a month, avoid contact with the victims' families and report any intimate relationships.
Mandin presents a low risk of reoffending and was evaluated as having high reintegration potential, the parole board said.
Since receiving day parole in 2012, Mandin has been working as a provider of remote IT support. His supervisor described him as a "fantastic employee with a great work ethic." He has been living in a community residential facility, where he repeatedly won extended weekend passes to his own apartment. Mandin has an "active social life," parole documents said.
The National Parole Board previously refused to comment on where Mandin is living and did not return a request Monday for comment. His parole reports come from Ontario.
Although he was generally described as a model prisoner, Mandin drew media attention and the ire of officials at Bowden Institution, just south of Red Deer, when pornography was found on a computer in his cell in 2001.
The parole board repeatedly expressed concern that since Mandin has never had a girlfriend, he might have trouble handling rejection by someone he has been intimate with. Mandin said he believed he had a strong community support system and would "not act inappropriately."
The parole board and the families of the victims expressed concern about Mandin's apparent inability to acknowledge the "pain and sorrow" he had caused.
Although lack of remorse was a recurring feature of his parole hearings, Mandin's psychologist told the parole board that he has noticed a "gradual and steady change" over time. The psychologist said Mandin is less likely to engage in tirades, present absolute statements and evaluate others from a position of superiority.
While Mandin has never been able to provide the board with a "convincing show of regret" and had a tendency to justify his actions, his views toward his mother appear to have softened over time.
In the decision, the parole board said Mandin has "come to understand that she was generally a loving mother and certainly did not deserve to die."
sxthomson@postmedia.com
twitter.com/stuartxthomson

Alberta man who murdered his family 25 years ago as a teen granted full parole


An Alberta man who murdered his family when he was 15 years old has been granted full parole.Gavin Joseph Mandin, who now goes by the name Gavin Ian Maclean, killed his stepfather, mother and two sisters. The murders remain unexplained.


As National Energy Board hearings resume Monday in Montreal on TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline, it’s time to stop kidding the troops.
Kidding the troops is what happens when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau floats the idea that if pipeline proponents act in a certain way domestically, and Canada acts in a certain way internationally, it will earn a “social licence” to construct pipelines and export oil.
Pipelines which are vital to Canada’s economy and necessary to move our landlocked fossil fuel resources to Canadian ports and from there to international markets.
The problem with Trudeau’s rhetoric is that it suggests there is some sort of perfect pipeline proposal that will satisfy all critics such as Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, environmental groups and First Nations opponents.
The reality is there is no process for pipeline approval that will satisfy these people. Pretending there is, is a fool’s game.
Coderre, for example, now wants the Energy East pipeline hearings suspended and reviewed because former Quebec premier Jean Charest met with NEB officials while an employee of TransCanada -- at the NEB's request -- to discuss the conduct of the hearings in Quebec.
Never mind that the NEB met with Coderre and other pipeline opponents to discuss the same thing.
Never mind that the NEB and a spokesman for Charest said there was no discussion of and no lobbying for Energy East.
Coderre and the environmental groups are now saying the simple fact of the meeting -- and that Charest didn’t tell the NEB he was in TransCanada’s employ, is enough to undermine the credibility of the entire hearing process.
That’s absurd. It would have been better had the NEB been informed of Charest’s relationship to TransCanada but to suggest that means the entire process is tainted is ridiculous.
As for social licence, Trudeau would no doubt point to his good buddy U.S. President Barack Obama as a jolly green giant of environmentalism.
Obama stopped the Canada-U.S. Keystone XL pipeline.
Except Obama has also boasted that his administration has approved enough new U.S. oil and gas pipelines to more than encircle the Earth.
Why? Because approving them was in the economic interests of the United States.
Someone should tell Trudeau that Energy East is in Canada’s economic interests.


As National Energy Board hearings resume Monday in Montreal on TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline, it’s time to stop kidding the troops.


Nearly five years ago today, in one of my first meetings with Stephen Harper as his newly appointed director of policy, we were leafing through cabinet binders containing hundreds of pages of policy analysis and briefing material. We were preparing for an upcoming cabinet retreat to help plot the course for the new majority government's mandate.
The agenda was heavy, but I was sure that I'd combed through every last presentation and that nothing was missing.
As the prime minister paged through a lengthy memorandum to cabinet, he paused midway through page 64 where he'd placed a flag. He then proceeded to ask a particularly obscure question of fact.
I stammered out a reply, hoping it was the right one. Alas, he turned to page 126 of the document, and informed me that my answer was different than the one contained in footnote 37, asking if I was sure whether I was correct.
I knew then that I was in the presence of a leader whose attention to detail, capacity for hard work, and insistence on excellence was unmatched. He was determined to do the best possible job at his job, and he expected no less from his staff.
Our many subsequent interactions only served to confirm that impression, as Harper proceeded to follow through on nearly every commitment he had made to voters while steering the country through turbulent international waters.
And what a legacy he left for Canada.
Harper's Conservative government lowered taxes, resulting in the lowest federal tax burden in 50 years.
Harper guided Canada's economy through the worst global recession since the Great Depression, adding more 1.3 million new jobs since 2009.
New free trade agreements opened doors.
Harper's careful stewardship of finances resulted in the largest and longest infrastructure plan in Canadian history, making record investments in research, innovation and skills training - all while balancing the budget.
The Conservative government created new support for families, and the disabled, though the tax system. It rebalanced the justice system and implemented measures to protect children. It gave authorities new tools to fight terrorism here and abroad.
While enhancing support for the military and veterans, he spoke out against Russia's illegal occupation of Ukraine and staunchly defending Israel's right to exist.
Harper never lost focus on what mattered most to him - standing up for ordinary Canadians who work hard, pay their taxes, and play by the rules.
There was certainly no shortage of people who quibbled with Harper's style, or his unwillingness to cater to media demands, or his inability to project a sunny, carefree disposition.
But here's what I know from experience: Stephen Harper spent every minute of his political career working to make our country stronger and the best place in the world to live. When he left office, Canada had the wealthiest middle class in the world. We were the envy of the developed world.
In the end, that's Harper's legacy - a better, stronger Canada.
- @reicurran


Nearly five years ago today, in one of my first meetings with Stephen Harper as his newly appointed director of policy, we were leafing through cabinet binders containing hundreds of pages of policy analysis and briefing material. We were preparing for an upcoming cabinet retreat to help plot the course for the new majority government's mandate.


William Shatner is 85 and by all accounts he’s way busier than you’ll ever be.
This week, the original Captain Kirk heads to Fan Expo in Toronto to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek. He’s also starring with Henry Winkler, Terry Bradshaw, Olympic gold medallist George Foreman and comic Jeff Dye on NBC’s travel comedy Better Late Than Never. Then there’s his upcoming book, Zero G, which follows the FBI in space 50 years from now.
“Also right now, today for example, I’ve been filming a special that we’re making for Canada called the Truth is in Our Stars,” he tells Postmedia Network down the line from Kentucky. “We started the show celebrating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, and its effect on various scientists. We ended up talking to Stephen Hawking about space and time and Black Holes and he’s a glorious part of the special that we’re making for Canada with Canadian production.”
Along with Shatner, former Star Trek stars George Takei and Nichelle Nichols will also be on hand to mark the 50th birthday for the iconic sci-fi franchise.
“Oh, I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time with George and Nichelle,” he says with a tone of sarcasm (Shatner and Takei have trash talked one another for years).
During a wide-ranging conversation, Shatner reflected on Kirk’s death in Star Trek: Generations, his favourite film featuring the original series cast and revealed his favourite villain.
How does it make you feel to see this 50-year-old franchise still going strong?
I get to talk to scientists and one of the major questions I have is: ‘Please explain to me the concept of space-time?’ But when I think about it, I’m an authority on time, in that time — in this case 50 years — goes by so quickly. It’s almost as if time doesn’t exist. That’s how quickly it went.
Do you regret killing Kirk in Generations?
You see, the pronoun you used - ‘you’ - should be changed to ‘they.’ I didn’t kill Kirk. I protested. I died protesting (laughs).
But now that the timeline is reset, isn’t it possible that your version of Kirk is still alive and could be reunited with the current crew through time travel?
Mark, I’m giving you this job right now. I’m assigning you a job – and you’ll be highly paid. I want you to solve the mystery of bringing me, 50 years later, back as Captain Kirk. I want you to solve that mystery.
Having done so, you’ll be highly paid.
What’s your favourite Star Trek film from the original series?
Well, I thought the glorious altitude of Star Trek films was reached with Star Trek 5. I thought that was a brilliant film. Beautifully acted and extraordinarily directed.
I loved that one too. But did you have any other favourites?
Probably the one that Leonard Nimoy directed – Star Trek 4. That was a lovely film on a subject dear to all of our hearts, which is trying to preserve the world.
What’s your opinion of the new Star Trek films?
I really haven’t seen them. I caught a glimpse of the first one, but I think that they’re doing a wonderful job of bringing an audience in. The films we did made a $100-million and that was the top. Now JJ Abrams has solved the puzzle and he’s created a great ride of a film. And people are flocking to see the films.
How long would you like to see this current cast go?
I think if they got rid of all the characters except Kirk... I’m just joking. I don’t know. They’ve got some wonderful writers working on it. Star Trek was always about character and story. So it’s a balancing act. Obviously people are loving it and that’s good.
What should they do with Chekov after Anton Yelchin’s death?
They would replace him I’d think. But I don’t know.
Who was your favourite villain?
Mark, what’s funny is that I spent the day with Stephen Hawking last week and one of the questions he asked me was, ‘Who was your favourite villain?’ I had to say something. I couldn’t say, ‘They’re all great.’ But I’d have to say Khan… Ricardo Montalban. He was fun.
What’s your favourite thing to do when you’re back in Toronto?
Well, I lived in Toronto for several years. I worked at the CBC and I did theatre and I was at Stratford in the summer. But my favourite thing to do is I like to go to my old haunts and see that they don’t exist anymore and what’s there is a great restaurant. So I pay my respects to my old haunt by having a meal somewhere.
Lastly, what’s your motto?
There’s always tomorrow.
William Shatner appears at Fan Expo Canada on Friday, Sept. 2, and Saturday, Sept. 3. For tickets and info, visit fanexpocanada.com/guests/william-shatner.
Twitter: @markhdaniell
Mdaniell@postmedia.com

'Star Trek 5' glorious and Kirk didn't have to die in 'Generati


William Shatner is 85 and by all accounts he’s way busier than you’ll ever be.


Two United Airlines pilots were busted for being drunk as they prepared to fly 141 souls to New Jersey on the weekend.
I hear you. If you had to fly to Jersey, you’d throw back a couple of belts, too.
But this latest in a binge of tipsy pilot arrests, including two Canadians last month, adds yet another disturbing question for the nervous flyer:
How can you tell if your pilots are drunk? I mean, before they pass out at 30,000 feet.
“This is your first occifer speaking! Say, doesn’t that cloud look like a rabbit?”
Good grief. It’s bad enough waiting for the wings to fall off.
Must we also take a whiff in the cockpit as we board? Or ask the crew to walk a straight line down the aisle?
United pilots Brady Grebenc, 35, and Carlos Licona, 45, were arrested by Scottish police at Glasgow’s airport. Their Flight UA162 to Newark Saturday was delayed 10 hours until sober replacements could be found.
Grebenc and Licona are reportedly U.S. military veterans and flight instructors. Grebenc’s LinkedIn profile says he has “3,200+ hours of accident- and incident-free flying in high-performance fixed-wing aircraft.”
It says he specializes in “low visibility approaches” though I do not think that covers being blind drunk.
Brebenc and Licona are to appear in court Monday on charges related to British air safety laws. Drinking and flying, basically.
Was good Scotch involved?
Glasgow was the scene of another drunk flying bust last month. Air Transat captain Jean-Francois Perreault, 39, and first officer Imran Zafar Syed, 37, were hauled off their flight to Toronto as it prepared to leave with 250 passengers.
Cabin crew noticed a problem in the nick of time. Perreault and Syed were charged with being over the alcohol limit — one-quarter of that allowed U.K. car drivers — plus abusive behaviour.
How’s your aviophobia now?
One in six of us is afflicted badly enough to avoid planes altogether. Many of us have a touch of aviophobia. Some treat it by getting plastered. But pilots? Some warning signs to watch for:
•Your flight attendant says, “Sorry, we’re out of vodka, sir. The captain is Russian.”
•You notice your Airbus is taking off by way of the car-park.
•The wings of your 747 dip back and forth in time to the soundtrack from the inflight movie.
•The copilot staggers into the lavatory and won’t come out.
•You catch a glimpse of the crew playing beer pong in the cockpit, shouting “Ooooh, that splashed on the auto-pilot!”
•The purser asks if there’s a doctor on board. Or an addictions counsellor.
Just kidding. Naturally, drunk pilots are rare. Most sky jockeys are sober pros determined to get you there in one piece. Drunk drivers are by far a greater evil. But...
There was, for instance, the America West flight out of Miami in 2002. Its pilots downed 350 ounces of beer between them, plus a martini and a burger, and were kicked out of the bar just before 5 a.m., then prepared for takeoff at 10:30 a.m.. They were stopped on the taxiway.
Times have changed.
In the 1950s, a tipsy pilot named Thomas Fitzpatrick — “Tommy Fitz” — landed on New York streets, twice, to win barroom bets. He flew Cessnas, but never mind.
As an ex-boozehound, I can tell you getting high may seem fine. It’s the landing that’s rough.
Strobel’s column usually runs Monday to Thursday. mstrobel@postmedia.com


Two United Airlines pilots were busted for being drunk as they prepared to fly 141 souls to New Jersey on the weekend.


Something sinister may be afoot in the woods of Greenville, S. C. - and, if so, its shoes are comically oversized.
Clown sightings, as reported by residents of Fleetwood Manor Apartments, have alarmed local parents and set the community on edge. Per a letter distributed to residents of the community and then posted to Facebook on Friday, the property manager warned of a "clown or a person dressed in clown clothing" who was "trying to lure children in the woods." It is the latest in a recent string of clowns reported as real-life menaces.
Though the evidence is sparse, the Greenville County Sheriff's Office is investigating the clown complaint.
"Many of you have inquired about clowns being spotted in the woods near Fleetwood Manor Apartments," said Drew Pinciaro, a Greenville County deputy, in a press release on Monday, according to WYFF News 4.
"As of today's date," he said, "there has been one incident report filed with our office regarding this."
In the incident report, one woman said she saw "several clowns in the woods flashing green laser lights" on Aug. 19. The next night, she said her son could make out the sounds of "chains and banging" coming from outside their front door. A different person said a clown with a large, winking nose was hanging out near the dumpsters early one Saturday morning.
Fleetwood Manor resident James Arnold told Buzzfeed News his children, aged 10 and 13, described "clowns out there in the woods and they're trying to get us to come out there,'" he said. "Some had chains, some had knives, and some were holding out money, saying, 'Come here, we've got candy for you,' but they wouldn't go." His wife, Donna, said she filed the report and invoked the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's "It," about a creature that takes the form of a clown to stalk children.
If what the Arnolds saw mimicked "It," they could hardly be faulted for being so distraught. In the long descent from court jester to made-up face of villainy, "It," when King published the horror novel in 1986, marked the changing of the cultural tide against clowns. Clowns could be threatening characters, made worse by the fact there was real-world precedent for evil jesters. In the decade prior to the book's release, serial killer John Wayne Gacy, convicted of raping and killing 33 men and boys, occasionally performed as a clown named Pogo.
Though the killer-clown trope in fiction is at least as old as "Pagliacci," the 1892 opera about a knife-wielding performer, since "It," the dark side of clowns has steadily picked up steam. "American Horror Story" featured a killer clown. There is an "It" movie currently in the works. Through the Joker, the great comic-book villain, the clown has been portrayed with buffoonish menace by Jack Nicholson, criminal nihilism by Heath Ledger and teeth grills by Jared Leto.
(Even "Baskets," FX dramedy starring Zach Galifianakis as a clown, wallows in what The Post described as delicious misery; this too could be an old echo of Joseph Grimaldi, the 19th-century English clown whose fame on the stage was rivaled by the illness and depression he suffered later in life.)
The secret to the clown's anti-success, wrote the Smithsonian Magazine in 2013, is in the mix of mischief, makeup and a target demographic made up of children. "Where there is mystery, it's supposed there must be evil, so we think, 'What are you hiding?'" Andrew McConnell Stott, a University of Buffalo, SUNY, English professor, told the magazine in 2013.
As the evil clown ascends, the friendly clown has not. By 2014, there were 2,500 members of the World Clown Association, a thousand fewer clowns than a decade before. The big-tent circus, the American clown's natural habitat, is on the decline, while Cirque du Soleil and more acrobatic acts prosper. Clowns like the Florida entertainer named Wrinkles have embraced the creepy vibe and can be hired to scare friends.
The South Carolina incident is not the first time disturbing clowns have been reported by witnesses, either. Earlier in August, Wisconsin police fielded calls about a dirty clown wandering Green Bay carrying black balloons.
And in October 2014, a rash of hooligans in spooky clown costumes were spotted across the United States, reported ABC. That same month, more than a dozen French teenagers dressed as clowns were arrested for harassing strangers, too; it was one episode in what the Atlantic called France's "clown outbreak" that in turn spawned anti-clown vigilantes, the "chasseurs de clown."

South Carolina community warned about reported group of scary clowns trying to l


Something sinister may be afoot in the woods of Greenville, S. C. - and, if so, its shoes are comically oversized.


TORONTO -- Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe is taking a lap around the dance floor.
The 29-year-old Oakville, Ont., native will appear on the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars."
"Oh boy, we are really doing this!" the star driver tweeted Tuesday. "Trading Stop n Go boots for dance shoes!"
Oh boy, we are really doing this! Trading Stop n Go boots for dance shoes! Any tips, @h3lio? @DancingABC #DWTS https://t.co/XN9bIkp74r — James Hinchcliffe (@Hinchtown) August 30, 2016
ABC says Hinchcliffe's partner will be Sharna Burgess.
Other stars on the roster this season include controversial American swimmer Ryan Lochte, former NFL receiver Calvin Johnson Jr., former "Brady Bunch" star Maureen McCormick, former Texas governor Rick Perry and rapper Vanilla Ice.
The season premieres Sept. 12.
Hinchcliffe was the 2011 IndyCar Series rookie of the year and has four victories over six seasons.

Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe taking a spin on 'Dancing with the Sta


Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe is taking a lap around the dance floor.


Former prime minister Stephen Harper resigned from his Calgary Heritage parliamentary seat Friday, marking his exit from politics.
In a Facebook and video message to Canadians, he thanked them for the opportunity to serve and outlined what he believes were the major accomplishments of the Conservatives under his leadership.
“We united all Conservatives behind our agenda,” he said. “We cut taxes, made critical investments and balanced the national budget. We got tough on crime and put families first. We managed our G7 economy through the worst global recession since the Great Depression, and came out in the strongest position of them all. We took principled decisions in a complex and dangerous world. And, whether at home or abroad, we were always proud to stand up for Canada.”
As Harper leaves politics to set up a consulting firm in Calgary, his critics will contest all of these claims. They are free to do so.
Our readers know our view. We would have preferred he was still prime minister.
One of many things we admired about Harper was that while politicians like to think of themselves as the smartest people in the room, Harper typically was the smartest person in the room.
During last year’s election campaign, for example, when Liberal leader Justin Trudeau promised Canadians three years of modest deficits before returning to a balanced budget, Harper joked this commitment was absurd given Liberal campaign promises.
“He’ll run, he says, a modest deficit, a tiny deficit, so small you can hardly see the deficit,” Harper joked, squeezing his fingers together.
“And only for three years, three deficits, three modest little deficits.”
So what happened?
During the election, Trudeau promised “modest” deficits of $9.9 billion in 2016-17, $9.5 billion in 2017-18, $5.7 billion in 2018-2019 and a $1 billion surplus in 2019-2020.
After the election, in Trudeau’s first budget as prime minister, he almost tripled his projected 2016-17 deficit to $29.4 billion, followed by $29 billion in 2017-18, $22.8 billion in 2018-19, $17.7 billion in 2019-20 and $14.3 billion in 2020-21, with no balanced budgets in sight.
That’s one of many things we admired about Harper.
He was nobody’s fool.


Former prime minister Stephen Harper resigned from his Calgary Heritage parliamentary seat Friday, marking his exit from politics.


Two senior North Korean officials were executed with an anti-aircraft gun in early August on the orders of Kim Jong Un, South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported, citing people it did not identify.
Ri Yong Jin, a senior official in the education ministry -- possibly the minister -- was arrested for dozing off during a meeting with Kim and charged with corruption before being killed, the paper said. Former Agriculture Minister Hwang Min was purged over a proposed project seen as a direct challenge to Kim's leadership, it said.
If true, it would mark the first executions ordered by Kim from outside his party or the military, the paper said. A spokesman at South Korea's Unification Ministry said he couldn't immediately confirm the JoongAng report.
Kim has carried out a series of executions since taking power in 2011 after his father's death as he puts his mark on the leadership of the isolated nuclear-armed nation. The most high profile was the killing three years ago of his uncle and one-time deputy Jang Song Thaek. He had about 50 officials executed in 2014 on charges ranging from graft to watching South Korean soap operas.
"Kim is continuing to replace the old guard of his father's regime with loyalists," said Robert Kelly, a political science professor at South Korea's Pusan National University. "The charges are obviously trumped up, and this is how promotion or demotion often works in totalitarian states without legitimate venues for opposition."
Kim had his military chief Ri Yong Gil executed in February on charges including corruption, Yonhap News reported at the time. In January last year he executed General Pyon In Son, head of operations in the army, for disagreeing with him; and in May of that year he purged his defense minister Hyon Yong Chol for dozing off at a rally.
Still, reports of purges of senior North Korean officials are not uncommon and at times have proven to be unreliable.
Earlier this month, Seoul announced that a senior North Korean diplomat based in the U.K. had defected to South Korea. The man was among seven diplomats who have defected this year, according to JoongAng Ilbo.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye said on Monday the defections signal a "serious fracture" within the North Korean regime and raise the prospects of fresh provocations as Kim seeks to maintain control. Her comments came as South Korea and the U.S. hold annual military drills that North Korea calls a prelude to an invasion.
Even so, Kelly at Pusan University said that the isolated state is probably more stable than many people think or want it to be.
"I don't think there has been a fracture," he said. "So long as China keeps the goodies flowing into Pyongyang, which is like a city-state in an ocean of deprivation, the elites won't turn on each other."

North Korean official killed for dozing off during meeting with Kim Jong Un: Rep


Two senior North Korean officials were
executed with an anti-aircraft gun in
early August on the orders of Kim Jong
Un, South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo
newspaper reported, citing people it
did not identify.


TORONTO -
When gunfire erupted in an east-end laneway over the weekend, an 11-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy ran for their lives.
Sadly, their grandmother, Peggy Ann Smith, was unable to outrun the gunshots.
The 61-year-old, who was sitting at a patio table enjoying a warm summer evening with one of her daughters and two of her grandkids, was killed by the barrage of bullets fired at a townhouse complex on Don Mount Ct.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions,” Loretta Smith said Monday of her mom’s murder. “We just want justice for her.”
Loretta lives at the top of the street in the same row of townhouses as her sister Lisa, who was with their mom when she was killed.
She was out front of the complex, near Dundas St. E. and Broadview Ave., chatting with a friend when the gunshots rang out in the back laneway around 6 p.m. Saturday. Loretta ran to her sister Lisa’s unit, terrified her daughter Savannah may have been hurt.
She was stunned to see that her mom had been killed.
“My daughter said that they heard someone say, ‘Run,’ and then they started hearing the gunshots go off,” Loretta said, as her sisters, Lisa and Lori, held one another crying on the back porch just steps from where their mother was gunned down.
She said Savannah, Lisa and Lisa’s young son ran to take cover inside.
“My sister said, ‘Run, mom!’” Loretta explained. “She thought (our mom) was right behind her and then she realized that (our) mom didn’t make it.
“They came out after they stopped hearing the gunshots and saw my mom laying there,” she said, adding her sister initially thought their mom fell and hit her head.
But Lisa quickly realized their mom was fatally shot.
“I’m still in shock,” Loretta said. “I’m trying to stay strong for my kids. I have five kids that need me right now.”
Loretta said her daughter, Savannah, who lit candles at a growing make-shift memorial in the laneway Monday, has been seeing the deadly shooting replaying over and over in her mind.
“She’s really shaken up by all this,” Loretta said. “She witnessed her grandmother being shot.”
Peggy grew up in the area and was living in a nearby seniors building.
But Loretta said her “church-going” mom visited the Don Mount Ct. complex daily to spend time with her three daughters, 13 grandkids and a great-grandchild.
“We’re a very close, loving family,” she said. “Everybody loved her.”
“She was just a very caring, loving person who didn’t deserve to die like this.”
Toronto Police homicide investigators are looking for at least two gunmen, possibly three, who fled the scene.
Detectives are reviewing surveillance video from nearby security cameras and may release images in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the victim’s grief-stricken family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with the financial burden of unexpected funeral costs.
Donations can be made at gofundme.com/2m7aayk.
'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'
Her 13 grandchildren called her “Nanny Peggy.”
But Peggy Smith was also like a grandma to many residents of her Riverdale neighbourhood and more than 100 gathered Monday night for an emotional candlelight vigil in memory of the slain 61-year-old.
The vigil on Don Mount Crt. began with a local pastor leading the crowd in prayer as Smith’s three daughters and other family members cried uncontrollably.
At least one young child could be heard crying out: “Why nanny?”
“The gun violence is senseless and it needs to stop,” neighbour Joan King told the large crowd in attendance. “Put the guns down.”
Her own home, a few doors down from where Smith was gunned down Saturday, was riddled with bullets just a few months ago.
“Enough is enough,” King said.
Mayor John Tory, holding a lit candle, took a moment to thank everyone on behalf of the family.
“They are obviously dealing with an unspeakable tragedy,” he said. “And I know that they are greatly comforted by all of you being out here.”
Earlier in the day, life-long friend Brenda Desroches described Smith as “a beautiful woman.
“The kids loved her. The grown-ups loved her. Everybody loved,” she said.
Desroches often sits out behind the complex with her friend and said it could have just as easily been her or one of the neighbourhood kids who was gunned down.
“The guns have got to go,” she said. “They are killing innocent people who are loved.”
cdoucette@postmedia.com

Kids ran for life as bullets felled grandma


When gunfire erupted in an east-end laneway over the weekend, an 11-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy ran for their lives.


WWE is reporting that Mr. Fuji -- Harry Fujiwara -- has died. He was 82 years of age, and had been in poor health for a number of years.
While many remember Mr. Fuji as the devious manager of the likes of Demolition and Magnificent Muraco, he had a storied wrestling career well before becoming a manager.
As for his colleagues, they remember his ribs.
No one was safe from Fuji.
"Fuji's were nonstop: in the arena, in hotels, in airports, in restaurants. And Fuji was an instigator. He'd find weak-minded wrestlers and have them do ribs for him, just to wreak more havoc. The man was incorrigible," wrote Classy Freddie Blassie in his autobiography, Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks. "If you were sitting across from Fuji, drinking a cup of coffee, he was liable to slip in some laxatives when you weren't looking. It would be time to go to the ring, and you'd be on the toilet, shitting your guts out. If he heard you on the phone, making airplane reservations, he'd call up the airline after you hung up, and cancel your trip. You'd miss a booking, lose money, and Fuji would think it was funny."
There was the occasional payback, though, said Larry Zbyszko. "We used to put him in some sort of leg hold, because they didn't wear shoes with that gimmick, and we'd grab his ankle and tickle his feet and he'd go apes---," recalled Zbyszko, a frequent foe, with a chuckle.
Jules Strongbow said he did the same thing as revenge against Fuji.
"Fuji tried to get silly in the ring with me one night. I let him get away with it because I figured somewhere down the line, I'm going to find out something about Fuji and I'm going to use it against him in a rib," said Strongbow, a WWWF tag team champion with Chief Jay Strongbow. "Well, I found out that he had very ticklish feet. So one night me were in, I think it was Baltimore, and I grapevined his legs, and I started tickling him. I kept it up for about 10 minutes. To the crowd, it looked like he was in pain, absolute miserable pain. But he wasn't, and I just kept it up, and kept it up. And after that, he never did anything to me. He never pulled a rib on me outside the ring."
"I liked Fuji. We got along good," said Randy Colley, who was Moondog Rex. "He never did give me a hard time, but I knew some guys he'd just do things that were awful. It was always a situation usually when he'd done something that nobody knew for sure it was him, but a lot of people suspected it was him. But he was a good guy too. He was one of them you had to know."
For all the ribs played against his colleagues, Fuji was also a wonderful performer. He held the WWWF tag team titles three times with Professor Toru Tanaka and twice with Mr. Saito. As well, he was a star in many territories, from Portland to San Francisco, from Hawaii to Australia.
It all started for Fujiwara in Hawaii in 1962, but really didn't start full-time until about 1966. He said that he knew "a lot of guys wrestling, who wanted me to become a wrestler because I was big." At 5-foot-10, and 235 pounds, Fujiwara was a decent size, and comparable to other stars in Hawaii, most of whom trained at the gym run by Dean Higuichi, who himself would find his way into the business as Dean Ho.
Ed Francis, the promoter in Hawaii, gave Fujiwara and chance, and he never looked back.
His first mainland promotion was Don Owen's Portland territory, and it was there that he first had to buy proper shoes instead of sandals -- it was "Tough" Tony Borne who helped him find a pair. In his early years, Fuji spent a lot of time in the Pacific Northwest territory, teaming with Haru Sasaki and Tony Borne for tag gold, and having success as a single too.
Fuji and Tanaka were brought back together in 1972. "I was wrestling in Texas and he saw me. He talked to Vince McMahon Sr. and that was it," said Fuji about his entry into the WWWF. Assigned The Grand Wizard (Ernie Roth) as their manager, Fuji and Tanaka immediately struck gold, winning the WWWF tag belts on June 27, 1972 from Sonny King & Chief Jay Strongbow. A few months later, they wrestled in the main event against the dream team of Pedro Morales & Bruno Sammartino in Madison Square Garden. Two more WWWF title reigns would follow, as well as regional titles until their split in 1979.
What worked for the team? "We were both big, for one, and I was a flyer and he was a ground worker," Fuji said. "We clicked real good. At one time, they said we were the best tag team of the '70s."
Zbyszko can still vividly recall their look, the way their filled the ring. "Fuji was probably 270, and then he teamed with Tanaka. Tanaka had one of the most fantastic looks in the business -- 300 pounds with that 25-inch neck of his. He looked like a giant fireplug. They both would put fear in you," he said. "You'd look at those guys—especially Tanaka -- and you'd say, 'Jesus Christ, I wouldn't mess with him. He'd kill you.'"
Fuji would have another successful run as WWWF tag champion with Mr. Saito (who was legitimately from Japan), and by 1985 had transitioned into a manager in the expanding WWF, handling the likes of Demolition, the Moondogs, Killer Kahn, Orient Express, Don Muraco and Yokozuna. "I enjoyed it. I really did. I wanted to be the best, and I think I did become the top manager there too," Fuji said. "I still wrestled too, I wrestled a little, maybe eight, 10 matches a year."
In recent years, Fuji lived a quiet life out of the business in Tennessee.
-- With files from Steven Johnson and The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams

Wrestler-turned-'manager' Mr. Fuji dead at 82: WWE


WWE is reporting that Mr. Fuji -- Harry Fujiwara -- has died. He was 82 years of age, and had been in poor health for a number of years.


OTTAWA — Contract talks continued between Canada Post and its largest union Sunday afternoon, with neither side hinting as to whether any progress had been made.
A federally appointed mediator began meeting with the two sides on Friday to try to reach a deal.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said if there was no deal by midnight, it would begin job action on Monday by having its members refuse to work overtime on a rotating basis, starting in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
CUPW served 72 hour strike notice Thursday night, accusing Canada Post of forcing a labour disruption by refusing to bargain in good faith.
The two sides have been deadlocked for months on the issues of pay scales for rural letter carriers and proposed changes to pensions for future employees.
On Sunday, the union said its initial plans for job action would have little effect on Canada Post customers.
“Our action will cause little to no disruption to the public,” national president Mike Palecek said in a statement. “We’ll still be delivering mail every day.”
But a spokesman for Canada Post said the union’s threat of job action was still creating uncertainty for customers.
“Anyone who is trying to plan their usage of the postal system in the coming days is questioning whether or not it will be able to get there, and that is going to have a huge impact on the business whether the union likes it or not,” Jon Hamilton said in a phone interview.

Postal workers union give details of job action if no deal is reached Sunday


Contract talks continued between Canada Post and its largest union Sunday afternoon, with neither side hinting as to whether any progress had been made.


BERLIN -- Scientists have found evidence to support what many dog owners have long believed: man's best friend really does understand some of what we're saying.
Researchers in Hungary scanned the brains of dogs as they were listening to their trainer speaking to determine which parts of the brain they were using.
They found that dogs processed words with the left hemisphere, while intonation was processed with the right hemisphere -- just like humans.
What's more, the dogs only registered that they were being praised if the words and intonation were positive; meaningless words spoken in an encouraging voice, or meaningful words in a neutral tone, didn't have the same effect.
"Dog brains care about both what we say and how we say it," said lead researcher Attila Andics, a neuroscientist at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest. "Praise can work as a reward only if both word meaning and intonation match."
Andics said the findings suggest that the mental ability to process language evolved earlier than previously believed and that what sets humans apart from other species is the invention of words.
"The neural capacities to process words that were thought by many to be uniquely human are actually shared with other species," he said. "This suggests that the big change that made humans able to start using words was not a big change in neural capacity."
While other species probably also have the mental ability to understand language like dogs do, their lack of interest in human speech makes it difficult to test, said Andics.
Dogs, on the other hand, have socialized with humans for thousands of years, meaning they are more attentive to what people say to them and how.
The study was published in the journal Science.
Andics also noted that all of the dogs were awake, unrestrained and happy during the tests. "They participated voluntarily," he said.

Dogs really do know what you’re saying, study suggests


Scientists have found evidence to
support what many dog owners have long
believed: man's best friend really does
understand some of what we're saying.


EDMONTON -
Glenn Kraemer Bauman lived in the northwestern Alberta town of Valleyview where he drove an oilfield truck until last week when police quietly arrested him in connection with the deaths of a mother and daughter who disappeared five years ago and 3,800 kilometres away.
In the Waterloo Region of Ontario, Bauman, 43, faces two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of offering an indignity to a body in connection with the disappearance of his common-law spouse, Linda Daniel, and her teenage daughter Cheyenne. They were 47 and 13, respectively, when they vanished in July 2011 where they lived in Ontario's Wellesley Township.
The mother and daughter were only reported missing to police in December 2015 by relatives who feared foul play, reported the Waterloo Region Record newspaper. Police said the women were not in close contact with family members.
After what Waterloo Regional Police described as a complex investigation into the circumstances that led to the suspected deaths of Daniel and her daughter, a Canada-wide warrant was issued for Bauman.
Waterloo Regional Police detectives and RCMP arrested Bauman in Valleyview, about 350 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, on Aug. 19.
In a brief court appearance Friday via video link in Kitchener, ON, Bauman said he was trying to hire a lawyer.
Meanwhile, police have forced a family now living at a Wellesley home out of the residence for 30 days as part of the investigation. It's the home where Bauman formerly lived with Daniel and her daughter. Waterloo Regional Police said they have not located the remains of Linda and Cheyenne Daniel.
Police are enlisting specialists from the Ontario Centre for Forensic Science and have covered a large section of the backyard with a tarp, according to area media reports.
The case is receiving heavy media coverage in the Waterloo region, but the arrest of a suspected double-murderer living in Valleyview's midst failed to generate much attention in the community. Neither Valleyview RCMP nor K-Division issued a news release about the arrest.
An RCMP spokeswoman said Saturday the arrest was Waterloo Regional Police's operation and Mounties assisted. No further information about Bauman or his arrest was immediately disclosed.
"It's been kept very quiet," said Jim Joelson, a Valleyview town councillor. "Nobody knows about it. I haven't talked to anybody who knew about it."
Joelson said he did not know Bauman. "I did not know he was working here. I just assumed he was passing through." He said residents might be a little shocked if they knew about the case.
Investigators say they will be reaching out to relatives of the victims and the suspect and have also asked for the public's help to identify timelines and to speak to anyone who might have seen Daniel and her daughter shortly before they went missing in July 2011.
bmah@postmedia.com
twitter.com/mahspace

Mounties arrest man in northern Alberta for killings of a mom and her teen daugh


Glenn Kraemer Bauman lived in the northwestern Alberta town of Valleyview where he drove an oilfield truck until last week when police quietly arrested him in connection with the deaths of a mother and daughter who disappeared five years ago and 3,800 kilometres away.


OTTAWA - Canada’s political and journalism elites — and by any definition of those elites, I’m one of them — were hugely disappointed in the UK “Brexit” referendum.
In my view, the United Kingdom and Europe will be worse off without the UK in the EU.
I would have voted “remain” had I the chance.
The Brexit vote outcome, from my “elite” viewpoint, will be a disaster.
But now, many Canadian “elites” are citing the Brexit outcome as a good reason we ought not to let everyday Canadians have a say, through a direct referendum, on proposed changes to the way we elect our local member of Parliament.
On this point, I may have to turn in my “Elite Membership” club card.
My belief that voters are always right may be naive but surely it is a bedrock assumption of our democracy that voters should have a chance to pass judgement via a clear question in a referendum on any proposal to change the way they are governed.
Changes to the way we elect MPs will change the way we are governed.
Nonetheless, the instinct of both Liberals and New Democrats at this point is to ignore voters and listen to elites.
“The outcomes of referenda are often highly volatile and unpredictable, often involve a lot of emotionalism and outright lies,” an American university professor recently told a parliamentary committee studying this issue. “The recent Brexit referendum shows how much damage a referendum can do. It’s been a disaster for the whole world.”
So because the Brexit vote didn’t turn out the way you wanted, Canadian voters shouldn’t be asked their opinion on electoral reform? What nonsense.
It’s nonsense, I’m afraid to report, repeated by former NDP leader Ed Broadbent Monday at the same parliamentary committee. Once upon a time he liked referenda on these issues. Now he doesn’t.
There are, I should point out, no specific proposals from the Trudeau government for change.
There was only a vague commitment from the Liberals in last fall’s election that the way we’ve been doing it for nearly 150 years — a 150 years during which Canada has been held up as a global model of a peaceful, tolerant, multicultural, officially bilingual, prosperous democracy — is not the way we should do it going forward.
And though they’ve been in power for nearly a year, you cannot pin down any Liberal — least of all, Democratic Reform Minister Maryam Monsef — to explain just what kind of system the Liberals would like to see replace the first-past-the-post system we’ve had since day one.
Monsef, incidentally, was in Iqaluit Monday morning, holding the first of what will be a month-long cross-country string of “electoral reform community dialogues.”
In a picture tweeted by her staff from the Iqaluit event, I counted 16 people in the room. Sixteen.
A modest — to put it mildly — turnout for some of these meetings does not invalidate the initiative.
The Trudeau government’s mania for consultations may seem odd but it is a welcome change from the “closed-shop” approach of the Harper government.
That said, these electoral reform town halls, or parliamentary committee hearings, are a complement to, not a substitute for, a clearly worded referendum before a major change is made to our voting system.
And if Liberals and New Democrats are confident that Canadians will accept proposed changes, they should have no fear of the outcome.

National vote needed to change election system


OTTAWA - Canada’s political and journalism elites — and by any definition of those elites, I’m one of them — were hugely disappointed in the UK “Brexit” referendum.


Dear Amy: I have been dating my boyfriend "William" for 2.5 years. We are both divorced with children. William's ex-wife had a horrible two-year affair that hurt him deeply. Knowing this, I have always tried to assure him that he is the only man in my life and I make sure to go above and beyond to reassure him that I am thinking about him whenever we are apart.
However, in the past six months, William has become extremely jealous of my very dear gay friend of many years "Kevin" (who also happens to be an important client of mine).
It started out with snide comments and then recently escalated to him accusing me of having an "inappropriate intimate relationship" with Kevin. He says Kevin is a bad influence, he is inappropriate and most recently, he feels like I am having an emotional affair.
I have made it very clear that we are just friends -- exactly like all of my female friends -- but William refuses to accept this.
William has gone so far as to create secret social media accounts to monitor my daily activity. He also monitors Kevin's. It became somewhat of an obsession. He has been checking several times a day and screen captures anything he deems inappropriate with ANY of my friends, but is focused specifically on Kevin.
This volatile situation had been building over the past six months. We have been arguing a lot without my full understanding as to what was going on behind the scenes. I have been unjustly accused of many completely fabricated scenarios.
Apparently I spent too long in the ladies room at a restaurant several months ago, and now I'm being accused of conspiring with Kevin to get together without William knowing.
One Friday night I fell asleep and didn't text William to say goodnight. This caused a week-long argument. William would not take my calls, cancelled our plans for the weekend and refused to believe that I didn't sneak away to New York to see my friend.
I also have a female friend who William has decided is "undermining" our relationship and frowns on me seeing her as well.
This man is wonderful in so many ways, but I can't seem to fix my relationship and keep my friends in the process! -- Heartsick in PA
Dear Heartsick: I'm not a therapist. But I can see a pattern building. Even if you are not telling me an objective version of this story, it seems like a bad situation for you.
Anyone who sets up secret accounts to monitor you -- and also friends of yours -- is not someone who respects your right to have relationships and friendships with other people. I don't believe you should try to "fix" this relationship.
And I hope you don't expose your children to this craziness.
Dear Amy: One of my bachelor friends has run into a problem that has me stumped. He is into online dating and seems to run into the same situation with many of his dates.
They meet up for drinks or dinner, and he is happy and prepared to foot the bill. Though by date six or seven, after dinners, plays, movies, etc., none of these women have ever offered to split the check or pay for one thing.
I personally find that appalling, but we can't think of a tactful way to handle this.
Suggestions? -- Stumped
Dear Stumped: One way around this is to plan low-cost outings, such as walks, hikes, or museum visits. Your friend might be initiating all of these dates, which would make the woman more likely to assume he is treating.
But this is also the ideal situation to test a couple's ability to communicate. By the sixth or seventh date, your friend should be brave enough to say, "I notice you seem to expect me to always pick up the check. Are you willing to share the costs when we do something together?
Dear Amy: "Protective" was wondering how to exclude her aunt's racist boyfriend from this year's Thanksgiving dinner.
I liked your recommendation, but perhaps something more blunt is called for: "Your boyfriend is a jerk. We're all tired of him and don't want to share our holiday with him. He needs to stay home." -- Blunt
Dear Blunt: Excluding this family member's romantic partner will likely lead to the aunt's exclusion, too. If family members are willing to deal with this drama, then yes -- they could definitely choose the more blunt statement.

Boyfriend's social surveillance spells trouble


Dear Amy: I have been dating my boyfriend


OTTAWA -- Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk said Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers will begin working with a special mediator Friday morning in the face of a union threat of job action.
"In an attempt to push the two parties, help them facilitate a mediated, negotiated settlement, we've got a special mediator coming in who will start working with both parties tomorrow morning," Mihychuk said Thursday evening in Saguenay, Que., where she was attending the Liberal summer caucus retreat.
"We hope to have significant resolution by Sunday," Mihychuk said.
The union representing nearly 51,000 employees issued a 72-hour notice of job action Thursday, accusing the Crown corporation of forcing a labour dispute.
It was not immediately clear whether the action would result in a disruption of mail and parcel deliveries, something that -- if it does happen -- could come as early as next week.
The union said the notice, delivered to management just hours before a strike mandate was set to expire, "listed anticipated job actions" but stopped short of a full-blown walkout. The union hasn't said exactly what actions it was planning.
The notice puts postal carriers in a legal strike position by Aug. 28.
In a statement, CUPW national president Mike Palecek said Canada Post forced the union's hand by refusing to accept a request from the federal labour minister to continue negotiations under a 24-hour deadline extension with the help of a special mediator.
"This was an eleventh-hour intervention from the government to avoid a dispute and of course we said, 'Yes,'" said Palecek.
"From the outset, our goal has been a negotiated collective agreement without service disruptions. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Canada Post, whose president and CEO Deepak Chopra refused the minister's request."
But a spokesman for the agency said that was not the case.
"Canada Post will fully co-operate in the (mediation) process," Jon Hamilton said in an email.
"We hope that the assistance of a neutral third party will help both parties address the real challenges facing the postal service caused by declining mail volumes and increasing pension obligations."
The union's strike mandate was set to expire at midnight.
Had it expired, Canada Post employees would likely have had to vote to approve another mandate, a costly process that could take up to two months to complete.
CUPW had asked the agency to allow an extension of the mandate, a request that was refused as "inappropriate."
The two sides had been in sometimes bitter negotiations for more than nine months but were still far apart on key issues, including pay equity for rural carriers and proposed changes to the Canada Post pension plan, despite days of intensive talks that carried through last weekend.
CUPW offered a glimmer of hope Thursday that a strike could be averted, saying it's still prepared to talk.
"We are still willing to withdraw our notice if Canada Post agrees to an extension," said Palecek.
The Crown corporation also has the option to lock out workers.
A pay equity issue pitting rural and urban carriers against each other and a proposed move from a defined benefit pension plan to a defined contribution plan for new employees are the main stumbling blocks in the dispute.
The union claims rural postal workers earn, on average, nearly 30% less than city carriers.
Other issues revolve around part-time and temporary work, staffing improvements and the possible closure of nearly 500 retail postal outlets that could result in the elimination of up to 1,200 full-time jobs that are currently protected.
Although Mihychuk hoped the latest effort would bring results over the weekend, she cautioned that it might not work.
"Canadians need to get prepared for a potential work stoppage," she said.
"I think that's the reality."
- With files from Joanna Smith in Saguenay, Que.

CUPW issues strike notice after it says Canada Post refused to extend talks


Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk said
Canada Post and the Canadian Union of
Postal Workers will begin working with a
special mediator Friday morning in the
face of a union threat of job action.


SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — Nico Rosberg won an incident-packed Belgian Grand Prix featuring a chaotic start, wild overtaking, a heavy crash, safety cars and a red flag.
The Mercedes driver’s win on Sunday saw him close the gap to nine points on teammate Lewis Hamilton, who finished third behind Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo as the resurgent Australian driver secured a third straight podium finish.
“It’s been a great weekend, very, very happy with that result,” Rosberg said after his 20th career win. “Congrats to Lewis, last place to third must be pretty impressive.”
Rosberg started from pole position with teen driver Max Verstappen also on the front row. Hamilton started from the back row with Fernando Alonso, after both incurred multiple grid penalties for extra engine part changes this weekend.
“Lewis wasn’t out there to battle it out, so that made it an easier weekend,” Rosberg said. “It all worked out fine.”
For him at least.
Verstappen was involved in a first-turn collision with the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel that shaped the race.
It had a beneficial effect on Hamilton and Alonso, who avoided the early carnage in front of them, then gained places when the safety car came out after Danish driver Kevin Magnussen’s crash.
Magnussen emerged from the wreck, hobbled away and was taken to hospital for checks for a cut to his left ankle. He escaped serious injury.
German driver Nico Hulkenberg was a season’s best fourth ahead of Mexican Sergio Perez and Vettel, while Alonso was seventh, Raikkonen ninth and Verstappen 11th.
The race start was clean enough for Rosberg, but it was mayhem behind him.
The 18-year-old Verstappen, the youngest driver to ever start on the front row, was overtaken by Raikkonen and Vettel, and then aggressively tried to go for the inside heading into the first turn — even though there was very little room.
The impeded Ferraris were now squeezed wide and, as a consequence, Raikkonen came across and nudged into the side of Vettel.
Verstappen blamed them, saying “they just turned into me” but the incident was the latest of several involving the Red Bull driver. Verstappen became the youngest driver to win a race when he clinched a brilliant victory at the Spanish GP in May.
His talent is undoubted, but his aggression is not to everyone’s liking. Later in the race, he again infuriated Raikkonen, a rare feat considering the Finn’s nickname is “The Ice Man” for his usually unflappable demeanour.
Raikkonen came in for a front nose change but the pit crew also had to put out a small fire under his car.
Others struggled as the manic tempo continued.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz lost control when his rear right tire blew out, sending him pirouetting to an improvised halt on the grass. He then acrobatically drove back across the track, with his rear right wheel up in the air, before parking at the side of the track.
The incidents prompted the safety car to come out on lap three, and when the race re-started a lap later Sainz, Marcus Ericsson, Jenson Button and Pascal Wehrlein — who hit Button from behind — had all retired.
The safety car emerged again after Magnussen lost control of his Renault coming out of the top of the hill at Eau Rouge, spinning at speed and slamming backward into the barriers.
On lap 10 of 44, the race was halted as the red flag came out, because the barrier Magnussen crashed into needed repairing.
When the race resumed 20 minutes later, the top five was Rosberg-Ricciardo-Hulkenberg-Alonso-Hamilton.
In a fascinating sub-plot, Verstappen and Raikkonen were involved in another incident as Verstappen appeared to nudge him wide.
Raikkonen — who is twice Verstappen’s age — let his frustration out, saying “his only interest is to push me off the track.”
Then, as they battled for 13th place, Verstappen zig-zagged in front of him as he tried to hold position, prompting Raikkonen to use an expletive when describing Verstappen’s driving as “ridiculous.”
Hamilton overtook Hulkenberg on lap 18, leaving just Ricciardo and Rosberg ahead of him.
With no traffic, however, Rosberg was pulling away.
Hamilton came in for new tires on lap 22, switching to softs, and was down in ninth when he came back out after a slow pit stop.
But with others changing tires, he was soon back up to third.
“This is the best result I could have hoped for,” said Hamilton, who said on Saturday that he was aiming for a top-10 finish. “Our performance today was stronger than I expected. Third (place) is something definitely helped by the safety car.”
Meanwhile, the Ferrari-Verstappen duel continued with Vettel overtaking the Dutchman.

Lewis Hamilton manages to finish 3rd as teammate Nico Rosberg wins chaotic Belgi


Nico Rosberg won an incident-packed Belgian Grand Prix featuring a chaotic start, wild overtaking, a heavy crash, safety cars and a red flag.


As viral marketing ideas go, it’s a Deathstroke of genius.
Ben Affleck – the Bruce Wayne and Batman of the DC Comics cinematic universe – dropped an unexpected surprise on his social media followers Monday morning, posting a video that appears to confirm fan-favourite DC Comics villain Deathstroke will be in next year’s Justice League movie. Or in Affleck’s upcoming standalone Batman movie. Or maybe both.
In a short, silent video clip apparently shot off a film set monitor, we see Deathstroke, aka seasoned mercenary Slade Wilson, striding through what’s believed to be the cargo bay of the Justice League’s airborne command post.
Will the black-and-orange-armoured villain be a major part of Justice League? Is he working against Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the team, as they prepare to face down the alien baddie Steppenwolf? Or is he working with them, recruited by a desperate Dark Knight? Will his appearance simply serve to set him up as the main heavy in the upcoming Batman solo flick?
And most importantly, who the heck is behind that mask?
Revealing a video of a new character in a major superhero movie without actually announcing who’s playing the role is kind of unprecedented. So here are five actors – in decreasing order of likelihood – who we think could suit up as Slade.
Joe Manganiello
Last year, when rumours were rampant that Deathstroke would be one of the characters in this month’s Suicide Squad, True Blood’s Joe Manganiello was said to be the frontrunner for the role. Deathstroke never materialized in the movie, and Manganiello took to Twitter in April of last year to quash the hearsay: “That’s not the character I was in talks for,” he wrote.
But given the strength and persistence of those rumours, it feels like there could be something there. And if Manganiello is saying he was never in talks for Deathstroke specifically in Suicide Squad, he technically wouldn’t be lying if he played the character in Justice League and/or the new Batman. Frankly, he’d be an awesome choice.
Scott Eastwood
When director David Ayer’s Suicide Squad was in production, the revelation that Scott Eastwood (The Longest Ride, son of Clint) was joining the cast had some fans speculating Eastwood would be playing Deathstroke, who joins up with Task Force X in the comics.
Turns out Eastwood simply plays an army lieutenant named Edwards, who accompanies Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and the gang on their mission and meets an untimely demise. But it seems odd that Ayer actively courted Eastwood for such a minor and inconsequential role, and maybe the plan is for Lieut. Edwards to somehow survive and transform into the menacing mercenary for future films.
Manu Bennett
It’s a shame that DC is adopting a different strategy from Marvel and keeping their TV and film universes at arm’s length from one another, because plenty of fans would love to see actors from the so-called Arrowverse show up on the big screen. Deathstroke, for instance, is played in TV’s Arrow by New Zealand actor Manu Bennett, who also did the motion-capture performance for the fearsome orc chieftain Azog in the Hobbit movies (and who, oddly, bears a passing resemblance to Joe Manganiello.) Why not keep the universes consistent and have these characters cross over with the actors intact?
Michael Hogan
If we go back a little further in DC Comics-based TV shows to the Clark Kent series Smallville, it was Canadian actor Michael Hogan (Battlestar Galactica) who played army general Slade Wilson, a vocal supporter of the Vigilante Registration Act. At 66, Hogan is a bit old for the role from a practical action standpoint, but the character is a grizzled, grey-haired older man in the comics, and Hogan was an age-appropriate actor for the part. He’s also a funny guy in real life who happens to play very menacing badasses on screen.
Ryan Reynolds
OK, yeah, no chance of this happening in a million years. But how awesome would it be? Deadpool’s Wade Wilson – created by Marvel’s Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, and played by Reynolds in this year’s box office hit movie – is a tongue-in-cheek nod to Deathstroke’s Slade Wilson, one of Liefeld’s favourite DC Comics characters.
Having Deathstroke remove his mask to reveal Reynolds underneath is just the sort of fourth wall-breaking, universe-blending madness that Deadpool would love. Sadly, Hollywood studios probably don’t share his sense of humour.
Twitter: @stevetilley
STilley@postmedia.com

Ben Affleck teases Deathstroke: Who should play the DC villain?


As viral marketing ideas go, it’s a Deathstroke of genius.


The middle of the CFL season is upon us, and, as always there are plenty of storylines that have been building and should keep fans of the three-down loop entertained for the second half.
With that in mind, here is our hurry-up version of a mid-season report:
— The main story on the field, if you can forget about all the coaches’ challenges for a moment, has been the parity. Aside from the juggernaut Stampeders and lowly Roughriders, the other seven teams are all within six points of each other. That means the crossover is in play and the playoff races are going to go down to the wire.
— The other notable story on the field is how well the visiting teams have played. Road teams are a ridiculous 24-15-1 this season, but for how much longer can they keep it up? And will it be in a team’s best interest to finish third in its division so it can play its two playoff games on the road? Good luck convincing a head coach of that, no matter how many road teams end up winning the rest of the way.
— Now, about those coaches’ challenges. Unfortunately, that has been a significant storyline this season. The league made a move last week, taking away the “freebie” challenge and putting a team’s first timeout on the line. Fans need to remember that the CFL is being innovative when it comes to coaches’ challenges, and there will be growing pains.
— The biggest problem now with challenges are the ones that are supposedly happening “away from the play.” That happened on Sunday night, when the Stampeders had Tommie Campbell’s 115-yard interception return touchdown wiped off the board due to Joe Burnett’s bump of Matt Coates past the five-yard buffer zone. I realize and understand everyone’s frustration, but why aren’t the players being held more accountable in this? STOP TAKING PENALTIES.
— Another big story so far has been the woes of Chris Jones, who guided the Eskimos to the Grey Cup and then left for the Roughriders eight days later. Some believe he has taken on too much in the Saskatchewan capital, where he serves as general manager, head coach and even defensive co-ordinator. The Riders are 1-8 following a massive roster overhaul that began in the winter and has yet to stop. The franchise is moving into its brand new stadium next year and there better be some progress before this season ends.
— Who’s the league’s most outstanding player so far? Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has to be the front-runner considering how he’s guided his team. Edmonton’s Mike Reilly is on pace to top the 6,000 yard passing mark, which would be quite the feat. Ottawa’s Trevor Harris could rally in the second half and make a run considering how well he has played when not injured. Edmonton’s Adarius Bowman is almost at 1,000 receiving yards, and the season is only half over. Ottawa’s Chris Williams, meanwhile, isn’t far behind. And don’t forget about Hamilton’s Brandon Banks, who already has three return touchdowns.
— Will anyone be riding to the rescue? The first NFL cut deadline was on Tuesday and players with CFL ties have and will become free over the next week. Most players cut this week will look for other opportunities south of the border, but if a team can convince one of its former players or draft picks to come north immediately it could have a big impact on the standings.
INSIDERS SAY
CFL coaches and managers give their anonymous thoughts on what they’re talking about behind closed doors:
OK, I’m biased, because we needed Calgary to lose in our division. Them winning is bad for us. But if I was Hamilton, I would be (bleeping) pissed about the officiating in that game. I saw the stats and Hamilton had three times as many penalties as Calgary. Three (bleeping) times more. Look, we know they can justify throwing flags on every play. There’s always something. But to call 15 or 16 on one club with only three or four on another. That’s (bleep) ... Edmonton’s going to sweep Calgary ... What did I think about those live mics? I hated it. Too much information can get out. I’m just a dumb coach, but I can tell you how to market our game better. Throw fewer flags and let’s get rid of all of this challenge delay (bleep) ... Most underrated players in our league? (Ian) Wild is one for sure. He has great football instincts. (Luke) Tasker down in Hamilton is another one. He’s really a great route runner ... I don’t do much with the neg list, but my guy told me he thinks Montreal has the worst group of prospects if you look at all nine teams ... So, I can only pick four? The best four receivers in our league, including one Canadian? (Adarius) Bowman and (Duron) Carter. Those two are the hardest for us to defend against. Then I’ll go with (Naaman) Roosevelt in Saskatchewan. My Canadian would be Shawn Gore. He really jumps out on film this year ... If B.C. doesn’t do something about their field-goal kicking, they won’t get a home playoff game in our division ... CFL.ca has too many milleniannls, or whatever they call themselves, from Toronto writing about our league. Most of them think the world stops at the Ontario border. They think being controversial makes them smart. Well, who gives a (bleep) if Matthew Cauz isn’t sold on the Bombers? How many times has he worn a jock strap?
LATE HITS
TSN finally got its wish to put live microphones on the field, which is something it has wanted to do since the new broadcast agreement was signed several years ago. There were a few funny moments during the Stampeders-Ticats clash on Sunday night and fans definitely learned just how complicated play calls are. There were concerns following the contest that too much was given away and Mitchell said every team should have to do it to make it a level playing field. That’s fair and it would be fun for the fans to see how their favourite team calls a game. All in all, it was a good look inside the huddle. Let’s have more of it ... It was either sour grapes or the most coincidentally timed tweet in Twitter history. Just moments after Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins got hit while standing on the sidelines last Thursday night, former Ottawa defensive end Shawn Lemon, who had a public spat with Desjardins following his off-season release, basically wrote that he just got a good birthday present. Lemon said he was out for his birthday supper and didn’t know what had happened. Lemon wasn’t happy that Ottawa Sun scribe Tim Baines wrote about the coincidence because he proceeded to block him on Twitter ... Thank goodness the Duron Carter saga is over. It’s too bad he got suspended for something that should have been a fine and it sure is interesting the arbitrator finally made his decision the week the Alouettes are playing the Redblacks. The whole thing was a mess.
PENTON’S PREDICTION
Illegal contact will not be reviewable next season. The coaches have gone and ruined the spirit of the rule, and fans have had enough of the long delays. The league, therefore, will likely act in the off-season and eliminate this challenge, which is too bad.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
“Hey @JustinTrudeau do you need tickets for tomorrow’s @BCLions @REDBLACKS @CFL game? DM me.”
– Lions receiver Marco Iannuzzi (@iannuzzimarco) is always thinking of Canadian politicians
BY THE NUMBERS
97 – Coaches’ challenges so far this season
102 – Coaches’ challenges during the entire 2015 season
4-0 – Calgary’s home record
11-24-1 – Combined home record of the league’s other eight teams
BOSS BLUNDER
(The following paragraph appeared in the Aug. 3 CFL Blitz)
“It didn’t matter in the end, but Anthony Calvillo needs to eliminate one play from his playbook.
It happened in the middle of the third quarter of the Alouettes’ 41-3 demolition of the Roughriders on Friday night. Montreal was looking at second-and-one from its own 44 yard line, and Calvillo, the offensive co-ordinator, had quarterback Kevin Glenn line up in the shotgun.
Glenn then handed off to Brandon Rutley, but Roughriders defensive end Justin Capicciotti was there to bring down the ball carrier before he had a chance to think about getting a first down. The result was a one yard loss and a punt.”
Well, the Alouettes did it again on Friday night against the Bombers, handing off out of the shotgun, and they turned it over. When are they going to learn?
SMOOTH MOVE
In an “only in the CFL moment” relayed by Bombers communications boss Darren Cameron, a couple of Bomber fans were waiting to shake head coach Mike O’Shea’s hand after last Friday’s game in Montreal.
When O’Shea found out the two men were waiting outside the locker-room, he instead invited them into the locker-room, where he was meeting with quarterbacks coach Buck Pierce. O’Shea offered the fans a couple of beers, and they shot the breeze for an hour.
Can you imagine something like that happening in the NFL? Not a chance. That’s what makes the CFL so great, and kudos to O’Shea for giving those two Bombers fans an experience they won’t soon forget.
POWER RANKINGS
1. (1) Calgary
Weren’t they supposed to get a little worse with a rookie head coach and the losses of several key players? Guess not.
2. (3) B.C.
Those in the know starting noticing this from the start of the season. The Lions play with grit and determination.
3. (2) Hamilton
It was a valiant effort against the Stamps that ultimately came up just short, but the Ticats need to get a run game going.
4. (5) Winnipeg
That’s four in a row for the league’s second hottest team and for Matt Nichols, who was thrown only one interception in that time.
5. (4) Ottawa
Something’s rotten in the nation’s capital, where they’ve lost two straight. Canadian depth and many defensive changes are problems.
6. (6) Edmonton
That wasn’t exactly a commanding victory over the Green and White. They needed more momentum than that going into their Calgary battles.
7. (7) Montreal
The Alouettes were unable to follow up their fine performance in Ottawa and have now gone more than a year without back-to-back wins.
8. (8) Toronto
Ricky Ray returns and the offence is mostly healthy, but now they have to play two games in six days against two physical teams.
9. (9) Saskatchewan
There were signs of life from the Riders in the second half against the Eskimos, and some new players look good.
THE WEEK AHEAD
B.C. at Toronto — Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Ricky Ray is back, but the Lions are for real and playing some physical football right now. Lions by 6.
Ottawa at Montreal — Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
The Alouettes are 2-9 in their last 11 games, while the RedBlacks are 3-1 on the road. RedBlacks by 9.
Winnipeg at Saskatchewan — Sunday, 3 p.m. EDT
Riders have won 11 straight Labour Day Classics, but all good streaks must come to an end. Bombers by 12.
Edmonton at Calgary — Monday, 3 p.m. EDT
The Stampeders are a much better team right now than their colleagues to the north. Stampeders by 13.
Toronto at Hamilton — Monday, 6:30 p.m. EDT
The tired Argos will be playing their second game in six days, which will make it easy for Zach Collaros and Co. Ticats by 10.
Last week: 2-2
Overall: 19-21

CFL Blitz: Parity reigns at halfway point of 2016 season


The middle of the CFL season is upon us, and, as always there are plenty of storylines that have been building and should keep fans of the three-down loop entertained for the second half.


TORONTO — No winning ticket was sold for the $45 million jackpot in Friday night’s Lotto Max draw.
It means the jackpot for the next draw on Sept. 2 will rise to $50 million.
There will also be eight MaxMillions prizes of $1 million dollars each up for grabs.


No winning ticket was sold for the $45 million jackpot in Friday night’s Lotto Max draw.


Dear Amy: My wife and I have been together for about 14 years. We have four children, ranging in age from teens to a toddler. We are both 36.
Over the past year or so we have had a few bumps in the road, including having an unexpected child who was born with health problems, my wife's family moving in with us (we later had to evict them), an arrest (mine), and her having a manic episode and being committed to a mental hospital for six days. She has been regulated on her meds and seems to be doing a lot better with everything.
She's a stay-at-home mom. When I get home I give her a break; she goes into her room and listens to music, writes in her journal or goes on social media sites.
While this is fine with me, over the last few weeks it's becoming an issue. I feel ignored.
I did something I shouldn't have done, and I read her journal. I had to see what was wrong with her.
Her journal noted that she has always had self-esteem issues. It also stated that she has been trying to make herself more attractive, because she craves attention (which I try to give her), that she has become bored, and sees risky behaviour approaching.
She didn't write anything more for two days. The next entry was about how I was jealous of a male friend of ours because they message a lot on Facebook. She wrote that she has no interest in him or anyone else. She said that I need to get past it.
I believe all of this is leading us to a path of divorce, lies and cheating.
Should I bring this all up? Should I try to change something I'm doing? I don't know where to go from here and how to fix this.
I honestly feel she still loves me but maybe isn't in love with me anymore. I want her to be happy. Thoughts? -- Worried
Dear Worried: My first thought is that the main thing you can change is to get your face out of your wife's private diary. If you are concerned about lying and cheating, perhaps you should look in the mirror. Reading her diary is disrespect of the first order.
Your wife might be approaching another manic episode. If you are worried about this, you should discuss it with her. If you are jealous of her friendship with another man, you should be honest about it, and then consider trusting her if she says she isn't into him.
You have glossed over your own actions -- you mention you were arrested, but you don't say why.
She is expressing some things in her diary that she should (also) express to you, but she has the right to her private thoughts and expressions. You two should see a therapist together to discuss your considerable family stressors and work on how to communicate more effectively and respectfully.
Dear Amy: I have a friend I have been seeing once a week for coffee. It feels like a one-sided friendship to me, in that she spends most of the time talking about herself.
I am a good listener and ask her questions, but sometimes I feel like I'm more her therapist than her friend.
I've decided after months of this that I was going to make myself less available, and that has worked out.
I had not seen her for several months until a few weeks ago, and the same pattern is there, but the rub is this: She will barely look me in the eyes! I don't know what to make of it. I keep thinking if she didn't want to see me, she'd make excuses, but she doesn't.
But whether she's talking about herself or listening to me, she won't make eye contact. It's just really weird, and it makes me feel like something is wrong with me. I'm thinking about just coming right out and asking her. What would you suggest? -- Friend
Dear Friend: Eye contact is a sign of intimacy and comfort.
By all means, ask your friend why she won't meet your eye.
Dear Amy: "Sad" was an older sister who was worried about her teen sister's use of the drug "Molly."
I appreciated your answer, but you weren't strong enough. A girl in our town overdosed on this drug. It is very dangerous. -- Worried
Dear Worried: New and synthetic drugs seem to be flooding into our communities. It is terrifying.


Dear Amy: My wife and I have been together for about 14 years. We have four children, ranging in age from teens to a toddler. We are both 36.


Willow Smith has hailed her famous parents Will and Jada Pinkett Smith as her greatest inspirations in life.
The 15-year-old appears alongside her brother Jaden, 18, in the September issue of Interview magazine, for which they sat down for a chat with Pharrell Williams, and Willow admits she has always looked up to their parents.
"Growing up, all I saw was my parents trying to be the best people they could be, and people coming to them for wisdom, coming to them for guidance, and them not putting themselves on a pedestal, but literally being face-to-face with these people and saying, 'I'm no better than you, but the fact that you're coming to me to reach some sort of enlightenment or to shine a light on something, that makes me feel love and gratitude for you,'" Willow recalled. "They always give back what people give to them."
Jaden echoed his sister's thoughts, adding: "I 100% agree with Willow on that one. My parents are definitely my biggest role models. And that's where me and Willow both pull all of our inspiration from to change the world. It all comes from a concept of affecting the world in a positive way and leaving it better than it was than when we came. I feel like that enters into all types of different areas because there are so many different outlets that life has to offer for us. That goes into technology, into music. That goes into science, into spirituality, into education."
Both Willow and Jaden are very active on social media, and frequently use it as a medium to get across their latest campaign. And one thing the pair can always be sure of is that they are being their true selves - something that is severely lacking on many online profiles, according to Willow.
"I know so many kids who literally are, like, Instagram-famous. They have done nothing but post pictures on Instagram," Willow said. "And they have followings. People love to see them in person, but it's only because they post on their Instagram. It's literally crazy. Kids will paint a picture of themselves that is so far beyond who they actually are. It's like they're wearing someone else's skin."
Jaden concurred, proving the pair's incredibly close bond transcends into their beliefs and thoughts on a daily basis.
Speaking about their connection, Willow admitted she finds it "crazy" that she loves her brother so much.
"It's crazy, the sibling dynamic," she remarked. "Throughout us realizing ourselves and realizing each other, we just opened our eyes and were like, 'Damn, you are the yin to my yang.' Not a lot of siblings have that opportunity, because they're always being pushed together so much. They need their time apart in order to realize themselves and realize who they are."


Willow Smith has hailed her famous parents Will and Jada Pinkett Smith as her greatest inspirations in life.


A pic Anthony Weiner took and texted of his bulging drawers, with his four-year-old son lying next to him asleep in bed, has finally felled his marriage.
Wife Huma Abedin announced Monday that, after repeated sexual scandals, she’s leaving him.
The longtime Hillary Clinton aide issued the statement hours after the New York Post hit the streets with the headline: “Pop Goes The Weiner,” and featuring the photo evidence of her husband’s latest sexual slip.
Huma Adebin announced split from Weiner after he was busted sexting this snap with their son https://t.co/dn5zuBmcqp pic.twitter.com/5T0zFtfD3r — New York Post (@nypost) August 29, 2016
“After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband,” Abedin said in a statement. “Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what is best for our son, who is the light of our life. During this difficult time, I ask for respect for our privacy.”
She is currently on the road with Clinton’s campaign.
The Post report features conversations and photo exchanges between 51-year-old Weiner and a busty woman identified only as a “40-something divorcee.”
She said she’s been chatting over the phone with Weiner since January 2015, and they’d sent photos back and forth since that time.
Although the former congressman insisted to the Post that their conversations were “always appropriate,” many of the photos featured him shirtless or focused on his crotch. According to some of the released transcripts, he also steered the general conversation regularly to sex.
Weiner, a Democrat, quit Congress in 2011 after it discovered that he was sending women sexually explicit messages. Weiner ran for mayor of New York in 2013, but that bid collapsed after it was reported that he was continuing to sext women under the handle “Carlos Danger.”
Since then, Weiner has remained in the public eye, commenting on politics on a local cable news show. A documentary offering a cringe-inducing inside view of his mayoral campaign and its unraveling played in theatres earlier this year and is set to air on Showtime this fall.
Weiner deleted his Twitter account Monday.
Abedin, 40, is a longtime aide and confidante to Clinton and is often referred to as Clinton’s second daughter. She is widely expected to play an important role in Clinton’s administration if the candidate is elected president.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was quick to react Monday, saying Abedin is “far better off without (Weiner).” But he also used it as an opportunity to take a jab at Clinton’s judgment for keeping Abedin close to begin with.
“I only worry for the country in that Hillary Clinton was careless and negligent in allowing Weiner to have such close proximity to highly classified information,” he said. “Who knows what he learned and who he told? It’s just another example of Hillary Clinton’s bad judgment. It is possible that our country and its security have been greatly compromised by this.”
Where that Weiner has been:
May 27, 2011 - New York City congressman Anthony Weiner accidentally posts a crotch-shot photo of himself on his Twitter account. He removes it quickly, but not before it’s noticed.
May 30, 2011 - He tells reporters his account was hacked and to “move on.”
June 6, 2011 - After questions persist on whether the photo was of him, he tearfully apologizes for lying and admits he’s sexted with several women, though said he won’t resign his congress seat.
June 16, 2011 - After promising to attend therapy, and after TMZ publishes photos of Weiner half-naked in a locker room that he had apparently taken and sent to others, Weiner announces his resignation.
May 21, 2013 - Weiner mounts a comeback and announces he will run for mayor of New York City.
July 23 - More photos surface that he sent under the pseudonym Carlos Danger. Huma promises to stand by him.
September 10, 2013 - Weiner is crushed in the mayoral primaries, finishing with 4.9% of the vote.

Weiner down: Huma Abedin announces split with sext-happy husband


A pic Anthony Weiner took of his
bulging drawers, with his young son
lying next to him asleep in bed, and
texted to a busty brunette friend
appears to have been the last straw
for wife Huma Abedin.


Mel C has officially ruled herself out of the Spice Girls reunion due to take place next year.
The 42-year-old, along with Victoria Beckham, have both declined to take part in the Wannabe hitmakers' 20th anniversary reunion in 2017, organized by Emma Bunton, Geri Horner and Melanie Brown.
Now Sporty Spice, real name Melanie Chisholm, has penned an essay for Love magazine explaining her difficult decision to bow out of the lucrative reunion.
Insisting the reunion shouldn't take place without all five members on board, Mel added she believes the band should have called it a day following their performance at the closing ceremony for the London Olympic Games in 2012.
"I'd love to play huge arenas across the world, sing our brilliantly bonkers pop songs and relive our former glory," Mel wrote. "It is of course a very lucrative opportunity too. But we were a five-piece band. Didn't we reach a peak with the Olympics? There's a lot to be said for bowing out on a high note.
"For me, the absolute pinnacle of my Spice existence was being watched by a billion people around the globe belting out Spice Up Your Life on top of a black cab at the 2012 London Olympics. Anything less than the full line-up just didn't feel like we'd be doing justice to the band or the fans."
It was after numerous meetings with Emma, Geri and Mel B she made her difficult decision. "The hardest part for me was letting people down, the girls, the fans, civilisation?! Unfortunately something didn't feel quite right and I had to follow my gut," she added.
The mother-of-one had a brief solo career after the Spice Girls split for good in 2000, but is well aware that her success on her own will never match up to her Spice Girls fame.
"I am under no illusion that my solo work will ever come close to a fraction of the impact that we make as the Spice Girls. I love the band, I am beyond proud of my past and will always embrace and celebrate being a Spice Girl, it's what I am," she wrote.
There have been countless bands who have reunited in recent years following success in the 90s, including Take That. But Mel is of the opinion that the Spice Girls shouldn't be pressured into reforming and should instead be remembered by fans for their incredible achievements.
"I will be a Spice Girl until I die. But the continuous speculation on whether we will reform to celebrate 20 years of Wannabe has been particularly exhausting. But is it a new rule that bands have to reform? Why can't we just be remembered for our incredible achievements in the nineties," she shared.
However, she will support her fellow bandmates, no matter what.
"I love the girls dearly. We have a very unique bond that will never be broken and I will continue to support them all as much as I can," Mel concluded.

Mel C reveals why she won't do a Spice Girls reunion


Mel C has officially ruled herself out of the Spice Girls reunion due to take place next year.


The crime was juiced with hatred — pure and simple.
Six bullets ventilated Olympic bronze medalist shot putter Dave Laut on Aug. 27, 2009 in the quiet, leafy backyard of his stucco ranch house.
One more .22 calibre slug that shattered the back of his skull put a personal touch on the hulking high school athletic director’s grisly demise.
Laut, 52, was already lying dead on the ground as his horrified wife Jane called 911 reporting a prowler lurking outside their Oxnard, California home.
“Somebody ... somebody was in our back yard,” she breathlessly told the operator.
Press reports said cops had no suspects.
As for Laut, the beloved 6-foot-3 gym coach was described by friends and family as a “gentle giant.”
Five months later, detectives made an arrest: it was Laut’s wife and high school sweetheart Jane.
Almost immediately, the defence began painting a portrait of the Olympian as a violent, bullying rapist who kept his family in a state of terror. But there was little evidence of the gut-wrenching abuse Jane was claiming.
There was, however, a $300,000 insurance policy. Jane was also spending the family’s money at a gold medal rate, cops learned. Even borrowing $60,000 from her mother-in-law to keep the party rolling.
When cops found the murder weapon, hidden in a grandfather clock, they also found a how-to for cold-blooded wives. Jane had a legal article outlining how to claim self-defense and say you’re suffering from battered woman’s syndrome.
And then there was his desire to end the unhappy marriage.
“They were having problems that last year and she told me Dave wanted to leave the marriage,” Rebecca Laut, Dave’s sister-in-law, told the Ventura County Star. “Jane said, ‘He says he’s going to leave and take Michael, but that’s not going to happen. I’m not going to let him take Michael (their 10-year-old son).’
“(He) was planning on leaving her. He was looking up divorce attorneys hours before his death. I believe he was leaving her that night and he was planning to take their son and she was not going to allow it to happen.”
The dead man’s family scoffed at any indication a domestic war was raging behind the walls of the couple’s tidy suburban home.
“We never ever heard about any type of domestic violence. She changed her story so many times and once she was arrested then all of a sudden it was about domestic violence,” Rebecca Laut told the Los Angeles Times.
“She was my sister-in-law and I knew her and she was also my friend,” Rebecca says. “I am positive there was never domestic violence. The only domestic violence there was is what she did to Dave and her son Michael on that night. Because of her killing her own husband she took away her son’s father.”
Jane Laut’s legal team hammered away at the theme the dead sportsman was a violent psychopath. In the end, the jury didn’t believe her and she was found guilty in March of killing the “gentle giant.”
She scoffed at a manslaughter plea deal that would have seen her walk out of prison in six, short years.
On Tuesday, a California judge sentenced her to 50 years in prison. Her lawyer says he plans to appeal.
For Laut’s family, the agony and confusion has not gone away.
“I mean, if you knew Dave and the kind of person he was and the way he beamed when he talked about Jane and how he had her up so high on this pedestal, I mean, he just — he loved her,” said Rebecca Laut.
SEXXX-RATED HEIST
A carnal crazed cat burglar broke into an Ohio sex store and made away with sex toys, lubes, the upper half of a $2,000 sex doll and a $46.99 blonde wig, according to police.
Cops say Ellis Doyle, 26, went through a ventilation pipe and slithered into Cirilla’s adult novelty store. But surveillance cameras captured the hormone-charged heist man — as he returned for a second visit.
The Smoking Gun quotes cops: “walks around the store again and then walks over to the ‘Eva’ mannequin and strips the clothing off of it and takes the top half of the mannequin and takes a blond and burgundy wig off a display and places it on its head and walks out the front door.”
Doyle allegedly got away with $2,650 in R-rated goodies. The Eva mannequin was found at a nearby Red Roof Hotel. He has his preliminary hearing on Monday.
MOST WANTED
NAME: Gregory Pictou
AGE: Unknown
CIRCUMSTANCES: On Feb. 21, 1981, the body of John Gleason was found in a state of mummified decomposition in the basement of the National Native Cultural Centre in Ottawa. He had been stabbed approximately 50 times in the front and back torso — his throat slit from ear-to-ear. Pictou is wanted for first-degree murder.
He was last seen in New York City in the 1980s.
CONTACT: Ottawa Police or the RCMP


The crime was juiced with hatred — pure
and simple.


SASKATOON -- A 26-year-old man is recovering in hospital after he was attacked in northern Saskatchewan by a lone wolf.
The man, a shift worker at Cameco's Cigar Lake uranium mine, was walking between buildings shortly after midnight on Monday when the attack occurred, said Cameco spokesman Rob Gereghty.
"He is a kitchen worker, on lunch break at that time. He may have been headed back to his room."
That's when the wolf made what Gereghty called an "unprovoked attack."
"A single wolf basically pounced on him. The injured contractor received immediate medical attention from a security guard who interrupted the attack and scared the lone wolf away."
The worker was flown to Saskatoon where Gereghty said he is recovering and in good spirits.
The wolf remains at large and wildlife officers are on the site. All workers have been told to use vehicles to move from building to building.
Gereghty said the company takes pains to keep a clean site. All food is either buried, or burned and buried. Two fences ring the landfill.
Nevertheless, wildlife is a reality at the remote mine, about 675 kilometres north of Saskatoon.
"Bears, wolves, they are prevalent," Gereghty said. "We do our best to work in harmony with wildlife and the environment, but occasionally interactions do take place."

'A single wolf basically pounced on him'; Sask. mine worker in hospital after 'u


A 26-year-old man is recovering in hospital after he was attacked in northern Saskatchewan by a lone wolf.