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Sunday, May 27, 2018

Two bombers sought after 15 hurt in blast at Toronto-area Indian restaurant


   Canada column for Sunday, May 27/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT
   (c) By Jim Fox

   Three people remain in Toronto-area hospitals with “critical injuries” after a crude bomb was detonated in an Indian restaurant.
   Twelve other diners injured in the blast were treated at hospitals and released after the incident at the Bombay Bhel restaurant in Mississauga during two birthday celebrations.
   Videos showed two men who had their faces covered entering the restaurant and detonating a bomb and then running away.
   Police said so far there is no indication the explosion was an act of terrorism or a hate crime.
   “Every police resource available” is trying to track down those responsible for this “horrendous act,” said Peel Regional Police Chief Jennifer Evans.
   The owners of the well-known and popular restaurant called the bombing “extremely horrific and sad.”
   The Consulate General of India in Toronto has opened a helpline to assist.
   Consul General Dinesh Bhatia said those injured were Indian or Indo-Canadian and long-time residents of Canada.

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   Polls show Ontario voters could be giving the socialist New Democratic Party (NDP) a surprise upset victory in the June 7 election.
   Radical Ontario Conservative leader Doug Ford has slipped drastically in the latest poll by Ipsos with 46 percent of those surveyed saying they will support the NDP.
   Similarly, the Forum Research poll found 47 percent supporting the socialists, with 39 for the Conservatives and only 14 percent for the current unpopular Liberal government.
   “If the election were held today, we project these results would see an NDP majority government with 79 seats,” Forum said.

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   News in brief:
   - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto that he wants the North American Free Trade Agreement talks to come to a timely conclusion. Even as the talks seemed to have reached an impasse, Trudeau wants to continue. He also warns that a U.S. threat to place tariffs of up to 25 percent on vehicle imports would have an “incredibly negative effect” with the integrated nature of the auto industries.
   - About 3,000 Teamsters’ members are threatening to go on strike at Canadian Pacific Railway after they overwhelmingly rejected the company’s “final” offer. They voted 98.1 percent against the offer and 365 signal and communications workers, members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, were 97 percent against the offer. Talks were to resume and the railway and the unions must give 72 hours’ notice before a lock out or strike.

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   Facts and figures:
   Canada’s dollar is lower at 77.11 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.296 in Canadian funds (exchange fees extra).
   The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is steady at 1.25 percent while the prime-lending rate is 3.45 percent.
   Stock markets are lower, with the Toronto exchange index at 16,075 points while the TSX Venture index is 775 points.
   The average price for gas in Canada is steady at $1.36 a liter or $5.16 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
   Lotto 6/49: (May 23) 4, 9, 15, 20, 42 and 44; bonus 31. (May 19) 14, 15, 28, 34, 38 and 44; bonus 30. Lotto Max: (May 18) 4, 13, 23, 30, 31, 37 and 43; bonus 32.

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   Regional briefs:
   - People are returning to their homes in Grand Forks, British Columbia as the worst of flooding in the province has eased. Temporary housing and other support are being given to people who cannot return to their homes immediately. Across the province, there are 7,000 properties on an evacuation alert as warm weather has led to a significant melting of snow in the mountains.
   - Winter weather returned to Newfoundland as a rare storm dumped a foot of snow on central and parts of eastern parts of the province. There were snowfall warnings from Terra Nova to Grand Falls-Windsor and schools were closed as another four inches fell during the day.

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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

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