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Canada will not offer direct aid to Lebanese government, funds will go to 'trusted' partners – CBC.ca

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International Development Minister Karina Gould says Canadian aid to respond to the devastating explosion in Beirut will be funnelled to “trusted” humanitarian organizations and not be directed to the Lebanese government.

The federal government announced Wednesday that it was contributing up to $5 million in humanitarian aid to Lebanon, including $1.5 million that will be directed to the Lebanese Red Cross to provide emergency medical services, shelter and food for those affected by Tuesday’s massive explosion.

During a news conference this morning, Gould said Canada is “extraordinarily preoccupied” with Lebanon’s fiscal situation. The country is grappling with an economic crisis and public unrest and angry protests over concerns about government corruption and mismanagement.

“We are in contact with the Lebanese government, but at this time, no direct aid is planned from Ottawa to the Lebanese government,” she said.

Gould said financial aid must come with “significant fiscal and political reforms” to ensure that assistance goes to benefiting the lives of the Lebanese people.

Gould said the money represents Canada’s initial commitment and that it could grow in the coming days and weeks as the scale of the disaster becomes more evident. She said Canada will be there for the long haul to assist with recovery efforts, but the immediate priority is to save lives.

Asked if the government would consider a dollar-matching donation program, Gould said the government is open to all ideas from other politicians and Canadians and that “all options are on the table.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement on the disaster Thursday, saying Canadians are “shocked and deeply saddened” by the explosion. He vowed that Canada will help aid in the recovery.

International Development Minister Karina Gould spoke with reporters on Thursday. 1:34

“To the people of Lebanon, Lebanese Canadians, and all those who watched the explosion in shock and horror, worrying about their loved ones and friends: we will always support the people of Lebanon as you work to heal and rebuild your beautiful city. Canada will also work with the international community to keep identifying how we can support urgent needs, and continue to offer emergency support, including medical aid, food and shelter. 

Trudeau said Canada and Lebanon share a “deep and longstanding friendship, which is rooted in close people-to-people ties,” and noted that hundreds of thousands of Lebanese Canadians live in communities across the country.

According to Gould’s office, there are about 11,000 Canadians in Lebanon who have registered with Global Affairs Canada. The minister said today that there have been about 64 requests for assistance to date.

Gould said today that the embassy in Beirut was spared significant damage, and is expected to reopen Monday. All staff are safe at this time, she added.

Canadians in need of assistance can call 1-800-387-3124 or 613-996-8885 or email sos@international.gc.ca.

Canada’s chargé d’affaires in Lebanon, Gregory Galligan, tweeted Thursday morning that the government stands ready to help Canadians in the region.

“I want you to know the embassy has resumed limited operations today and we hope to resume consular appointments next week. In the meantime, Ottawa continues to provide consular support,” he said.

The explosion occurred Tuesday when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate ignited, sending shock waves across the Lebanese capital. Ammonium nitrate is a highly explosive chemical used in fertilizers, and had been stored for years at the port.

At least 135 people were killed and about 5,000 injured, overwhelming hospitals in the area. Another 300,000 people have been left homeless. 

Beirut Embassy to reopen on Monday, International Development Minister Karina Gould tells reporters. 2:11

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A linebacker at West Virginia State is fatally shot on the eve of a game against his old school

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A linebacker at Division II West Virginia State was fatally shot during what the university said Thursday is being investigated by police as a home invasion.

The body of Jyilek Zyiare Harrington, 21, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was found inside an apartment Wednesday night in Charleston, police Lt. Tony Hazelett said in a statement.

Hazelett said several gunshots were fired during a disturbance in a hallway and inside the apartment. The statement said Harrington had multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they had no information on a possible suspect.

West Virginia State said counselors were available to students and faculty on campus.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jyilek’s family as they mourn the loss of this incredible young man,” West Virginia State President Ericke S. Cage said in a letter to students and faculty.

Harrington, a senior, had eight total tackles, including a sack, in a 27-24 win at Barton College last week.

“Jyilek truly embodied what it means to be a student-athlete and was a leader not only on campus but in the community,” West Virginia State Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Nate Burton said. “Jyilek was a young man that, during Christmas, would create a GoFundMe to help less fortunate families.”

Burton said donations to a fund established by the athletic department in Harrington’s memory will be distributed to an organization in Charlotte to continue his charity work.

West Virginia State’s home opener against Carson-Newman, originally scheduled for Thursday night, has been rescheduled to Friday, and a private vigil involving both teams was set for Thursday night. Harrington previously attended Carson-Newman, where he made seven tackles in six games last season. He began his college career at Division II Erskine College.

“Carson-Newman joins West Virginia State in mourning the untimely passing of former student-athlete Jyilek Harrington,” Carson-Newman Vice President of Athletics Matt Pope said in a statement. “The Harrington family and the Yellow Jackets’ campus community is in our prayers. News like this is sad to hear anytime, but today it feels worse with two teams who knew him coming together to play.”

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AP college football: and

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Hall of Famer Joe Schmidt, who helped Detroit Lions win 2 NFL titles, dies at 92

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DETROIT (AP) — Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92.

The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Wednesday. A cause of death was not provided.

One of pro football’s first great middle linebackers, Schmidt played his entire NFL career with the Lions from 1953-65. An eight-time All-Pro, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the college football version in 2000.

“Joe likes to say that at one point in his career, he was 6-3, but he had tackled so many fullbacks that it drove his neck into his shoulders and now he is 6-foot,” said the late Lions owner William Clay Ford, Schmidt’s presenter at his Hall of Fame induction in 1973. “At any rate, he was listed at 6-feet and as I say was marginal for that position. There are, however, qualities that certainly scouts or anybody who is drafting a ballplayer cannot measure.”

Born in Pittsburgh, Schmidt played college football in his hometown at Pitt, beginning his stint there as a fullback and guard before coach Len Casanova switched him to linebacker.

“Pitt provided me with the opportunity to do what I’ve wanted to do, and further myself through my athletic abilities,” Schmidt said. “Everything I have stemmed from that opportunity.”

Schmidt dealt with injuries throughout his college career and was drafted by the Lions in the seventh round in 1953. As defenses evolved in that era, Schmidt’s speed, savvy and tackling ability made him a valuable part of some of the franchise’s greatest teams.

Schmidt was elected to the Pro Bowl 10 straight years from 1955-64, and after his arrival, the Lions won the last two of their three NFL titles in the 1950s.

In a 1957 playoff game at San Francisco, the Lions trailed 27-7 in the third quarter before rallying to win 31-27. That was the NFL’s largest comeback in postseason history until Buffalo rallied from a 32-point deficit to beat Houston in 1993.

“We just decided to go after them, blitz them almost every down,” Schmidt recalled. “We had nothing to lose. When you’re up against it, you let both barrels fly.”

Schmidt became an assistant coach after wrapping up his career as a player. He was Detroit’s head coach from 1967-72, going 43-35-7.

Schmidt was part of the NFL’s All-Time Team revealed in 2019 to celebrate the league’s centennial season. Of course, he’d gone into the Hall of Fame 46 years earlier.

Not bad for an undersized seventh-round draft pick.

“It was a dream of mine to play football,” Schmidt told the Detroit Free Press in 2017. “I had so many people tell me that I was too small. That I couldn’t play. I had so many negative people say negative things about me … that it makes you feel good inside. I said, ‘OK, I’ll prove it to you.’”

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Coastal GasLink fined $590K by B.C. environment office over pipeline build

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VICTORIA – British Columbia’s Environment Assessment Office has fined Coastal GasLink Pipeline Ltd. $590,000 for “deficiencies” in the construction of its pipeline crossing the province.

The office says in a statement that 10 administrative penalties have been levied against the company for non-compliance with requirements of its environmental assessment certificate.

It says the fines come after problems with erosion and sediment control measures were identified by enforcement officers along the pipeline route across northern B.C. in April and May 2023.

The office says that the latest financial penalties reflect its escalation of enforcement due to repeated non-compliance of its requirements.

Four previous penalties have been issued for failing to control erosion and sediment valued at almost $800,000, while a fifth fine of $6,000 was handed out for providing false or misleading information.

The office says it prioritized its inspections along the 670-kilometre route by air and ground as a result of the continued concerns, leading to 59 warnings and 13 stop-work orders along the pipeline that has now been completed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

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