Kansas man sentenced to prison for stealing bronze Jackie Robinson statue

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

What’s next for Singh and his broken political pact with Trudeau?

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh may hold the key to trigger the next election now that he’s axed his political pact with the Liberals. But strategists say that could prove to be both an asset and a liability. They say Singh gains runway to differentiate himself from the Liberals and the Conservatives, but will also face pressure to bring down the Liberal government. On Wednesday Singh put an end to the deal the Liberals have relied on since 2022 to keep their minority government from toppling.

TIFF kicks off with plenty of star power

The Toronto International Film Festival returns in full force today after navigating several years of pandemic-related challenges and industry disruptions. More than 270 films are set to light up screens as the 49th edition of the festival returns to form, including buzzy movies such as Sean Baker’s tragicomic sex-worker love story “Anora,” Marielle Heller’s Amy Adams-starring horror comedy “Nightbitch,” and Pamela Anderson’s Hollywood comeback “The Last Showgirl.” A-listers expected to attend this year’s event include Denzel Washington, Jennifer Lopez, Bill Murray, Bruce Springsteen, Nicole Kidman and Adam Driver.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Trudeau photos absent from Montreal riding

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is conspicuously absent from campaign signs in a Montreal riding entering the final stretch of a byelection campaign. The Conservative, NDP and Bloc Québécois leaders all appear prominently on election signs in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, where voters will go to the polls on Sept. 16. But images of Trudeau are nowhere to be found in the Liberal stronghold, which was held by former cabinet minister David Lametti from 2015 until he resigned earlier this year. Liberal strategists say the prime minister used to be central to the Liberal brand during elections, but that has changed with his dwindling popularity.

Ontario corner stores can sell booze as of today

Convenience stores across Ontario are allowed to sell booze as of today as the province dramatically loosens its grip on the alcohol marketplace. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario says it has granted 42-hundred licences to convenience stores across the province. The stores will be allowed to sell alcohol from 7 a-m to 11 p-m. Twenty per cent of beer, cider and pre-mixed cocktails on display must be from small Ontario producers, and 10 per cent of wine on display must be devoted to small Ontario wineries.

N.S. legislature opens amid election speculation

The Nova Scotia legislature is set to open today for its fall sitting. The early September return has added to speculation of a possible election call later this fall, but Premier Tim Houston will only say that he’s excited about his government’s legislative agenda. The Opposition Liberals and the NDP say they are ready for any scenario and remain focused on their own priorities for the sitting. Both parties say they will highlight the need to deal with cost of living issues, including the shortage of affordable housing and the lack of access to primary health care.

B.C. to support workers after sawmill closures

British Columbia’s forests minister says the province will fight against “unfair duties and stand up for forestry workers” after Canfor Corp. announced the closure of two northern B.C. sawmills, partly blaming “punitive” U.S. tariffs imposed last month. Bruce Ralston says the U.S. Department of Commerce’s decision to increase punishing softwood lumber duties, on top of low prices for lumber, is hurting forestry communities. Canfor Corp. announced Wednesday that it was shutting the Plateau mill in Vanderhoof and its Fort St. John operation would also remove 670 million board feet of annual production capacity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died at a Kenyan hospital where she was being treated after 80% of her body was burned in an attack by her partner. She was 33.

A spokesperson at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city, Owen Menach, confirmed Cheptegei’s death on Thursday. Menach said the long-distance runner died early morning after all her organs failed. She had been fully sedated on admission at the hospital.

Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics less than a month before the attack. She finished in 44th place.

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said Monday that Cheptegei’s partner, Dickson Ndiema, bought a jerrican of petrol, poured it on her and set her ablaze during a disagreement Sunday. Ndiema was also burned, and was being treated at the same hospital.

Menach said Ndiema was still in the intensive care unit with 30% burns, but was “improving and stable.”

Cheptegei’s parents said their daughter bought land in Trans Nzoia to be near the county’s many athletic training centers. A report filed by the local chief states that the two were heard fighting over the land where her house was built before the attack.

The Uganda Athletics Federation eulogized Cheptegei on the social platform X, writing, “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence. As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace.”

Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare called the attack “a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete.”

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

AIN TAYA, Algeria (AP) — In the weeks since Algeria’s Imane Khelif won an Olympic gold medal in women’s boxing, athletes and coaches in the North African nation say national enthusiasm is inspiring newfound interest in the sport, particularly among women.

Khelif’s image is practically everywhere, featured in advertisements at airports, on highway billboards and in boxing gyms. The 25-year-old welterweight’s success in Paris has vaulted her to national hero status, especially after Algerians rallied behind her in the face of uninformed speculation about her gender and eligibility to compete.

Amateur boxer Zougar Amina, a medical student who’s been practicing for a year, called Khelif an idol and role model.

“Since I’ve been boxing, my personality has changed: I’m more confident, less stressed,” she said, describing the sport as “therapy to fight shyness, to learn to defend myself, to gain self-confidence.”

In Ain Taya, the seaside town east of Algiers where Amina boxes, what local media have termed “Khelifmania” is on full display.

Behind a door wallpapered with a large photograph of the gold medalist, punching bags hang from the ceiling of the local gym, and young girls warm up near a boxing ring surrounded by shelves of masks, gloves and mouth guards.

The 23 young women and girls who train at the gym — an old converted church — all dream of becoming the next Khelif, their coach Malika Abassi said.

Abassi said the women imitate Khelif’s post-win celebrations, hopping around the boxing ring and saluting fans. She’s worried that the interest in boxing will grow so rapidly that her gym won’t be able to handle it.

“We’re getting calls from parents wanting to sign up their daughters,” she said. “I’m the only coach and our gym is small.”

Algerians from all walks of life flocked to squares in the country’s major cities to watch Khelif’s matches broadcast on projectors. Khelif’s story endeared her to the majority of the conservative country’s population, although a few prominent imams and Islamist politicians have criticized the example she sets by wearing her boxing uniform and not a headscarf.

Still, Amina Abassi, another amateur boxer at the same gym unrelated to her coach, said she believes the deep well of support for Khelif will overwhelm any criticism.

“I’m convinced that even conservative families will allow their daughters to take up boxing,” she said. “Imane has broken through the wall of false modesty and hypocrisy.”

Noureddine Bouteldja, a former amateur boxer and sports journalist, said Khelif has transcended boxing and become a “social phenomenon” throughout Algeria thanks to her personal story and the scrutiny she faced from famous people around the world who — unlike Algerians — saw her advancing in the Olympics as part of the culture war over sex, gender and sport.

Algerians rallied behind Khelif in the face of criticism from Donald Trump, Elon Musk, J.K. Rowling and others who falsely claimed she was transgender. They largely interpreted attacks on her as attacks on their nation itself. And unlike much of the international community that coalesced behind Khelif, on social media most couldn’t register the thought of a transgender athlete from Algeria.

“It’s the victory of a woman who has shown extraordinary resilience and phenomenal strength of character in the face of the campaign to denigrate her gender,” Bouteldja said.

Boxing coaches and administrators said Khelif’s rise from a poor child in rural central Algeria to worldwide fame has made her an inspirational figure. Mourad Meziane, head of the Algerian Boxing League, expects a huge spike in registration among young women at the start of this school year in mid September.

Algeria currently has 30 regional boxing leagues and 10,000 athletes participating nationwide, he said.

“The impact is inevitable and will only be very positive for women’s boxing in Algeria,” Meziane said.

Civil society figures and activists said the impact is also sure to reverberate far beyond the boxing ring.

Attorney Aouicha Bakhti said Khelif’s story will have a lasting impact on Algerian culture and be a counterweight to strands of society that discourage women’s participation in sports.

“This kind of epic helps society, ours in this case, which is in the process of retreating in the face of fundamentalist ideals,” said Bakhti, a prominent feminist and political activist.