Ottawa boosts matching donations for Pakistan flooding to $7.5M

MONTREAL – Quebec provincial police say a body found in a nature park last month was that of a cryptocurrency influencer who had been missing since he was kidnapped from his Old Montreal condo in June.

Police say Kevin Mirshahi’s remains, discovered on Oct. 30 at Montreal’s Parc de l’Île-de-la-Visitation, were formally identified by the coroner’s office.

Mirshahi, 25, had been missing since he and three other people in their 20s were kidnapped from the parking garage of his condo building on June 21.

Three of the four people kidnapped — two women and a man — were found alive a day later in western Montreal, but Mirshahi remained unaccounted for.

By August, Quebec provincial police had concluded Mirshahi had been killed and they arrested Joanie Lepage, 32, of Les Cèdres, 45 kilometres southwest of Montreal.

She was charged at the courthouse in Valleyfield, Que., with first-degree murder, forcible confinement and accessory after the fact to murder on Aug. 22.

According to the charges, the killing is alleged to have taken place in Les Cèdres on the same day as the kidnapping.

Police say other arrests could be coming as the investigation is ongoing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

VICTORIA – Former British Columbia premier John Horgan loomed large over the swearing-in ceremony for 47 New Democrat members of the legislature, a day after his death.

Before the ceremony, Songhees Nation elder Butch Dick sang a prayer and offered words of sympathy for the family of Horgan, who died Tuesday at the age of 65 after a third battle with cancer.

Dick says Horgan was a “friend of the people,” while Legislature Clerk Kate Ryan-Lloyd paid tribute to Horgan for his service to the people of B.C.

Langford-Highlands MLA Ravi Parmar wore a Victoria Shamrocks lacrosse jersey to honour his longtime friend and mentor who was a lacrosse player and faithful follower of the Shamrocks.

Garry Begg, whose 21-vote victory in Surrey-Guildford gave the NDP a one-seat majority government, was given a standing ovation by friends and colleagues.

The NDP majority in the 93-seat legislature was only confirmed after recounts that took place weeks after the Oct. 19 election.

The B.C. Conservatives won 44 seats, and the Greens two.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

OTTAWA – A CSIS official denies they threatened a Montreal man who was later imprisoned and allegedly tortured by authorities in Sudan.

The spy service employee, who can only be identified as Witness C to protect their identity, is testifying in Abousfian Abdelrazik’s lawsuit against the federal government.

Abdelrazik claims Canadian officials arranged for his arbitrary imprisonment, encouraged his detention by Sudanese authorities and actively obstructed his repatriation to Canada for several years.

The Sudanese-born Abdelrazik was arrested in September 2003 while in his native country to see his ailing mother.

Witness C, who had previously spoken to Abdelrazik in Montreal, travelled to Khartoum to interrogate him.

In Federal Court today, the witness acknowledged telling Abdelrazik in Canada that he should not travel, but characterized that as sincere advice to protect him rather than a threat.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.