Convicted mail bomber loses parole-denial appeal

Convicted mail bomber Guido Amsel has lost his fight for full parole, after his appeal for release was shot down by the Parole Board of Canada.

In 2018, Amsel received a life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 years for the attempted murders of his ex-wife Iris Amsel and lawyers Maria Mitousis and George Orle in 2015 by mailing explosives to them. One of the bombs, placed inside a hand-held tape recorder with instructions to press the “play” button, exploded in Mitousis’s office, resulting in the loss of her right hand.

He was also sentenced to 12 years minus time served for an earlier attempt to murder his ex-wife in 2013.

He was 59 years old in August, when he appeared before the board to argue for full parole. Had it been granted, he would have been released from federal custody and deported to Germany, where he was born and lived for decades.

Fewer than 2,500 Manitobans declare intention to turn over prohibited firearms in federal buyback program

The federal government’s deadline for Canadians to declare ownership of prohibited assault-style firearms and get paid for them passed Tuesday with 2,442 Manitobans indicating they will surrender their guns.

“There’s very little uptake,” Manitoba Wildlife Federation senior policy adviser Chris Heald said Thursday.

The federation has slammed Ottawa for regulations targeting law-abiding hunters and sport shooters, rather than criminals.

“I think there’s a lot of mistrust with the federal government and the way they handled this whole file,” said Heald.

Star guard/forward Teddy Allen returns to Sea Bears after abrupt departure in 2024

Teddy Allen wants to leave the past in the past.

For parts of two seasons, Allen delivered moments of ecstasy to Winnipeg Sea Bears fans with his play on the court, leading the club to the playoffs in its inaugural season while rising to acclaim in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

Allen, the league’s most valuable player, became the face of the franchise before it all came to a surprising and screeching halt early in the 2024 season, when the Sea Bears released the star guard/forward.

On Thursday, nearly two years after the fact, Allen — now the Sea Bears’ newest signing — said all the right things as he tiptoed through a series of questions about the abrupt way his last tenure with the team ended, and how a new one is about to begin.

Judge delays sentencing for hockey coach convicted of sexually assaulting player

Sentencing for a former youth hockey coach guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing one of her players for more than a year has been delayed a second time.

Baby black bears orphaned after mother killed

Manitoba Conservation is investigating the killing of a mother bear who was illegally shot this week.

The location of a bear’s den north of Balmoral was posted to social media a few weeks ago, according to Judy Stearns, who co-owns Black Bear Rescue Manitoba with her husband.

Stearns warned the online audience not to disclose the co-ordinates out of fear something bad could happen.

“I did a post on our Facebook page to get the word out that people shouldn’t be doing this,” she said Wednesday.

Bahrain waters down UN proposal over opposition to allowing force to open Strait of Hormuz

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Bahrain has significantly watered down a proposed U.N. resolution on reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid opposition from China and Russia about allowing countries to use force to secure the critical waterway Iran has largely cut off to global shipping.

The final draft of the proposal, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, authorizes defensive — but not offensive — action to ensure vessels can safely transit the strait. One-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through the waterway, where Iran’s stranglehold during the war has sent energy prices soaring.

Bahrain’s initial draft would have allowed countries “to use all necessary means” — U.N. language that would include possible military action — “in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman” to secure passage and deter attempts to interfere with navigation.

Russia, China and France, all veto-wielding countries on the 15-member Security Council, had expressed opposition to approving the use of force. The final draft eliminates any reference to allowing offensive military action.

School division hit with second lawsuit over sex offences

Another former student football player is suing Pembina Trails School Division for allegedly failing to protect him from coach Kelsey McKay, who has been convicted of sex offences.

The student, whose name has been struck from court records, filed his statement of claim in the Court of King’s Bench late last month, accusing the school division of negligence and breaches of duty.

The plaintiff attended Vincent Massey Collegiate from 2014 to 2018 and played on the varsity football team, he says in his court filing, which argues the division should be held liable for the actions of former physical education teacher McKay, who is serving a federal prison term.

“The plaintiff came into regular contact with McKay, during which time McKay established an intimate relationship (with the plaintiff) and whom the plaintiff looked up to, trusted and feared during the course of his interactions with him,” the court documents say.

For Interlake farm couple, winter means smokies and footlongs on ice

MATLOCK — Cool spot for a hot-dog cart? Yeah, you can say that again.

It’s Sunday morning in late March, with the temperature hovering close to the freezing mark. A cloudless sky is a brilliant shade of blue and there is a gentle breeze blowing out of the south — a harbinger of balmier days ahead.

Despite the relatively welcoming conditions, Rudy Wall is sporting three wool sweaters underneath a black quilted jacket emblazoned with a Torque Brewery insignia.

Even at 0 C, layering is key if you intend to be outdoors for six hours, he says, adding that besides a knitted tuque and long underwear, he is also wearing two sets of water-resistant socks inside a pair of shin-high insulated rubber boots.

In photos: Winnipeg bakers prepare for Easter

The bakers at Harvest Bakery have been busy this week in preparation of the Holy weekend. The staff made more than 2,000 hot cross buns on Wednesday to get ready for the Easter demand.