A London music festival cancels its final night after ELO’s Jeff Lynne pulls out

A London music festival cancels its final night after ELO’s Jeff Lynne pulls out

LONDON (AP) — A two-week-long music festival in central London has cancelled its final night after Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra pulled out of the headline slot on Sunday.

Lynne, 77, who was billed to play alongside his band Sunday at the The BST Hyde Park festival, withdrew on Saturday on the advice of doctors as a result of what was termed a “systemic infection."

In a statement, the festival organizers said the event will “sadly be cancelled” and that ticket holders will be refunded and contacted directly by their ticket agent with further details.

Stevie Wonder will be taking to the London stage on Saturday evening in what will now be the festival’s final event of 2025. This year's festival, which started on June 27, hosted the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Van Morrison and Neil Young.

Barron brothers clash for eighth NHL dogfight

ST. LOUIS — This is what all of those endless games of mini sticks, countless hours on the outdoor rinks and extra reps in the gym were meant to bring about one day.

While the shine might not be quite as bright for Morgan and Justin Barron, the appreciation for the opportunity to go head-to-head in an NHL rink has yet to dull and it’s not something they’re about to take for granted.

Tuesday’s clash against the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues marked the eighth NHL meeting between the Barron brothers, who took divergent paths after growing up in Halifax.

“I’m always pulling for him and then all of a sudden, you’re fighting in the corner for a puck,” Morgan recalled after the morning skate on Tuesday. “It’s no different than in the summer or playing mini sticks in the basement and all of that stuff.

Salvation Army calls on Winnipeggers to donate merchandise as sales soar

The Salvation Army is taking donated merchandise from other regions to stock its Winnipeg thrift stores as increasing sales outpace local donations.

Retail activity at the charity’s eight Winnipeg locations grew more than 10 per cent year over year during several months, from January through April, and again in June.

Although local donations remain strong, they haven’t kept pace with demand, prompting the organization to supplement inventory with merchandise from elsewhere.

Ted Troughton, managing director of the Salvation Army’s thrift store operations, said rising living costs are bringing in new customers.

Mayoral candidates focus on public safety at Indigenous forum

Mayoral hopefuls made their pitch to Winnipeg’s Indigenous community Tuesday at a forum hosted by chiefs organizations.

“Public safety must include trust between police and First Nations,” said candidate Kevin Klein, a former chair of the police board. “Winnipeg needs a policing approach that protects Indigenous residents, supports victims, prevents crime and builds lasting relationships with Indigenous communities.”

The former city councillor and Tory cabinet minister promised harsher penalties for drug dealers and said he’d work to create a community safety task force that would include Indigenous leadership.

He also said the police service must recruit more Indigenous officers to change its culture.

Katz ‘violated public trust,’ Sheegl lacked ‘moral compass,’ police HQ inquiry commissioner concludes

The final report from the public inquiry into the scandal-plagued Winnipeg Police Service headquarters construction project concludes that former mayor Sam Katz and former city CAO Phil Sheegl broke public trust and engaged in unethical conduct.

And the report, released Monday by inquiry commissioner Garth Smorang, says the cost of the project — transforming a downtown Canada Post office tower and warehouse into the police HQ — soared, in part, because main contractor Caspian Projects overcharged the city by more than $40 million in expenses.

The project’s initial $135-million initial price tag rose to about $209 million in the end. The city purchased the complex in 2009; construction was completed in 2016.

Smorang’s report concludes Katz “violated the public trust” and council code of conduct, and Sheegl suffered from a “complete lack of a moral compass.”

Surprising announcement opens door slightly for accountability in police HQ saga

Early Monday afternoon, it looked as if former Mayor Sam Katz, former chief administrative officer Phil Sheegl and contractor Armik Babakhanians were going to finally and successfully escape the long arm of the law for their roles in the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters scandal.