Family member of Toronto van attack victim happy man behind bars, asks perpetrator's name no longer be used

Omar Najjar, the son of a man killed in the 2018 van attack in Toronto, said Monday that he was happy the perpetrator would be behind bars after he was sentenced to life in prison. However, Najjar said he wished the man had not received parole, but respected the law of the land following a Supreme Court ruling. He also asked media that the perpetrator's name is no longer used, saying it causes "agony" for his family and likely other victims' families.

Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting

Latest Stories

  • Family with 5 kids living in tents amid 'crisis' in South Shore housing

    A housing development coordinator in Lunenburg County, N.S., says the housing crisis has reached unprecedented levels, with families living in campgrounds in the summer, and seniors burning furniture for warmth in the winter. "We're in a crisis," said Lisa Ryan, executive director of the South Shore Open Doors Association. "There are no vacancies and rental rates have increased so significantly that most folks who work and live here are priced out of housing." She said an influx of new residents

  • Newfoundland Mountie arrested on allegations including possession, breach of trust

    ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Newfoundland and Labrador's police oversight agency says an RCMP officer has been arrested for several offences, including possession of a controlled substance. The Serious Incident Response Team says in a news release the officer is based in Corner Brook, a town in western Newfoundland. The watchdog says it launched its investigation at the request of the RCMP, and a spokeswoman for the oversight agency said in an email that the officer has not yet been charged. Watchdog dire

  • Scotiabank pauses Hockey Canada sponsorship over sex assault allegations

    Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) said on Tuesday it had decided to pause its Hockey Canada sponsorship until the organization, which is dealing with fallout from a sexual assault lawsuit, takes the proper steps to improve the culture within the sport. The decision by Canada's third-biggest lender comes a week after the Canadian federal government froze funding to the organization over its handling of an alleged sexual assault and out-of-court settlement. "Today, we have made the decision to pause our sponsorship of Hockey Canada until we are confident the right steps are being taken to improve the culture within the sport — both on and off the ice," Scotiabank Chief Executive Officer Brian J. Porter wrote in an open letter.

  • NATO expansion: Moves to admit Finland and Sweden 'will likely drag on' amid objections from Turkey

    Turkey is "unlikely to simply back down on its demands" to Stockholm and Helsinki, say experts. View on euronews

  • California voters to weigh constitutional right to abortion

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California voters will decide in November whether to guarantee the right to an abortion in their state constitution, a question sure to boost turnout on both sides of the debate during a pivotal midterm election year as Democrats try to keep control of Congress after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The court's ruling on Friday lets states decide for themselves whether to allow abortion. California is controlled by Democrats who support abortion rights, so

  • Sex scandal involving Prince Andrew prompts high school in Nova Scotia to change name

    HALIFAX — A high-profile sex scandal involving Prince Andrew is prompting a school in Dartmouth, N.S., to change its name. As of Aug. 1, Prince Andrew High School will be renamed Woodlawn High School, to reflect the name of the street and subdivision where the school is located. The school was named after Prince Andrew in 1960, the year he was born, but a recent sex scandal involving a 17-year-old girl and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein led the school to distance itself from the royal. Andr

  • Both drivers dead in head-on collision near Springdale campground

    Two men died in a head-on collision near a Springdale campground Saturday, the RCMP said Monday. Police said roads were wet with heavy rain and there was a buildup of water at the time of the crash. Police responded to the collision before 9:30 a.m. NT after two cars collided near the Blue Canoe Campground. One of the drivers, a 64-year-old man, was the lone occupant of his vehicle and died on the scene, according to a news release. The driver of the second car, a 19-year-old man, later died in

  • Nova Scotians aged 50 and older can soon get a second COVID-19 booster dose

    HALIFAX — All Nova Scotians aged 50 and older will be able to access second COVID-19 boosters by next week, though public health recommends people under 70 wait until the fall before getting another shot. The province decided to expand booster dose eligibility on July 8 to people aged 50 to 69 because some Nova Scotians had been asking for a fourth dose, deputy chief medical officer of health Dr. Shelley Deeks told reporters Monday. "Public health is recommending that people in this age group ac

  • Trudeau pledges $350M to support Ukraine

    In Europe for summits, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to giving Ukraine another $350 million for humanitarian aid to keep the government afloat. But Canada’s military may struggle to supply thousands of new troops to support a major NATO realignment.

  • Restrictions around visitation, COVID-19 screening changing at Windsor Regional Hospital

    Windsor Regional Hospital is loosening its restrictions around visitation and screening for COVID-19. The hospital says that up to two essential caregivers can visit with a patient at a time, and active COVID-19 screening for guests entering the hospital will no longer be required. People entering the hospital will not be asked to immediately provide proof of vaccination or a recent COVID-19 test result. However, the hospital says anyone entering its facilities is asked to self-screen for COVID-

  • Exclusive Ipsos polling shows majority of Canadians fear they may not be able to afford gas

    For months, gas prices jacked up by inflation and other factors have made going to the pumps a nightmare. Thanks to exclusive polling done by Ipsos for Global News, we now know just how many Canadians are impacted by these sky-high rates. To break down the numbers further, Ipsos’ Sean Simpson joins Antony Robart.

  • 'About the survivors': Pope's visit important to understand residential schools

    MASKWACIS — Leaders from four First Nations in central Alberta say the Pope's upcoming visit could help the world understand the trauma the residential school system caused to Indigenous people. Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the Maskwacis area, south of Edmonton, as part of his Canadian tour from July 24 to 29. The community, which has four member nations, says it has been working around the clock in preparation for the thousands of people who are anticipated to come to the area to watch as

  • Supreme Court backs coach in praying on field after games

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday that a high school football coach who sought to kneel and pray on the field after games was protected by the Constitution, a decision that opponents said would open the door to “much more coercive prayer" in public schools. The court ruled 6-3 for the coach with the court’s conservative justices in the majority and its liberals in dissent. The case was the latest in a line of rulings for religious plaintiffs. The case forced the justices to wrestle

  • O'Leary celebrates increasingly diverse residents

    O'Leary hosted its first multiculturalism day event on Monday. The event showcased the language, culture and food of western P.E.I. residents who are originally from across Canada and around the world. "It is really, I think, going to let us feel like a family," said Lihong Ling, who moved to P.E.I. from China with her husband Ling Jie Liu in 2019. "We'll show many people different cultures of different countries, areas, and we love to be one of person here to share our culture, our experience,

  • Construction begins on Regina YWCA's $60M Centre for Women and Families Facility

    The Regina YWCA broke ground Tuesday on its $60-million Centre for Women and Families facility, which will offer 108 housing units and shelter beds for women and children fleeing domestic violence or experiencing homelessness. The facility will use a wraparound hub model that brings services together in one spot, said YWCA Regina CEO Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen, to "ensure that women and families have a community that works to prevent crisis." "And when crisis does happen, we'll have a place to cal

  • Sen. Mike Lee brushes off opponents to win Utah GOP primary

    SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Sen. Mike Lee won Utah’s Republican primary Tuesday, brushing off attacks from two challengers who criticized him for his unwavering loyalty to former President Donald Trump and uncompromising lawmaking style. The second-term Republican and Trump loyalist now advances to the November election, where he’ll face off against independent candidate Evan McMullin. He ran for president as a conservative alternative to Trump in 2016 and received more than one-fifth of the vote in U

  • NY Democrats choose Hochul for governor; GOP picks Zeldin

    NEW YORK (AP) — Nine months after she stepped into the job of New York governor as a relative unknown, Democrat Kathy Hochul easily locked up her party's nomination Tuesday, setting her on an expected glide path to win the office in November. Hochul was serving as an under-the-radar lieutenant governor under the shadow of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo until last year, when he resigned amid sexual harassment allegations, catapulting her into office. Hochul beat back primary challenges Tuesday from New

  • NASA launch paves way for moon orbit space station

    Rocket carrying technology supporting NASA's "Artemis" space exploration program launched from New Zealand. (June 28)

  • Trump wanted people with weapons at Jan. 6 rally: former aide

    Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson says Donald Trump knew people on Jan. 6 had weapons, but wanted them allowed into his rally since he wanted a large crowd.

  • Upcoming Saint John international sculpture symposium will be its final one

    Saint John will host the fifth and final edition of the New Brunswick International Sculpture Symposium, known as Sculpture Saint John, beginning Aug. 11. By the time the fifth edition wraps on Sept. 10, it will have created 38 sculptures, used more than 600 tonnes of granite and attracted about 175,000 people to the city. After this year, a dozen of the sculptures, valued at $1.2 million will remain in the city, and 20 in the greater Saint John area, organizer Diana Alexander told city council