Mounties in B.C. seize 'largest, most sophisticated drug super lab in Canada'
Mounties in British Columbia are set to announce details of the seizure of what investigators are calling the largest and most sophisticated drug 'super lab' in Canada.
A federal appeals court judge has ruled to keep Sean "Diddy" Combs locked up while he makes a third bid for bail in his sex trafficking case, which is slated to go to trial in May.
In a decision filed Friday, Circuit Judge William J. Nardini denied the hip-hop mogul's immediate release from jail while a three-judge panel weighs his bail request.
Combs' lawyers appealed to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Sept. 30 after two judges rejected his release.
Combs, 54, has been held at a federal jail in Brooklyn since his Sept. 16 arrest on charges that he used his "power and prestige" as a music star to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers in events dubbed "Freak Offs."
Combs has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges alleging he coerced and abused women for years with help from a network of associates and employees while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings.
At a bail hearing three weeks ago, a judge rejected the defence's US$50 million bail proposal that would've allowed the "I'll Be Missing You" singer to be placed under house arrest at his Florida mansion with GPS monitoring and strict limits on visitors.
Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr., who has since recused himself from the case, said that prosecutors had presented "clear and convincing evidence" that Combs is a danger to the community. He said "no condition or set of conditions" could guard against the risk of Combs obstructing the investigation or threatening or harming witnesses.
In their appeal, Combs' lawyers argued that the judge had "endorsed the government's exaggerated rhetoric" and ordered Combs detained for "purely speculative reasons."
"Indeed, hardly a risk of flight, he is a 54-year-old father of seven, a U.S. citizen, an extraordinarily successful artist, businessman, and philanthropist, and one of the most recognizable people on earth," the lawyers wrote.
Combs' lawyers have not asked the new trial judge, Arun Subramanian, to consider releasing him on bail. At a hearing Thursday, as Combs sat alongside his lawyers in a beige jail jumpsuit, Subramanian suggested he would at least be open to taking up the issue.
After setting a May 5 trial date, Subramanian briefly questioned Combs' lawyers about his treatment at the Metropolitan Detention Center, which has been plagued by violence and dysfunction for years.
Combs lawyer Mark Agnifilo, who had previously sought to have him moved to a jail in New Jersey, told the judge: "We're making a go of the MDC. The MDC has been very responsive for us."
Another Combs lawyer, Anthony Ricco, told reporters outside the courthouse afterward: "He's doing fine. It's a difficult circumstance. He's making the best of the situation."
But, Ricco said: "Nobody's OK with staying in jail for now."
Mounties in British Columbia are set to announce details of the seizure of what investigators are calling the largest and most sophisticated drug 'super lab' in Canada.
The Quebec government has suspended applications for permanent residency from two immigration streams because it says it can no longer accommodate the rising number of newcomers.
A woman has been charged with dangerous driving causing death after a six-year-old boy was struck and killed by a school bus in Vaughan back in June, York Regional Police say.
Several Ford vehicles have been recalled in Canada due to issues with braking systems, steering and child car seat tethers.
More than 400 alleged victims have so far contacted the legal team working on a case against the late Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, who has been accused of sexual abuse and rape, lawyer Dean Armstrong said on Thursday.
A 19-year-old mother has been charged with murder after her baby died in a house fire in Toronto last week, police say.
The owners of the Whistle Stop Cafe is suing the Alberta government for imposing mandates on businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canada's home ownership crisis is likely to worsen over the next few years as proposed project sales languish at historically low levels, stalling the funding needed for construction, half a dozen economists and realtors told Reuters.
Canada will need a profound shift in political priorities if the country is to ramp up spending to meet its international security obligations.
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