Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
A Romanian court on Wednesday upheld a second 30-day detention for the divisive influencer and former professional kickboxer Andrew Tate who is held on suspicion of organized crime and human trafficking, an official said.
Tate lost his appeal against a judge's Jan. 20 decision to extend his arrest a second time for 30 days, said Ramona Bolla, a spokesperson for Romania's anti-organized crime agency DIICOT.
Tate, 36, a British-U.S. citizen who has nearly 5 million followers on Twitter, arrived at the Bucharest Court of Appeal handcuffed to his brother Tristan, who is held in the same case along with two Romanian women. None of the four have yet been formally charged.
The court rejected their appeals and all will remain in custody until Feb. 27 as prosecutors continue investigating the case. They previously lost an appeal against an earlier 30-day extension.
A document seen by The Associated Press explaining the Jan. 20 decision said the judge took into account the "particular dangerousness of the defendants" and their capacity to identify victims "with an increased vulnerability, in search of better life opportunities."
Tina Glandian, an American lawyer who has previously represented celebrities including singer Chris Brown and former heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson, joined the Tates' legal defense team on Wednesday to work alongside them.
"The defence team made extensive legal arguments pointing out the lack of evidence against the Tate brothers," she told a news conference before the ruling. "It's no secret that the Tate brothers are controversial public personas, but this is not about their public persona ... this is about the violation of international human rights and the due process of law."
"So far the system has failed," she said. "The Tate brothers, who are both U.S. citizens, have been in jail for over 30 days now without bail and without any charges filed against them."
As the Tates left the court after Wednesday's morning hearing, Andrew Tate said: "Ask them for evidence and they will give you none, because it doesn't exist. You'll find out the truth of this case soon."
Tate, who has reportedly lived in Romania since 2017, was previously banned from various prominent social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech. He has claimed there is "zero evidence" against him in the case and alleged it is instead a "political" attack to silence him.
"My case is not criminal, it's political. It's not about justice or fairness. It's about attacking my influence on the world," read a post that appeared on his Twitter account on Sunday.
His Twitter following has increased by several hundred thousand since he was first arrested in December. An online petition launched in January to free the brothers has garnered nearly 100,000 signatures.
After the Tates and the two women were arrested, the DIICOT anti-organized crime agency said in a statement that it had identified six victims in the human trafficking case who were subjected to "acts of physical violence and mental coercion" and were sexually exploited by members of the alleged crime group.
The agency said victims were lured with pretenses of love, and later intimidated, placed under surveillance and subjected to other control tactics while being coerced into engaging in pornographic acts for substantial financial gain.
Last month, Romanian authorities descended on a compound near Bucharest linked with the Tate brothers and towed away a fleet of luxury cars that included a Rolls-Royce, a Ferrari and a Porsche. They reported seizing assets worth an estimated US$3.9 million.
Prosecutors have said that if they can prove the cars' owners gained money through illicit activities such as human trafficking, the assets would be used to cover the expenses of the investigation and to compensate victims. Tate also unsuccessfully appealed the asset seizure.
------
McGrath reported from Sighisoara, Romania
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.