Prime Minister and family arrive in New Delhi

Prime Minister Trudeau is in India Saturday for a state visit. Check out how Rajya Sabha TV reports the arrival. Then to the right, the Saga of King Street goes on as drivers either ignore, or more likely, can’t make sense out of the festival of no-go signs. Below that, many will consider it a must-see video as ABC News reports how a former Playboy Playmate got $150,000 from the National Inquirer to give them the scoop on her fling with Donald Trump. They didn’t publish it. And finally, what everyone knows about medical marijuana is true. It has burgeoning adherents but hardly no science to justify a single puff, medically speaking. Be happy.

St. Ave W. was partly closed at midday Saturday because of a hydro vault fire Vaughan Rd. and Kenwood Ave. Previously, it was reported as a gas leak. The road may be fully open but TPS operations has not yet tweeted such. It did say that the street was open in one lane east and west.

The US has charged 13 Russians with criminally interfering in the 2016 US election to help Donald Trump, the office of Robert Mueller, the special counsel, announced on Friday. The authorities say the manipulations of these persons did not effect the outcome of the election. The release of information Friday names one man, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, as having organized and paid for these efforts. He is quoted by the Russian news service RT as saying that he doesn’t mind if Americans see him as “the devil.” The names of all those indicted are here. Below is the statement by Rod Rosenstein, United States Deputy Attorney General

Patrick Brown Friday

Doug Ford statement

PC leader Ford

A tumultuous day has seen Patrick Brown kicked out of the PC Party of Ontario caucus and then witnessed Mr. Brown file papers just before the 5 p.m. deadline to run for leader of the party in the voting which will take place electronically between March 2 and March 8. What other cards remain to be played before party members actually vote. Global News says it has spoken to an unnamed “senior party official’ who said that while Brown can run as a candidate, his bid will be quashed before the vote. It is unlikely, said this source, that when the party reviews Brown’s application for his Barrie area riding at a later date, that the candidacy will be endorsed. That, said the source, will end his leadership bid. Have his former colleagues conspired at a strategy to get rid of Brown before his candidacy can confuse the voting? Most candidates for leader, Christine Elliott and Caroline Mulroney for two — concentrated on their own ability to defeat the Wynne Liberals. But Doug Ford issued a statement searing the former leader. It said the party was better off without Brown as leader. “This is as distraction, Ontario deserves better,” said Ford. PC leadership hopefuls slam Patrick Brown’s move to join race for top job

Maeve Pestonji of St Anselm Catholic School / www.tcdsb.org/schools/stanselm

Wildcats in London, Windsor and Strathroy

Trucks at Loblaws

Putti’s window

Costco front door

Maeve Pestonji of St Anselm Catholic School (seen at upper left with Trustee Angela Kennedy) is the winner of Agnes Macphail public speaking contest. Nice going Maeve. To the right, Leaside Jr. Wildcats are in darkest Southwestern Ontario tonight and this weekend with games in London, Windsor and Strathroy. Lower left, sometimes it seems there are more trucks at Loblaws on Moore Ave. than cars. Centre right, the pleasant window at Putti’s decor on Yonge St. and at bottom right work on the front door of the new Costco on Overlea Blvd at seen from the dead-end roadside of Banigan Drive. They say it could be open in April.

Tim Beckett, fire chief

Hurontario and Dundas

Hickory Drive

Mississauga Fire Chief Tim Beckett says it will be weeks or months before the Fire Marshall can offer a reason for the ignition of the natural gas that largely levelled a shopping plaza at Hurontario and Dundas Sts. five days ago. He referenced the fatal explosions that destroyed dozens of home on Hickory Drive in 2016 when he noted that investigators have to start at the outer reaches of the debris field and work their way into the centre of ground zero. There seems no doubt that the explosion that left 58 families in shelters and destroyed or damaged 104 business was indeed a natural gas blast. Many business and families are returning as the week ends said Chief Beckett.

Nikolas Cruz and Melisa McNeill, defense attorney.

The FBI issued an extraordinary apology Friday afternoon, revealing that it had received a tip on January 5, 2018, that Nikolas Cruz was acting erratically and may have been planning a school shooting. The agency failed to act on the tip. A month and nine days later, Cruz, 19, entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, mowing down students and staff with an AR-15. Seventeen people died. “We are still investigating the facts,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “I am committed to getting to the bottom of what happened in this particular matter, as well as reviewing our processes for responding to information that we receive from the public.” Attorney Melisa McNeill tells the media that her client is a broken human being and feels remorseful for his actions. There was also a tip to the FBI in September about Cruz but it said at the time they could not trace it.

Stanley Ma

Stanley Ma’s MTY Food Group has purchased Timothy’s World Coffee and Mmmuffins from a subsidiary of Le Duff America for $1.675 million. MTY gets the current 28 franchised and seven corporately owned Timothy’s locations in Canada, two licensed Timothy’s locations in US, three Mmmuffins and two co-branded franchised locations in Canada. It will also acquire the license to operate and franchise coffee shops under the trade name Timothy’s which is owned by Keurig Canada. MTY has many brands including Thai Express, Vanellis and Manchu Wok. Mr. Ma is a Canadian franchisor and operator of numerous quick service restaurants operating under 70 brand names, some of them through wholly owned subsidiaries. The number of enterprises carrying MTY brands reached 5,500 in 2017. Stanley Ma is a 67 year old Hong Kong-born Canadian.

Former leader Patrick Brown has been removed from caucus of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, Interim leader Vic Fedeli said in a statement on Friday. He said he had asked Mr. Brown to step aside when he was awarded the position. The announcement seems to have been spurred by Brown’s suggestion Thursday that had not actually resigned the leadership of the party. The implications of that assertion for the planned leadership vote and prospects for the party in the June General Election seem obvious. “Earlier today, Mr. Brown was notified that he has been removed from the PC Caucus effective immediately,” Fedeli said. Also, CTV News Toronto said it had obtained an audio recording of Brown informing members of caucus that he was resigning as leader of the Progressive Conservative party.

Charles Kipper has died in Toronto at the age of 66. Mr. Kipper was for many years a teacher at Rosedale Heights School for the Arts on Bloor St. E.  He was a devoted husband, father, musician, composer, teacher, and friend as well as a prominent member of the Estonian community. He was the conductor of many choirs, accompanist to numerous soloists as well as for ballet classes at the National Ballet School of Canada. Visiting is scheduled for Friday (today) at Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles – Newbigging Chapel, 1403 Bayview Avenue 5 to 8 p.m.  A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, February 17th at 11 in the Toronto Estonian Baptist Church, 883 Broadview Ave.

The Chinese Lunar New Year has broken across the world. It is said to have been received more quietly than usual in Beijing where authorities are concerned about the pollution caused by fireworks. Many Chinese party pretty hard at this time of year. But the most appealing part of this event for everyone will be the arrival of the Year of the Dog. Here are two enjoyable videos on that subject. Gong Xi by the way means Good Wishes.