Canada's opposition leader will travel to India to "repair" bilateral ties he said were harmed by prime minister Justin Trudeau, who was dogged by controversies on his first official trip there earlier this year.
Tory leader Andrew Scheer said he would meet this fall with Indian officials as well as business, civil society and religious leaders, likely in a bid to shore up support among Canada's large Indian diaspora ahead of next year's general election.
Indo-Canadians number about 500,000, representing only 1.4 per cent of the population -- but holding sway in key electoral battlegrounds.
"Standing with a united India is Canada's gateway to unprecedented human and economic development, and an essential alliance for Canada to strengthen in the face of shared threats," Scheer said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, Justin Trudeau's disastrous trip to India damaged this key relationship and we must now work to repair it," he said.
Trudeau's eight-day trip to India in February to drum up trade and investment was mired by blunders and controversies -- from the Trudeau family's choice of traditional Indian fashions while touring the country's landmarks to a controversial dinner guest.
The prime minister had been at pains during the visit to quash long-simmering perceptions in India that his Liberal administration was too cozy with Sikh militants calling for independence.
Tensions over the Khalistan issue flared up hours before Trudeau was to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after revelations that a convicted Sikh extremist had been invited to dine with Trudeau in New Delhi.
The invitation was later rescinded but Trudeau returned home to a barrage of criticism, and relatively little to show in terms of commercial or trade deals.
Recent polling showed the Tories closing a gap with the Liberals. Trudeau personally, however, remains Canadians' preferred choice for prime minister.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)