Norwegian prisoner lost second attempt at suing the state over isolation sentence
Local
CTV: A blazing fire overtook a historic church in Richmond late Wednesday night.
Firefighters were unable to save the steeple and cross, but no one was injured. Ottawa Fire Services responded to a call around 9 p.m. and got control of the fire within two hours.
The St. Philip’s Parish is the “oldest English-speaking parish in the Archdiocese of Ottawa and since 1818 it has been the religious, social and cultural centre for Catholics in the area,” according to the Richmond Heritage website.
There were no fire hydrants in the area, so OFS had to bring in tanker trucks to transport water to defeat the flames. Several parts of the church’s roof were lifted to fight the fire.
Firefighters prevented further damage to the heritage building by laying down tarps to protect the surviving interior from water damage. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but a fire Investigator was dispatched to evaluate the scene.
National
CTV: Vineyards and wineries in B.C. are facing up to 99 per cent production drop due to intense January cold.
The grapes, mostly coming from the typically mild Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island, are estimated to only produce one-to-three per cent of typical crop growth.
Temperatures dropped below -20 C across the Okanagan Valley, where 86 per cent of B.C.’s vineyard acreage is located. This is the second year straight that yields have been damaged due to extreme cold, say B.C.’s wineries and vineyards.
A report from Wine Growers British Columbia and consulting firm Cascadia Partners said the damage done “confirmed the industry’s worst fears” and that “appropriate pruning practices will be ineffective at mitigating against severe crop losses.
The report describes the loss as “an almost complete writeoff of the 2024 vintage” and might trigger $346 million in revenue losses for vineyards and wineries.
International
CTV: A Norwegian convicted mass murderer failed in his second attempt at suing the state.
He had claimed a breach of human rights.
Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage in 2011 and has been held in isolation since the beginning of his sentence. Breivik argued that this isolation is an inhumane punishment under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Breivik was transferred to Ringerike prison two years ago and is held, “in a two-story complex with a kitchen, dining room and TV room with an Xbox, several armchairs and black and white pictures of the Eiffel Tower on the wall. He also has a fitness room with weights, treadmill and a rowing machine, while three parakeets fly around the complex.”
The Oslo District Court rejected his claim against the Norwegian Justice Ministry. The government’s lawyer, Kristoffer Nerland, said he was “very satisfied” with the judge’s finding.
Breivik is still considered dangerous by the Norwegian authorities and has not yet shown remorse for his crimes.
