LOCAL
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says he ordered robocalls to east-end residents to make sure they knew their councillor voted against a subway expansion. Coun. Paul Ainslie says residents in his ward were called Friday night with a minute-long recorded message from Ford – hours after he quit the mayor’s cabinet-style executive committee. [National Post]
The inquest into the deaths of three people at the hands of police is set to begin this week. The inquest, which starts Tuesday, comes at a time when police have been under heavy criticism, particularly for the killing of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim, who was shot 8 times and Tasered on an empty streetcar in July. [Toronto Star]
Five men have been arrested in connection with a series of smash and grab robberies across the GTA, including a theft of nearly $100,000 worth of merchandise from a Yorkville Prada store. Some of the Prada handbags were allegedly recovered in the suspects’ homes during their arrest. [National Post]
NATIONAL
The Conservative government is setting its sights on cementing a reputation as the Consumer Party of Canada. the government may enact protections to prevent airline customers from being bumped from overbooked planes, clamp down on mobile roaming charges in Canada and control hidden credit card fees. [Globe and Mail]
Municipal elections in the Quebec town of Saint-Julienne are rife with charges of intimidation and thuggery. For denouncing corruption, Danielle Bédard has had liquid cement splattered on her car, Facebook threats to set fire to her property, animal feces stuffed in her mailbox, windows broken at her home and has endured menacing verbal abuse at council meetings in the Quebec town. [Toronto Star]
Police in New Glasgow, N.S., have arrested a 19-year-old man from nearby Trenton, in connection with a violent attack that left a gay man paralyzed from the waist down. Police said Shane Edward Matheson, 19, of Trenton, N.S. is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, in the violent attack on 27-year-old Scott Jones early Saturday morning. [CBC]
INTERNATIONAL
Gunmen abducted a team of seven workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross after stopping their convoy early Sunday in northern Syria. the abduction took place near the town of Saraqeb in Idlib province around 11:30 a.m. local time as the team was returning to Damascus with armed guards. [CBC]
At least 89 people in central India have been killed following a stampede of Hindu worshippers crossing a bridge to a temple, police said. Women and children are among the dead, and more than 100 people were recovering in hospital, while police wielding sticks had charged the crowd in an effort to contain the panic. [The Guardian]
With a possible default on government obligations just days away, Senate Democratic leaders – believing they have a political advantage in the continuing fiscal impasse – refused Sunday to sign on to any deal that reopens the government but locks in budget cuts for next year. The disagreement extended the stalemate that has kept much of the government shuttered for two weeks and threatens to force a federal default. [New York Times]
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