Remembering Princess Diana on the fifteenth anniversary of her death

It’s been fifteen years since the The People’s Princess was laid to rest. Yet, even today she continues to be loved and adored as the force that single-handedly changed the face of modern British nobility.

LONDON: Princess Diana’s death 15 years ago this week made the British monarchy more attuned to their own image and changed forever the way the young royals behave to their subjects, royal watchers say.

Diana died in a car crash in a Parisian road tunnel on August 31, 1997 alongside her companion Dodi Fayed, triggering an extraordinary chain of events.

Within hours, a carpet of flowers began spreading from her home at Kensington Palace in London as Britons threw off their reserved reputation and mourned openly.

In one of the defining moments of his time as prime minister, Tony Blair described her as the “people’s princess”, striking a chord with the grieving nation.

Yet Queen Elizabeth II appeared to have misjudged the public mood, initially choosing to remain at Balmoral in Scotland instead of returning to London.

Amid accusations she was out of touch and acting coldly towards her former daughter-in-law – Diana and Prince Charles had divorced in 1996 — the queen eventually made an unusual televised address.

Diana’s funeral was heavy with emotion, not least when her brother Earl Charles Spencer used his sermon to attack the press who had pursued her throughout her adult life and who might have contributed to the crash which killed her.

Perhaps nothing illustrates the passage of time since Diana’s death better than the bewildered little boy who walked behind her coffin — the grown-up Prince Harry, now 27, made a very different public impression in recent days after his wild ‘strip billiards’ holiday in Las Vegas.

Despite her younger son’s sometimes raucous behaviour, Diana’s legacy can be seen clearly in her two sons and in William’s wife Catherine, the former Kate Middleton, according to royal historian Kate Williams.

“In the last three or four years the young princes have really taken over a lot of the mantle of Diana, so we think less about Diana and more about William, Harry and Kate,” Williams told AFP.

“It seems as if the young royals are very much in Diana’s mould. They are giving to charity, they are very caring and they are out there meeting the people and seem much less stuffy.”

Even before her divorce from Charles, Diana had thrown herself into charity work, especially championing the plight of landmine victims. Shortly before she died she visited Bosnia to meet people maimed by landmines.

Williams believes that if Diana were alive today she would be heading up her own charity.

“Diana had a very good divorce settlement and she was a great humanitarian and it is my belief that she would have spent that divorce settlement on setting up her own charity in which she did work for the poor, the sick and landmines victims.”

She would have taken a role akin to a UN Goodwill Ambassador, such as Queen Rania of Jordan or Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, Williams believes.

Diana’s death continues to resonate. Tourists visiting the memorial fountain to her in Hyde Park this week vividly recalled the shock.

Stephanie Cooper, a tourist from Billericay in Essex, said: “It was one of those moments like the New York attacks, it is one of those things like the death of JFK, you will always remember where you were and what you were doing.”

Filming has started on a new movie starring British actress Naomi Watts as Diana. Based on the recollections of her long-time bodyguard Ken Wharfe, it shows her being hounded by the paparazzi.

Diana’s death was not the only factor in the royal family’s lack of popularity in the late 1990s — a succession of divorces and scandals had also eroded their image.

“It made people in Britain very confused about what people expected from their royal family — were they not expected to set an example?” Williams said.

“But things have changed — the royals’ popularity has really soared and the queen is at her most popular since she came to the throne in 1952.”

Landmark events such as the wedding of William and Catherine last year and the queen’s diamond jubilee this year have boosted the royals’ standing — the queen even appeared in a spoof film parachuting into the Olympics opening ceremony.

“The royal family have tried very hard to market their image since Diana,” Williams noted.

Conspiracies

A limousine carrying Diana, and Dodi Al Fayed, the son of an Egyptian billionaire, crashed into the Alma Tunnel in central Paris. The initial French investigation concluded the accident was caused by his driver’s drunken loss of control. But soon enough, the conspiracy theorists got to work. First, it was said that the papparazzi caused it. Then it was said Royal Family did it. Then there were rumours that Diana faked her own death. Then things took a U turn and it was now Dodi that was the target. Till date, the conspiracies haven’t been put to rest.

The Royal Wedding

Diana married Prince Charles on July 29, 1981, almost a year after the two met at a Polo match. The marriage was touted as a fairytale wedding and more than 750 million people saw it on TV. She was then bequeathed the title ‘Princess of Wales’ and Diana became a darling of the masses within a short time. However, their marriage fell apart in early ‘90s and they got divorced in 1996.

Diana hugs an AIDS patient

Diana made headlines all over the world when she hugged an AIDS patient at the Harlem Hospital in London. It was 1987 and AIDS had become an issue of major concern across the world. Her gesture was instrumental in dispelling the myth that AIDS will spread by casual contact. No member from Royal Family had done anything like this before and the media was completely floored by what she had done. A bold move indeed.

Ban on landmines

Diana became a prominent supporter of International campaign to ban landmines. She visited minefields in Angola and Bosnia in 1997, which grabbed a lot of attention in political circles and the media. Eventually, the use of landmines was banned in December 1997 when 127 countries came forward to sign the treaty in Ottawa. This remains yet milestone in her life, a major part of which was spent on devoting to several causes of major concern.

This photo released in 2008 shows Dodi Al Fayed and driver Hami Paul with Princess Diana in the backseat of the Mercedes before the fatal accident

Once a Sloane Ranger, now a Sikh woman ‘warrior’: Meet Alexandra aka Uttrang Kaur Khalsa

Alexandra Aitken with her husband Inderjot Singh

 An English girl has hit the headlines in the UK for embracing the lifestyle of a devout Nihang Sikh.

Alexandra Aitken, daughter of disgraced British Cabinet Minister Jonathan Aitken, used to be better known for her addiction to parties and nightclubs. But Alexandra exchanged her tight dresses and plunging necklines for the more sober white tunic and five ‘K’s’, including the kirpan and the karha.

More recently, she was spotted in Punjab wearing a Nihang-style purple and white turban. She was clutching a tall spear in one hand and a bag of bananas in the other. It was in January last year when 32-year-old Alexandra surprised her family by announcing that she was marrying a Nihang Sikh - Ludhiana-bred Inderjot Singh, also known as Janbazz. Alexandra currently stays at Bani ashram, close to Anandpur Sahib, with her husband.
Shortly before her marriage, Alexandra changed her name to Harvinder, but when her husband said the name was meaningless, she changed it once again to Uttrang Kaur Khalsa, meaning victorious return of the warrior after battle.

Describing the first meeting with Janbazz, she said: "I was sitting on the roof of the Golden Temple at about 3am, and the most beautiful man I'd ever seen in my whole life walked in. He seemed 100 per cent man, gentle and intuitive and poetic and sensitive, but also extraordinarily strong and manly. And you don't see many of these around. So I was like: "Oh wow!"'

Following their wedding, her friends received an email message which read: “Hi, heavenly friends. A very funny forgiving huge hearted saintly hero was adventurous enough to marry me! We'll have celebrations in London and LA soon. Hope you'll join us.”

By her own admission, Utrrang said her parents were upset as they could not attend the wedding, which had been arranged at such short notice. But they were soon reconciled. “'When I said, "Daddy, I might be wearing a turban the next time you see me" it was a bit of a shock. But my father loves my husband - its impossible not to. He's happy for us,” she said.

Former Cabinet Minister Aitken tried suing the Guardian newspaper over an article about his links with Saudi arms dealers. But Aitken himself ended up in jail after he was found to have repeatedly lied. Uttrang's journey to Sikhism started after she moved to California where she studied yoga, subsequently explaining that it was always her destiny to become a yogi. In a newspaper interview last year, she explained her conversion to Sikhism. "I don't really think of Sikhism as a religion. It’s more a path for anyone who is looking for something more spiritual.”

Past life: Alexandra in 2005 with her father Jonathan Aitken

"We live in a computer age where life is increasingly stressful . . .people are desperately trying to find a way to relax, to escape from everything. As I see it, you've got one of two options: you can either find a drug dealer, or you can find something that's going to give you a natural high. Everyone is looking for something. I've found Sikhism,” said Utrrang.

"But I didn't just jump on the first bus going. I did my homework; I've read just about everything," she said. "Frankly, if someone had told me 10 years ago, when I was living the party girl lifestyle in London, that a decade later I'd be a teetotal vegan (and living in an ashram) I wouldn't have believed them,” she quipped.

Alexandra Aitken’s new look — a spear clutched in one hand, a bag of bananas in the other, a dagger slung over her white tunic and iPod headphones tucked beneath a white and purple turban — is a far cry from the tight dresses she favoured in her days as an ‘It’ girl around London, the Mail Online reported.

The 32-year-old Alexandra took her family, including twin Victoria, by surprise when she announced in January last year that she was marrying a Sikh warrior. She also changed her name to Uttrang Kaur Khalsa.

She had first spotted Inderjot Singh in 2009 when she was practising yoga at the Golden Temple in Amritsar before meeting him on a second visit. Their wedding was arranged with such haste that her parents were unable to attend.

On her website, Alexandra says she lives with Nihang Sikhs — the sect to which her husband (Inderjot Singh) belongs — but is staying at an ashram run by a sect of yoga Sikhs in the village of Bani in Punjab. 

Interesting journey

• Alexandra Aitken, daughter of former British Cabinet Minister Jonathan Aitken, used to be better known for her addiction to parties and nightclubs. But Alexandra exchanged her tight dresses and plunging necklines for the more sober white tunic and five ‘K’s’, including the kirpan and the karha
• It was in January last year when 32-year-old Alexandra surprised her family by announcing that she was marrying a Nihang Sikh — Ludhiana-bred Inderjot Singh, also known as Janbazz
• Alexandra currently stays at Bani ashram, close to Anandpur Sahib, with her husband and is often spotted wearing a Nihang-style purple and white turban. She was clutching a tall spear in one hand and a bag of bananas in the other.

Man almost dies when mailing himself to girlfriend

Hu Seng hoped to pop out of the box and surprise her, but when she opened it he was passed out

One man's romantic gesture almost killed him when he ended up trapped in an airtight box for much longer than he should have been.

Hu Seng, from China, wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a present, so he decided to mail her himself. The Daily Mail reports he hopped into a box, curled into the fetal position and made a friend tape the box closed and send it via courier to his girlfriend, Li Wang. He was hoping when the box arrived at her office he would jump out of it and surprise her. But that's not quite what happened.

The couriers mixed up the address and instead of the delivery taking 20 minutes it ended up taking about three hours. Seng had very little air and by the time it arrived at Wang's office, Seng was unable to jump out and surprise her because he had passed out. He had to be revived by paramedics. He had a friend waiting at her office with a camera to film the whole thing.

"I didn't realize it would take so long," said Seng in a Daily Mail article. "I tried to make a hole in the cardboard but it was too thick and I didn't want to spoil the surprise by shouting."

The Daily Star reports if Seng told the courier firm he was in there they wouldn't have accepted the package. When animals travel they have to be in special containers so they can breathe.

First man on moon Neil Armstrong dead at 82

 

U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took a giant leap for mankind when he became the first person to walk on the moon, has died at the age of 82, his family said on Saturday.

Armstrong died following complications from heart-bypass surgery he underwent earlier this month, the family said in a statement, just two days after his birthday on August 5.

As commander of the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. As he stepped on the dusty surface, Armstrong said: "“That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind."

Those words endure as one of the best known quotes in the English language.

The Apollo 11 astronauts' euphoric moonwalk provided Americans with a sense of achievement in the space race with Cold War foe the Soviet Union and while Washington was engaged in a bloody war with the communists in Vietnam.

Neil Alden Armstrong was 38 years old at the time and even though he had fulfilled one of mankind's age-old quests that placed him at the pinnacle of human achievement, he did not revel in his accomplishment. He even seemed frustrated by the acclaim it brought.

"I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks but for the ledger of our daily work," Armstrong said in an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes" program in 2005.

He once was asked how he felt knowing his footprints would likely stay on the moon's surface for thousands of years. "I kind of hope that somebody goes up there one of these days and cleans them up," he said.

A VERY PRIVATE MAN

James Hansen, author of "First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong," told CBS: "All of the attention that ... the public put on stepping down that ladder onto the surface itself, Neil never could really understand why there was so much focus on that."

The Apollo 11 moon mission turned out to be Armstrong's last space flight. The next year he was appointed to a desk job, being named NASA's deputy associate administrator for aeronautics in the office of advanced research and technology.

Armstrong's post-NASA life was a very private one. He took no major role in ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the moon landing. "He's a recluse's recluse," said Dave Garrett, a former NASA spokesman.

Hansen said stories of Armstrong dreaming of space exploration as a boy were apocryphal, although he was long dedicated to flight. "His life was about flying. His life was about piloting," Hansen said.

Born August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio, Armstrong was the first of three children of Stephen and Viola Armstrong. He married his college sweetheart, Janet Shearon, in 1956. They were divorced in 1994, when he married Carol Knight.

Armstrong had his first joyride in a plane at age 6. Growing up in Ohio, he began making model planes and by his early teens had amassed an extensive aviation library. With money earned from odd jobs, he took flying lessons and obtained his pilot's license even before he got a car license.

In high school he excelled in science and mathematics and won a U.S. Navy scholarship to Purdue University in Indiana, enrolling in 1947. He left after two years to become a Navy pilot, flying combat missions in the Korean War and winning three medals.

FLYING TEST PLANES

After the war he returned to Purdue and graduated in 1955 with an aeronautical engineering degree. He joined the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA), which became NASA in 1958.

Armstrong spent seven years at NACA's high-speed flight station at Edwards Air Force Base in California, becoming one of the world's best test pilots. He flew the X-15 rocket plane to the edge of space - 200,000 feet up at 4,000 mph.

In September 1962, Armstrong was selected by NASA to be an astronaut. He was command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission and backup command pilot for the Gemini 11 mission, both in 1966.

On the Gemini 8 mission, Armstrong and fellow astronaut David Scott performed the first successful docking of a manned spacecraft with another space vehicle.

Armstrong put his piloting skills to good use on the moon landing, overriding the automatic pilot so he and fellow astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin would not have to land their module in a big rocky crater.

Yet the landing was not without danger. The lander had only about 30 seconds of fuel left when Armstrong put it down in an area known as the Sea of Tranquility and calmly radioed back to Mission Control on Earth, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

Aldrin, who along with Armstrong and Michael Collins formed the Apollo 11 crew, told BBC radio that he would remember Armstrong as "a very capable commander and leader of an achievement that will be recognized until man sets foot on the planet Mars."

Armstrong left the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) a year after Apollo 11 to become a professor of engineering at the University of Cincinnati.

DECLINES OFFERS TO RUN FOR OFFICE

After his aeronautical career, Armstrong was approached by political groups, but unlike former astronauts John Glenn and Harrison Schmitt who became U.S. senators, he declined all offers.

In 1986, he served on a presidential commission that investigated the explosion that destroyed the space shuttle Challenger, killing its crew of seven shortly after launch from Cape Canaveral in January of that year.

Armstrong made a rare public appearance several years ago when he testified to a congressional hearing against President Barack Obama administration's plans to buy rides from other countries and corporations to ferry U.S. astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

Armstrong also said that returning humans to the moon was not only desirable, but necessary for future exploration -- even though NASA says it is no longer a priority.

He lived in the Cincinnati area with his wife, Carol.

"We are heartbroken to share the news that Neil Armstrong has passed away," the family said in their statement. "Neil was our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend."

His family expressed hope that young people around the world would be inspired by Armstrong's feat to push boundaries and serve a cause greater than themselves.

"The next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink," the family said.

Obama said that Armstrong "was among the greatest of American heroes - not just of his time, but of all time. ...

"Today, Neil's spirit of discovery lives on in all the men and women who have devoted their lives to exploring the unknown - including those who are ensuring that we reach higher and go further in space. That legacy will endure - sparked by a man who taught us the enormous power of one small step."

Glenn, an original NASA astronaut with Armstrong, spoke of his colleague's humble nature. "He was willing to dare greatly for his country and he was proud to do that and yet remained the same humble person he'd always been," he told CNN on Saturday.

The space agency sent out a brief statement in the wake of the news, saying it "offers its condolences on today's passing of Neil Armstrong, former test pilot, astronaut and the first man on the moon."

Armstrong is survived by his two sons, a stepson and stepdaughter, 10 grandchildren, a brother and a sister, NASA said.

Famous lost word in Neil Armstrong's ‘mankind' quote

Neil Armstrong's first words from the moon were heard all over Earth, and Earth heard this:

“That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

But Mr. Armstrong said immediately after the 1969 landing that he had been misquoted. He said he actually said, “That's one small step for `a' man.” It's just that people just didn't hear it.

The astronaut acknowledged during a 30th anniversary gathering in 1999 that he didn't hear himself say it either when he listened to the transmission from the July 20, 1969, moon landing.

“The `a' was intended,” Mr. Armstrong said. “I thought I said it. I can't hear it when I listen on the radio reception here on Earth, so I'll be happy if you just put it in parentheses.”

Although no one in the world heard the “‘a,” some research backs Armstrong.

In 2006, a computer analysis found evidence that Armstrong said what he said he said.

Peter Shann Ford, an Australian computer programmer, ran a software analysis looking at sound waves and found a wave that would have been the missing “a.” It lasted 35 milliseconds, much too quick to be heard. The Smithsonian's space curator, Roger Launius, looked at the evidence and found it convincing.

NASA has also stood by its moon man.

“If Neil Armstrong says there was an `a,' then as far as we're concerned, there was `a,“’ NASA spokesman Michael Cabbage said shortly before the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.

Mr. Armstrong, who died Saturday at age 82, maintained until the end that there was a lost word in his famous words from the moon.

“I thought about it after landing,” he said in a 2011 NASA oral history. “And because we had a lot of other things to do, it was not something that I really concentrated on, but just something that was kind of passing around subliminally or in the background. But it, you know, was a pretty simple statement, talking about stepping off something. Why, it wasn't a very complex thing. It was what it was.”

Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, dead at 82 | World | News | Toronto Sun

Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, dead at 82 | World | News | Toronto Sun

Blind woman dies after falling off Edmonton LRT platform

Zaidee Jensen leaves behind a husband and two young children. 

Edmonton - A visually-impaired woman died after she slipped and fell off the platform at the University LRT station in Edmonton on Wednesday, according to her family.

Zaidee Jensen, 29, hit her head, slipped into a coma and never recovered. The married mother of two died in hospital early Friday after her family took her off life support.

"So there's two children without a mother," said her father Albert Potter. Jensen had used the LRT for a decade and was with a sighted friend when she fell off the platform, he added.

Zaidee's husband, Mike Jensen, said he received a phone call from the hospital just after he got home on Wednesday.

"I'd just turned on the barbecue to start supper," he said.

"This whole nightmare started from there."

City officials held a news conference Friday afternoon where they confirmed that Jensen was taken to hospital. However, they didn't provide an official update on her condition nor did they release her name.

Ron Gabruck, director of operational support for Edmonton Transit, said that there were no trains in the station at the time. Jensen fell onto the northbound track.

Transit officials reviewing video

Gabruck said that a nurse who was in the station immediately came to Jensen's aid. Officials have started an investigation and are now reviewing security footage from the station, Gabruck said.

Zaidee Jensen worked as an office administrator for the National Research Council on the University of Alberta campus. She lost most of her sight at the age of 15 because of a brain tumour.

The platform edge at the University LRT station has grooves cut into the tile. (CBC)

The University LRT station has grooves cut into the tile along the edge of the platform. However, the markings aren't as prominent as they are at some other Edmonton LRT stations, which have raised round bumps along a yellow border.

Mike Jensen, who is also visually impaired, wants the city to look at ways to make the platforms safer.

"It's a very great thing to have that freedom to move throughout the city," he said.

"I don't know if it needs to go on to full-on barricades on the platforms but there's got to be ways to make better warnings."

Potter says the family wants to know if more could be done to make the LRT safer for people with disabilities.

"What I don't want to see is this happen to another family," Potter said. "More children going without a mother and a father."

Jensen says he's yet to hear anything from city officials.

Samsung to pay $1 bn for biting into Apple’s pie

Apple vs Samsung

San Jose, August 25
Apple Inc scored a sweeping legal victory over Samsung on Friday as a US jury found the Korean company had copied critical features of the hugely popular iPhone and iPad and awarded the US company $1.05 billion in damages.

The verdict, which came after less than three days of jury deliberations, could lead to an outright ban on sales of key Samsung products and will likely solidify Apple's dominance of the exploding mobile computing market.

Apple's victory is a big blow to Google, whose Android software powers the Samsung products that were found to infringe on Apple patents. Google and its hardware partners, including the company's own Motorola unit, could now face further legal hurdles in their effort to compete with the Apple juggernaut.

Samsung lawyers were grimfaced in the quiet but crowded San Jose courtroom as the verdict was read, and the company later put out a statement calling the outcome "a loss for the American consumer."

The jury deliberated for less than three days before delivering the verdict on seven Apple patent claims and five Samsung patent claims -- suggesting that the nine-person panel had little difficulty in concluding that Samsung had copied the iPhone and the iPad.

Because the panel found "willful" infringement, Apple could seek triple damages. Apple upended the mobile phone business when it introduced the iPhone in 2007, and shook the industry again in 2010 when it rolled out the iPad. It has been able to charge premium prices for the iPhone - with profit margins of as much as 58 per cent per phone - for a product consumers regarded as a huge advance in design and usability.

The company's late founder, Steve Jobs, vowed to "go to thermonuclear war" when Google launched Android, according to his biographer, and the company has filed lawsuits around the world in an effort to block what it considers brazen copying of its inventions. — Reuters

THE JURY VERDICT

The jury said Samsung had copied critical features of the iPhone and iPad and awarded Apple $1.05 bn damages

THE FALLOUT

• Verdict shakes smartphone industry
• Threatens Google's Android software
• Could lead to ban on sales of key Samsung products
• Likely to solidify Apple's dominance of mobile computing market.

Two dead outside Empire State Building

NEW YORK - Two people were killed and at least eight were wounded in a shooting outside the landmark Empire State Building in New York City on Friday, a New York police source said.

One of the dead was the shooter, the source said, adding there was no apparent link to terrorism.

A white tarp covered what was believed to be a body in front of the entrance to the office building but police declined to confirm if it was the shooter.

"I heard the gunshots," said Dahlia Anister, 33, who works at an office near the 102-story Empire State Building. "It was like pop, pop, pop. It was definitely in a bunch."

The man identified as the shooter was Jeffrey Johnson, a disgruntled former worker of a nearby women's fashion accessories designer, New York officials said.

Johnson, 53, previously had lost his job at Hazan Import Corp, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said at a news conference near the scene in New York's midtown Manhattan.

Johnson and another person were killed and eight people were wounded.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a press conference that all of the injured victims are expected to survive.

The shooting started shortly after 9 a.m. on the busy sidewalk on Fifth Avenue outside the Midtown Manhattan building.

It came at the height of the tourist season outside one of New York City's most popular attractions, startling tourists and commuters. Police cordoned off the area around the building, one of the most recognizable in the world.

The Empire State Building is two blocks from Pennsylvania Station and a few blocks from Grand Central Terminal, two of New York City's main transportation hubs.

"People started running, saying somebody has a gun, so I just ran the other way. I was scared," said Adrianne Lapar, 27, who works in the Empire State Building.

The United States has had two other mass shooting cases this summer. On July 20, James Holmes, 24, is accused of opening fire at a midnight screening of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and wounding 58.

On Aug. 5, a gunman killed six people and critically wounded three at a Sikh temple outside Milwaukee before police shot him dead in an attack authorities treated as an act of domestic terrorism.

The Empire State Building was the world's tallest building for 40 years from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center. Following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, it was again the tallest building in the city, though was recently surpassed by a new tower under construction at the World Trade Center.gh was recently surpassed by a new tower under construction at the World Trade Center.

Amber Alert to be issued for two Ontario boys

Nine-year-old Louis Gallago-Hammadieh and eight-year-old Benny Gallago-Hammadieh were last seen in a silver Dodge Caravan with Randa Hammadieh, who is shown here in this undated photo.

Peel region police are set to issue an Amber Alert for two children who were allegedly abducted from a Brampton, Ont. home on Friday.

Investigators are seeking the public’s help in locating nine-year-old Louis Gallago-Hammadieh and eight-year-old Benny Gallago-Hammadieh, who were last seen in a silver Dodge Caravan at approximately 11:20 a.m.

Investigators say the boys were taken from a home in the Bramalea Road and Sandalwood Parkway East area.

Police say two adults were in the car at the time, one of whom was the children’s mother, 33-year-old Randa Hammadieh.

Hammadieh is described as 5’5" with a heavy build and a tanned complexion. Police say she was wearing a long white dress and was driving with an unknown male in the car.

Police say Louis is 4’10" and weighs 85 pounds. He has a tanned complexion, short black hair and wears round eye glasses. He was last seen wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

Benny is 4'0" and weighs 60 pounds. He has a tanned complexion, short, black curly hair and a cut above his right eye.

Police have extended their search beyond Ontario’s borders and may be focusing investigation efforts in Quebec.

Pic of the Day

Belmont Town Centre

The Belmont Town Centre is located at 13508 Victoria Trail in Edmonton, Alberta.

Gas prices expected to rise 1.8 cents at midnight

Toronto - According to En-Pro, gas prices are expected to rise 1.8 cents at 12:01 a.m. Aug. 24, to an average price of 132.1 cents/litre at most Greater Toronto Area (GTA) gas stations.

Please note: Gas prices have become very volatile because of a change in the way oil companies set their prices, thus making it more challenging to predict gasoline prices.

Canadians remember Jack Layton, one year after his death

Charismatic, popular and well-spoken, NDP Leader Jack Layton was a popular figure in Canadian politics for more than twenty years. 

The one-year anniversary of Jack Layton's death was marked, Wednesday, in many ways across the country.

Layton passed away in the early morning hours of August 22, 2011, after battling cancer, leaving Canadians with a heartfelt letter written only days before his death.

Family, friends and supporters held a giant memorial for him all day Wednesday, which included a farmer's market, video tribute, photographs and evening performances. The music, words and images filled Nathan Phillips Square with Jack's final words of love, peace and optimism just as it did a year earlier.

His family spread some of his ashes at a Toronto cemetery before going to City Hall for the memorial service at 6 p.m., which was hosted by family and the Broadbent Institute, and featured performers including Ron Sexsmith, City and Colour, and Raffi. 

"I've experienced times that have tried me to the core, and in each of those times I've had the loving embraces of so many of you," his widow Olivia Chow told the crowd. 

"It's at times very lonely, at times just unbearable, but at other times with the kids and the grandchildren it's very joyous," Chow said of the year since her husband's passing. "It gives us more opportunity to come together."

Following the evening show, she said her husband would have "loved it and loved the music, loved the people."

Some people in attendance were moved to tears, including one woman who told 680News "the love that we have for Jack will never go away."

Another woman disagreed, labelling it as a happy event.

"It's a celebration of his life, and he wouldn't want anyone to be sad," she said. He'd want us to be loving, hopeful, optimistic, and we are because we know we have a strong future because of him."

The evening wrapped up the exact same way his funeral did on August 27, 2011, with Lorraine Segato of Parachute Club singing the group's 80s hit "Rise Up," Layton's favourite song.

Prior to the evening memorial, people began paying their tributes to the late NDP leader. Just like they did following his death, many chalk messages decorated the concrete at Nathan Phillips Square, including "we miss you Jack," "you are still in our hearts," "your spirit lives on" and "you made me believe youth can make a difference." Several of the messages were written by people who also paid their respects last year.

"We need [youth] active in politics because we're sure not doing a very good job of it, are we?", said one man in attendance this year - and last.

"I came specifically for this. I think I owe him this. He was so good," he added.

"I found it really helpful to come and be surrounded by like-minded people. The loss was just so tremendous and it still continues to be," said Linda, who one year ago, stood in the same spot, writing her message on the concrete.

"He wasn't your average cookie-cutter politician," said Emily. "You didn't walk up to him and see a kind of almost stiff politician, professional-like person. He was very human and I know it inspires me and a lot of my friends to go out there and know that politics aren't something so foreign that we should be scared of. They're tangible because of Jack."

By mid-afternoon Wednesday, there was little room left on the concrete for new messages.

Street artist Chalkmaster Dave, who came in from Montreal, Que., drew a 5' x 5' chalk portrait of Layton, with the words "and we will change the world" below it. He said that Layton working only hours before his death changed his opinion about politics.

"Here's a guy who inspired me to care about politics - at least a little bit," he told 680News. "I never cared about politics, I hated it. I thought politicians were in it for themselves and didn't give a crap about us. It's just a money grab. And he changed my perspective on that."

"Even on his deathbed, he was still fighting to get his personal message out there - us coming together and working together and all that. I was like 'even with all your power and money meaning nothing to you now, you're still fighting to put that message out there'. That showed me that people still care in politics."

Many from the younger generation - some of whom were too young to vote during his campaigns - shared Chalkmaster Dave's sentiments.

"Jack was able to reach out to young people unlike any other politician, and he sort of helped us not to be apathetic. In a way, we could relate to what he was saying," a young woman told 680News.

"He high-fived me when I was 17 and I met him," said Laura, now 23. "I still remember that."

Even the YouTube sensation known as "Toronto Batman" was at Nathan Phillips Square, without his mask or costume on. He explained that not all heroes wear masks, and to him, Jack was a hero.

"It's really encouraging and it's very loving," Olivia Chow commented on the crowd. "Love lives on and I think it touches people's hearts."

"It's not just about Jack," she added. "It's the message that we can be a more loving society. Canadians are very generous. You can feel that generosity in spirit and they need a government that is more hopeful and more loving."

The square at Toronto City Hall became a focal point of sharing of affection for Layton almost immediately after he died last year.

Meanwhile in Ottawa, more than 200 people turned Parliament Hill into a sea of orange flowers, as they wrote messages of love, hope and optimism written in orange paper. The words were displayed around a photo of a smiling Layton which was placed beside a bottle of Orange Crush, while the dominion carillioneur played John Lennon's "Imagine".

The people who were closest to him say the former NDP leader is still influencing people's lives. MP and former Interim NDP Leader Nycole Turmel remembered Layton fondly.

"Jack Layton often reminded us 'don't let them tell you it can't be done. We can do it.' We can for sure for his memory. We can build a better, more caring Canada where no one is left behind," she said.

"He challenged us. He said that we needed to propose ideas, that the ideas of optimism and hope - that we had to challenge each other," said Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar, also a close friend of Layton.

"That's what Jack was about - inspiring young people and talking about [his love for] politics, and talking about hope and optimism."

A picnic on the Hill took place during the dinner hour.

Events were also held in other cities across Canada, including Thunder Bay, Brampton, Sudbury, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Vancouver and Winnipeg. 

Back in Toronto, Federal NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said along with family, friends and colleagues, the event was "a commemoration of someone extraordinary who brought a lot of positive messages to Canadian politics and to Canadians as a whole."

Last year at Layton's memorial service in Toronto, former NDP leader Alexa McDonough reflected on his life, saying Layton was popular because he affected people in a very ordinary way.

Supporters say those words ring true today, as the New Democrats hold onto the official Opposition status they won under Layton in the last federal election.

Layton was a Toronto councillor before moving into federal politics. The one-year anniversary of Jack Layton's death was marked, Wednesday, in many ways across the country.

Layton passed away in the early morning hours of August 22, 2011, after battling cancer, leaving Canadians with a heartfelt letter written only days before his death.

Family, friends and supporters held a giant memorial for him all day Wednesday, which included a farmer's market, video tribute, photographs and evening performances. The music, words and images filled Nathan Phillips Square with Jack's final words of love, peace and optimism just as it did a year earlier.

His family spread some of his ashes at a Toronto cemetery before going to City Hall for the memorial service at 6 p.m., which was hosted by family and the Broadbent Institute, and featured performers including Ron Sexsmith, City and Colour, and Raffi. 

"I've experienced times that have tried me to the core, and in each of those times I've had the loving embraces of so many of you," his widow Olivia Chow told the crowd. 

"It's at times very lonely, at times just unbearable, but at other times with the kids and the grandchildren it's very joyous," Chow said of the year since her husband's passing. "It gives us more opportunity to come together."

Following the evening show, she said her husband would have "loved it and loved the music, loved the people."

Some people in attendance were moved to tears, including one woman who told 680News "the love that we have for Jack will never go away."

Another woman disagreed, labelling it as a happy event.

"It's a celebration of his life, and he wouldn't want anyone to be sad," she said. He'd want us to be loving, hopeful, optimistic, and we are because we know we have a strong future because of him."

The evening wrapped up the exact same way his funeral did on August 27, 2011, with Lorraine Segato of Parachute Club singing the group's 80s hit "Rise Up," Layton's favourite song.

Prior to the evening memorial, people began paying their tributes to the late NDP leader. Just like they did following his death, many chalk messages decorated the concrete at Nathan Phillips Square, including "we miss you Jack," "you are still in our hearts," "your spirit lives on" and "you made me believe youth can make a difference." Several of the messages were written by people who also paid their respects last year.

"We need [youth] active in politics because we're sure not doing a very good job of it, are we?", said one man in attendance this year - and last.

"I came specifically for this. I think I owe him this. He was so good," he added.

"I found it really helpful to come and be surrounded by like-minded people. The loss was just so tremendous and it still continues to be," said Linda, who one year ago, stood in the same spot, writing her message on the concrete.

"He wasn't your average cookie-cutter politician," said Emily. "You didn't walk up to him and see a kind of almost stiff politician, professional-like person. He was very human and I know it inspires me and a lot of my friends to go out there and know that politics aren't something so foreign that we should be scared of. They're tangible because of Jack."

By mid-afternoon Wednesday, there was little room left on the concrete for new messages.

Street artist Chalkmaster Dave, who came in from Montreal, Que., drew a 5' x 5' chalk portrait of Layton, with the words "and we will change the world" below it. He said that Layton working only hours before his death changed his opinion about politics.

"Here's a guy who inspired me to care about politics - at least a little bit," he told 680News. "I never cared about politics, I hated it. I thought politicians were in it for themselves and didn't give a crap about us. It's just a money grab. And he changed my perspective on that."

"Even on his deathbed, he was still fighting to get his personal message out there - us coming together and working together and all that. I was like 'even with all your power and money meaning nothing to you now, you're still fighting to put that message out there'. That showed me that people still care in politics."

Many from the younger generation - some of whom were too young to vote during his campaigns - shared Chalkmaster Dave's sentiments.

"Jack was able to reach out to young people unlike any other politician, and he sort of helped us not to be apathetic. In a way, we could relate to what he was saying," a young woman told 680News.

"He high-fived me when I was 17 and I met him," said Laura, now 23. "I still remember that."

Even the YouTube sensation known as "Toronto Batman" was at Nathan Phillips Square, without his mask or costume on. He explained that not all heroes wear masks, and to him, Jack was a hero.

"It's really encouraging and it's very loving," Olivia Chow commented on the crowd. "Love lives on and I think it touches people's hearts."

"It's not just about Jack," she added. "It's the message that we can be a more loving society. Canadians are very generous. You can feel that generosity in spirit and they need a government that is more hopeful and more loving."

The square at Toronto City Hall became a focal point of sharing of affection for Layton almost immediately after he died last year.

Meanwhile in Ottawa, more than 200 people turned Parliament Hill into a sea of orange flowers, as they wrote messages of love, hope and optimism written in orange paper. The words were displayed around a photo of a smiling Layton which was placed beside a bottle of Orange Crush, while the dominion carillioneur played John Lennon's "Imagine".

The people who were closest to him say the former NDP leader is still influencing people's lives. MP and former Interim NDP Leader Nycole Turmel remembered Layton fondly.

"Jack Layton often reminded us 'don't let them tell you it can't be done. We can do it.' We can for sure for his memory. We can build a better, more caring Canada where no one is left behind," she said.

"He challenged us. He said that we needed to propose ideas, that the ideas of optimism and hope - that we had to challenge each other," said Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar, also a close friend of Layton.

"That's what Jack was about - inspiring young people and talking about [his love for] politics, and talking about hope and optimism."

A picnic on the Hill took place during the dinner hour.

Events were also held in other cities across Canada, including Thunder Bay, Brampton, Sudbury, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Vancouver and Winnipeg. 

Back in Toronto, Federal NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said along with family, friends and colleagues, the event was "a commemoration of someone extraordinary who brought a lot of positive messages to Canadian politics and to Canadians as a whole."

Last year at Layton's memorial service in Toronto, former NDP leader Alexa McDonough reflected on his life, saying Layton was popular because he affected people in a very ordinary way.

Supporters say those words ring true today, as the New Democrats hold onto the official Opposition status they won under Layton in the last federal election.

Layton was a Toronto councillor before moving into federal politics.