Daily News Roundup

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24

Canadian police have named two teenagers, first thought missing, as  suspects in the murder of an Australian tourist and his American girlfriend, as well as a third unidentified man.

Sydney man Lucas Fowler, 23, and Chynna Deese, 24, were found shot dead on July 15 on a highway in northern British Columbia, 20 kilometres from Liard Hot Springs.

Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, have been missing since July 19, the same day the body of an unidentified man was found two kilometres from the teenagers’ burning pickup truck.

The car was found in flames about 500 kilometres away from where Mr Fowler and Ms Deese were found dead, near Dease Lake, British Columbia.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spokeswoman Sergeant Janelle Shoihet said they were advised yesterday Mr McLeod and Mr Schmegelsky had left British Columbia and were spotted in northern Saskatchewan.

“Given these latest developments, Kam and Bryer are no longer considered missing,” she said.

“The RCMP are now considering [them] as suspects in the Dease Lake suspicious death and the double homicide of Lucas Fowler and Chynna Deese.”

The police are asking the public not to approach the teens and to “consider them dangerous” and immediately call 911.

“Thanks to the public yesterday … we have new information where we’ve confirmed they were seen in northern BC, we’ve been able to confirm that information in last 24 hours,” Sergeant Shoihet said.

“I’ve been receiving new information — honestly before I just stepped on this stage — new information is still coming in.”

She said the pair were seen driving a grey 2011 Toyota RAV4, but warned they could have since changed their appearance and their vehicle.

Mr McLeod and Mr Schmegelsky were childhood friends and it was believed they were travelling through the area looking for work before they disappeared, the RCMP said.

“Kam and Bryer have periodically connected with family and friends over the past week and it is possible that they are now in an area without [mobile phone] coverage,” a spokesperson had said, before the pair became suspects.

Yesterday, Sergeant Shoihet said it was “unusual to have two major investigations undergoing of this nature in northern BC at the same time”, and confirmed police were looking at potential links between the deaths of the unidentified man and the couple.

Mr Fowler’s father, NSW Police Chief Inspector Stephen Fowler yesterday made an emotional plea at the press conference for any information.

His voice broke as he described how his son and Ms Deese were “inseparable”.

.”As you know, I may have been an experienced police officer but today I’m standing here as the father of a murder victim,” he said.

“It’s a love story that’s ended tragically. It really is,” he said.

“It’s the worst-ever love story.”

Police have also released a sketch of a man said to be one of the last people to speak to Mr Fowler on Highway 97 on the evening of July 14.

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Chinese swimmer Sun Yang’s second gold medal at the 2019 world championships was overshadowed by another ugly podium incident last night.

During the 200-metre medal presentation, Britain’s Duncan Scott congratulated silver medallist Katsuhiro Matsumoto of Japan and Russian Martin Malyutin, who finished in the same time as the Briton, but completely blanked Sun.

The Chinese swimmer reacted angrily, shouting and gesturing at Scott, with TV cameras capturing the Chinese champion saying “you loser, I am winning” to Scott.

Scott also refused to take part in a group photo on the podium and kept his distance from Sun as they left the stage.

Sun was awarded the gold medal after Lithuanian Danas Rapsys, who finished first, was disqualified for moving on the blocks.

The incident came two days after Australian Mack Horton refused to share a podium with the Chinese swimmer over doping allegations.

The incidents have prompted swimming’s governing body FINA to issue more warning letters, both to Sun and Scott for “inadequate behaviour”, following its warning of Horton for his podium snub.

Sun, who served a doping ban in 2014 and was labelled a “drug cheat” by Horton before the Rio Olympics final, got the green light to compete in the world championships in Gwangju after being cleared by a FINA panel of breaching the governing body’s rules earlier this year.

However, the World Anti-Doping Agency is seeking to overturn the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, leaving Sun’s career hanging in the balance a year out from the Tokyo Olympics.

Sun, who also won gold in the 200-metre final in 2017, touched in a time of 1:44.93, with Matsumoto 0.29 behind in second and Malyutin and Scott taking bronze, 0.70 off Sun’s time.

“My victory was because of my hard work. I continued to keep fighting, I didn’t give up when I was in second place,” Sun said.

“I was the only one to enter the [800-metre freestyle heats] this morning, so Scott gave only a brief response to reporters when asked about the podium incident.

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Donald Trump has enthusiastically praised Britain’s new prime minister Boris Johnson, labelling him “Britain Trump”.

The US President made the remarks hours after Mr Johnson defeated Jeremy Hunt in a ballot for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

The result of the leadership contest was announced at a party meeting in London with Mr Johnson and Mr Hunt sitting in the front row, where it was announced that he won with 66 per cent of the vote.

After the announcement Mr Johnson said he would deliver on his campaign mantra: “Deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat [Opposition Leader] Jeremy Corbyn.”

Mr Trump said Mr Johnson was a “good man” who was “tough and smart”.

“We have a really good man who’s going to be the prime minister of the UK now, Boris Johnson,” Mr Trump said.

“They’re saying ‘Britain Trump’, they call him Britain Trump and people are saying that’s a good thing.

“They like me over there, that’s what they wanted, that’s what they need.

“He’ll get it done, Boris is good, he’s going to do a good job.”

Mr Trump and Mr Johnson are good friends and Mr Trump has previously made no secret of his desire to see Mr Johnson in the top job.