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Tragedy Strikes at Turkish Ski Resort: 66 Dead, 51 Injured in Hotel Fire

A devastating fire engulfed the Grand Kartal Hotel at the popular Kartalkaya ski resort in northwestern Turkey early Tuesday morning, claiming at least 66 lives and injuring 51 others. The fire, which broke out around 3:30 a.m. local time in the hotel's restaurant section, spread rapidly, trapping guests on the upper floors. Guests, many of whom were families on holiday during the school semester break, faced harrowing conditions as they tried to escape the flames. Some resorted to jumping from windows in a desperate attempt to flee the blaze, while others used sheets and blankets to climb down from their rooms. The hotel's fire detection system reportedly failed to operate, adding to the chaos and confusion. Emergency services, including 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances, were dispatched to the scene, but the fire's intensity and the hotel's chalet-style wooden exterior hampered firefighting efforts. The Turkish government has launched an investigation into the incident...

Richmond Man Fined $2M for Tax Evasion After Flipping 14 Homes

 

A serial property flipper in British Columbia, Balkar Bhullar, has been fined over $2 million for tax evasion. Bhullar, who flipped 14 homes between 2011 and 2014, failed to report nearly $7.5 million in earnings. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced that Bhullar was given a conditional sentence of two years less a day on December 19, 2024, and fined $2.15 million, matching the amount of unpaid federal income tax.

Bhullar pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion on August 3, 2023, relating to undeclared income from assignment fees on the properties. The CRA has been making significant progress in uncovering and addressing tax cheating in the real estate sector. 

In response to such cases, a new home-flipping tax will come into effect in B.C. on January 1, 2025, with a tax of up to 20% applying to homeowners who sell properties within two years of buying. The revenue collected from this tax will go toward housing programs.

B.C.'s Finance Minister Brenda Bailey stated that measures like the home-flipping tax aim to ensure more affordable homes for buyers and renters and discourage speculative investors from buying houses for a quick profit.

The B.C. Real Estate Association has criticized the tax, arguing that it may cause sellers to delay listing their homes, lowering resale housing supply and tightening market conditions.




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