Six stories in the news for Wednesday, June 14
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FIVE EYES TO MEET IN OTTAWA
The ability of terrorists to shield their communications from authorities will be a focus for the Five Eyes intelligence alliance at a meeting in Ottawa later this month. Public security ministers and attorneys general from Canada, the U.S., Britain, Australia and New Zealand will gather with their intelligence officials for closed-door talks, which will come amid heightened concers about homegrown extremism.
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U.S. DAIRY LOBBY SUBMITS NAFTA DEMANDS
The U.S. dairy industry has submitted its demands for the upcoming renegotiation of NAFTA. The industry makes two key requests: a reversal of new rules on ultrafiltered milk products, and increased access to the Canadian market that exceeds the 3.25 per cent offered in the early version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. NAFTA talks are scheduled to start in August.
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JURY EXPECTED TO SOON DECIDE FATE OF MURDER SUSPECT
Closing arguments are over and Justice Josh Arnold is expected to instruct the jury today in the first-degree murder trial of Halifax medical student William Sandeson. In its closing argument, the Crown said Sandeson lured Taylor Samson to his apartment and shot him in the head during a drug deal as part of a scheme to alleviate his debt. The body of Samson, a 22-year-old Dalhousie University student, has never been found.
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MOTIVE BEHIND LA LOCHE SHOOTING A MYSTERY
As a hearing continues today for a teenager who killed four people and injured seven in La Loche, Sask., no motive for the devastating crime in January 2016 has yet emerged. The teen has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and nine other counts. The court is considering whether he will be sentenced as a youth or an adult. Crown prosecutor Lloyd Stang says we may never know the exact reasons behind what happened.
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REPORT DUE IN DEADLY WHALE-WATCHING SINKING
The Transportation Safety Board will release its report today into the deadly capsizing of a whale-watching boat off Vancouver Island. Six of the 27 people aboard the Leviathan II died when the vessel flipped during a whale-watching expedition near Tofino in October 2015. Tom Hawkins, a lawyer for some of the survivors and family members of the deceased, says his clients are looking forward to getting some answers.
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NO VERDICT YET IN BILL COSBY TRIAL
Jurors in the Bill Cosby sexual assault case have yet to reach a verdict. The jury is deciding whether Cosby drugged and molested a Canadian woman at his Pennsylvania home in 2004. The actor-comedian's lawyer has said Cosby and Andrea Constand were lovers sharing a consensual sexual encounter.
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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:
— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend a flag raising ceremony for Pride Month on the front lawn of Parliament Hill.
— Sen. Bob Runciman will release a final report on court delays in Canada at an Ottawa news conference.
— Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel begins a visit to Canada.
— Statistics Canada will release the national balance sheet and financial flow accounts for the first quarter.
— Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains and Science Minister Kirsty Duncan will launch a youth coding and digital skills program.
— The Economic Club of Canada will host an exclusive talk in Toronto about the state of the real estate market.
— The Fraser Institute will release a study on how an NDP government supported by the Green Party, will affect tax policy in B.C.
— The Calgary Stampede will announce this year's parade marshal.
The Canadian Press
