By Canadian Press

Five stories in the news today, July 18

Jul 18, 2016 | 3:25 PM

Five stories in the news today from The Canadian Press:

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FRIENDS HOLD VIGIL FOR SLAIN WOMAN, DAUGHTER

Bubbles floated into the sky and sparklers crackled as hundreds gathered in a northwest Calgary park to pay tribute to Sara Baillie and her five-year-old daughter Taliyah Marsman. Baillie’s close friends organized last night’s vigil nearly a week after the 34-year-old woman was found dead in her home. Taliyah’s body was found days later in a rural area east of Calgary. Edward Delton Downey is facing two counts of first degree murder in the deaths.

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PQ ELECTION SHOOTING TRIAL RESUMING TODAY 

The trial of the man charged in connection with Quebec’s 2012 election-night shooting is set to resume today with the defence expected to begin presenting its case. Richard Henry Bain has pleaded not guilty to six charges, including first-degree murder in the death of lighting technician Denis Blanchette.  The 65-year-old also faces three charges of attempted murder. The Crown wrapped up its case on June 30.

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TOUGH-ON-CRIME BACK ON BIG STAGE WITH TRUMP

The tough-on-crime approach has been used in the past to win American presidential elections. And it will be back on the national stage today in Cleveland where the theme of day one of the Republican National Convention is, “Make America Safe Again.” Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is expected focus on recent violence that has unnerved Americans, from terrorist attacks to the ambush of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge.

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WALMART TO STOP ACCEPTING VISA AT SOME OF ITS STORES TODAY

Walmart is making good on its threat to ban the use of Visa cards at its Canadian stores — starting today in Thunder Bay. The retail giant is eliminating Visa as a payment option at three stores in the northwestern Ontario city. Walmart has vowed to eliminate Visa at all of its 400 Canadian stores. However, it has also said it’s optimistic an agreement will eventually be reached with Canada’s largest credit card company over the fees merchants pay for Visa transactions.

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PARENTS SHOULD ASK THEIR KIDS ABOUT E-CIGARETTES

A pediatrician says parents and doctors questioning teens about whether they smoke should also be asking if they use e-cigarettes. Dr Michael Khoury says they could be a gateway to nicotine addiction later on. Khoury has been conducting research on e-cigarettes. He surveyed nearly 2,300 Grade 9 students in Ontario’s Niagara region and says over 10 per cent of them had used electronic cigarettes.

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The Canadian Press