Seven stories in the news today, March 9

Mar 9, 2017 | 12:30 AM

Seven stories in the news for Thursday, March 9:

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SHELL OFFLOADS CANADIAN OILSANDS INTERESTS

Royal Dutch Shell says it has signed two agreements to sell its undeveloped oilsands interests in Canada for a net consideration of US$7.25 billion. Under the first agreement, Shell will reduce its 60 per cent interest in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project to 10 per cent and sell a number of undeveloped oilsands leases to a subsidiary of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. Under the second deal, Shell and Canadian Natural will jointly acquire and own Marathon Oil Canada Corp.

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TEACHER TO RUN FOR LIBERALS IN BYELECTION

A 26-year-old high school teacher has bested a former provincial cabinet minister to win the Liberal nomination for a federal by-election on April 3 in Montreal’s Saint-Laurent riding. Emmanuella Lambropoulos says she was shocked to beat the Yolane James, who was considered to be the Liberal party favourite. Former foreign affairs minister Stephane Dion held the riding since 1996 and it has been Liberal for decades.

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MILITARY SAR TECH KILLED IN TRAINING INCIDENT

A search and rescue technician with the Royal Canadian Air Force has died in a training accident near Yorkton, Sask. Master-Corporal Alfred Barr was a member of 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron at 17 Wing based at CFB Winnipeg. On his Facebook page, he said he was from Lethbridge, Alta., and was engaged to be married. The military did not release specific details of what happened in Wednesday’s incident.

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TORONTO TEACHER FATALLY STABBED IN COSTA RICA

A Toronto teacher with a passion for photography and travel has been fatally stabbed in Costa Rica in what local media said was an apparent mugging gone wrong. The Toronto District School Board says Bruce McCallum was a math teacher on sabbatical at the time of his death early Sunday. Reports in Costa Rica say McCallum was stabbed in the coastal town of Puerto Viejo when he had apparently been on the beach to take photos of the sunrise.

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BILL BANNING GENETIC DISCRIMINATION PASSES

Liberal backbenchers have defied Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and voted in favour of a bill that would bar health and life insurance companies from forcing clients to disclose the results of genetic testing. Trudeau said before the vote that the proposed law is unconstitutional because it intrudes on provincial jurisdiction. But most Liberal backbenchers, along with Conservative and New Democrat MPs, ignored the warning and the bill passed 222-60 in a free vote.

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APPEAL SCHEDULED IN TODDLER MENINGITIS DEATH

Alberta’s appeal court will hear arguments today on both the conviction and sentence given to a southern Alberta couple who failed to get proper medical treatment for their son who died of bacterial meningitis. David and Collet Stephan were found guilty by a jury in April of last year of failing to provide the necessaries of life to their 19-month-old son Ezekiel in 2012.

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DESIGN OF MONUMENT TO WOMEN TO BE UNVEILED 

The design for a unique monument that pays tribute to women — a first for the city of Halifax — is expected to be unveiled today at city hall. The bronze sculpture, called “A Woman on the Waterfront,” will honour women volunteers during the Second World War. It will feature realistic depictions of three females from three generations, and one will be African Nova Scotian.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Statistics Canada releases the new housing price index for January.

— The Parliamentary Budget Officer will post a report government’s spending estimates for 2017-18.

— Finance Minister Bill Morneau will join the CEOs of the five big banks for an announcement to support Canadian business.

— Closing arguments to be heard in the case of Anita Krajnc, who was charged with mischief after giving water to pigs on their way to slaughter.

— A sex-assault trial continues for former ski coach Bertrand Charest in Saint-Jerome, Que.

 

The Canadian Press