Nine stories in the news for today, June 12

Nine stories in the news for Monday, June 12

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CANADA’S MEDICATION COSTS SECOND HIGHEST IN STUDY

A new study says Canada had the second-highest medication costs for common conditions such as high blood pressure and cholesterol in 2015 compared to nine other affluent countries with universal health-care systems. The analysis looked at the volume and daily cost of drugs in Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, France, Germany, New Zealand and Australia.  Canada was the only country in the study that lacked universal coverage of outpatient prescription medications.

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Battlefords North Stars

'The North Stars have always been very important to me': Martin Smith hired as new head coach

9h ago

Sounding the alarm

Sask. NDP highlights red flags on Sask. Party platform

Oct 13, 2024

National

Bill Vigars, campaign manager for Terry Fox Marathon of Hope, dies at 78

Oct 13, 2024

COURT HEARING ON ASSISTED DYING BEGINS

A court hearing begins today that will determine how long grievously ill Canadians must wait to find out if their right to a medically assisted death has been violated by the federal government’s restrictive approach to the issue. The Supreme Court of British Columbia is scheduled to hear arguments over two days on the government’s contention that the facts on which the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the ban on assisted dying two years ago are not applicable to the new federal law.

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HUSBAND OF GAS AND DASH VICTIM DIES IN CRASH

A family that came to Canada from Iran to start a new life has been struck by a second devastating tragedy.  Ahmad Nourani Shallo died in a crash last week while driving to Calgary to mark the second anniversary of the death of his wife, Mariam Rashidi, who was killed trying to stop a gasoline thief. Shallo was travelling from Vancouver with his new wife and his seven-year-old son when the accident happened on the Trans Canada Highway in B.C.

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POVERTY GROUPS ASK FOR CHILD BENEFIT BOOST

A national coalition of anti-poverty groups is asking the Trudeau government to boost the basic amount it provides in child benefits in hopes of cutting child poverty rates in Canada in half by the end of the decade. The coalition wants the government to change the rules so those earning less can keep more of the benefit, and to increase payments with the cost of living, retroactive to when the new benefit was first introduced last July. It also wants Ottawa to consider more lucrative employment insurance benefits and to further expand job training programs.

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REPORT RAISES ALARM ON CHILD LABOUR

A new report says Canadians could be unwittingly purchasing billions in dollars of goods made by child labourers in other parts of the world. The report, to be released today by World Vision Canada, suggests imports of so-called risky goods into this country totalled $34 billion last year, up from $26 billion in 2012. It points to rising garment imports from Bangladesh, tomato imports from Mexico and footwear from India as reasons for consumers to check where products are made.

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NDP PROPOSES RULE CHANGE FOR WATCHDOGS

New Democrats are proposing a change to parliamentary rules aimed at ensuring only non-partisan individuals become the independent watchdogs who oversee crucial activities such as government spending, ethics, lobbying and federal elections. The motion, which will be put to a vote on Wednesday or Thursday, comes as the government scrambles to repair the damage inflicted by Prime Minister Trudeau’s first pick to fill one of the watchdog roles — fellow Liberal Madeleine Meilleur as official languages commissioner.

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COURT TO HEAR CLOSING ARGUMENTS AT MURDER TRIAL

Lawyers are expected to make their closing arguments today in the first-degree murder trial of a Halifax medical student. The defence wrapped up its case in the first-degree murder trial of William Sandeson in Nova Scotia Supreme Court last week. Sandeson is charged in the death of 22-year-old Dalhousie University student Taylor Samson, whose body has never been found.

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MARIJUANA MEETINGS OVER INVESTING IN U.S.

Marijuana industry insiders say they’ve met with the operators of Canada’s largest stock exchange to devise a policy on investing in the U.S., where growing and selling cannabis violates federal laws. Lawyers who work with publicly traded Canadian marijuana producers say there is an unwritten rule that companies traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange or the TSX Venture Exchange are not permitted to have investments in the U.S. cannabis sector.

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‘COME FROM AWAY’ WINS A TONY

The people of Newfoundland were celebrated in speech and song at last night’s Tony Awards but the heartwarming Canadian musical “Come From Away” fell short in its historic bid to capture Broadway’s biggest musical prize.  It headed into the Tonys with seven nominations, including for best musical. Christopher Ashley won the award for best director of a musical but “Come From Away” was shut out in all other categories. The musical is set in Gander, N.L., in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks when the town sheltered thousands of passengers and crew from planes after U.S. air space was closed.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan travels to Halifax to highlight investments in Royal Canadian Navy

— Opening day of the Conference of Montreal to discuss global business and economic issues

— Fatality inquiry into the death of Rod Lazenby, a Calgary peace officer killed when he responded to a dog complaint

— Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott delivers opening remarks at the 2017 National Health Leadership Conference in Vancouver

The Canadian Press