Six stories in the news today, Oct. 24

By The Canadian Press

Six stories in the news for Monday, Oct. 24

LIBERALS HOPE TO SNATCH ALBERTA SEAT FROM CONSERVATIVES

A federal byelection will be held today in a southern Alberta riding that hasn’t elected a Liberal since the late 60s. The Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner seat became vacant this year after Tory MP Jim Hillyer died of a heart attack. Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose have campaigned in the riding. Last week Trudeau said he believed his Liberals could defy the odds and steal the seat.

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WALMART TURNS SCREWS ON VISA

Walmart is putting more pressure on Visa over the fees it charges Canadian merchants. Walmart will stop accepting the credit card at its 16 stores in Manitoba today. It first banned Visa cards at its three stores in Thunder Bay, Ont., in mid-July, complaining the merchant fees were just too high. Walmart has said it will eventually phase out Visa at all 400 of its Canadian stores. Visa says it offered Walmart one of the lowest rates for any merchant in the country.

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APPEAL COURT TO RULE ON OLAND

New Brunswick’s highest court will rule today on an appeal by Dennis Oland who was convicted of killing of his father. Richard Oland was found bludgeoned to death in his Saint John office in 2011. Dennis Oland was convicted by a jury in December and sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for at least 10 years. Oland’s lawyers contend the verdict was unreasonable and that the judge erred in his legal instructions to the jury.

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MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING VICTORIA STAFFORD TO ASK FOR NEW TRIAL

The man convicted of killing eight-year-old Victoria Stafford seven years ago will ask Ontario’s top court for a new trial today. Michael Rafferty was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 with no chance of parole for 25 years for kidnapping, sexual assault causing bodily harm and first-degree murder in the death of the Woodstock, Ont., girl. His lawyer will argue the judge failed to warn the jury against relying on the testimony of Rafferty’s ex-girlfriend Terri-Lynne McClintic, who he says has a history of lying.

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MEDIATION BEGINS FOR UBC HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINT

Mediation begins today between the University of British Columbia and a former student who filed a human-rights complaint alleging the school discriminated in handling reports of sexual assault and harassment. Glynnis Kirchmeier says the school failed to act on numerous complaints about a male PhD student, resulting in more women becoming the victims of sexual violence. Earlier this year, the B.C. government introduced legislation requiring post-secondary institutions to create sexual misconduct policies.

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GREATER EFFORT NEEDED TO CURB CALORIES IN SUGAR-LACED BEVERAGES

The Conference Board of Canada says the beverage industry will have to do more than simply rely on recent trends to reach its target for reducing the calories people consume through soft drinks and other similar products. The Canadian Obesity Network blames increased rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases on the “skyrocketing” consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages over the past three decades.

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