The Monday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories

By The Canadian Press

Highlights from the news file for Monday, July 25

B.C. TO BRING IN 15 PER CENT FOREIGN BUYER TAX: Foreign nationals who buy real estate in Metro Vancouver would pay an additional property transfer tax of 15 per cent under legislation introduced by the British Columbia government. Finance Minister Mike de Jong unveiled the tax as part of legislation aimed at addressing low vacancy rates and high real estate prices in southern B.C. “For example, the additional tax on the purchase of a home selling for $2 million to a foreign national will amount to an additional $300,000,” de Jong told members of the legislature.

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STRONG SANDERS’ SUPPORTERS DIVIDED ON BACKING CLINTON: With boos and chants of “Feel the Bern,” die-hard backers of Bernie Sanders signalled Monday that they just aren’t ready to coalesce around the presidential bid of Hillary Clinton despite his pleas. At a raucous meeting with his most loyal supporters, the Vermont senator implored his hundreds of delegates to defeat Donald Trump in November, calling the Republican candidate a “bully and a demagogue.” He said it was imperative to elect Clinton and her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine.

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FBI INVESTIGATES AFTER DEMOCRATIC EMAILS HACKED: The FBI said Monday it is investigating how thousands of Democratic National Committee emails were hacked, a breach that Hillary Clinton’s campaign maintains was committed by Russia to benefit Donald Trump. A statement from the FBI confirmed that it is “investigating a cyber intrusion involving the DNC,” adding that “a compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously.” Wikileaks posted emails Friday that suggested the DNC was favouring Clinton over her rival Sen. Bernie Sanders during the primary season.

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DION SITS DOWN WITH RUSSIAN COUNTERPART: The Liberal government turned the page on two years of acrimony between Canada and Russia as Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion sat down for his first formal meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. The 30-minute discussion took place Monday in the tiny country of Laos, where Dion and Lavrov were attending an annual meeting of Southeast Asian nations. Sources say the location was chosen because it represented neutral ground for the two sides.

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GARNEAU CONFIRMS PHASE OUT RAIL CAR INVOLVED IN LAC-MEGANTIC DISASTER: Transport Minister Marc Garneau is confirming older DOT-111 rail tanker cars will not be able to transport crude oil as of Nov. 1. The cars are the same model that was involved in the deadly Lac-Megantic tragedy in which 47 people died three years ago. The ban kicks in on Nov. 1, six months earlier than planned for “non-jacketed” cars — those without a layer of thermal protection — and 16 months earlier than cars with jackets. Garneau made the official announcement in Montreal on Monday, a few days after telling The Canadian Press about the news in an interview.

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2ND SASKATCHEWAN CITY SHUTS WATER INTAKE: The sighting of an oily sheen on the North Saskatchewan River from last week’s Husky Energy pipeline leak has prompted the City of Prince Albert to shut down the intake at its water treatment plant. City manager Jim Toye said the slick was spotted near the Saskatchewan community of more than 35,000 shortly after 6:00 a.m. Monday. “Right now, we are not receiving any water into our plant from the North Saskatchewan River.” Toye said the city’s reservoirs had a two-day supply of water and the city could get permission from Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency to tap its storm retention pond for treatment and distribution.

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MP COMPLETES ALCOHOL ADDICTION TREATMENT: Former cabinet minister and Liberal MP Hunter Tootoo says he has completed his treatment for alcohol addiction. Tootoo, who left the Liberal caucus two months ago, has scheduled a news conference and open house Wednesday at his constituency office in Iqaluit. Tootoo abruptly resigned as fisheries minister at the end of May to seek treatment for a drinking problem. Government House leader Dominic LeBlanc assumed Tootoo’s responsibilities on the fisheries file.

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WIFE OF CANADIAN HELD IN TURKEY ALLOWED VISIT: Friends and relatives say a Calgary man being detained in Turkey has been allowed to see his wife, but the visit was too brief to glean much information about how Davud Hanci is faring and what might happen next. Hanci’s wife, Rumeysa, called from a police station in Turkey on Monday to say she was able to see her husband for between 30 seconds and a minute, said her brother Selman Durmus, who lives in Toronto. Hanci, an imam who provides spiritual counselling to prisoners, is being held on accusations he was involved in a July 15 coup attempt in Turkey, Durmus said.

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STRING OF ALLEGED SEX ASSAULTS IN HALIFAX CABS: Halifax police have released new details about their investigation into a string of alleged sexual assaults by cab drivers that have unnerved local women, confirming there have been a dozen remarkably similar cases in the past four years. Of the 12 cases, five were reported to police in the past three months alone, prompting a heated debate over taxi safety. “We’ve had a recent rash of these events, and people have been inquiring about these assaults and what they can do for their own personal safety,” Insp. Lindsay Hernden said Monday. “We also want the victims to understand that this is not their fault. They were victimized by perpetrators seemingly operating with the same (methods)…”

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GERMANS ‘WON’T BE ABLE TO SLEEP PEACEFULLY,’ ATTACKER SAID: A Syrian man who tried unsuccessfully to claim asylum in Germany pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and vowed the nation’s people “won’t be able to sleep peacefully anymore” in a cellphone video before blowing himself up outside a wine bar, wounding 15 people, authorities said. The assailant set off a backpack laden with explosives and shrapnel Sunday night after being refused entry to a music festival in Ansbach, Germany, because he didn’t have a ticket. It was the fourth attack to shake Germany in a week, and the second claimed by the Islamic State group. Three of the attacks were carried out by recent immigrants.

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CHERRY AND MACLEAN GET WALK OF FAME STAR: Veteran hockey broadcasters Don Cherry and Ron MacLean were honoured with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. Speaking at a ceremony in downtown Toronto on Monday, Walk of Fame CEO Melanie Hurley said the pair have made incredible contributions to Canadian culture.

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