Seven stories in the news today, Oct. 5

Seven stories in the news for Wednesday, Oct. 5

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VOTING BEGINS TODAY FOR NEW PQ LEADER 

Members of the Parti Quebecois begin voting today for a new leader to replace Pierre Karl Peladeau. More than 73,200 members can vote by phone or online until 5 p.m. on Friday. The leadership candidates include Jean-Francois Lisee, Alexandre Cloutier and Martine Ouellet, who hold seats in the legislature, and the unelected Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.

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time served

Nanaimo man caught with over 30g of illicit drugs avoids additional jail time

7h ago

big return

Senior women's box lacrosse returns to Nanaimo after 10+ year absence

7h ago

environmental impacts

Accidental pump activation causes minor oil slick in Nanaimo marina

9h ago

NOTLEY: CARBON PLAN NEEDS PROVINCIAL SUPPORT

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley is warning the Trudeau government against pressing ahead with its climate plan without having the provinces on board. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said provinces must either put a price on carbon that meets or exceeds a national minimum or put a cap-and-trade system in place. That announcement on Monday prompted environment ministers from Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador to walk out of climate meetings in Montreal.

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DION SAYS CHINA TRIED TO BLOCK VISITS TO TIBET 

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion says China has for years tried to block Canadian diplomats from Tibet, banning some of them from visiting aid projects once funded by Canadian taxpayers. The minister’s frank assessment comes as the Liberal government moves to expand trade with China. The Montreal-based, Canada Tibet Committee suggested the travel restrictions are part of China’s ongoing efforts to mask human rights abuses in the region.

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FINAL ARGUMENTS SET TO BEGIN IN GIESBRECHT CASE

Closing arguments are to begin this morning in the trial of a Winnipeg woman charged with hiding the remains of six infants in a storage locker. Andrea Giesbrecht, 42, has been free on bail since she was arrested in October 2014. Court has heard most of the remains found in the storage locker were in white garbage bags that were inside other bags and containers.

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GUILTY PLEA IN FLORIDA MURDER OF CANADIAN PROFESSOR

A man accused of killing a prominent Canadian legal scholar in Florida has pleaded guilty in a U.S. court, marking a major development in a case authorities have called a murder for hire motivated by a bitter divorce. Luis Rivera pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of Dan Markel — a Toronto-born law professor at Florida State University — and as part of the plea deal he will testify against two co-accused and will co-operate with investigators.

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AMAYA SECURITIES TRIBUNAL HEARING RESUMES 

The lead investigator in the insider trading case against associates of the online gambling company Amaya is expected to face tough cross-examination today when a Quebec securities tribunal hearing. The province’s securities regulator (L’Autorite des marches financiers) alleges 12 people used access to privileged information about impending Amaya acquisitions to reap nearly $1.5 million in profit over five years.

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BLUE JAYS BEAT BALTIMORE IN EXTRA-INNING THRILLER

It was the biggest home run of Edwin Encarnacion’s career and one of the most dramatic in Blue Jays history. He crushed a no-doubt three-run blast in the bottom of the 11th inning last night to give Toronto a 5-2 victory over Baltimore to capture the American League wild card. Now it’s off to Texas, where the Jays will face the Rangers in a best-of-five division series starting Thursday afternoon.

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The Canadian Press