By Canadian Press

Five stories in the news today, May 2

May 2, 2017 | 2:45 AM

Five stories in the news for Tuesday, May 2

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CANADIAN WOMAN, U.S. BOYFRIEND, FOUND DEAD IN BELIZE

The bodies of a Canadian woman and her American boyfriend who went missing last week in Belize have been found. Francesca Matus, 52, was in Belize with her American boyfriend, 36-year-old Drew DeVoursney, when they disappeared last week. Local media in Belize says the bodies were found late Monday afternoon in the country’s Corozal district near the Mexican border.

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HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW

Summer pool hours extended and discounts applied as Big Marble Go Centre upgrades start

Apr 18, 2024

Medicine Hat company drawing in clients with witty signage

Apr 16, 2024

Medicine Hat College holding event for missing and murdered Indigenous women awareness day

Apr 16, 2024

HYDRO VAULT FIRE CAUSES TORONTO BLASTS

Officials say a series of blasts in Toronto’s financial district that shut down the area Monday and sent commuters scrambling was caused by an overheated hydro vault fire. There were no reports of injuries. Toronto Hydro said its crews would be working through the night to pump water out of the vault and dry the equipment before starting repairs. There was no indication how long that would take.

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ANTI-CAPITALISTS MARCH IN MONTREAL FOR MAY DAY

Montreal police say there was just one arrest Monday when some people taking part in an anti-capitalist protest threw canisters of pink gas at police, who responded with tear gas. That gathering coincided with another peaceful protest of roughly 200 people to celebrate International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day. It was organized by a coalition of unions demanding the minimum wage be increased to $15 from $11.25.

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TORIES ACCUSE HARJIT SAJJAN OF ‘STOLEN VALOUR’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed his “full confidence” in his embattled defence minister after they endured a withering question-period offensive as opposition MPs accused Harjit Sajjan of “stolen valour” for overstating his role in planning a 2006 battle in Afghanistan. Sajjan twice apologized in the House of Commons yesterday for having described himself as the architect of a pivotal battle in the Afghan war.

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TRUDEAU PRESSED TO HELP SOUTH SUDAN

Senior clerics from three of Canada’s largest religious denominations are asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for more help for South Sudan. The letter to Trudeau urges the government to increase aid to the country and to speak out about the food crisis there. The bishops say 20 million people face hunger in South Sudan, as well as Yemen, Somalia and Nigeria. A spokesman for International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says Canada recently announced $119 million in humanitarian funding for those countries.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Companies reporting results today include Fortis, Tembec, Centerra Gold, Agrium, Encana and WestJet.

— Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. will hold its annual meeting in Laval, Que.

— Statistics Canada will release data on the control and sale of alcoholic beverages for the year ending March 31, 2016.

— Science Minister Kirsty Duncan will meet with top U.S. science officials in Washington, D.C.

— The Nature Conservancy of Canada and other groups will announce protection of old-growth forest.

The Canadian Press