By Canadian Press

In the news today, June 28

Jun 28, 2019 | 2:30 AM

Five stories in the news for Friday, June 28

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CHINESE SPY CASE TANGLED IN SECRECY SPATS

The case of a Canadian man accused of trying to spy for China is once again tied up in mysterious closed-door proceedings over confidential information. It has been more than five years since Qing Quentin Huang was arrested in Burlington, Ont., following an RCMP-led investigation called Project Seascape. Huang, an employee of Lloyd’s Register, a subcontractor to Irving Shipbuilding Inc., was charged under the Security of Information Act with attempting to communicate secrets to a foreign power. Police said the information related to elements of the federal shipbuilding strategy, which includes patrol ships, frigates, naval auxiliary vessels, science research vessels and ice breakers. Huang, who claims innocence, is free on bail.

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IN THE COMMUNITY

Medicine Hat's Mustard Seed adding new shelter spaces at Alberta government's request

4h ago

HOLIDAYS

Medicine Hat Kiwanis hosting Christmas dinner, applications due Friday

6h ago

IN THE COMMUNITY

'Compassionate Friends' offer peer support for bereaved in Medicine Hat

22h ago

ONTARIO COURT SET TO RULE ON FEDS’ CARBON LAW

Ontario’s top court rules today on the validity of the federal government’s carbon charge. The Doug Ford government challenged the constitutionality of the carbon-pricing law before a five-judge panel in April. It argued the Liberal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau overstepped its authority in imposing the charge. For its part, Ottawa argued climate change poses an urgent threat and is an issue of national concern. The federal government says its approach — imposing a levy on gasoline and fossil fuels — respects provincial jurisdiction.

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FULL PAROLE FOR WOMAN WHO MURDERED BOY

An Ontario woman serving a life sentence for the murder of an eight-year-old boy in the 1980s has been granted full parole after officials found she had taken steps to improve her chances of rehabilitation. Amina Chaudhary, 57, has been on day parole since 2016 and was denied full parole the following year because authorities felt she was blaming others for her fate. Though she continues to assert her innocence, the Parole Board of Canada last week found Chaudhary has worked hard since then to address her issues and acquire skills to facilitate her reintegration into society. It noted she has become more transparent with her parole officer and navigated several major life stressors, including reuniting with a son she had given up for adoption decades ago as well as with one of her children with her current spouse.

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BISON HERD IN PRINCE ALBERT NATIONAL PARK ‘CRASHING’

Research into free-roaming plains bison in Saskatchewan’s Prince Albert National Park says the herd could go extinct from overhunting in fields outside the protected area. The study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, looked at why the Sturgeon River herd’s population has decreased to about 120 animals. Co-author Ricardo Simon says the area had about 500 bison back in 2005 and the population has been going down ever since. “Pretty much crashing,” he says. The PhD student at Laval University in Quebec, says he and his supervisor Daniel Fortin looked at three potential causes: predation by wolves, diseases and hunting.

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AT THE TURN: IN GOLF, PRACTICE DOES PAY OFF

Seeking solace in enormous homemade cheeseburgers, coolers of cold beer and handfuls of Advil, eight old friends were nursing their wounds from the day’s 36-hole marathon, the midway point of an annual three-day golf grudge match in southern Ontario known as the Chatsworth Cup. Matt Parkinson was resting his aching joints on the couch when a rival sidled up, presumably to throw some sand-wedge shade. Instead, however, came a compliment the typical weekend golfer rarely hears: “Your game has improved 100 per cent over last year.” In golf, that sort of thing doesn’t happen by accident.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism Andy Fillmore will make a funding announcement regarding an energy efficiency company in Nova Scotia.

— Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques takes part in his first news conference since his return to Earth. Saint-Jacques will answer questions remotely from Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas.

— The daily Changing of the Guard ceremony returns to Rideau Hall. Ceremonies will take place daily from June 28 to 30 and July 2 to 5 at Rideau Hall. From July 6 to Aug. 24, the ceremony returns to the lawns of Parliament Hill.

— A plea is expected in the case of John Yag, who is accused of randomly stabbing a mother and her six-year-old son a green space in NW Calgary on Oct. 6, 2017.

— Health Minister Adrian Dix makes announcement on efforts to increase immunization rates.

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The Canadian Press