In the news today, Aug. 16

———

SOCIAL MEDIA BECOMES FACTOR IN POLICE WORK

A Winnipeg criminologist says social media can help or hurt police investigations, such as the one into three northern B.C. homicides. Frank Cormier, head of the department of sociology and criminology at the University of Manitoba, says police use it as a tool to get their message out. But he says it’s a double-edged sword. Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod were suspected in the killings of a young tourist couple and a botanist in northern British Columbia last month. Police say they received more than 1,000 tips during a manhunt for the suspects. Cormier says most tips were well-intentioned, but there are also people who feed false rumours and lies.

———

DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS IN TURKEY, FEDS URGED

It’s long past time for the federal government to publicly condemn human rights violations that have been going on in Turkey for years, an Ottawa-based human rights activist says. More than 3,000 Turkish families have landed in Canada seeking asylum during the last three years, said Vaner Kaplan, who represents a group called Advocates of Silenced Turkey in Canada that documents human rights violations in the eastern European country and presses for change from abroad. Following an attempted coup in July 2016, the Turkish government imposed a state of emergency that remained in force throughout the year. It paved the way for restrictions on human rights and allowed the government to pass laws beyond the effective scrutiny of Parliament and the courts.

———

BULLYING STILL A PROBLEM AT ST. MICHAEL’S SCHOOL: REPORT

An independent committee examining culture at a private Toronto school rocked by allegations of sexual assault says bullying continues to be a school-wide problem, and measures put in place to reduce the issue have not worked. Last fall, seven students at St. Michael’s College School were charged in connection with two alleged sexual assaults and one assault that took place on campus. The school made headlines in November as police investigated an alleged sexual assault recorded on video and shared on social media. The sweeping 123-page report titled “A Time for Renewal” offers 36 recommendations, including developing a comprehensive strategy to address bullying and staff training.

———

CITY OF SASKATOON HIT BY ONLINE FRAUD

The City of Saskatoon says it has lost $1 million in an online scam. City manager Jeff Jorgenson says a fraudster electronically impersonated the chief financial officer of a construction company that has a contract with the city. He says the culprit asked to have a payment sent to a new bank account and the city complied. The city contacted police after the fraud was discovered on Monday. It has hired experts to try to recover the money. Jorgenson says the city is reviewing its financial controls to make sure it is secure from future attacks.

———

ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— Green party Leader Elizabeth May will hold a press conference in Winnipeg on Friday to address the underlying issues of poverty in Manitoba.

— A Barrhead, Alta., high school teacher Andrew Jissink appears in court charged with the sexual exploitation of three students, allegedly through Snapchat.

— Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew to make Manitoba election campaign announcement.

— Alberta Environment Minister Jason Nixon to speak at a Calgary Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today, Aug. 16

Our Community