Five stories in the news today, Jan. 31

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Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

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$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

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CANADIANS MOURN QUEBEC VICTIMS ACROSS COUNTRY

Thousands of Canadians turned out in numerous cities yesterday to stand in solidarity with Muslims the day after six people were killed in an attack at a Quebec City mosque. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a crowd in the provincial capital that Muslim Canadians are valued members of every community and called the six victims “ordinary Canadians like us all.”

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JUDGE TO DELIVER VERDICT IN ‘KNEES TOGETHER’ RETRIAL 

A judge is expected to deliver a verdict today for a man in a sex assault retrial that was ordered after the original judge asked the complainant why she didn’t keep her knees together. Alexander Wagar, 29, was acquitted in 2014 by Judge Robin Camp, who ruled Wagar was a more credible witness than the 19-year-old complainant. The Alberta Court of Appeal overturned the acquittal and ordered a new trial which began in Calgary in November.

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VERDICT TODAY IN BRENT HAWKES INDECENCY TRIAL

A verdict in the gross indecency and indecent assault trial of prominent Toronto pastor Brent Hawkes is expected today in Nova Scotia. Hawkes, a high-profile rights activist who officiated at former NDP leader Jack Layton’s state funeral in 2011, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The charges stem from events in the mid-1970s, when Hawkes was a teacher in his mid-20s in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.

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STUBHUB TO BEEF UP CANADIAN OPERATIONS 

StubHub plans to beef up its operations north of the border this year with the launch of a Canadian website, French-language services and the ability to buy and sell tickets in Canadian currency. The ticket reseller, a subsidiary of eBay headquartered in San Francisco, said it wants to address shortcomings in the Canadian market, its second-largest after the United States.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Hospital officials in Quebec City will update the condition of those injured in Sunday’s Quebec City mosque attack.

— Victoria will hold a vigil to honour the victims of the Quebec City mosque shooting.

— Statistics Canada releases the GDP by industry for November and the industrial product and raw materials price indexes for December.

— Calgary-based Imperial Oil will release its preliminary fourth-quarter and year-end financial results.

— Nominations for the 2017 East Coast Music Awards will be announced in Saint John, N.B.

The Canadian Press