In the news today, Nov. 9

By The Canadian Press

Five stories in the news for Friday, Nov. 9

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U.S. JUDGE BLOCKS CONSTRUCTION OF KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE

TransCanada’s $10-billion Keystone XL pipeline project has suffered another setback after a U.S. federal judge blocked its construction to allow more time to study the potential environmental impact. U.S. District Judge Brian Morris’ order on Thursday came as the Calgary-based energy giant was preparing to build the first stages of the oil pipeline in northern Montana. The proposed 1,897-kilometre pipeline would carry crude from Hardisty, Alta., to Steel City, Neb.

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ASPIRING LAWYERS KILLED IN WAR ADMITTED TO THE BAR

Alberta law students whose careers were cut short by the First World War will be honoured in Calgary today. A ceremony is to take place to admit 37 aspiring lawyers to the bar a century after they died serving overseas. Every November, the profession honours the sacrifice of its members in war. But for students, there has always been the caveat that they were never called to the bar.

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GALLANT YET TO DECIDE ON HIS FUTURE ROLE IN NEW BRUNSWICK

A new Progressive Conservative government will be sworn-in today in New Brunswick, leaving former premier Brian Gallant to decide if he’ll stay on as the Liberal Opposition leader. Gallant’s minority government was toppled last week in a confidence vote on the throne speech, and he says he hasn’t decided on his future. He says a lot of people have been encouraging him to remain on the job and lead the party into the next election, but he’s still discussing the options with his wife.

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MAN WHO ABDUCTED 3-YEAR-OLD B.C. BOY RELEASED

Vancouver police have issued a public warning about a high-risk offender moving into the city who was at the centre of a high-profile abduction case in 2011. Police say Randall Hopley, 53, still poses a risk of significant harm to the safety of young boys. Hopley has served his entire six-year sentence for breaking into a home in Sparwood, B.C., in September 2011 and abducting a three-year-old boy only to return him four days later physically unharmed.

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STATCAN PAUSES PLAN TO COLLECT BANKING INFO

Statistics Canada’s controversial plan to harvest personal financial data without people’s consent is on hold until an investigation of the legality and intrusiveness of the project is finished, the country’s chief statistician said. The federal statistical agency recently caught nine financial institutions off guard by informing them they were required to provide banking information from Canadians in 500,000 households across the country. The ensuing public outrage has put a spotlight on Canada’s privacy laws, which critics have called outdated and inadequate.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— Sukhmander Singh, owner of the trucking company involved in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, will appear in court to face non-compliance charges under federal and provincial safety regulations.

— Calgary 2026 bid corporation will unveil images of updated and new Olympic venues today.

— The first-degree murder trial continues today for Garry Handlen, who is accused of the 1978 slaying of 12-year-old Monica Jack.

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