(NB-Daniel-Bard)
A Moncton judge has dismissed a defendant’s second attempt to have his trial thrown out of court.
Daniel Bard is facing charges of fraud, theft and money laundering.
Nearly four years of proceedings against Bard have seen several delays.
A retrial wrapped up in March and a verdict is expected late May. (CBC News)
(Atlantic Update by The Canadian Press)
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(NL-Budget)
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Progressive Conservative government is set to table their spending plan today for the indebted province’s year ahead.
Finance Minister Craig Pardy’s budget for the current 2026-27 fiscal year is expected to come with a deficit, though he hasn’t given hints on what the shortfall may be.
He has, however, said that he expected the fiscal year that ended on March 31st to close out with a deficit nearing one-billion dollars.
The Tories made campaign promises totalling nearly 285-million dollars before they unseated the Liberals in the October provincial election. (The Canadian Press)
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(NS-Medical-Research)
Nova Scotia’s premier says the province is poised to become a world leader in offering residents the opportunity to take part in potentially groundbreaking medical research.
Tim Houston says Nova Scotians can now sign up for clinical trials or other research when they register or renew their health card, or via a web-based portal.
They can also contact Medical Services Insurance, the province’s public health insurance program.
Options for participation include consenting to be contacted if they are a potential match for a clinical trial or other medical study, or allowing their biological samples and health information to be used to support research. (The Canadian Press)
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(NS-Cigarettes-Seized)
R-C-M-P in Nova Scotia seized 160 cases of unstamped cigarettes and arrested an 18-year-old man in the Antigonish area.
Police say they saw a U-Haul truck veering in and out of its lane and initiated a traffic stop.
Officers inspected the vehicle and discovered the 1.6 million cigarettes.
The 18-year-old driver from Riverview, New Brunswick, is expected to face charges under the Excise Act and the Nova Scotia Revenue Act. (The Canadian Press)
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(NS-CBU-Money)
Cape Breton University says it’s cutting jobs and plans to raise tuition as it grapples with significant enrolment pressures and the loss of tens of millions of dollars in revenue.
The university says about 50 jobs will be impacted by the planned cuts.
Seventeen employees will be laid off.
The school hopes to manage the loss of jobs through early retirements, term positions that will not be renewed and job vacancies that will not be filled. (CBC News)
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(PEI-Substation)
A new substation is expected to reduce power outages in western P-E-I by 55 per cent.
The island’s major utility company, Maritime Electric, says the infrastructure will cost around 13.8-million dollars.
Maritime Electric says there were hundreds of power outages over the winter in West Prince alone, and this new substation should dramatically reduce future outages. (CBC News)
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