Six stories in the news today, Aug. 14

Six stories in the news today, Aug. 14 from The Canadian Press:

———

INDONESIAN COURT ACQUITS CANADIAN TEACHER

An Indonesian court has overturned convictions against Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman and an Indonesian teaching assistant who were serving 10 years in prison for sexually abusing three young children at a school in Jakarta.Both Bantleman and Ferdinant Tijong left prison early Friday and greeted by tearful family and cheers from friends and dozens of teachers from their former school.

———

CROSS EXAMINATION OF NUGEL WRIGHT CONTINUES AT DUFFY TRIAL

Former Harper chief of staff Nigel Wright will spend another day being grilled at the fraud trial of Sen. Mike Duffy. Nigel Wright was pressed by Duffy’s lawyer Thursday about how he handled plans for Duffy to repay disputed expenses. Donald Bayne tried to emphasize that it was Wright and his team who devised the plan to have Duffy say he had mistakenly claimed living expenses for his Ottawa-area home. Duffy has pleaded not guilty.

———

B.C. WILDFIRE FORCES HUNDREDS TO EVACUATE

Hundreds of people have fled an aggressive fire in British Columbia’s southern Interior, including stunned campers who ran from a park with only the clothes on their backs. About 200 people fled the campground and surrounding area ahead of the fire near Rock Creek, which grew to about 800 hectares overnight was still growing. About 240 homes were being evacuated.

———

ALBERTA NDP GOVERNMENT REVEALS WHERE IT’S AT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Alberta’s fledgling New Democrat government will give some idea today of where it is heading in its review of climate change policy. Environment Minister Shannon Phillips and panel chair Andrew Leach are expected to reveal how they’ll hear from Albertans on this issue. The governing New Democrats have already said large companies that emit more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year must now aim to reduce their carbon intensity by 20 per cent in 2017, versus 12 per cent currently.

———

ALTERCATION IN VANCOUVER LEAVES MAN DEAD, SIX OFFICERS INJURED

One man is dead and six officers were sent to hospital following an altercation in Vancouver on Thursday.Police say officers responded to a call of a distraught man causing a disturbance and that he became agitated as they tried to detain him. The man died during the ensuing altercation ensued. The injured officers have since been released from hospital.

———

CANADA AWASH IN BASEBALL FEVER

The Toronto Blue Jays are capturing the imagination of Canadians in a way not seen since the team last won the World Series more than two decades ago. An 11-game winning streak has put the team atop its division and has helped revive interest far beyond Toronto. Television ratings are sky high — the Jays have had more than one million viewers on Sportsnet in each of the past seven games.

———