Feb 16 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories from selected Canadian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
** BCE Inc's BCE.TO C$3.1 billion ($2.4 billion) takeover of MTS, one of the last remaining regional telephone companies in Canada, finally cleared to close on Wednesday.
** The Supreme Court of Canada on Wednesday declared that Livent Inc's auditors were "negligent but wholly innocent" in the fraud that unfolded at the live theater company.
** Yukon Supreme Court Justice Scott Brooker declared a mistrial in the case of Michael Nehass, whose mental state deteriorated so severely after more than three years in solitary confinement that he was found unfit to participate in his own sentencing.
NATIONAL POST
** Hunter Harrison is asking for an "exceptionally unusual if not unprecedented" compensation package from CSX Corp CSX.O worth an estimated $300 million, but analysts say shareholders are likely to vote him into the railway's top job anyway.
Liberals and New Democrats signalled their strong support Wednesday night to have the Canadian federal government seek ways to combat rising anti-Muslim sentiment in Canada.
Canadian government officials say the 2017 budget will be heavy on measures to promote innovation and skills. Sources suggest the government has already reviewed the existing alphabet soup of grants and tax credits.