Six stories in the news today, July 17:
PREMIERS EYE ENERGY STRATEGY AGREEMENT
Several premiers hope they can forge a national energy strategy today, despite regional differences on display at their annual meeting. Newfoundland and Labrador’s Paul Davis says the premiers made progress yesterday, but need more time. Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall is critical of some provinces who he says view some resources like oil as a liability.
MILITARY GETS NEW CHIEF
A former combat commander in Afghanistan will take over today as Chief of Defence Staff, the top uniformed job in Canada’s military. Gen. Jonathan Vance takes over from Gen. Tom Lawson. Vance takes over at a challenging time for the military, which has forces involved in such hotspots as Iraq and Ukraine. The military is also dealing with a report that found that sexual misconduct is “endemic.”
COURT DECISION ON VOTER ID RULES
The Harper government will find out today if its new voter identification requirements will stand. An Ontario judge will rule on a challenge by two groups and three voters who contend the rules are unconstitutional. A key issue is whether people should be able to use voter information cards as ID at the polls.
FATAL POLICE SHOOTING IN DAWSON CREEK
The RCMP in Dawson Creek, B.C. shot and killed a masked man on Thursday evening after he disrupted a B.C. Hydro public information session concerning the Site C dam project. The RCMP says officers tried to de-escalate the situation when they arrived, but there was a confrontation and the unidentified man was shot. No police officers or other members of the public were injured.
ASSESSMENT RULING IN VIA RAIL TERROR CASE
A Toronto judge is expected to rule today on a Crown request for an assessment to determine whether a man convicted of plotting to derail a passenger train is fit to be sentenced. Chiheb Esseghaier, and co-accused Raed Jaser, were found guilty in March of a terror-related conspiracy to commit murder and six other terror-related charges.
ALSO IN THE NEWS
Statistics Canada will release the consumer price index for June.
