By Canadian Press

Five stories in the news for today, June 7

Jun 7, 2017 | 2:30 AM

Five stories in the news for Wednesday, June 7

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SAJJAN TO ANNOUNCE DEFENCE POLICY REVIEW

Minister Harjit Sajjan will announce the government’s defence policy review today, which is expected to make the case for billions in new military spending. In a speech Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada’s new foreign policy will involve spending on “hard power” military capability because the country can’t rely on an American ally that has turned inward. Finance Minister Bill Morneau has also hinted that future defence budgets could become noticeably fatter after his department spent “a huge amount of time” working on the defence review.

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VAISAKHI MELA

Hundreds flocking to P.A. for Vaisakhi Mela celebration

7m ago

SIGA

SIGA and Northern Lights Casino main sponsors of the 31st PAGC Fine Arts Festival

18h ago

Workplace incident

City of Prince Albert pleads guilty to workplace safety violation, handed fines

20h ago

CROSS-EXAMINATION OF COSBY’S CHIEF ACCUSER CONTINUES TODAY

Cross-examination of Bill Cosby’s chief accuser will continue when court resumes today. Canadian Andrea Constand took the stand at Cosby’s sexual assault trial Tuesday to tell her story publicly for the first time, saying the comedian violated her after giving her three blue pills that left her paralyzed and helpless. Cosby, 79, is charged with drugging and sexually abusing Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. The TV star once dubbed America’s Dad could get 10 years in prison if convicted.

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FEW WOMEN ON BOARDS OF CORPORATE CANNABIS: INDUSTRY INSIDERS

Women may be under-represented in the boardrooms of corporate Canada, but the disparity is larger in the medical marijuana business. Only five per cent of the board seats at publicly traded marijuana producers are currently occupied by women, according to an analysis of data conducted by The Canadian Press. Some blame the gender gap on the fact that many directors and executives in the marijuana business world come from traditionally male-dominated industries such as venture capital, investment banking and mining.

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JURY TRIAL TO BEGIN FOR ALBERTA TRIPLE MURDER SUSPECT 

The trial for a southern Alberta man accused of killing three people including a father and his daughter is scheduled to begin today before a judge and jury. Derek Saretzky was originally charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Terry Blanchette and his two-year-old daughter Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette in September 2015. Last year police added a third first-degree murder charge in the slaying of Hanne Meketech whose death occurred five days before the others.

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UNION SAYS WINNIPEG WARNS WAGE FREEZE FOR WORKERS

Winnipeg’s largest union says it is will vote today on the latest contract offer from the city, which asks them to take a one-year-wage freeze. The Canadian Union of Public Employees says if the offer is rejected, that will give the union a strike mandate. The city’s latest proposal consists of a one-year wage freeze, followed by one per cent increases over the next two years and a 1.25 per cent increase in year four.

The Canadian Press