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In the news today, July 12

Jul 12, 2018 | 2:30 AM

Five stories in the news for Thursday, July 12

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ONTARIO’S NEW GOVERNMENT TO GIVE FIRST THRONE SPEECH

Ontario’s new government will lay out its plans today in a throne speech expected to highlight several of Premier Doug Ford’s campaign promises. While the new government has been quiet about the specifics of the speech, it has said the rare summer sitting was meant to address three priorities: scrapping the cap-and-trade system, ending the strike at York University and cancelling a wind power project.

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TRUDEAU AND TRUMP MEET BRIEFLY TO TALK TRADE

It wasn’t a formal bilateral meeting, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did manage to chat with U-S President Donald Trump on the margins of the NATO summit in Brussels Wednesday. Officials say they discussed North American trade irritants instead of the burning issue of defence spending. Trudeau will meet with Spain’s president today and take part in a few meetings before heading home.

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FEDERAL CABINET SHUFFLE EXPECTED WITHIN DAYS

Sources tell The Canadian Press that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will shuffle his cabinet sometime in the next week to carry his government through to the 2019 election. One of the moves is expected to see Kirsty Duncan’s two portfolios — science and sport and persons with disabilities — split back into two ministries.

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TWO COMPANIES FINED UNDER ANTI-SPAM LAW

The country’s broadcast regulator has fined two companies for the first time under Canada’s anti-spam law for allegedly aiding in the installation of malicious computer programs through online ads. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission fined Datablocks $100,000 and hit Sunlight Media with a $150,000 penalty. The agency alleges that by failing to implement basic safeguards, the viewing of online ads “may have led to the installation of unwanted and malicious software.”

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MANITOBA PREMIER PROVINCIAL ALCOHOL BARRIERS DROPPED

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister is asking his colleagues to eliminate restrictions on interprovincial booze runs. In advance of next week’s premiers meeting in New Brunswick, Pallister has written to other provincial leaders asking them to remove limits on interprovincial transportation of alcohol for personal use. He says doing so would show progress in efforts to reduce other inter-provincial barriers.

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PEDIATRICIANS GRAPPLE WITH REQUESTS FOR CANNABIS

About half of pediatric doctors surveyed about cannabis say they’ve encountered a young patient who had used marijuana for a medical reason. The Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program found that 419 of 835 respondents had a patient who had used either authorized or unauthorized cannabis for some sort of medical relief. The one-time study did not detail the nature of the condition being treated nor the ages of the patients.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— The Nova Scotia PC Party will hold a leadership debate.

— Court hearing in Ottawa for ex-NHLer Dave (Tiger) Williams on one count of sexual assault one count of common assault.

— Toronto police chief Mark Saunders and Mayor John Tory will unveil a gun violence reduction plan.

— Canada Post and the Vancouver Aquarium will unveil five stamps honouring sharks in Canadian waters.

— The nominees for the 70th Emmy Awards will be announced at 11:25 a.m. ET.

 

The Canadian Press