The Friday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories

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OBAMA URGES UNITY ON VETERANS DAY: Three days after election day in the United States, President Barack Obama used his last Veterans Day speech to urge Americans to learn from the example of veterans as a divided nation seeks to “forge unity” after the bitter 2016 presidential election campaign. Obama, in remarks at Arlington National Cemetery, noted that Veterans Day often comes on the heels of hard-fought campaigns that “lay bare disagreements across our nation.” Tuesday’s election of Republican Donald Trump led to protests across the country.

Birdwatching boom

Birdwatchers flock to Saskatchewan for rare species and prairie skies

19h ago

Spring flood

Saskatchewan flooding: Highway to Île-à-la-Crosse reopens after culvert repair

19h ago

“The Queen was always there."

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon reflects on five years of Indigenous diplomacy and reconciliation

20h ago

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HOLLANDE, PRINCE HARRY MARK ARMISTICE DAY: French President Francois Hollande and Britain’s Prince Harry paid respects Friday to the fallen of First World War while marking 98 years since the Allies claimed their victory in the bloody conflict. Hollande attended a solemn and chilly Armistice Day ceremony at the famed Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Harry, who served with the British Armed Forces in Afghanistan, attended a service at the national Armed Forces Memorial in Staffordshire, England.

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MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR LEONARD COHEN: A traditional Jewish memorial service for Leonard Cohen was conducted in Quebec on Thursday, three days after the death of the musical icon. A statement co-signed by Rabbi Adam Scheier says Cohen was laid to rest beside his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. News of his death only became public Thursday night, but Cohen’s biographer, Sylvie Simmons, said a family friend told her the poet actually died Monday.

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MONTREALERS PAY TRIBUTE TO LEONARD COHEN: Montrealers gathered in front of Leonard Cohen’s home on Friday as they paid tribute to the singer, whose death was announced the previous night. Some laid flowers and candles, while there was also a fedora, Cohen’s trademark headgear. Cohen was born in Montreal on Sept. 21, 1934, and returned to the city periodically throughout his life. Many who gathered Friday say he was always courteous and gracious whenever he was spotted around the city’s Plateau neighbourhood.

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TOP REPUBLICAN CALLS FOR QUICK ACTION ON KEYSTONE: The top Republican in the U.S. Senate says he asked president-elect Donald Trump to move swiftly in approving construction of the Keystone XL pipeline that would allow Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. to ship bitumen from Alberta’s oilsands to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told reporters on Friday that he made the request during his Capitol Hill meeting with Trump a day earlier. President Barack Obama had vetoed legislation that would have moved ahead with construction of the pipeline.

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MAN SAYS HE WAS SET UP IN EXPLOSIVES CASE: A Montreal man on trial for trying to board an airplane with explosives-related materials in his suitcase told a judge Friday he strongly believes he was set up and that he was shocked when authorities found the items. Antony Piazza, an Iranian-born Canadian citizen, is facing four charges stemming from the Montreal airport bomb scare on Oct. 27, 2013. Piazza, 74, told the court he believes an acquaintance in Spain with whom he had a falling-out over money inserted the items into his carry-on suitcase.

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GOFUNDME PAGE SET UP FOR MOTHER OF DEAD SASK. GIRL: A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the mother of seven-year-old Nia Eastman. Organizer Melinda Fleming says she wants to support Nia’s mother Crystal during this tragic time. The young girl was found dead in a northeastern Saskatchewan home on Thursday. Her father was found dead from self-inflicted injuries in a nearby rural area. Police are still trying piece together the timeline from when Nia was picked up by her father after school until her body was found the next day.

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ROUGH WATERS DELAY B.C. TUG SALVAGE: Rough waters continued to plague salvage crews as they try to lift a submerged tugboat off the coast of Central B.C. The Nathan E. Stewart ran aground on Oct. 13, spilling more than 100,000 litres of diesel fuel along with other pollutants. Crews are trying to inflate airbags meant to lift the bow of the tug so that it can be loaded onto a barge and removed from the area. The cradle that will lift the tug is in position and the barge has been moved closer to the site.

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IMF APPROVES $12B BAILOUT FOR EGYPT: The International Monetary Fund said on Friday that its executive board has approved a three-year bailout totalling $12 billion to Egypt, to support the country’s ailing economy — a move intended to restore investor confidence and raise the country’s foreign reserves. The approval comes almost a week after the Egyptian government floated its currency and raised fuel prices in order to qualify for the loan. These reforms earned praise from the IMF and the international business community, but caused price hikes for an already frustrated cash-strapped population.

The Canadian Press