In the news today, March 29

A departure ceremony is being held today in Vancouver for trains carrying combat boots symbolizing those who travelled to Halifax during the Second World War before they embarked for Europe. The journey is part of the federal government’s plan to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay will be among those in Vancouver today to outline the commemorative events that are planned. He is also scheduled to unveil the official poster for the anniversary at the city’s train station. Several community-based events will be held across the country and internationally to commemorate D-Day.

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BAIL HEARING FOR TERROR SUSPECT RESUMES

A courtroom in Kingston, Ont., will play host today to the second part of a two-day bail hearing for a youth facing terrorism charges. The youth, who cannot be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was charged in late January after a Canadian police investigation sparked by a tip from the FBI. It’s not yet known if the court will release a decision today on whether the youth will be granted bail. There is a strict publication ban on all evidence, submissions and reasons presented during the hearing. The youth is accused of knowingly facilitating a terrorist activity, and counselling another person to “deliver, place, discharge or detonate an explosive or other lethal device” in a public place.

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PORT MOODY, B.C. MAYOR TAKES LEAVE TO FIGHT CHARGE

The mayor of Port Moody, B.C., says he is taking a leave of absence to clear his name after being charged with sexual assault. Robert Vagramov said Thursday that preparing a defence will require his full attention as he fights the charge in court, so he has decided to take a leave of absence starting today. Vagramov said he has co-operated with the authorities during their investigation, adding that he has passed a polygraph test and provided the results to them. The B.C. Prosecution Service said in a statement Thursday it appointed lawyer Michael Klein as a special prosecutor in relation to an investigation of a sexual assault alleged to have occurred in Coquitlam in 2015.

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REGINA POLICE RELEASE RCMP REVIEW OF DEATH PROBE

An RCMP report says the investigation by the Regina Police Service into the death of an Indigenous woman who fell 10 storeys down a laundry chute did not meet professional standards. Nadine Machiskinic, 29, was found in medical distress in the laundry room of Regina’s Delta Hotel in 2015 and later died of her injuries. In November, Regina chief Evan Bray said the report would not be released to the public, which upset her family. On Thursday, Bray released the RCMP report, which makes 14 recommendations on how to improve how police deal with similar cases. The review says the investigation did not meet the standards of a professional sudden death investigation due to the lack of an effective case management system.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan attend a peacekeeping summit at the United Nations.

— Nova Scotia Environment Minister Margaret Miller will release her decision on the environmental assessment of Northern Pulp’s proposed effluent treatment plant.

— Statistics Canada releases its gross domestic product figures by industry for January and industrial product and raw materials price indexes for February.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today, March 29

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