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

Highlights from the news file for Thursday, June 22

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SEARS TO SHUT DOWN DOZENS OF CANADIAN STORES: Sears Canada is slashing roughly 2,900 jobs and is to close 59 stores under a court-supervised restructuring. On the chopping block are 20 full-line locations, 15 Sears Home stores, 10 Sears Outlet stores and 14 Sears Hometown locations. The announcement came after the company was granted temporary court protection from creditors under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act Thursday morning.

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QUEBEC PREMIER SAYS MUSLIMS MUST BE INVOLVED IN FIGHTING TERRORISM: Quebec’s premier says Wednesday’s stabbing of a police officer at a Michigan airport is the kind of terrorist event that cannot be disconnected “from Islam in general.” Philippe Couillard says Muslims also have a responsibility in the fight against terrorism. Couillard says the stabbing of a police officer at the Flint airport in Michigan is the kind of terrorist event that cannot be disconnected “from Islam in general.” A Canadian suspect from Montreal is in custody in the U.S. Police allege someone shouted in Arabic before stabbing the officer in the neck.

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BOEING STILL HOPES TO CLOSE SUPER HORNET DEAL: Boeing is still expressing hope that it can sell Super Hornet fighter jets to Canada despite its dispute with Montreal-based rival Bombardier. The head of Boeing’s defence and space division made the comments at the Paris Air Show this week where Canadian officials met met F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin and other fighter jet makers in Paris but refused to have any contact with Boeing. Leane Caret said in an interview with U.S.-based Defense News that Boeing has a 100-year “working relationship” with the Canadian government and the Bombardier spat that has generated a trade complaint is a company-to-company issue.

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TRUMP TRADE CZAR OUTLINES APPROACH TO NAFTA TALKS: The Trump administration’s trade rep says negotiators will take a “do-no-harm” approach to renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Robert Lighthizer says he won’t do anything that could hurt many American agricultural sectors. Lighthizer says his objective is to modernize outdated aspects of the 23-year-old agreement, while protecting the gains U.S. farmers and ranchers have been reaping from the deal.

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B.C. LIBERALS PRESENT THRONE SPEECH: The British Columbia government has presented its speech from the throne, but it’s likely to be a short run for the governing Liberals. The New Democrats and Green Party have vowed to join forces to topple the government, which is one seat shy of a majority in the legislature. Premier Christy Clark’s government is likely to be defeated in a confidence vote next week.

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CANADIAN SKI COACH FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT: Canadian ski coach Bertrand Charest was found guilty Thursday of 37 charges related to the exploitation and sexual assault of his young female students. Charest’s crimes took place more than 20 years ago as he trained aspiring professional downhill skiers. A sentencing hearing is set for August.

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ETHICS WATCHDOG CONTINUES PROBE OF FORMER SENATOR: The Senate ethics watchdog has resumed its investigation into workplace harassment and bullying allegations against former Senator Don Meredith — even though he’s resigned. The ethics committee decided it wants to press ahead with the probe just the same. Meredith resigned last month, a day before the Senate could have voted to expel him over his sexual relationship with a teenage girl.

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ONTARIO INCREASES ACCESS TO GENITAL TRANSITION SURGERY: Ontario’s health minister says the province will offer genital transition surgery for the first time next year. Eric Hoskins says it will make Ontario only the second jurisdiction in Canada to provide access to such surgery. Hoskins also says the province will be working with the Toronto-based Women’s College Hospital to increase access to “top” or chest surgery.

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MANITOBA OFFICIALS LOOK AHEAD TO WINTER IN CHURCHILL: The Manitoba government is thinking about how residents in Churchill will manage this winter now that their rail service has been cut off. The government is considering bringing in extra propane storage units and is exploring whether some customers in Churchill can be switched from propane to electricity to help supplies last longer. The subarctic community on the shore of Hudson Bay lost its only land link to the outside world this spring, when flooding damaged the rail line and washed away a lot of rail bed.

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TRUMP DENIES RECORDING CHATS WITH COMEY: U.S. President Donald Trump says he “did not make” and doesn’t have any recordings of his private conversations with James Comey, his fired FBI director. Trump tweets that he has “no idea” whether other “tapes” or recordings exist. Trump has disputed Comey’s assertion that Trump asked Comey for a pledge of loyalty during a dinner meeting. When news of Comey’s account broke, Trump tweeted that Comey “better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!”

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