In the news today, July 18

Five stories in the news for Wednesday, July 18

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PM TRUDEAU TO SHUFFLE CABINET TODAY

Justin Trudeau will shuffle his front benches today to install ministers who will lead the Liberal team into next year’s election. Sources say some new posts will be added to showcase up-and-coming MPs and to broaden the profile of a party that has long pinned its fortunes to the Trudeau brand. The shakeup will give ministers a couple of months to get up to speed on their new portfolios before they return to Parliament this fall.

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TRUMP FORCES TRUDEAU TO WALK FINE LINE

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has levelled fresh condemnation at Vladimir Putin but refused to weigh in on the Russian president’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump — underscoring what experts say is a difficult tightrope Canada is forced to walk on the world stage. In his comments yesterday in Nova Scotia, Trudeau criticized Putin, but avoided mentioning Trump, who offered warm words for the Russian president this week in Helsinki while appearing to accept Putin’s denials of having interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

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THREE INDIGENOUS GROUPS SKIPPING PREMIERS’ MEETING

Three of the country’s largest Indigenous organizations are bowing out of a meeting with the premiers in New Brunswick, making it the second year in a row the groups are skipping talks ahead of a summer gathering of provincial leaders. Meeting host Brian Gallant says the half-day meeting in Bouctouche is to focus on economic partnerships and Indigenous children in care.

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LIBERALS GAIN PARTY STATUS IN MANITOBA VOTE

Manitoba Liberals secured a seat for their new leader, Dougald Lamont, in an upset byelection win last night. The victory in Winnipeg’s St. Boniface riding also gave the party official status and the funding that comes with it. The seat had been held since 1999 by former NDP premier Greg Selinger. The Liberals have not had the four seats required for official party status in Manitoba for two decades.

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ABDOUL ABDI WON’T BE DEPORTED

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says the federal government will not pursue the deportation of former Somali child refugee Abdoul Abdi. This comes days after a Federal Court judge set aside a decision to refer the Abdi case to a deportation hearing, saying Ottawa did not take his charter rights into consideration. Goodale aid last evening that the government “respects the decision filed on July 13 by the Federal Court concerning Abdoul Abdi.”

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— The Parliamentary Budget Officer will post a report entitled Extended April 2018 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

— Alberta Environment Minister Shannon Phillips will announce supports for new clean technologies.

— Federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers hold their annual conference in Vancouver, through Friday.

— The B.C. Centre on Substance Use will release a report on expanding addiction recovery services in the province.

— Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor will discuss the Canada Child Benefit and other federal programs in Liverpool, N.S.

— A verdict is expected in the case of a Quebec provincial police officer charged with dangerous driving in the death of a boy.

— The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation will hold a media tour of the cannabis section of one of its stores.

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