Six stories in the news today, July 7

Six stories in the news today, July 7 from The Canadian Press:

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FIRES FORCE ABOUT 9,000 FROM HOMES IN N. SASKATCHEWAN

Soldiers began rolling into Saskatchewan on Monday to double firefighting efforts in the north, where about 9,000 people have been forced out of their homes — many for more than a week. Colin King, with Saskatchewan’s Emergency Management department, said 1,000 military personnel were arriving from bases in Shilo, Man., and Edmonton.

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HAZE FROM WILDFIRES CHOKE SOUTHERN B.C.

Dozens of wildfires in British Columbia have forced residents from their homes, prompted extraordinary health advisories and led to the death of one man. There have been almost 900 wildfires across the province since the season started April 1, and 184 of those are still burning, said Chief Fire Information Officer Kevin Skrepnek. Smoke has created a heavy blanket of stagnant grey haze over the province’s south coast.

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TRUDEAU TO ROLL OUT ABORIGINAL EDUCATION PLAN

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is set to deliver a series of campaign commitments in Montreal today as indigenous leaders meet for an annual gathering of the Assembly of First Nations. Trudeau is poised to promise bolstered funding for aboriginal education. He also plans to address the need to reset the relationship between First Nations and the federal government.

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DIVORCE, MONEY WOES TIED TO ALLEGED BOMBER

Court documents show a man accused of sending letter bombs to Winnipeg lawyers and his ex-wife has been in a decade-long battle with his former spouse that includes accusations of theft, impersonation and a wedding ring being flushed down a toilet. Police allege Guido Amsel, 49, became so enraged over perceived mistreatment at the hands of his former wife and lawyers who had been involved in the dispute, he sent explosive devices to their offices through Canada Post.

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1990 OKA CRISIS: A NATIVE AWAKENING

It was a crisis that grabbed international headlines, with armed Mohawks and Canadian soldiers involved in a lengthy standoff that often appeared on the verge of exploding into full-blown combat. Twenty-five years on, the legacy of the Oka Crisis for many of those who experienced the tension west of Montreal is a greater awareness of native issues.

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UPDATED TECH NEEDED TO SEND USER DATA TO 911

Advocates for Next Generation 911 want smartphone users to not only have the ability to call their local emergency provider but also to send texts, photos and videos. There are more than 28.4 million wireless phone subscribers in Canada, with more than one in five households having cellphones as their only form of phone service, according to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS …

— Ellen Schwartzel, acting Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, releases a report on Ontario’s progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

— The Fraser Institute releases a new study exploring Canadian precedents of municipal de-amalgamation.

— Statistics Canada will release international merchandise trade data for May and residential property value data for 2012.

— TD Bank hosts its annual energy conference in Calgary.

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