Six stories in the news today, Aug. 25

Six stories in the news today from The Canadian Press

———

TRUDEAU ARRIVES IN QUEBEC TO DISCUSS FALL AGENDA

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to arrive in Saguenay, Que., today to begin a caucus meeting to prepare for the fall agenda. The details of what will take precedence on the legislative agenda — beyond vague assertions the middle class will remain a priority — have yet to be shared, but Liberal MPs headed into two days of meetings said they hope for substantial discussions on everything from electoral reform to a review of anti-terror legislation.

———

DEADLINE FOR POSTAL WORKERS’ STRIKE MANDATE LOOMS

It appears contract talks at Canada Post have stalled as a strike mandate for more than 51,000 members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers is set to expire. The postal agency’s biggest union has until midnight today to serve the Crown corporation with a 72-hour strike notice. The Crown corporation also has the option to lock out workers after today.

———

POSSIBLE TORNADO TOUCHES DOWN IN WINDSOR, ONT., AREA

More than a dozen homes were damaged and at least three people were injured Wednesday when a suspected tornado hit the Windsor, Ont., area. Environment Canada says an eyewitness spotted a tornado just after 7 p.m. ET. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said about 15 homes were damaged and three people suffered non-life threatening injuries.

———

PM TRUDEAU: “POVERTY IS SEXIST”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has joined a campaign urging world leaders to acknowledge that poverty has a disproportionate impact on girls and women. “Women and girls are less likely to get an education, more likely to be impoverished, and face greater risk of disease and poor health,” Trudeau wrote in a letter released early Thursday. The letter was in response to a call from the ONE Campaign — an organization co-founded by U2 frontman Bono, which promotes maternal and child health projects in developing countries in Africa and elsewhere.

———

CANADIAN-TRAINED FORCES WON’T ENTER MOSUL

Canadian-trained Kurdish forces in Iraq are expected to watch the upcoming fight for the city of Mosul from the sidelines, underlying the ethnic and religious divisions that persist within the country. Preparations to liberate Mosul from ISIL have been underway for months and a humanitarian response is also being prepared to help the city’s 1 million people once the fighting starts. But Brig.-Gen. David Anderson, who is in charge of an international team of military advisers, indicated some 2,000 peshmerga that Canada has trained since 2014 will not be directly involved in the fight.

———

HENDERSON IN FIELD AS CANADIAN OPEN BEGINS

The top player in the world should be the favourite to win her fourth Canadian women’s golf championship which kicks off today at Priddis Greens course in Alberta. But New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, the Olympic silver medallist, is in second place when it comes to being the sentimental choice. That honour belongs to Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who is ranked number three and will try to break a long drought for Canadians at the tournament dating back to 1973.

———

ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Both the TD Bank Group and CIBC will release their third-quarter results.

— Statistics Canada will release June figures for payroll employment, earnings and hours.

— The Canadian Union of Postal Workers will hold an Ottawa news conference to update the status of negotiations.

— The National Council of Canadian Muslims will launch an educator’s guide to help students deal with geopolitical trauma and Islamophobia.

— The Bay of Fundy Inshore Fisherman’s Association will launch a court challenge over plans to install two giant turbines in the bay.