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In the news today, April 16

Last Updated Apr 16, 2018 at 6:00 am MDT

Six stories in the news for Monday, April 16

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TRUDEAU LANDS IN PARIS AFTER PIPELINE MEETING

Justin Trudeau has landed in France as he continues more than a week of globetrotting following a brief stop in Ottawa Sunday to discuss the Trans Mountain pipeline crisis with the premiers of Alberta and B.C. With that highly charged meeting out of the way, the prime minister will turn his attention to his first official visit to France, where he’ll meet with President Emmanuel Macron and address the National Assembly.

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STORM BLACKS OUT THOUSANDS ACROSS SOUTHERN ONTARIO

Tens of thousands of people across southern and central Ontario remained without power Monday morning as the province’s massive ice storm transitioned to drenching rain. The mix of snow, freezing rain, ice pellets, rain and powerful winds that battered the region Saturday and Sunday made driving treacherous, played havoc with flight schedules and stoked fears of localized flooding.

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BROTHER REMEMBERS BRONCOS HOCKEY PLAYER AS HUMBLE, HONEST, HARD-WORKING

Justin Wack says he’ll always remember his older brother Stephen for his many fine qualities, especially his honest, humble nature and his strong work ethic. Stephen was among those killed in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. The big defenceman played with the Broncos for the past two seasons. His funeral will be held Tuesday at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The public memorial also includes Broncos teammates Logan Hunter, Jaxon Joseph and Parker Tobin.

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INDIGENOUS SAFE-RIDE SERVICE CAN’T KEEP UP WITH DEMAND

A Winnipeg non-profit begun in 2016 after Indigenous women came forward about their safety concerns in taxicabs is now a big success. It’s called Ikwe Safe Rides. Ikwe — which means woman in the Anishinaabemowin language — has provided more than 46,000 rides. The Facebook-based group has more than 15,600 members and 43 drivers. Ikwe passengers often share stories about inappropriate sexual comments and even violent encounters they’ve endured while taking regular taxis.

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HOME-GROWN POT WILL BE BIG MUNICIPAL HEADACHE

Municipalities will have to grapple with many thorny issues once recreational marijuana is legalized in Canada — but it’s home-grown pot that’s likely to cause them the biggest headaches. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has developed a guide to legalization to help identify the challenges and regulatory options for dealing with them that municipal governments will face once the cannabis prohibition is lifted later this year.

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NEW WEB STANDARD TRADES PASSWORDS FOR BIOMETRICS

The death of the password may be upon us. A new security standard recently endorsed by the World Wide Web Consortium has experts excited about the prospect of making logins “unphishable” and ending the vulnerabilities that currently exist due to poor “password hygiene.” The Web Authentication (WebAuthn) standard allows web surfers to use biometrics such as fingerprints or facial scans instead of inputting a password.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Funeral in Saskatoon for 18-year-old Humboldt Broncos player Evan Thomas, who was killed in the April 6 team bus crash.

— Nicholas Butcher, accused of second-degree murder in the death of Kristin Johnston, stands trial in Halifax.

— Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale discusses key law enforcement priorities.

— The Senate holds a special committee on the Arctic to discuss the significant and rapid changes to the region.

— Rogers Communications makes an announcement in Toronto regarding its wireless 5G network and holds a demonstration.

— Press conference in Vancouver on multiple jurisdictions’ opposition to Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion.

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