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

By The Canadian Press

Highlights from the news file for Monday, June 27:

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MEXICAN PRESIDENT IN QUEBEC TO TALK TRADE, HUMAN RIGHTS: Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has made a stop in Quebec City to discuss trade with Premier Philippe Couillard before he heads to Toronto for an official dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Couillard told reporters Monday during a joint press conference with Pena Nieto that they also discussed ongoing human rights problems in Mexico. The Quebec premier says Pena Nieto has started ambitious reforms in his country and that Mexico’s allies should increase trade and communication with the Latin state in order to show support.

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STUDY: REFUGEE SYSTEM REFORM AT RISK: Changes made to Canada’s refugee system in 2012 have resulted in faster decisions on asylum claims, but an internal government study warns those improvements may now be at risk. The study found several targets weren’t met in the years following the implementation of reforms, despite the fact the government had set aside money to cover twice as many claims as were ultimately received. Now, the number of claims is on the rise again, fuelling fear of a growing backlog. The evaluation of Canada’s in-country asylum claims process comes just as the Liberal government stands poised to undo one of the changes, putting further pressure on the system.

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UK APPEALS FOR CALM AS MARKETS DROP: British Prime Minister David Cameron insisted Monday that Britain’s shock vote to leave the European Union won’t send the economy into a tailspin, even as Standard & Poor’s stripped the U.K. of its top credit rating. As stock markets and the pound continued to decline, Cameron insisted the British economy was robust and could withstand the shockwaves created by the result. “It is clear that markets are volatile, there are some companies considering their investments and we know this is going to be far from plain sailing,” Cameron told lawmakers as the House of Commons met for the first time since last week’s referendum. Hours after he spoke, Standard & Poor’s knocked the U.K.’s sovereign rating by two notches, from AAA to AA, saying an EU exit “will lead to a less predictable, stable and effective policy framework in the U.K.”

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NEW CHALLENGE LAUNCHED AGAINST ASSISTED-DYING LAW: Just days after Canada’s physician-assisted dying law was enacted, it is already being challenged by a 25-year-old British Columbia woman who says she fears she’ll be trapped inside her body. Julia Lamb of Chilliwack, B.C., has spinal muscular atrophy and says she’s challenging the new law because she doesn’t qualify for physician assisted dying. Lamb says there is a shadow over her, because she knows she could lose the ability to breathe on her own, forcing her onto a ventilator and cutting off her ability to speak. She says she opposes the requirements of Bill C-14 that a doctor’s help can only be given if death is reasonably foreseeable.

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STROUMBOULOPOULOS OFFICIALLY OUT AT HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA: Ron MacLean is officially back as host of “Hockey Night in Canada,” returning to the chair he occupied for nearly 30 years before being ousted in favour of music journalist and CBC talk show star George Stroumboulopoulos. MacLean will host the early game on Saturday night next season while David Amber will take the helm for the late broadcast, Sportsnet announced Monday. Stroumboulopoulos is leaving “to explore new creative opportunities,” according to a Sportsnet release. Stroumboulopoulos signed a five-year deal to host “Hockey Night in Canada” in 2014 after Rogers acquired the NHL rights in a 12-year, $5.2-billion agreement. Pushing MacLean aside was a controversial decision by the broadcaster, with Stroumboulopoulos seen by many fans as an outsider who didn’t have the necessary hockey background to replace his experienced predecessor.

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MILITARY TO GET NEW IED TRAINING FACILITY: The Department of National Defence is spending $36 million in New Brunswick on new training facilities for identifying and disposing of improvised explosive devices and other explosive ordinance. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan made the announcement Monday at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in Oromocto, N.B. He says it is part of the government’s commitment to ensure the Canadian Armed Forces have the support they need, including safe and modern facilities in which to work and train. The money will be used for new buildings to house the training centre as well as upgrades to roads for field exercises.

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VETERAN OPENS HOME TO PTSD SUFFERERS: A military veteran who found sanctuary in the woodlands of rural Nova Scotia is opening up his home to fellow servicemen and women who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Bob Grundy and his wife, Johan, have converted their ranch-style home and 180-acre property in Sable River into a retreat where people coping with trauma can recover, reconnect with nature and rebuild their families. The former air defence technician says the Rally Point Retreat welcomes Canadian Forces members, first responders and journalists who are receiving medical treatment for PTSD — and charges nothing for their stay.

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B.C. MAKES SECOND BID TO EVICT HOMELESS CAMPERS: The British Columbia government says fire, crime and sanitary conditions at a homeless camp outside the courthouse in Victoria have degenerated since March when the province originally applied for a court injunction to shut it down. The government returned to B.C. Supreme Court on Monday for the second time seeking an interim injunction to start evicting more than 100 people who have been living in tents on the courthouse lawn since last fall. Crown lawyer Warren Milman says fire risks remain at the camp since a fire commissioner’s report warned it was only a matter of time before a serious fire occurred.

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MESSI RETIRING FROM ARGENTINA’S NATIONAL TEAM: Some fans and players want him to reconsider. Other supporters on Monday were simply sad that Lionel Messi says he’s quitting the Argentine national soccer team. Messi shocked his native country with his abrupt resignation from international soccer after Chile defeated Argentina 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw on Sunday. “The national team is over for me,” Messi Told the Argentine network TyC Sports. “It’s been four finals, it’s not meant for me. I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over.” Messi lifted Argentina’s first penalty kick over the crossbar, setting the stage for another loss in a final. Messi and Argentina lost to Brazil in the 2007 Copa final and to Germany in extra time in the 2014 World Cup final. They lost last year’s Copa final to host Chile on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw.

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FORMER UFC FIGHTER KILLED IN EDMONTON: Edmonton police are investigating the hit-and-run death of former UFC fighter Ryan Jimmo. Investigators say Jimmo, 34, was fatally injured early Sunday following an altercation in a parking lot in the Alberta capital. They allege he had approached the driver of a vehicle and was walking back to his own car when he was struck by a vehicle, which then fled the scene. Jimmo, who was born in Saint John, N.B, was pronounced dead in hospital. Fighting as a light heavyweight, he tied the record for the organization’s fastest knockout when he dispatched Anthony Perosh in just seven seconds.

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