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

Highlights from the news file for Monday, Aug. 15

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GOVERNMENT OVERHAULS IMMIGRATION DETENTION SYSTEM: Immigration holding facilities in Vancouver and Laval, Que., will be replaced as part of a $138-million overhaul intended to improve detention conditions for newcomers to Canada. The federal government will also move ahead with plans to expand the range of alternatives to locking up immigrants, with the aim of making detention a last resort. The Canada Border Services Agency holds people who are considered a flight risk or a danger to the public and those whose identities cannot be confirmed.

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DEFENCE MINISTER HAS CANADIAN MILITARY PLAN FOR AFRICA: Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says he will soon announce a plan to send Canadian troops on a long-term mission to Africa. Sajjan says while no decisions have been made yet on numbers, timing or location, Canada’s contribution to a United Nations mission will involve more than the military and go beyond what would be considered a traditional peacekeeping role.

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EXPERTS SAY RANKED BALLOTS WON’T NECESSARILY HELP LIBERALS: The Conservatives contend the Liberals would “steal” every federal election if Canada adopts a system of ranked ballots, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has touted as his preference for replacing the current first-past-the-post system. But political scientists who specialize in the study of voting systems say assuming a Liberal advantage is far too simplistic.

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CREA SAYS HOME SALES DOWN 1.3 % IN JULY: The Canadian Real Estate Association says July marked the third consecutive month of fewer home sales as the Vancouver market slowed. The association said Monday the number of transactions fell 1.3 per cent nationally between June and July as more than half of all markets tracked showed declines in July, including Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. However, despite the drop in the number of sales, the national average price for a home sold in July was $480,743, up 9.9 per cent compared with a year ago.

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BAIN JURY DELIBERATES FOR THIRD DAY: Jurors at Richard Henry Bain’s first-degree murder trial are deliberating for a third day. The 65-year-old is charged with first-degree murder in the death of stagehand Denis Blanchette, as well as three counts of attempted murder. The charges against Bain are connected to events outside the Metropolis nightclub in September 2012 as then-premier designate Pauline Marois was inside celebrating the Parti Quebecois’ election win. Bain’s lawyer has argued he was mentally ill at the time.

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PROF FALSELY IMPRISONED AT CANADIAN TIRE: A judge has ruled that a University of Toronto professor was falsely imprisoned at a Canadian Tire, but rejected claims that staff had threatened him and caused him to injure himself after leaving the store. Steve Mann filed a suit against the Canadian Tire Corporation and a single Canadian Tire location over events that took place at the store in Toronto on July 16, 2014. Mann claimed that when security sensors went off as he exited the store, staff stopped him from leaving, threatened to harm or kill him and demanded he delete a video he was taking on his phone, show them his ID and give them his phone number.

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SHAD TO LEAVE CBC RADIO’s ‘Q’: The man who replaced Jian Ghomeshi as host for the CBC Radio show “Q” will be leaving the post. After not quite 16 months in the hot seat of the popular radio show, the broadcaster says Shad will “explore new creative opportunities” that may include a new radio show with the organization.

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The Canadian Press