By Canadian Press

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

Aug 29, 2016 | 4:00 PM

Highlights from the news file for Monday, Aug. 29

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TRUDEAU EMBARKS ON OFFICIAL TRIP TO CHINA: More than four decades after his father first began paving the way in the 1970s, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau embarked Monday on his first official visit to China, with both countries keen to forge ever-stronger economic ties. Trudeau said last week that he hopes the visit provides the opportunity to “reset” the relationship between the two countries. Canada’s relationship with China under the Harper government was at times inconsistent, many experts say. Chinese ambassador Luo Zhaohui acknowledged China has had warmer connections with Canada’s Liberal-led governments.

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FIRST DAY OF ENERGY EAST HEARINGS CANCELLED AFTER PROTESTS: Protesters chanting anti-pipeline slogans forced the cancellation Monday of the first day of hearings in Montreal into TransCanada’s Energy East project. The head of the hearings for the National Energy Board said the federal regulatory body will try to resume proceedings Tuesday. Police made three arrests. Two men aged 35 and 44 were charged with assaulting a police officer and with obstruction of justice, while a 29-year-old woman was charged with obstruction of justice.

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EBAY WADES IN TO CANADA POST LABOUR DISPUTE: E-commerce giant eBay urged Canadian businesses Monday to write to the prime minister and demand a legislated end to the labour dispute at Canada Post as a threatened work disruption was once again put on hold. The letter-writing campaign came as contract negotiations between the Crown agency and its biggest union stretched into overtime — and while government officials expressed optimism that an end to a months-long impasse over pensions and wages was close, small and medium-sized businesses have heard it before, said eBay Canada managing director Andrea Stairs.

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EXPAT VOTE BAN ‘SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF PROBLEM’: Banning long-term expat citizens from voting in federal elections has no pressing objective that justifies infringing on their constitutional rights, two of them argue in new documents filed with the country’s top court. In their factum, Gillian Frank and Jamie Duong argue residency in Canada is not a substantive requirement for voting. They also maintain Ontario’s Court of Appeal, in a split decision, was wrong to uphold the ban on the basis of preserving the “social contract” between Canadians and their government. The Supreme Court of Canada is slated to hear the Frank and Duong appeal of their disenfranchisement in February. So far, Quebec and Nova Scotia have sought to intervene.

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TRUDEAU SEEN AS MISSING IN ACTION ON ARCTIC: Some opposition critics and experts in Canada’s Arctic are expressing disappointment that Justin Trudeau hasn’t set foot in the region since becoming prime minister. Former prime minister Stephen Harper used to make an annual pilgrimage to the region around this time of year — his visits timed to co-ordinate with the military’s yearly Arctic exercise. Rob Huebert, an expert on the Arctic at the University of Calgary, says Harper’s visits sent a signal to other countries and drew government and public attention to the region.

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CANOLA FARMERS WORRIED ABOUT NEW CHINESE RULES: Canola farmers are concerned that China’s plan to impose stricter import regulations on the crop later this week will put them at a competitive disadvantage and clog Canada’s grain terminals. China has said it will only allow up to one per waste product in canola shipments — which would include parts of the canola plant other than seeds, as well as weeds and other crops — starting Sept. 1, compared with the 2.5 per cent allowance currently. The concerns come as Statistics Canada is expecting some bumper grain crops this year, including 17 million tonnes of canola for the third biggest harvest on record, and more than 30 million tonnes of wheat for only the second time in 25 years. 

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ARRIVAL OF SECOND INFLUX OF SYRIANS EXPECTED TO BE SMOOTHER: Many of the immigrant support groups that leapt into overdrive less than a year ago to welcome the first influx of Syrian refugee families say the intensity of that experience has helped lay the groundwork for what is expected to be a far more manageable second wave this fall. Canada is on the cusp of receiving another surge of Syrians in order to meet its ambitious refugee admissions target by the end of 2016, though government officials are mum on the details around timing. Immigration Canada pledged to bring in 25,000 government-assisted refugees this calendar year. About 6,000 are still to come.

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AUTOPSY RESULTS RELEASED IN CROSSBOW ATTACK: Police have released the cause of death of three people killed in a bloody attack involving a crossbow in east Toronto last week. Toronto police Det. Sgt. Mike Carbone says a woman found in a garage on Thursday died from strangulation, a man found in the same garage died from a crossbow bolt to the neck and a man found in the driveway died from an arrowhead stab wound to the neck. Brett Ryan, 35, of Toronto is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the slaying.

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ABORIGINAL HEADDRESS ON DAY 1 OF SCHOOL DISRESPECTFUL, SAYS MOM: A Quebec mother says she was shocked that two Grade 3 teachers were wearing aboriginal headdresses and handing them out on the first day of classes. Jennifer Dorner says she found the scene in the schoolyard distressing and offensive and took a picture Monday and posted it on Facebook, where it began making the rounds. Dorner says her niece was particularly upset by the headdress and wanted to rip it up. School board spokeswoman Gina Guillemette says the headdress — fashioned from cardboard and coloured feathers — was handed out to students at Ecole Lajoie as part of a focus on teaching about native communities in Quebec

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WEINER’S WIFE LEAVING HIM AMID NEW SEXTING SCANDAL: Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin said Monday that she is separating from her husband, Anthony Weiner, after the former congressman was accused in yet another sexting scandal. “After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband,” she said in a statement issued by Clinton’s presidential campaign. “Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what is best for our son, who is the light of our life. During this difficult time, I ask for respect for our privacy.”

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ACTOR GENE WILDER DIES: Gene Wilder, the frizzy-haired actor who brought his deft comedic touch to such unforgettable roles as the neurotic accountant in “The Producers” and the deranged animator of “Young Frankenstein,” has died. He was 83. Wilder’s nephew said Monday that the actor and writer died late Sunday at his home in Stamford, Conn., from complications from Alzheimer’s disease. Jordan Walker-Pearlman said in a statement that Wilder was diagnosed with the disease three years ago, but kept the condition private so as not to disappoint fans.

The Canadian Press