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

Highlights from the news file for Friday, May 12

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PM IS RIDICULED FOR URGING HOCKEY FANS TO SUPPORT SENS: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s call for Canadian hockey fans to cheer for the Ottawa Senators didn’t go over very well on Friday. The Sens are the last Canadian team left in the hunt for the Stanley Cup and Trudeau predicted that all Canadians will be rooting for them. But Trudeau received a rough ride on Twitter with fans scoffing at his suggestion, with one person posting that the prime minister says something “bonkers” every day.

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QUEBEC FLOOD PICTURE IMPROVING:  Quebecers might see some easing in their flood woes this weekend as the provincial government reported a drop in water levels in some areas and has downgraded a forecast for weekend rain. Environment Minister David Heurtel says water levels are still expected to rise in the central Quebec region of Mauricie and they remain high in some large lakes.  More than 4,480 residences have been affected by flooding and more than 3,600 people have had to leave their homes.

Pitch ideas

Central Alberta entrepreneurs take part in Catalyst Incubator program

2h ago

numerous incidents

QEII Highway very icy Monday morning

6h ago

"unprecedented levels of discrimination"

Ponoka Pride Society dissolves, citing limited resources

6h ago

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TRUMP FIRES TWITTER SALVO AT FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: U.S. President Donald Trump says former FBI Director James Comey “better hope” that there are no “tapes” of their conversations. Trump took to Twitter on Friday to warn Comey not to leak to the media. Comey has not commented since Trump fired him on Tuesday. Trump said Comey wasn’t doing a good job.

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NOTLEY DOESN’T THINK B.C. ELECTION WILL AFFECT PIPELINE: Alberta’s premier says the unclear B.C. election result shouldn’t change the status of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Rachel Notley supports the $7.4-billion project proposed by Kinder Morgan to triple the amount of crude that flows from the Edmonton area to B.C.’s Lower Mainland. Notley says since the federal government approved the project last year, she doesn’t expect a political shift in British Columbia will be a factor. This week’s election left the government of Premier Christy Clark short of a majority and the future unclear. The opposition New Democrats have promised to try to block Trans Mountain if they take power.

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B.C. NEW DEMOCRATS REQUEST RECOUNTS: British Columbia’s New Democrats have asked for recounts in three close ridings from Tuesday’s election from which no clear winner emerged. The governing Liberals are one seat shy of a majority government with 43 seats, the New Democrats have 41 and the Green Party has three seats. But some 176,000 absentee ballots have yet to be counted.

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PASTOR ARRESTED IN HIS INFANT SON’S DEATH: A 31-year-old Calgary pastor is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his son in 2015. Daniel Nel is due in court later this month on the allegation. Nel’s son Cyrus was found in need of medical attention at the family’s Calgary home. Police have said there was no plausible explanation for the injuries that led to Cyrus’s death, but on Friday they wouldn’t say how the boy died.

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WESTJET PILOTS UNIONIZE:  A union representing airline pilots says more than 1,400 WestJet pilots have voted 62 per cent in favour of forming the first union at Canada’s second-largest airline. The Air Line Pilots Association says once the results are certified by the federal labour board it will be the bargaining agent for WestJet pilots. WestJet says it’s disappointed with the vote, but will now focus on engaging in constructive dialogue with the pilots union.

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RCMP UNION BILL BATTED BACK TO SENATE: The federal Liberal government has rejected some Senate amendments to a bill that would let the Mounties form a union. The government rejected an amendment that would have required any future vote on certification of an RCMP union to be done by secret ballot — a measure favoured by the Conservatives. Since the government has not accepted all the Senate’s amendments, the bill will have to go back to the upper house for senators to accept or reject the government’s latest version of the legislation.

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PM SAYS CANADA WON’T RUSH INTO PEACEKEEPING COMMITMENT: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will take the time it needs to decide on a peacekeeping mission. Diplomatic sources have expressed growing frustration with the government’s lengthy decision making process. The government was leaning toward contributing peacekeepers in Mali, where the UN has been charged with stabilizing the African country after the central government and rebels signed a peace agreement. But nine months after touting Canada’s return to peacekeeping, the government still hasn’t decided whether to commit Canadian troops to peacekeeping.

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CYBERATTACK HITS BRITAIN’S HEALTH SERVICE: Britain’s health service was hit Friday in a huge international cyberattack that froze computers at hospitals across the country, shutting wards, closing emergency rooms and bringing treatment to a halt. As similar widespread ransomware attacks are reported in Spain, experts warned that such extortion attempts are a growing menace — and hospitals, with their often outdated IT systems and trove of confidential patient data, are a tempting target.

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The Canadian Press