By Canadian Press

In the news today: Defence Minister to face questions about Gaza hospital blast

Oct 23, 2023 | 5:05 AM

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…

Blair to face questions about Canada’s evidence

Defence Minister Bill Blair is expected to face further questions today about the evidence Canada has gathered to determine a rocket blast at a hospital in Gaza City did not originate in Israel.

Blair made the statement Saturday night, five days after the attack at the al-Ahli Arab hospital.

The blast came nine days after a renewed conflict in the region following an assault by Hamas militants in Israel and retaliation by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

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Blair says the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command did its own analysis of evidence and reached a conclusion that aligns with findings of the United States and France.

Debate to silence Ontario NDP legislator resumes

The debate on a Progressive Conservative motion to effectively silence an Opposition legislator is set to resume in the Ontario legislature today.

Premier Doug Ford’s government wants NDP MPP Sarah Jama to apologize again and retract her statement about the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The Tories, who have a large majority, are calling through their motion for the Speaker to not to recognize Jama in the House until she does so.

Here’s what else we’re watching …

Man claiming innocence in 1970s murder wants bail

An Indigenous man found guilty of murder in 1974 will ask a judge in a Winnipeg courtroom today to grant him bail pending a decision from the federal justice minister to quash his conviction.

Innocence Canada, a non-profit that advocates for people wrongly convicted of a crime, says it filed an application last month with Justice Minister Arif Virani for a ministerial review of Clarence Woodhouse’s conviction in the death of Ting Fong Chan.

Innocence Canada maintains the prosecution’s case at Clarence Woodhouse’s trial depended on a confession that he was supposed to have made in fluent English, despite Saulteaux being the language he spoke.

Quebec coroner’s inquiry into family killing opens

A coroner’s inquest will begin today into the 2019 killings of a Montreal woman and her two young children, as well as the death of her husband who is believed to have killed them before taking his own life.

The inquiry was ordered after a coroner’s report that was critical of prosecutors and a provincial judge, saying they could have done more to prevent the deaths of Dahia Khellaf, 42, and her sons four-year-old Adam and two-year-old Aksil.

Coroner Alain Manseau concluded they had been strangled to death and Nabil Yssaad was likely the killer.

Better data, management of water needed for Canada’s agri-food sector: report

The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute is recommending that governments across the country develop a national plan to sustainably manage water use for the agri-food sector.

In a report released Monday, the institute calls for ambitious commitments from governments and partnerships with stakeholders to prioritize the critical natural resource.

The cost of extreme weather and rising temperatures runs to the tune of billions of dollars, the report says, and it’s affecting farmers and the entire agri-food industry.

Via Rail CEO calls for passenger bill of rights

The head of Via Rail says the federal government should consider a passenger bill of rights comparable to the one now in place for air travellers.

In an interview, CEO Mario Péloquin says the federal government should move toward a charter that would ensure train passengers receive compensation for long delays.

If the reason for the disruption stems from one of Canada’s two main freight railways — whose tracks Via runs on — he says they would be the ones to pay up, further incentivizing smooth operations along the line.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2023.

The Canadian Press