Seven stories in the news for today, Sept. 19

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TRUDEAU TO GET AWARD IN NEW YORK CITY

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will receive an award for global citizenship tonight when he arrives for three days of events in New York City. He will arrive in the Big Apple for the annual U.N. General Assembly just after the world body hears its first speech from U.S. President Donald Trump. This evening, Trudeau will be honoured by the Atlantic Council think tank for his support for international trade and diversity. Queen Rania of Jordan will introduce him.

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SCIENTISTS SAY PESTICIDES KILLING MORE THAN BEES

A group of international scientists meets in Ottawa today to try to convince parliamentarians there is no longer any doubt that common agricultural pesticides are killing honey bees. In fact, says Jean-Marc Bonmatin of the French National Centre for Scientific Research, neonicotinoid pesticides also pose a deadly risk to frogs, common birds, fish and earthworms. Neonicotinoids are nicotine-based pesticides commonly used by farmers to help keep everything from field crops to fruit orchards free of pests.

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TOYS “R” US FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION

Toys “R” Us has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States and says it intends to follow suit in Canada. The company filed Chapter 11 documents late Monday in Virginia and says its Canadian subsidiary plans to seek protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Toys “R” Us says most of its approximately 1,600 Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores around the world and its web portals continue to operate as usual.

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MONTREAL A LUXURY REAL ESTATE HOT SPOT: REPORT

Montreal is emerging as a luxury real estate “hot spot,” while Vancouver and Toronto sales should pick up this fall after somewhat sluggish times, according to a new report. Sotheby’s International Realty Canada’s rosy outlook comes despite a slew of policy changes, including some from Ottawa and a couple provincial governments designed to cool the country’s hot housing markets. However, Canada’s strong economic performance will boost the market in the coming months, says the real estate sales and marketing company.

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NECROPSY TODAY ON RIGHT WHALE

A necropsy will be performed today on the carcass of a North Atlantic right whale found last week off New Brunswick. Eleven right whales have died since June in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, an unprecedented number of deaths for the endangered marine mammal. Conservation groups and marine scientists have said the whale is at imminent risk of extinction with an estimated population of 500 around the world.

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LIDO PIMIENTA LAUNCHES INTO TIRADE AT POLARIS

Colombian-born singer Lido Pimienta ripped into organizers of the Polaris Music Prize in Toronto last night with an expletive-laden tirade over sound troubles with her performance as she accepted this year’s best album recognition. Pimienta — the winner of the $50,000 Polaris prize — appeared to leave an audience of mostly industry professionals either stunned or cheering over her candid frustrations. Pimienta’s Spanish-language album “La Papessa,” which translates as “high priestess,” was regarded as a dark horse in the race for the Polaris prize.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— The Department of Finance will release the Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada.

— Statistics Canada will release the monthly survey of manufacturing for July and model-based principal field crop estimates.

— The Fraser Institute will release a new study on Ontario’s planned minimum wage increase.

— Various party leaders will hold news conferences to mark the return of the Quebec legislature.

— Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne attends the opening of the 2017 International Plowing Match in Walton, Ont.

— The Centre Hospitalier de l’Universite de Montreal will announce a major donation from a sports personality.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press