In the news today: PM attends Francophonie summit, foreign interference probe resumes

France is taking over the presidency of the Francophonie from Tunisia and says the summit’s theme will be to “create, innovate and do business in French.”

Leaders are expected to discuss ways to promote the French language, address geopolitical challenges, ensure the digital space reflects their linguistic and cultural diversity and increase economic ties between countries.

Interference inquiry to hear from RCMP boss

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme is slated to appear today at a federal inquiry into foreign interference.

It marks the second round of testimony at the inquiry for Duheme, who will be accompanied by other senior members of the national police force.

The commission of inquiry’s latest hearings are focusing on detecting, deterring and countering foreign meddling.

The hearings, scheduled to continue through Oct. 16, are relatively broad in scope, examining key agencies as well as the experiences of diaspora communities.

B.C. NDP to unveil complete election platform

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby is set to roll out the party’s complete election platform as Conservative Leader John Rustad says his government would end the provincial insurance corporation’s monopoly on basic vehicle insurance.

Eby has a news conference scheduled in Surrey as the province nears the midway point of the election campaign ahead of the Oct. 19 election day.

The New Democrats have already announced many components of the platform, including recent promises for an annual tax cut worth $1,000 for the average family starting next year, and a plan to fast-track factory-built homes.

Private labels get popularity boost from inflation

Consumers have been buying more private-label products at the grocery store to save money — and the trend may be here to stay.

Amid renewed investment by the grocers in their store-branded offerings, studies show many shoppers no longer see store brands as lower quality than name brands.

Peter Chapman, founder of consulting firm SKUFood, says retailers have been responding to the uptick in demand by investing more in their private-label products, launching new ones and giving them more shelf space.

Grocers’ private-label brands — like Loblaw’s No Name or Metro’s Selection — tend to be priced lower than their name-brand competitors, though they’re often made by the same manufacturers.

Lack of Novavax COVID vaccine unfair, some say

The federal government’s decision to not provide Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine this respiratory virus season raises health equity concerns, experts and advocates say, as some Canadians look to the U.S. to get the shot.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said it won’t provide the protein-based vaccine called Nuvaxovid because the manufacturer required a minimum order that far exceeds last year’s uptake of the vaccine.

The health agency said 125,000 Nuvaxovid doses were ordered in 2023, but only 5,529 were administered. This fall, it will only supply provinces and territories with the reformulated Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

But some Canadians who say they are immunocompromised and have had adverse reactions to the mRNA vaccines are calling the decision unfair.

Michelin to update Vancouver restaurant guide

Michelin is set to update its guide to Vancouver’s fine dining this evening.

The culinary kingmaker is hosting a ceremony to add more restaurants to its prestigious list of recommendations.

As it stands, nine restaurants in the city have one Michelin star, an honour given to eateries with “high quality cooking” that are deemed “worth a stop.”

There are, as of yet, no restaurants in the city with two stars — “excellent cooking, worth a detour” — or the maximum three stars — “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2024

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today: PM attends Francophonie summit, foreign interference probe resumes

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