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

By The Canadian Press

Highlights from the news file for Wednesday, May 4:

‘SIGNIFICANT DESTRUCTION’ FROM WILDFIRE: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says a wildfire has already torched 1,600 structures in the evacuated northern Alberta oil hub of Fort McMurray.”There’s been fairly significant destruction of residences,” Notley said at a briefing in Edmonton. There have been no reports of injuries or deaths, but the wildfire was still out of control Wednesday as it raged around the city, 435 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

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LEADING CAUSE OF WILDFIRES — HUMANS: One forest fire researcher says the lack of rain, low humidity and lack of green vegetation combined with windy conditions created the conditions to feed the monster wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta. But University of Alberta professor Mike Flanagan says there could also be human involvement of some kind. He says the fire’s proximity to the city, as well as data that shows there were no lightning strikes in the area, lead him to believe the cause of the fire was likely human.

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WILDFIRE INSURANCE CLAIMS: Insurance providers are already preparing to assess the damage from the fire in Fort McMurray, Alta., that has charred homes, cars and other treasured possessions. The Insurance Bureau of Canada is urging the more than 80,000 residents who have been forced to evacuate the city to contact their insurance providers and keep track of all their expenses.

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AMEND ASSISTED DYING BILL: AMBROSE: Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose plans to vote against federal legislation aimed at allowing people to seek medical help to end their lives, but she might reconsider if there are amendments. she says issues like mental health aren’t addressed well enough and she’s waiting to see if those and other provisions are strengthened by the June deadline. Her stance will not obligate other Tory caucus members to follow suit.

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SIN PLAN COULD SAVE $7M: An internal government audit has found that the federal government could save $7 million a year by giving new Canadians a social insurance number when they apply for permanent residence documents. The idea auditors pushed would take two pilot projects that help new landed immigrants apply for social insurance numbers and expand them nationwide to more easily process hundreds of thousands of applications a year.

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CLINTON MAY WOO REPUBLICANS: With Donald Trump’s remaining rivals bowing out of the race, clearing his path to the nomination, Hillary Clinton is looking for ways to woo Republicans turned off by the brash billionaire. The Democratic front-runner’s campaign believes Trump’s historically high unfavourable ratings and penchant for controversy may be enough to persuade a slice of GOP voters to get behind her bid.

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SYRIAN TRUCE EXTENDED: The United States and Russia have persuaded Syria’s government and moderate rebels to extend the country’s fragile truce to the northern city of Aleppo. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the agreement was reached late Tuesday and took effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday Damascus time. Officials say sporadic clashes continue.

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OBAMA DRINKS FLINT WATER: Showing support for the beleaguered residents of Flint, Mich., President Barack Obama drank filtered city water on Wednesday to show that it is again safe following a lead-contamination crisis. After officials briefed Obama on the federal government’s response to the contamination and he addressed the news media, a reporter asked if he would drink the water in a glass on the table. Obama said he usually avoids publicity stunts, but he took a drink.

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CHARLES VISITS CANADA HOUSE: Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall have checked out the renovated Canada House on Trafalgar Square in London. It was a chance for High Commissioner Gordon Campbell to show off the new premises, which had been formally opened by the Queen last year. The building has been modernized without sacrificing its architectural heritage.

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HUGE DIAMOND: A three-billion-year-old diamond the size of a tennis ball could fetch more than C$90 million when the Canadian mining company that unearthed it puts the rock up for auction this summer. The diamond was unearthed in November, at the Karowe mine in Botswana that’s owned by Vancouver-based Lucara Diamond Corp. After being closely examined, it was found to measure 1,109 carats, making it the second-largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered.

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