In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what's on the radar of our editors for the morning of July 24 ...
What we are watching in Canada ...
OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada is slated to decide this morning whether a class action that takes aim at video lottery terminals can proceed and, if so, on what grounds.
The Atlantic Lottery Corp. is challenging a Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal decision that cleared the way for the class action, which alleges the corporation's VLT games are inherently deceptive, addictive and illegal under the Criminal Code.
The action includes as many as 30,000 people in Newfoundland and Labrador who paid the Atlantic Lottery Corp. to gamble on VLT games any time after April 2006, and the outcome could have implications for such gaming across Canada.
The lead plaintiffs, retirees Douglas Babstock and Fred Small, seek damages equal to the alleged unlawful gain obtained by the lottery corporation through VLT revenue.
The corporation says the plaintiffs cannot possibly show the VLT games fall within the Criminal Code's prohibition against three-card monte — a game in which a player tries to follow one of three cards through a series of manipulations and then bets on his or her ability to locate the card.
It has asked the Supreme Court to set aside the certification order and strike out the statement of claim in its entirety.
---
Also this ...
OTTAWA — The number of asylum claims being filed in Canada continues to rise slightly despite ongoing global travel restrictions.
The latest figures from the Immigration Department show 1,500 claims for refugee status were filed in Canada in June, up from 1,400 in May.
For the first time since April, refugee claims were filed at airports, and there were also multiple claims at marine ports.
Meanwhile, 32 people were stopped by the RCMP trying to cross irregularly into Canada, up from 21 in May.
How many people will attempt to cross irregularly into Canada from the U.S. may change in the coming months and not just because of the pandemic.
On Wednesday, the Federal Court ruled an agreement between Canada and the U.S. that governs asylum claims at the border violates the charter, but gave the government six months to find a solution before the decision takes effect.
---
What we are watching in the U.S. ...
A U.S. federal judge specifically blocked agents from arresting or using physical force against journalists and legal observers at the ongoing Portland, Ore., protests.
Judge Michael Simon made his ruling late Thursday, a day after Portland's mayor was tear-gassed by federal agents as he made an appearance outside a federal courthouse during raucous demonstrations.
Protesters have gathered in Oregon's largest city for nearly two months straight since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis.
The demonstrations have sparked confrontations between local officials and U.S. President Donald Trump over the limits of federal power.
---
What we are watching elsewhere in the world ...
BEIJING — China has ordered the United States to close its consulate in the western city of Chengdu in an increasingly rancorous diplomatic conflict.
The order followed the U.S. closure of the Chinese Consulate in Houston after Washington accused Chinese agents of trying to steal medical and other research in Texas.
The Chinese foreign ministry appealed to Washington to reverse its "erroneous decision."
Chinese-U.S. relations have soured amid a mounting array of conflicts including trade, technology, spying accusations, Hong Kong and allegations of abuses against Chinese ethnic Muslims.
The foreign ministry says "the current situation in Chinese-U.S. relations is not what China desires to see. The United States is responsible for all this."
---
Today in 1534 ...
French explorer Jacques Cartier landed on the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec on the first of his three voyages to North America. At the rocky headland of Gaspe known as Penouille Point, Cartier erected a 10-metre cross bearing the arms of France and claimed the territory for King Francis I.
---
Entertainment news...
TORONTO — A heartbreaking music video for Jessie Reyez's song "Far Away" has emerged the winner of this year's Prism Prize.
The $20,000 cash award was given to director Peter Huang whose visuals portrayed Reyez as one half of a young couple whose connection is forever severed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Huang was revealed as the winner during a virtual ceremony on Thursday night, a replacement for Prism's annual Toronto awards presentation that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Far Away" was chosen by a jury of more than 120 creative arts professionals.
Other Prism winners included directors Keavan Yazdani and Sean Brown, who picked up the fan-voted Audience Award for their Jamaica-shot video of Daniel Caesar's "Cyanide Remix," featuring Koffee. The video includes a cameo by Toronto brothers Jae and Trey Richards, best known for their popular YouTube comedy channel 4YE.
---
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2020.
The Canadian Press
