In the news today: Trudeau, Vets in France for D-Day, Bank of Canada rate cut coming?

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

100-year-old D-Day veteran reflects on war

Richard Rohmer is not sentimental when he says, matter-of-factly, that this may be his last D-Day anniversary trip to France.

At 100 years old, the Second World War veteran says this 80th anniversary is his last decennial commemoration, and perhaps the last time he makes the trip to France at all.

Rohmer is part of a dwindling camp of Canadian veterans who fought in a battle that altered the course of the war, and the course of the 20th century.

On Normandy’s shores, the largest-ever land, sea and air invasion took German defences by surprise on June 6, 1944, and marked the beginning of an 11-month liberation campaign that would end with Allied victory and Adolf Hitler’s defeat. As a then-20-year-old reconnaissance-fighter pilot, who joined the war effort in 1942, Rohmer surveilled the skies overhead during the battle.

Trudeau travels to Normandy for D-Day anniversary

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on his way to Normandy, France, to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Around 160,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches on June 6, 1944, in what’s now known as the beginning of the end of the Second World War.

In all, 4,414 Allied troops were killed that day, including 381 Canadians.

Trudeau is set to attend a Canadian ceremony at Juno Beach on Thursday before heading to an international ceremony at nearby Omaha Beach.

Canada’s delegation also includes 13 Second World War veterans, the oldest of whom is 104.

BoC to announce interest rate decision today

To cut or not to cut — that is the question the Bank of Canada will answer this morning as it announces its latest interest rate decision.

Forecasters are widely expecting the central bank to lower its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, which would mark the first rate cut in more than four years.

The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is currently sitting at five per cent, the highest it’s been since 2001.

Economists say the noticeable slowdown in inflation, as well as economic weakness, justifies a rate cut.

If the Bank of Canada opts to lower its policy rate, it would be moving ahead of some of its central bank peers, including the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Second psychiatrist to testify about serial killer

A court-appointed forensic psychiatrist is set to testify today about the mental state of an admitted serial killer.

Another expert previously told a murder trial that Jeremy Skibicki was suffering from schizophrenia when he killed four Indigenous women in Winnipeg in 2022.

That psychiatrist, called by the defence, said Skibicki felt compelled to carry out the killings because he believed he was on a mission from God.

Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder.

Phone plans hinder escape from domestic violence

Women’s Shelters Canada is calling on phone companies to adjust how they respond to those escaping from domestic violence, saying the costs of changing a phone number and difficulties leaving a shared plan are key barriers for victims.

The organization released a report Wednesday that looked into how Bell, Rogers and Telus reacted to a victim’s request for a changed plan, and it is now making recommendations for how they can improve service for these vulnerable people.

Rhiannon Wong, the group’s Tech Safety Canada project manager, said their report comes shortly after a national survey in April found that harassment was the most common form of technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

Other forms include threats, location tracking, preventing access to online accounts, surveillance and non-consensual image sharing.

Ransomware booms as Canada eyes cyber standards

The ransomware business is booming in Canada.

Recent victims have included large corporations such as retailer London Drugs, as well as the City of Hamilton, Ont., and the government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

But the criminals who sometimes brag of their attacks on the so-called dark web don’t seem fussy about their targets, based on a small sample of the targets listed by B.C.-based threat analyst Brett Callow. Among them have been a B.C. library network, the province’s First Nations Health Authority and an Ontario charity for disabled children.

Cybersecurity experts say the spate of attacks has serious implications for victims and the public, and organizations need multi-layered protection in a landscape of fledgling online security standards.

Oilers Stanley Cup final tickets going on sale

Tickets go on sale today for the three possible games in Edmonton for the Stanley Cup final.

The Oilers begin the best-of-seven series Saturday night in Florida against the Panthers.

Games 3, 4 and, if necessary, 6 will be in Edmonton.

Tickets are already available on resale sites, but they’re quite pricey.

For Game 3 on June 13, resale sites StubHub and SeatGeek have individual tickets on sale for about $1,300 and higher in the upper deck.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2024

The Canadian Press