Six stories in the news today, Sept. 25

Six stories in the news today, Sept. 25 from The Canadian Press:

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TOUCHY ISSUES FIRE UP FRENCH DEBATE

The rehearsed talking points largely fell away Thursday as the federal leaders challenged each other directly on some of the touchiest topics in Canadian politics — minority rights, human rights and Quebec sovereignty, to name a few. The third debate of the election campaign, this one in French, also proved to be the most lively, with one-on-one exchanges filled with sharp accusations and forceful declarations.

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JEWISH GROUPS DISMAYED BY AUSCHWITZ IGNORANCE

Jewish groups said they were astonished that a school trustee running for the NDP in the federal election reportedly said she was unfamiliar with a notorious Nazis death camp. Leaders in the Jewish community reacted with dismay on Thursday after it was revealed that Alex Johnstone, the NDP candidate in Hamilton, Ont., referred to fence posts at Auschwitz as being phallic on Facebook in 2008.

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FIRED BUS DRIVER TO RUN FOR CHRISTIAN HERITAGE PARTY

A former Calgary transit driver who was fired amid a controversy over Calgary’s Pride bus says he is running in the federal election as a candidate for the Christian Heritage Party. Jesse Rau says he will run in the riding of Calgary Signal Hill, where other candidates include former provincial cabinet minister Ron Liepert for the Conservatives, Khalis Ahmed of the NDP and Liberal Kerry Cundal.

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END RAPE CULTURE, SAY B.C. MUNICIPAL POLITICIANS

British Columbia municipal politicians Margo Wagner and Joan Sorley had been friends for years before they realized they’d both been raped. On Thursday, they spoke about their experiences before the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver, which voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution calling for a task force to determine how to end a rape culture that is “pervasive in schools, universities, workplaces and elsewhere across Canada.”

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CANADA TO ANNOUNCE ITS PICK FOR OSCAR RACE

Canada announces its Oscar hopeful today. Telefilm Canada will hold a press conference in Montreal to reveal the feature film it’s submitted for consideration in the best foreign-language film category. Canada has had four nominees in this category in the past six years. Last year, Canada submitted Xavier Dolan’s acclaimed feature “Mommy,” but it failed to earn a nomination.

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LOTTO-MAX JACKPOT REACHES $60 MILLION FOR FIRST TIME

The Lotto-Max lottery will make history tonight by offering an estimated jackpot of $60 million for the first time. Ticket buyers could also win one of 25 Maxmillions prizes worth $1 million each. The $60 million jackpot follows six weeks in which the main Lotto-Max prize went unclaimed.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY …

— The trial continues in Saint John, N.B., for Dennis Oland, accused of second-degree murder in the death of his father, Richard Oland.

— Statistics Canada will release national tourism figures for the second quarter.