Five stories in the news today, March 8

Five stories in the news for Wednesday, March 8:

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TRUDEAU MARKING WOMEN’S DAY WITH FANFARE

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who proudly calls himself a feminist, is marking International Women’s Day with much fanfare. Trudeau will begin the day by joining International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau in an announcement related to the rights of women. Trudeau has promised to promote gender equality and home and abroad, but advocates for the rights of women and girls say he still has a lot of work to do.

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HANDLING ASYLUM SEEKERS MANAGEABLE — FOR NOW

The RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency say they have the resources they need — for now — to deal with the influx of people entering the country illegally in search of asylum. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says both agencies have the resources and legal tools to sufficiently enforce the law. But several federal agencies are preparing for the possibility that hundreds of asylum seekers could become thousands when the weather turns warm.

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FEDERAL BUDGET COMING MARCH 22

Finance Minister Bill Morneau will take the wraps off the federal budget on March 22 — his first spending plan amid the economic uncertainty of the Donald Trump era. The budget comes as Ottawa and corporate Canada scramble to assess the risks of possible and unpredictable policy actions from the country’s top trading partner.

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CALGARY IMAM IN TURKISH PRISON TO APPEAR IN COURT

A Calgary imam who has spent more than seven months in a Turkish prison has a court date scheduled for today. Davud Hanci’s wife says he is expected to appear before a judge by video conference on allegations he helped orchestrate last summer’s attempted coup. The couple were in Turkey with their two young sons last July when Davud Hanci was arrested.

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NEW HERITAGE MINUTE FEATURES EDMONTON GRADS

The most successful sports team in Canadian history is the star of the latest Heritage Minute. The vignette, released today to coincide with International Women’s Day, focuses on the Edmonton Commercial Graduates women’s basketball team, whose winning record between 1915 and 1940 remains unmatched. The Grads were national, North American and world champions for 17 years straight and won 93 per cent of their games.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau attends an International Women’s Day event in Ottawa with Plan International CEO Caroline Riseboro.

— Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna attend Women’s Day breakfast in Ottawa.

— A bail hearing in Montreal for Hisham Saadi, who is charged in connection with alleged threats at Concordia University last week.

— Statistics Canada releases include an update on the value of building permits for January.

— Federal officials provide an update on the latest steps taken to address issues with the Phoenix pay system.