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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Islamic State claims responsibility for Sri Lanka bombings, PM warns several suspects still at large

Developments in the Sri Lanka suicide bombings Sunday at three churches and three hotels include:

  • The Islamic State has made unsupported claims of responsibility.
  • Sri Lanka’s prime minister said investigators were still determining the extent of the bombers’ foreign links, and warned that several suspects armed with explosives are still at large.
  • The minister of defence said the bombings were carried out by Islamic fundamentalists in apparent retaliation for the New Zealand mosque massacres last month.
  • The death toll rose to 321 today, the national day of mourning. Mass funerals and burials took place throughout the country. Here’s a look at some of the victims who lost their lives (for subscribers).

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Two Canadian women detained in Somaliland and sentenced to 40 lashes have been freed

Two Canadian women detained in Somaliland since January have been freed, sources say.

Maymona Abdi, 28, and Karima Watts, 23, had faced 40 lashes each as part of a sentence handed down after they were convicted of consuming alcohol, which is forbidden. They disputed the charge, and no alcohol was found in the house where they were arrested.

The pair had traveled to Somaliland, where their families are from, to help local women facing persecution.

Open this photo in gallery:

Maymona Abdi, 28, and Karima Watts, 23, were arrested in Hargeisa, Somaliland, in January.handout/Handout

Maple Leafs and Raptors in playoff action tonight

To indulge in a sports cliché, it’s gut-check time for Toronto Maple Leafs in the game 7 series decider against the Bruins tonight in Boston. It’s a familiar situation for the Leafs, one that haunts them to this day (for subscribers).

While that team hopes to overcome history, the Toronto Raptors are looking to make history by taking its first-round series in just five games against the Orlando Magic at home tonight.

Both games start at 7 p.m. ET. Check back at GlobeSports.com later in the evening for the results and highlights.

The latest of flooding in Quebec and New Brunswick

The number of flooded homes across Quebec continues to rise, but authorities say they expect water levels to peak today or tomorrow and begin to descend over the coming days (for subscribers).

More than 3,100 homes have been struck by flooding, more than 1,400 people have been forced out of their homes and about 1,800 properties are isolated because of washed-out roads or landslides.

Meanwhile, emergency officials in New Brunswick are cautioning the water levels of the Saint John River will continue to rise in southern regions of the province in the days ahead.

One year later, ceremonies and vigils honour the victims of the Toronto van attack

Hundreds of people gathered at Mel Lastman Square today to remember those killed and injured in a van attack in north Toronto a year ago – one of many events today marking the anniversary of the incident.

Ten people were killed and 16 were injured when a white rental van plowed into pedestrians along busy Yonge Street.

Alek Minassian, 26, is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder. He is set to face trial next February.

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Duterte wants Canada to pick up its trash: Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines, says if Canada doesn’t take back tonnes of trash within the next week he will “declare war” and ship the containers back himself.

New additions to the Merriam-Webster dictionary: Swole, bug-out bag and omnicide are just a few of the 640 additions to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary made this week. (Translation: muscular, a kit with survival supplies and the destruction of all life.)

Saudi Arabia beheads 37 citizens: Saudi Arabia beheaded 37 citizens, most of them minority Shiites, in a mass execution for alleged terrorism-related crimes. It also publicly pinned the executed body and severed head of a convicted Sunni extremist to a pole as a warning to others.

Activist investor sues TransAlta: U.S. activist investor Mangrove Partners is suing TransAlta Corp. in bid to stop its $750-million partnership deal with Brookfield Renewable Partners LP, claiming executives and directors are putting their own interests above those of shareholders (for subscribers).

Israel to name Golan Heights community after Trump: Israel says it will name a new community on the Golan Heights after U.S. President Donald Trump as an expression of gratitude for his recognition of its claim of sovereignty over the strategic plateau.

MARKET WATCH

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq registered record closing highs after a broad-based rally today as a clutch of better-than-expected earnings reports eased concerns about a slowdown.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 145.41 points to 26,656.46, the S&P 500 gained 25.69 points to end at 2,933.66 and the Nasdaq Composite closed at 8,120.82, 105.56 points higher.

In Toronto, the S&P/TSX composite index also closed at a new all-time high, finishing up 92.12 points, or 0.56 per cent, at 16,669.40. Energy stocks led the way as oil prices hit their highest in about six months.

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TALKING POINTS

Jason Kenney won the Alberta election because he understands Albertans

“The majority of Albertans said the ballot question was about economic issues – jobs, taxes and pipelines. Mr. Kenney and the UCP listened and responded accordingly; the NDP didn’t – and paid the price.” - Preston Manning, former leader of the Reform Party of Canada

How boomers are stealing from babies

“The one slice of Canadian demography certain to be ignored in the coming election is, tragically, the very group with the greatest stake in its outcome: newborns. They may not be able to feed themselves, or even speak or roll over right now - and they certainly can’t vote - but these adorable little droolers will one day be handed a bill for every one of our collective mistakes and indulgences.” - Peter Shawn Taylor

Psychiatrists shouldn’t have a monopoly over psychotherapy

“One of the tragedies of psychiatry and medicine in general is that we fail to provide innovative health-care delivery solutions ourselves and instead wait for government to make these decisions for us.” - Ari Zaretsky, chief of the department of psychiatry at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

LIVING BETTER

The single best thing you can do to fight off the cognitive decline that typically accompanies aging is to exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise helps. So does strength training. And according to a new study, there may be a third option. Researchers at the University of Montreal and several other institutions report that eight weeks of gross motor skills training – a broad category that includes navigating obstacle courses and learning to juggle – boosted cognitive function in older adults and raised levels of a brain-growth chemical even more than a combination of aerobic and strength training.

LONG READ FOR A LONG COMMUTE

The Notre-Dame fire was a warning bell, but will Europe listen?

It’s a thin line where the patina of age on Europe’s countless monuments gives way to the onset of neglect. Like with so many loved ones, all is assumed to be fine, until suddenly it’s not.

In the wake of the fire last week that gutted Notre-Dame, questions are being raised about the state of thousands of other cathedrals, palaces and village spires that have turned France – as well as Italy, Britain and Spain – into open-air museums of Western civilization.

If even an iconic building like Notre-Dame could not be protected from devastation, if such a potent symbol of France had to scramble for maintenance funds, that lays bare a culture of apathy that can undermine a shared history as well as the multibillion-dollar tourism industry upon which much of Europe depends. Read the full story here.

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