Highlights from the news file for Tuesday, July 5:

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TRUDEAU NOT CONSIDERING BACK-TO-WORK BILL FOR CANADA POST: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says there's no need for a "heavy-handed" approach to the possible labour disruption at Canada Post. The Crown corporation has issued a 72-hour lockout notice to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, meaning up to 50,000 members could be locked out as of Friday. Trudeau says his government believes in good-faith negotiations that happen around the bargaining table. Trudeau made it clear that his government is not considering back-to-work legislation in the event of a work stoppage. But he did leave the door open to government involvement if there is a prolonged work stoppage.

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FBI RECOMMENDS NO CHARGES AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON OVER EMAILS: The FBI is not recommending criminal charges following its year-long investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state. However, director James Comey called her actions "extremely careless." The U.S. Justice Department has been looking into whether anyone mishandled classified information that flowed through Clinton's email server. Two hours after the announcement, the Democratic presidential candidate boarded Air Force One for a flight with President Barack Obama to a joint campaign appearance in North Carolina. Obama told a cheering crowd there has never been anyone more qualified to be president than Clinton.

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CANADA-EU TRADE PACT ON TRACK, BOTH SIDES SAY: Europe's top envoy to Canada says all 28 member countries approve of the mammoth free trade deal with Canada in spite of rising anti-trade sentiments and Britain's decision to leave the European Union. Marie-Anne Coninsx, the European Union's ambassador to Canada, tells The Canadian Press the European Commission's decision Tuesday to proceed with the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement as a "mixed" agreement won't derail the timeline that will see the vast majority of the deal come into force early next year. The mixed designation means that each of the EU's countries must ratify the deal, but the European Parliament's approval will lead to "provisional application" of the pact. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is confident the free-trade deal will be ratified.

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TRUDEAU DEFENDS MILITARY SPENDING RECORD: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended Canada's record on military spending Tuesday by pointing out that the country has consistently done more than many allies in other ways — most recently in Eastern Europe. NATO reported this week that Canadian defence spending hit record lows last year, falling to 0.98 per cent of gross domestic product. That is less than half the two per cent target that all NATO members, including Canada, agreed to in 2014. Asked during a press conference in Montreal on Tuesday whether he would commit to the two per cent target when he travels to Poland later this week, Trudeau instead referenced the Liberal government's decision to have Canada lead a 1,000-strong NATO force in Eastern Europe.

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BLACKBERRY TO STOP MAKING CLASSIC SMARTPHONE: BlackBerry says it will stop making its BlackBerry Classic smartphone, less than two years after launching it. Ralph Pini, BlackBerry's chief operating officer and general manager for devices, said in a company blog post that it is focusing on updating its smartphone lineup. He said the company will continue to support its BlackBerry 10 operating system with software updates. The Waterloo, Ont.-based firm has faced calls to stop making cellphones in favour of focusing on its software business, but CEO John Chen recently reaffirmed his commitment to stay in the hardware market.

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BRAZEAU PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO DRINKING-RELATED CHARGE: Sen. Patrick Brazeau was not in court Tuesday in Gatineau, Que., as his lawyer entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of refusing to take a breathalyzer test. The case will be back in court in late October. The alleged incident took place on April 3 in L'Ange-Gardien, in western Quebec. Last year, the 41-year-old received an unconditional discharge after pleading guilty to reduced charges of assault and possession of cocaine, but still faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in connection with his Senate expense claims. Brazeau has started receiving his salary again after paying back various expenses the Senate deemed inadmissible.

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JEAN COUTU OPEN TO SELLING MEDICAL MARIJUANA: The CEO of Jean Coutu, one of the country's largest pharmacy chains, said Tuesday he is open to selling medical marijuana but won't lobby the federal government to do so. Francois Coutu said he doesn't know how profitable the sale of medical marijuana would be for the company, which operates 417 stores in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. Coutu's position differs somewhat from those of several other pharmacy retailers, including Shoppers Drug Mart, the country's largest, that are vying for the opportunity to sell medical marijuana. The federal government has committed to legalizing and regulating the use of marijuana, including for recreational purposes, and last week established a task force to study how best to do that. Coutu said he opposes the sale of marijuana in pharmacies for recreational use.

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EVACUATION ENDS NEAR DELTA, B.C., BOG FIRE: Weather is not considered a factor in the cause of a wildfire at a unique peat bog in Delta, B.C., as crews contained about 60 per cent of the blaze on Tuesday, the fire chief says. Dan Copeland said investigators arrived on the scene of the 78-hectare fire in Burns Bog on Tuesday morning but it could be several weeks before its cause can be determined. A light drizzle was helping firefighters on Tuesday as they worked to fully contain the blaze, which started Sunday, by the end of the day, he said. Highway 17, a major thoroughfare in the community south of Vancouver, is expected to reopen by Friday. An evacuation order affecting about a dozen businesses at the Tilbury Industrial Park was lifted Tuesday.

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ASHLEY MADISON DATING SITE PLANS TO REBOOT: Ashley Madison, the infidelity dating company that was hit last year by a massive hack, now hopes that a more inclusive, female-friendly site — and new leadership — will help it woo new customers. The Toronto-based company's planned makeover is part of a broader strategy to rebuild the business that was left in shambles after last summer's security breach, which exposed the personal dealings and financial information of millions of purported clients. The cyberattack that made global headlines cost Ashley Madison's parent company, Avid Life Media, about a quarter of its annual revenue, its new president and CEO said Tuesday. The revamp also comes as the company is being investigated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, a probe launched after the security incident, they said.

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WILLIAM AND KATE INVITED BACK TO CANADA: Canadians who could not get enough of William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the last time they were here might get another chance to see them soon. And this time, their young children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, are welcome to join them. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has sent an official invitation to the royal couple and their family to visit Canada whenever their schedules permit. A spokeswoman says the dates are not yet confirmed. William, the eldest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, and his wife Kate Middleton, last visited Canada on their first official tour as newlyweds in 2011.

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BLOODY ATTACKS WITH SUSPECTED IS LINKS MARK END OF RAMADAN: The government minister largely responsible for security in Baghdad submitted his resignation Tuesday, two days after one of the biggest bombings in more than a decade of war and insurgency killed 175 people as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan came to an especially bloody conclusion. In addition to the violence in Baghdad, the final week of Ramadan saw suicide attackers strike near one of Islam's holiest sites in Saudi Arabia, in an upscale neighbourhood of the capital of Bangladesh, and at the international airport in Turkey's commercial hub of Istanbul.

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News from © The Canadian Press, 2016