Five stories in the news today, Feb. 15, from The Canadian Press:

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MINISTER TO WRAP UP CONSULTATIONS TODAY FOR INQUIRY INTO MISSING AND MURDERED ABORIGINAL WOMEN

The minister responsible for indigenous affairs is wrapping up her cross country consultations to set the table for an inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women. Carolyn Bennett holds her final meeting in Ottawa today. She and Status of Women Minister Patty Hajdu have been meeting with the families of murdered or missing aboriginal women and girls, seeking their input on the shape of a national inquiry. Bennett said last week they've heard from 1,300 people. She hopes to launch the inquiry by the summer.

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OTTAWA TO BRING IN NEW REGULATIONS TO EASE THE PROBLEM OF TIRED TRUCKERS

The federal government says it will bring in new regulations to deal with the problem of fatigue among truck and bus drivers. Transport Canada says paper logs will be scrapped in favour of having truckers electronically record their hours on the road. Truckers will soon be required to record their hours behind the wheel with devices that automatically record driving time by monitoring engine hours, vehicle movement, kilometres driven and location information. The devices are in use south of the border and the U.S. government estimates they annually save US$1 billion in administrative costs, about 26 lives and prevent 562 injuries.

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COMPANY PROMISES TO INVESTIGATE GAY SLUR ON EDMONTON EMPLOYEE'S VALENTINE

A company that sells party supplies says it's investigating after an employee at one of its Party City stores in Edmonton posted a photo of a Valentine for him that was defaced with a homophobic slur. A store supervisor made Valentines for all the staff, but when 20 year old Degas Sikorski picked his up, it had a hate message on it. Sikorski posted a photo of the Valentine to Facebook on Saturday, and says he's been overwhelmed by the support his story has generated — not to mention the job offers he's also received.

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STING PERFORMS AT NBA ALL-STAR GAME HALFTIME SHOW - BUT NO DRAKE SURPRISE

Drake fans hoping the Toronto rapper might perform during the NBA all-star game halftime show didn't get their wish. The show was headlined by former Police frontman Sting, who had faced weeks of flak on social media after being chosen to perform at the decidedly Canadian-centric basketball event. Some had predicted the 64-year-old UK born rocker might call on a few special guests — such as Drake — to help silence the naysayers, but it wasn't to be. BC's Nelly Furtado, meantime, faced some flac on social media after her unconventional rendition of O' Canada.

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INCREASING NUMBER OF CANADIANS SWING THE AXE

The past time of axe-throwing is gaining in popularity with leagues and clubs sprouting up in many provinces. Darren Hudson is opening an axe-throwing lounge in Halifax. He says the traditional lumberjack sport is a draw because it's simple and has an immediate payoff. He says it's an opportunity for people to cast away their worries.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2016