Here are the latest Top News stories from The Canadian Press. All times are Eastern unless otherwise stated. Coverage plans are included when available. Entries are subject to change as news develops.

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TOP HEADLINES:

Mask mandate for B.C. kids 5 and older in public spaces

Alberta to pay $15M to get more people vaccinated

Lightfoot postpones tour dates due to COVID-19

Americans not focused on border with Canada: poll

Environmental groups press White House on Line 5

Trudeau joins G20 in pushing Taliban to allow aid

Judge strikes general's request for reinstatement

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NEW TOP STORIES SINCE THE LAST ADVISORY:

Kids 5 and older must wear masks in B.C. public spaces

COVID-BC

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- British Columbia's top doctor has issued an order requiring children five and older to wear masks in public spaces, expanding a mandate for those aged 12 and up.  Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1

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Alberta to pay $15M to get more people vaccinated

COVID-Alta

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, ,  -- Alberta is on track to spend more than $15 million to directly pay vaccine-hesitant residents to get the COVID-19 shot.  Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1

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Lightfoot postpones tour dates due to COVID-19

MUSIC-Gordon-Lightfoot

Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Gordon Lightfoot is postponing a number of tour dates in Western Canada until late 2022 as COVID-19 infection rates soar in the region. By David Friend.  Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1

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RCMP reviews logging injunction in B.C.

Old-Growth-Blockades

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada -- The RCMP are reviewing the department's resources following the temporary reinstatement of an injunction against old-growth logging protests on southern Vancouver Island by the British Columbia Court of Appeal.  Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Discovery Plus to launch in Canada on Oct. 19

TV-Discovery-Plus

Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Discovery Plus is coming to Canada next week. By David Friend.  Wire: Entertainment, Business. Photos: 1

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Takei, Shatner to attend Toronto's Fan Expo Canada

Fan-Expo-Canada

Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- "Star Trek" alums George Takei and William Shatner are set to beam up to Fan Expo Canada later this month.  Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1

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UPDATED TOP NEWS STORIES:

Americans not focused on border with Canada: poll

US-Cda-COVID-Border

Washington D. C., Washington, D.C., United States -- A new poll suggests U.S. residents are far more worried about reopening the land border with Mexico than they are about letting Canadians drive south.  Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Environmental groups press White House on Line 5

US-Cda-Pipelines

Washington D. C., Washington, D.C., United States -- Opponents of Line 5 want the White House to reject Canada's bilateral effort to prevent a Michigan judge from shutting down the cross-border pipeline.  Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Trudeau joins G20 in pushing Taliban to allow aid

Cda-Afghanistan

OTTAWA - Canada joined its G20 allies on Tuesday in pushing Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers to allow humanitarian aid to reach the country's starving people. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau represented Canada at the special summit on Afghanistan, which was held virtually. 300 words.

See also:

Macron seeks face-to-face meeting with Trudeau

Trudeau-Macron

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- French President Emmanuel Macron wants a face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, sooner rather than later. And he wants more than passing chit chat on the margins of upcoming international summits. The French envoy to Canada says in addition to a long agenda of unfinished business that the two countries started before the COVID-19 pandemic, Macron wants to hear Trudeau's views on the new three-way alliance that was formed last month between the United States, Britain and Australia. By Mike Blanchfield.  Wire: National.

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Judge strikes general's request for reinstatement

Fortin-Lawsuit

Ottawa, ,  -- A Federal Court judge has struck down Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin’s request for reinstatement as the head of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution campaign.  Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Quebec vaccine mandate contingency plan not ready

COVID-Que

Montreal, Quebec, Canada -- It's still too early to say how Quebec's health-care system will be impacted by a vaccine mandate that could lead to thousands of workers suspended at the end of the week, Health Minister Christian Dubé said Tuesday. By Jacob Serebrin.  Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1

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Most parents support masks in schools: survey

COVID-School-Survey

The majority of respondents in a newly released Canada-wide survey say they are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 in schools and want children and staff to wear masks. By Kelly Geraldine Malone.  Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Asbestos ban should apply to all products: doctors

Asbestos-Ban

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Public health advocates and environmental groups say the federal government needs to close a loophole allowing the resale of second-hand products containing asbestos. By Mia Rabson.  Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Guilty and not guilty pleas in murder trial

Mother-Toddler-Murder

Calgary, Alberta, Canada -- A man has admitted to killing a Calgary mother more than two years ago but not guilty in the death of her toddler.  Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1

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Positive signs for endangered N.B. Atlantic salmon

NB-Salmon

Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada -- Researchers at the University of New Brunswick say the future is looking brighter for the endangered Atlantic salmon population in the inner Bay of Fundy.  Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1

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N.L. reports 21 new COVID-19 cases, two deaths

COVID-NL

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada -- Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting 21 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, as well as two more deaths related to the disease.  Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1

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Nova Scotia reports 99 new COVID-19 cases

COVID-NS

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- Nova Scotia is reporting 34 new cases of COVID-19 today and another 65 cases since its last update on Friday.  Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1

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N.S. throne speech pledges health-care fixes

NS-Throne-Speech

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative government says finding solutions for the province's ailing health system is at the "forefront" of its priorities.  Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1

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Toronto's homeless demand better winter plan

Ont-Toronto-Homeless

Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Members of Toronto's homeless community and their advocates say they want a better winter plan from the city.  Wire: Ontario/Quebec.

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Increasing need for family doctors in Nova Scotia

NS-Family-Doctors

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- The Progressive Conservative government's predictions of increasing shortages of family doctors in Nova Scotia are being backed by recently released figures from a provincial waiting list. By Michael Tutton.  Wire: Atlantic.

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Quebec daycare workers holding two-day strike

Que-Daycare-Strike

Montreal, ,  -- Some Quebec families are having to find alternate child care arrangements today and Wednesday due to a rotating strike in the province.  Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1

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COVID-19 pushes N.B. hospitals to Red Alert level

COVID-NB

Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada -- Hospitals in New Brunswick are moving to the Red Alert level and postponing some non-urgent procedures because of a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across the province.  Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1

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Ontario reports 848 new COVID-19 cases in two days

COVID-Ont

Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Ontario says it logged 458 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and 390 new cases today.  Wire: Ontario/Quebec.

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Golden, B.C., woman nearly hit by meteorite

Meteor-BC

Ruth Hamilton was sound asleep last week when she was awoken by her dog barking, the sound of a crash through her ceiling and the feeling of debris on her face, the resident of Golden, B.C., said Monday. By Brieanna Charlebois.  Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1

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Quebec firm behind first drone delivery of lungs

Transplant-Tech

Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Dr. Shaf Keshavjee was full of nerves as he scanned Toronto's darkened skyline, craning his neck to spot a drone whizzing toward the downtown rooftop he was standing on. By Tara Deschamps.  Wire: Business. Photos: 1

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LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE STORIES:

The LJI is a federally funded program to add coverage in under-covered areas or on under-covered issues. This content is delivered on the CP wire in the "Y" or spare news category, or you can register to access it at https://lji-ijl.ca. This content is created and submitted by participating publishers and is not edited by The Canadian Press. Please credit stories to the reporter, their media outlet and the Local Journalism Initiative. Questions should be directed to LJI supervising editor Amy Logan at amy.logan@thecanadianpress.com. Below is a sample of the dozens of stories moved daily:

New figures illustrate COVID risks for migrant workers on Ontario farms

LJI-ONT-MIGRANT

Eighty-four per cent of temporary foreign farmworkers in Ontario have received one vaccine dose and 76 per cent have received two, figures from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs show. The number of cases is down by almost half since last year, with 1,102 so far this year, according to the Ministry of Labour. There were five deaths, all during the quarantine period. 900 words. PHOTO. Calvi Leon/London Free Press

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The anti-vaxxer may be a person in your neighbourhood

LJI-NL-12102021-anti-vax

Former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford runs a blog from his home in British Columbia that’s awash in anti-scientific conspiracies and medical misinformation. The theme throughout is one of truth being oppressed by a cabal of government and corporations. The “VAERS scare” is one of the narratives posted on the website of another anti-vaccine warrior with N.L. connections, business owner Marjorie Clarke. 1,200 words. PHOTO. Peter Jackson/The Telegram

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In search of Haida Gwaii’s forest-dwelling hawk, one of the most endangered species on the planet

LJI-NWBC-Haida-Gwaii-goshawk

With no provincial endangered species legislation to rely on, the race is on to find the nests of stads k’un, a genetically unique subspecies of the northern goshawk, before logging and habitat loss causes the brave little bird to vanish forever. 4,800 words. Matt Simmons/The Narwhal

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UPDATED FROM AP:

NEW/DEVELOPING

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ABORTION-TEXAS-LOUISIANA CLINIC, which was listed on the 2 p.m. News Digest, will not move this cycle.

Adds THE AP INTERVIEW-MCAULIFFE, VIRUS OUTBREAK-GOP PUSHBACK, ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES, HOLIDAY HIRING, VIRUS OUTBREAK-FLORIDA, IMMIGRATION-WORKPLACE RAIDS, BOY SCOUTS-YOUTH PROTECTION.

CONGRESS-DEBT — House vote expected around 7 p.m.

PENGUINS-LIGHTNING — Game starts 7:30 p.m.

NLDS-GIANTS-DODGERS — Game starts 9:07 p.m.

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ONLY ON AP

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THE AP INTERVIEW-MCAULIFFE — Terry McAuliffe, the Democrat in the Virginia governor race, calls on Washington officials in both parties — including President Biden — to “get their act together,” pushing Senate Democrats to scrap the filibuster if needed to enact the party’s priorities on infrastructure spending and voting rights. By Steve Peoples. UPCOMING: 600 words by 6:30 p.m., photos, video.

HUNGER IN AMERICA-FOOD BANKS — Hunger and food insecurity across the United States have dropped measurably over the past six months, but the need remains far above pre-pandemic levels. Specialists in hunger issues warn the situation for millions of families remains extremely fragile. By Ashraf Khalil. SENT: 1,540 words, photos.

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TOP STORIES

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CONGRESS-BUDGET — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warns that “difficult decisions must be made” as Democrats weigh what programs to trim in President Joe Biden’s expansive social spending plan. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 1,050 words, photos. With CONGRESS-DEBT — The House is expected to approve a short-term lift of the nation’s debt limit. SENT: 880 words, photos. UPCOMING: 990 words after House vote, expected around 7 p.m.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-GOP PUSHBACK — With the governor of Texas leading the charge, conservative Republicans in several states are moving to block or undercut President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers before the regulations are even issued. Meantime, many large employers have already decided on their own to require their workers to get the shot. By Lindsay Whitehurst. SENT: 1,350 words, photos.

ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES — Heath officials have authorized the first electronic cigarettes in the U.S., saying the R.J. Reynolds vaping products can benefit adult smokers. The Food and Drug Administration said data submitted by the company showed its Vuse e-cigarettes helped smokers either quit or significantly reduce their use of cigarettes. By Health Writer Matthew Perrone. SENT: 420 words, photo.

EXPLAINER-SOCIAL SECURITY-COST OF LIVING — Rising inflation is expected to lead to a sizable increase in Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for 2022. Exactly how much will be revealed Wednesday morning after a Labor Department report on inflation. By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar. SENT: 800 words, photos.

HOLIDAY HIRING — U.S. companies that typically hire thousands of seasonal workers are heading into the holidays during one of the tightest job markets in decades, making it unlikely they’ll find all the workers they need. Employers are so desperate to find holiday workers they’re raising pay above $15 an hour, offering four-figure sign-on bonuses and promising to pay their schooling. By Retail Writer Joseph Pisani. SENT: 990 words, photos. With JOB OPENINGS — Americans quit their jobs at a record pace in August. SENT: 630 words, photos.

ASPIRIN-HEART DISEASE — Older adults without heart disease shouldn’t take daily low-dose aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, an influential health guidelines group says. Bleeding risks for adults in their 60s and up who haven’t had a heart attack or stroke outweigh any potential benefits from aspirin, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said in its draft guidance. By Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner. SENT: 610 words, photos.

BLUE ORIGIN-SHATNER — As William Shatner prepares to be beamed up at age 90 for his first real-life space flight, he’s bringing out the awe in the handful of people around a rural Texas spaceport. The mayor of Van Horn, Texas, the nearest town to where Shatner on Wednesday will become the oldest to be launched into space, says it’s about time the “Star Trek” star made the trip for real. By Cody Jackson and Andrew Dalton. SENT: 650 words, video, photos.

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TRENDING

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FACEBOOK-VIOLENT VIDEO COMPLAINT — The family of a slain journalist is asking the FTC to take action against Facebook for failing to remove online footage of her shooting death. SENT: 240 words.

BOOKS-SALLY ROONEY-ISRAEL — Author Sally Rooney is holding off on allowing her current book to be translated into Hebrew, citing Israel’s “system of racial domination and segregation against Palestinians.” SENT: 740 words.

NETS-IRVING — The Brooklyn Nets won’t let Kyrie Irving practice or play with them until he is vaccinated. SENT: 410 words, photos.

PEOPLE-KANYE WEST-WYOMING — Kanye West is selling his ranch and business properties in northwestern Wyoming. The asking price for the ranch is $11 million. SENT: 230 words.

LINNAEUS-ARBORETUM RENAMED — A private college in Minnesota renames its arboretum that originally honored an 18th century Swiss botanist who has been lambasted for promoting racist scientific theory. SENT: 200 words.

PENGUINS-LIGHTNING — Two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay raises another banner before opening the NHL season against Pittsburgh. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game starts 7:30 p.m.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK — With many Americans who got Pfizer vaccinations already rolling up their sleeves for a booster shot, millions of others who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine wait anxiously to learn when it’s their turn. SENT: 920 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-FLORIDA — Florida issues its first fine to a county it says violated a new state law banning vaccine mandates and for firing 14 workers who failed to get the shots. SENT: 620 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN — The British government waited too long to impose a lockdown in the early days of the pandemic, missing a chance to contain the disease and leading to thousands of unnecessary deaths, a report concludes. SENT: 920 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-RUSSIA — Russia hits another record of daily coronavirus deaths as the country struggles with a rapid surge of infections and lagging vaccination rates. SENT: 370 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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CAPITOL BREACH-QANON — Over 630 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Federal authorities have explicitly connected at least 27 defendants to the QAnon conspiracy theory, an AP review of court records shows. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

SUPREME-COURT-ABORTION — The Supreme Court seemed inclined to allow Kentucky’s Republican attorney general to continue defending a restriction on abortion rights that had been struck down by lower courts. SENT: 420 words, photo.

UNITED STATES-KENYA — President Biden will play host to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday as war and a humanitarian crisis roil neighboring Ethiopia. SENT: 480 words, photo.

ELECTION 2022-KENTUCKY CONGRESSMAN — Democratic U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, chairman of the House Budget Committee, says he will not seek another term next year. SENT: 580 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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GABBY PETITO — Cross-country traveler Gabby Petito was strangled, a Wyoming coroner says. Petito, 22, died three to four weeks before her body was found Sept. 19 in remote northern Wyoming. SENT: 530 words, photos.

IMMIGRATION-WORKPLACE RAIDS — Federal immigration agents will stop making mass worksite arrest of immigrants employees suspected of living in the U.S. without legal permission. SENT: 480 words, photo.

PITTSBURGH-SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING — A Pittsburgh police officer says at an evidentiary hearing that the man accused of killing 11 people in a synagogue shooting three years ago made several references to killing Jews. SENT: 310 words, photos.

BOY SCOUTS-YOUTH PROTECTION — The former youth protection director for the Boy Scouts of America says the organization isn’t doing enough to protect children from sexual abuse and is still trying to keep secret decades of past abuse. SENT: 900 words.

MIAMI-POLICE CHIEF — The man once billed as the Michael Jordan and Tom Brady of policing ended up being “not the right fit” for the city of Miami. He's being fired after a tumultuous 6-month tenure. SENT: 600 words, photo.

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INTERNATIONAL

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TROPICAL WEATHER-PACIFIC — Hurricane Pamela continues to strengthen as it moves along Mexico’s Pacific coast and could become a near-major hurricane before hitting somewhere near the port of Mazatlan. SENT: 170 words.

NIGERIA-BOKO HARAM-HOSTAGES ESCAPE — Six women and nine children abducted by Nigeria’s Boko Haram extremist rebels in the country’s troubled northeast have escaped after months in captivity. SENT: 310 words.

IRAQ-ELECTIONS-ANALYSIS — Iraq’s Shiite militias that often serve as proxy for neighboring Iran have taken a beating in Iraq’s election. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

SPAIN-NATIONAL DAY — Spain’s national day salutes Columbus with little opposition. SENT: 670 words, photos.

NEPAL-BUS ACCIDENT — At least 28 people die in Nepal after the bus they were on skids off a mountain road and falls into a gorge. SENT: 150 words.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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IMF-WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK — The International Monetary Fund downgrades its outlook for the global recovery from the pandemic recession. SENT: 860 words, photos.

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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SWITZERLAND-VR OF SPACE — Researchers are releasing software that allows for virtual visits through the cosmos — up to the International Space Station, past the Moon, Saturn or exoplanets, over galaxies and beyond. SENT: 880 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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NLDS-GIANTS-DODGERS — San Francisco, leading Los Angeles 2-1 in their best-of-five NL Division playoff, could eliminate the defending World Series champs in their own ballpark with a victory. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts 9:07 p.m. With NLDS-BREWERS-BRAVES — Atlanta looks to wrap up its NL Division Series against Milwaukee in Game 4. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Game started 5:07 p.m.

ALDS-ASTROS-WHITE-SOX — Houston, leading 2-1 in its best-of-five AL Division series, can close out Chicago with a victory in Game 4. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Game started 2:07 p.m.

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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

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MUSIC-COLDPLAY — The last time the band Coldplay put out an album, it was like a warm embrace of the world and all its differences. This time, the British foursome has gone bigger — cosmically bigger. By Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT: 850 words, photos.

The Canadian Press