Good morning from the CTV newsroom!
Here are five need-to-know stories from Canada and around the world: More than 1,000 soldiers deploy to southern Quebec to help fight rising water levels; in a rout, French voters elect political independent Emmanuel Macron; an updated guideline has been published in the Canadian Medical Journal regarding prescribing opioids; churches in the Maritimes speak out about declining attendances; and a popular drink goes under the microscope.
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1. Flooded communities: The Canadian Armed Forces have deployed 1,200 soldiers to southern Quebec, tripling the number of troops initially sent on Saturday, to fight an exhausting battle against rising flood waters. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also made a "spontaneous" visit to one of the flood-damaged communities on Sunday.
2. French election: French voters elected independent centrist Emmanuel Macron as president Sunday, delivering a resounding victory to the unabashedly pro-European former investment banker and dashing the populist dream of far-right rival Marine Le Pen.
3. Updated guidelines: A new guideline published today in the Canadian Medical Journal is encouraging doctors to turn to other medications before prescribing opioids as a first-line treatment to patients with chronic, non-cancer pain.
4. Churches in decline: Dropping attendances in churches across Canada are leaving the institutions concerned about their future. In New Brunswick, Catholics are watching many of their community churches close due to a lack of attendance.
5. Kombucha popularity: The rising popularity of Kombucha tea is leading experts to question whether the drink is as healthy as its proponents claim it is. Experts say there is little research to support the drink’s alleged health benefits.
