In the news today, Dec. 14

By The Canadian Press

Four stories in the news for Friday, Dec. 14

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SAFETY BOARD TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AFTER CRASH

Canada’s transportation safety board is scheduled to release recommendations today after a plane crash last year near a remote northern Saskatchewan community. All 25 people on board the West Wind Aviation plane escaped when it crashed near the Fond du Lac airstrip soon after takeoff on Dec. 13. Nine people were seriously injured and one 19-year-old man, Arson Fern Jr., later died in hospital. Investigators previously said the plane had ice on it when it took off, but the investigation was ongoing.

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CLOSING ARGUMENTS TODAY IN EX-COACH’S SEX ASSAULT TRIAL

Closing arguments are expected today in the sexual assault trial of a former high-ranking gymnastics coach. Dave Brubaker has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault and one count of invitation to sexual touching at his judge-alone trial in Sarnia, Ont. The charges relate to alleged incidents between 2000 and 2007 involving a single complainant, now in her 30s. Brubaker testified Thursday that when he apologized to his accuser for “crossing the line,” he wasn’t referring to any sexual transgressions.

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POLICE ACROSS CANADA INVESTIGATE BOMB THREATS

Police forces in cities across Canada investigated multiple bomb threats on Thursday as authorities in the U.S. said similar threats sent to dozens of locations appeared to be a hoax. Police departments in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as RCMP detachments in B.C. and Manitoba, were investigating multiple threats. One busy subway station in downtown Toronto was briefly evacuated due to a threat received in the area, but King Station was up and running again within hours. A spokesman for Toronto police said it wasn’t clear whether that threat, or any of “at least 10” received across the city, were related to those in other locations.

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KHADR SAYS HE’LL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR HIS FREEDOM

An Edmonton judge reserved her decision Thursday on former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr’s application to have his bail conditions loosened. Khadr is seeking a Canadian passport to travel to Saudi Arabia and wants permission to speak to his sister in private. The bail conditions were imposed while he appeals war crimes convictions by a U.S. military commission. He says he feels like his life is being held in suspension and vows to continue fighting for his freedom.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— Environment Minister Catherine McKenna will holds a teleconference today to provide an update on work underway at COP24.

— Green party Leader Elizabeth May will join other representatives from other Green parties around the world for a news conference at COP24 in Katowice, Poland.

— Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan hold a bilateral meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis.

— Statistics Canada will releases its national balance sheet and financial flow accounts figures for the third quarter.

The Canadian Press

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