Six stories in the news today, Jan. 18

Six stories in the news for Wednesday, Jan. 18

———

BANK OF CANADA TO RELEASE ECONOMIC FORECAST

The Bank of Canada will make a scheduled interest rate announcement and release its economic forecast today amid widespread uncertainty as Donald Trump prepares to be sworn in as U.S. president. It’s widely anticipated that Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz will hold the benchmark rate at 0.5 per cent.

———

Court

Cries of racism fill courtroom as judge stays impaired driving charge in Saskatoon

8h ago

Community support

The Hunger Games return to Prince Albert

11h ago

Raiders win 5-3

Defensive scoring leads Raiders over Wheat Kings

18h ago

B.C. TO UPDATE DRUG OVERDOSE NUMBERS 

The British Columbia government is expected to update the statistics today on illicit drug overdose deaths. The number of fatalities in the province last year hit 755 up to the beginning of December, following a record-breaking 128 deaths in November. The previous high was 82 deaths, in January 2016.

———

ONTARIO PROPOSES HIGHER WATER BOTTLER FEE

The Canadian Press has learned that Ontario is proposing to charge water-bottling companies a little over $500 per million litres, up from the current fee of just a few dollars. Public outcry erupted last year over the small fee of $3.71 that the province currently charges for every million litres on all water-taking permits. A government source says a proposal to increase the charge will be posted this morning.

———

‘ENTITLED’ KILLER UP FOR PAROLE AGAIN IN B.C. 

Convicted British Columbia killer Kelly Ellard is expected to again seek parole today, less than a year after a parole board said she was too entitled to be released. At Ellard’s first parole hearing last May, she took responsibility for the death of 14-year-old Reena Virk after repeatedly denying that she was involved since the 1997 killing.

———

AIR TRANSAT TO TEST NEW TAXING SYSTEM NEXT YEAR 

Air Transat is planning to test and deploy a new system next year that would allow an aircraft to taxi from the runway to the gate without having to use a plane’s engine, thereby cutting operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The Montreal-based carrier would be the world’s first airline to use the WheelTug system, according to the company that developed it.

———

CANADA TO GAIN NICE DAYS UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE

Research published in the journal Climatic Change suggests climate change could increase the number of nice days Canadians enjoy. Karin van der Wiel of Princeton University says the planet, on average, will lose 10 days of nice weather by 2080. But she says Canada — along with other mid-latitude areas such as Europe — is likely to see gains of anywhere from five days to three weeks.

———

ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cross-Canada tour stops in Sherbrooke, Que., and Granby, Que.

— Statistics Canada will release employment insurance figures for November.

— Conservative leadership candidate Maxime Bernier will discuss his foreign policy agenda in Ottawa.

— Canadian Pacific Railway will release its fourth-quarter and year-end results after markets close.

The Canadian Press