By Canadian Press

In the news today, Dec. 22

Dec 22, 2017 | 2:45 AM

Six stories in the news for Friday, Dec. 22

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PM TRUDEAU URGED TO REPAY TAXPAYERS FOR AGA KHAN TRIP

Opposition parties are demanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repay taxpayers for all or part of the costs for last year’s Christmas vacation on the Aga Khan’s private Bahamian island — which left taxpayers on the hook for more than $200,000. Conservative ethics critic Peter Kent says Trudeau owes it to Canadians to foot the bill after Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson found that the prime minister violated four different provisions of the Conflict of Interest Act.

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International Spotlight

P.A.'s Howe one of 4 Sask. born players named to Canada's World Junior roster

6h ago

National

Ottawa to remove 30% investment cap for Canadian pension funds

10h ago

Budget woes

Golf and curling centre faces grim season without financial boost

13h ago

BOB RAE ISSUES INTERIM REPORT ON ROHINGYA CRISIS

Canada’s special envoy on the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar says it’s hard to put the extent of the humanitarian crisis into words. Bob Rae has issued an interim report on the crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims flee to Bangladesh. He says refugee camps are “deplorably overcrowded” and that words are inadequate to express the damage and trauma being suffered by Rohingya women and girls.

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DILUTED BITUMEN OBSTACLE FOR SPAWNING SALMON

New research has found that even tiny amounts of diluted bitumen can weaken the chance that salmon can swim up rivers and streams to spawn. Researchers exposed year-old salmon to low levels of bitumen and were found to be less fit, with a 15 per-cent reduction in swimming capacity and signs of cardiac fibrosis. A University of Guelph researcher also used work from two British Columbia universities to reach her findings.

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NB PREMIER PROMISES MORE MONEY ON SOCIAL SPENDING

New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant is promising to spend more on child care, education and health care in 2018. He told The Canadian Press that his government will make “significant investments” to increase the number of child-care spaces available. Gallant’s Liberals face the voters next September.

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TORONTO’S FIRST FEMALE MAYOR DIES AT 93

June Rowlands, the first female mayor of Toronto, has died at the age of 93. Her son Bruce says she died on Thursday night at a long-term care facility. Rowlands was first elected to city council in 1976 and served as from 1991 to 1994. While on council, Rowlands served as the city’s budget chief and was the first woman to head the Toronto Transit Commission and the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission.

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KINGSBURY TAKES 10TH STRAIGHT GOLD IN MOGULS

Canadian freestyle skiing star Mikael Kingsbury captured his 10th straight World Cup moguls title today at a competition in China to boost his overall medal total to 45.  Kingsbury, one of Canada’s top medal threats at February’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, has now won all three World Cup events this season. In the women’s moguls, Andi Naude of Penticton, B.C., won a bronze medal for a second day in a row.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Statistics Canada will release the gross domestic product by industry for October.

— The Department of Finance will release its Fiscal Monitor for October.

— Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne will speak at the Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention in Toronto.

— Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale will hold a news conference to remind Canadians to drive sober this holiday season.

The Canadian Press