The Wednesday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories

Highlights from the news file for Wednesday, Dec. 20

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TRUDEAU VIOLATES CONFLICT OF INTEREST RULES: The federal ethics commissioner has ruled that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau violated conflict of interest rules over a series of family vacations last year. Mary Dawson says Trudeau violated the rules when he vacationed last Christmas at the private Bahamian island owned by the Aga Khan and when his family vacationed on the same island months earlier in March 2016. Dawson found that the Trudeaus’ visit to the island — and the prime minister using the Aga Khan’s private helicopter for the last leg of the journey — broke sections of the Conflict of Interest Act that prohibits a minister or any member of their family from accepting gifts or “advantages” that could reasonably be seen as influencing government decisions.

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GOVERNMENT PROMISES HELP FOR VETERANS: The governing Liberals say they’ll provide injured veterans with more financial compensation in the form of long-promised lifelong disability pensions. Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan announced the new pensions on Wednesday, more than two years after the Liberals promised them during the last federal election. O’Regan says the government is allowing those with a service-related injury or illness to determine the best form of compensation that works for them.

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COMPETITION BUREAU LOOKS AT BREAD PRICES: At least seven companies are involved in a federal Competition Bureau investigation into allegations of price-fixing of bread. Court documents say George Weston and Loblaw admitted this week to participating in an industry-wide bread price-fixing arrangement for over a decade and tipping the country’s competition watchdog. The investigation began on Aug. 11.

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CANADIAN DIES IN MEXICAN BUS CRASH: The federal government has confirmed a Canadian was among a dozen people killed in a bus crash in Mexico. Three other Canadians were among the 20 injured in the incident. The government says the accident took place when the bus carrying cruise ship passengers flipped over on a narrow highway in the state of Quintana Roo on Tuesday.

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MOUNTIE ACQUITTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGE: A former RCMP inspector has been found not guilty of sexual assault in British Columbia. A civilian employee alleged that Tim Shields kissed and groped her in a washroom at RCMP headquarters. Shields testified that the woman willingly participated in sex acts and then accused him of sexual assault. Judge Patrick Doherty said he didn’t know whom to believe and ruled the Crown has not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

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PRIME MINISTER TO ATTEND MEMORIAL FOR DEAD TORONTO COUPLE: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a host of other dignitaries are expected to be at a memorial service on Thursday for billionaire philanthropist couple Barry and Honey Sherman. The Shermans were found dead in their Toronto mansion last week. Autopsy results showed the couple died from ligature neck compression. Police have only said the deaths are suspicious but have said little else about their investigation.

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NEW BRUNSWICK PROMISES TO BE MORE FORTHCOMING ON CHILD DEATH PROBES: The New Brunswick government says reports into child death investigations will include more details. Previously, the province has released few details citing privacy concerns. But the province’s chief coroner said starting Jan. 1, the reports will include more details, such as the child’s age and whether they were receiving government services.

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CANADA PREPARES FOR NEXT ROUND IN BOEING-BOMBARDIER FEUD: The federal government is preparing its next step after the American commerce department only slightly lowered hefty duties it plans to impose on imports of Bombardier C Series commercial jets. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Ottawa is pondering its next steps. Boeing launched the trade case earlier this year, contending that governments in Canada and Britain subsidized the plane’s development which allowed Bombardier to sell it at unfairly low prices.

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ISRAEL TRYING TO HEAD OFF UN RESOLUTION CRITICIZING U.S.: Israel is intensively lobbying countries around the world to oppose a UN resolution criticizing President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Thursday’s vote in the UN General Assembly will indicate whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has succeeded in his efforts to drum up new pockets of support in the developing world, as well as the extent to which Israel and the U.S. are — or are not — alone on the question of Jerusalem.

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The Canadian Press