News for November 20th, 2015

Hosted by Julian Mckenzie

Produced by Emeline Vidal

LOCAL 
by: Pauline Nesbitt

Montreal’s public transit authority has announced a fare freeze for the first six months of 2016.

According to CBC News, the transit company will also add 45,000 hours of bus service, will purchase 20 air-conditioned hybrid buses and will launch a pilot project on boarding accordion buses by the rear doors.

NATIONAL
by: Patricia Petit Liang
 

Changes made to veteran's benefit while Prime Minister Stephen Harper was still in office will apparently cost Canada’s federal treasury $231.6 million over the next ten years.

According to the National Post, the Conservative government implemented these chnges to help the severely wounded and to create an income security benefit for veterans over the age of 65.

Estimates also indicate that the Afghan War will have cost the veteran system  $157 million between now and 2025.

While running for office, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to provide even more funding to veterans, but has not done anything specific for them as of yet.

INTERNATIONAL
by: Alexa Everett

Iraqi and American intelligence officials are warning the public that the Islamic State group may be in the midst of producing chemical and biological weapons. 

According to CTV, the extremists have rounded up several top scientists from Syria and Iraq to begin experiments in labs across both countries.
 
Iraqi military forces were given gas masks and protective suits as a precautionary measure against possible chemical attacks. 
Iraq states that their collaboration with Syria is minimal.