Maple Leaf cake gets iced and a world junior redux; In The News for Jan. 7

He says it is part of a pattern of disruptive international decisions by Trump that have led to the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate-change agreement; the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal; and the Iran nuclear deal, which included the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany.

Those decisions caused serious headaches for American allies, including Canada, while Friday’s killing has imperilled the NATO training mission in Iraq that Canada currently leads, says Heyman.

Iraq is ordering all international troops out of the country because it views the American attack on its soil as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

Heyman was the American diplomat who helped broker Canada’s entry into Iraq in 2014 as a U.S. ally in its fight against the spread of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in that country and neighbouring Syria.

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Also this …

TORONTO — A former Toronto pastor convicted in the death of his pregnant wife is expected to learn his fate today.

Philip Grandine is slated to be sentenced nearly a year after jurors found him guilty of manslaughter in the drowning of his wife, Anna Grandine.

Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 13 to 15 years, while the defence has argued five to seven years would be more appropriate.

Anna Grandine was 29 years old and 20 weeks pregnant when she drowned in the couple’s bathtub in 2011.

Tests later revealed she had lorazepam, better known under the brand name Ativan, in her blood despite not having been prescribed it.

The judge overseeing the case ruled last month that Philip Grandine deliberately and secretly sedated his wife so she wouldn’t stand in the way of his extramarital affair and love of pornography.

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ICYMI (In case you missed it) …

MONTREAL — This cake got a frosty reception.

A young Toronto Maple Leafs fan from Quebec got a big letdown when he discovered that a bakery mix-up had left him with a birthday cake honouring Toronto-based meat company Maple Leaf Foods instead of his favourite team.

The boy’s stepmother, Tania Levesque, says her partner had ordered the cake from a bakery near the couple’s Mascouche, Que., home a few days before Jacob’s hockey-themed eighth birthday party.

When the bakery said they didn’t have the team’s logo, Levesque suggested they search for it on Google, remembering that they’d made the same cake for Jacob for the past three years without any issue.

Levesque says the mistake an hour before the party left her “crying with laughter,” but Jacob was less pleased and refused to eat what he described as a “ham cake.”

She says she has no hard feelings toward the bakery and the cake was happily enjoyed by the rest of the guests at the party.

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What we are watching in the U.S. …

WASHINGTON — U.S. officials braced for Iran to respond to the killing of its most powerful general, noting heightened military readiness in the country and preparing for a possible “tit-for-tat” attempt on the life of an American military commander.

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the Jan. 2 strike against Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, after the death of an American contractor in Iraq. Now, as the massive demonstrations of Iran’s public mourning period for Soleimani come to a close, officials believe the next steps by America’ longtime foe will determine the ultimate course of the latest crisis.

While officials say American intelligence isn’t clear on whether Iran’s latest military moves are designed to bolster Tehran’s defences or prepare for an offensive strike, the U.S. is continuing to reinforce its own positions in the region, including repositioning some forces. One official said the U.S. anticipated a “major” attack of some type within the next day or two.

On Monday, Defence Secretary Mark Esper said no decision had been made about withdrawing troops from Iraq. Pro-Iranian factions in the Iraqi Parliament have pushed to oust American troops following Soleimani’s killing on Iraqi soil.

Esper spoke to reporters after a letter from a U.S. Marine general circulated that seemed to suggest a withdrawal had been ordered in response to a vote by the Iraqi Parliament over the weekend.

“There’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq,” Esper said.

Soleimani’s death, which has sparked major protests, further nuclear development and new threats of violence, has raised the prospect of a wide and unpredictable conflict in the Middle East and escalated tensions between Iran and the U.S.

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What we are watching in the rest of the world …

BALMORAL, Australia — Bolstered by cooler weather and desperately needed rain, exhausted firefighters in Australia raced to shore up defences against deadly wildfires before the blazes flare again within days when scorching temperatures are expected to return.

The first hints of the financial toll from the disaster began to emerge on Tuesday. The Insurance Council of Australia said the estimated damage bill had doubled in two days, with insurance claims reaching US$485 million.

That estimate comes one day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government was committing an extra $1.4 billion toward the recovery effort in addition to the tens of millions of dollars that have already been promised.

Morrison’s funding announcement came amid fierce criticism from many Australians who say he has been too slow to respond to the crisis. He has also faced backlash for downplaying the need for his government to address climate change, which experts say helps supercharge the blazes.

The fires, fuelled by drought and the country’s hottest and driest year on record, have been raging since September, months earlier than is typical for Australia’s annual wildfire season. So far, the blazes have killed 25 people, destroyed 2,000 homes and scorched an area twice the size of the U.S. state of Maryland.

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Weird and wild …

MOSCOW — Some Russian hockey fans were celebrating victory despite losing at the world junior hockey championships because of a confusingly timed TV repeat.

Two state TV channels showed Russia-Canada finals at the same time on Sunday. One was live, and the other was from 2011.

While most fans, and Russia’s players, commiserated after a 4-3 loss to Canada on Channel One, many Russians watched a nail-biting, nine-year-old 5-3 comeback win on rival broadcaster Match TV.

Some fans posted celebratory messages on social media, or complained media outlets were reporting the wrong score. It became hard to tell who was genuinely duped and who was in on the joke.

Yana Tarasenko, a lifestyle blogger who is the wife of St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko, posted on Instagram that her husband had watched the 2011 game for 10 minutes in the belief it was live — at least “until he saw himself in the game.”

It wasn’t immediately clear why Match TV decided to show the 2011 final at the same time as the live broadcast. It had shown live world juniors games earlier in the tournament, but the medal rounds were only on Channel One.

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Know your news …

As you read above, an eight-year-old Toronto Maples Leafs fan in Quebec mistakenly got a Maple Leaf Foods cake for his birthday because of a bakery error. Which French-Canadian author wrote a popular children’s story about being a Montreal Canadiens fan who mistakenly receives a Maple Leafs sweater in the mail? (Bonus: Which store sent him the wrong sweater?)

(Keep scrolling for the answer)

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On this day in 1955 …

The opening of the Canadian Parliament was broadcast on television for the first time.

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Your health …

TORONTO — A Canadian study suggests one in five fertility and menstrual tracking apps contain serious errors that could misinform users about their chances of getting pregnant.

Researchers assessed 140 iPhone apps based on the accuracy, usability and breadth of the tools and information provided.

The lead author of the study, published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, says the quality of apps varied widely, but was low overall.

Rhonda Zwingerman of Mount Sinai Hospital says 31 of the apps contained inaccuracies that could put users at risk of unintended pregnancy or delayed conception.

She says some apps made false guarantees about their efficacy as a contraceptive tool or unscientific claims that intercourse on certain days could influence a baby’s sex.

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Entertainment news …

TORONTO — The sixth and final season of the beloved Canadian comedy series “Schitt’s Creek” premieres tonight on CBC.

Daniel Levy, the co-creator and star, says he feels it’s the best season yet and he’s sad the show is ending.

Levy was the one who decided to wrap up the show for good at the end of season six.

But he says it’s still “very melancholic” to end the project, which follows a formerly wealthy family in a small town.

Since its debut in January 2015, the series has racked up legions of fans and earned many major honours, including Emmy nominations.

The show’s other stars include Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy.

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Know your news answer …

Roch Carrier wrote “Le Chandail de Hockey” or “The Hockey Sweater.” It was first published in 1979. In the story, Carrier’s mother orders the sweater from Eaton’s.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2020.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Maple Leaf cake gets iced and a world junior redux; In The News for Jan. 7

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