Leaders meet on plane crash and John Crosbie’s funeral; In The News for Jan. 16

In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what’s on the radar of our editors for the morning of Jan. 16 …

What we are watching in Canada …

LONDON — Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is chairing today a meeting at Canada House in London that the federal government hopes will lead to justice and financial compensation for the families of the victims of a Ukrainian jet shot down by Iran.

All 176 people aboard were killed last week, including at least 89 with ties to Canada.

Champagne is meeting with representatives of four other countries that lost citizens in the crash — Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and Britain.

The meeting will open with a moment of reflection to remember the victims.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau says Iran is co-operating with the two Canadian investigators on the scene, but he wants Canada to have official standing in the international investigation.

On Wednesday, the prime minister’s parliamentary secretary said the government was exploring options for compensating victims’ families in the interim because the international process could drag on for years.

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Also this …

St. John’s, N.L. — Past and present politicians of all stripes are expected today to pay their last respects to John Crosbie.

The former federal cabinet minister and lieutenant-governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, remembered for his wit and advocacy for his home province, died Friday at age 88.

A state funeral will be held at the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in the provincial capital.

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney is expected to deliver a eulogy for his former Progressive Conservative colleague, whom he praised as “one of the giants of our generation” in a statement after Crosbie’s death.

Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who after Crosbie’s death hailed him as “a true force of nature,” has also confirmed plans to attend the funeral.

During a lengthy political career that began on St. John’s city council, Crosbie held a number of federal cabinet portfolios,  including finance, fisheries, justice and international trade.

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What we are watching in the U.S. …

WASHINGTON — In a dramatic procession across the U.S. Capitol, House Democrats carried the formal articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate, setting the stage for only the third trial to remove a president in American history.

Trump complained anew Wednesday that it was all a “hoax,” even as fresh details emerged about his efforts in Ukraine.

The ceremonial pomp and protocol by the lawmakers prosecuting the case against Trump moved the impeachment out of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic-run House to the Republican-majority Senate, where the president’s team is mounting a defence aiming for swift acquittal.

“Today we will make history,” Pelosi said as she signed the documents, using multiple pens to hand out and mark the moment. “This president will be held accountable.”

The Senate will transform itself into an impeachment court today at noon. The Constitution calls for Chief Justice John Roberts to preside at the trial, administering the oath to senators who will serve as jurors and swear to deliver “impartial justice.”

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What we are watching in the rest of the world …

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam SAYS that the ”one country, two systems” framework under which the city enjoys freedoms unknown in China could continue after a 2047 deadline if loyalty to Beijing is upheld.

Lam’s comments at the legislative council appeared to be an appeal to those in the city who see Beijing as tightening its control over the semi-autonomous territory’s civic, economic and political life.

Hong Kong has been wracked by often violent anti-government protests since June, although they have diminished considerably in scale following a landslide win by opposition candidates in races for district councillors late last year.

Hong Kong was handed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997 with a promise that it would maintain its own capitalist economy and Western-style institutions for 50 years.

“Only if we insist on implementing the ‘one country, two systems’ principle and practice it continuously and fully … then I think there will be enough grounds for ‘one country, two systems’ to move ahead smoothly and there would be no change after 2047,” Lam said.

“We have to uphold the principle of ‘one country.’ Only by doing this, can ]one country, two systems’ be moving forward smoothly.”

Lam’s comments echo language from China’s Communist Party leaders, who say Hong Kong’s unique system is predicated on respect for Chinese sovereignty over the territory. Beijing routinely accuses political opponents in Hong Kong of seeking to split the territory from the mainland with the backing of foreign forces.

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ICYMI (In case you missed it) …

VANCOUVER — A women’s shelter in Vancouver received a royal visit on Tuesday from Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre shared a photo her visit on Facebook, saying shelter staff spoke with her about issues affecting women in the community.

The group Justice for Girls in the city also posted photos on Twitter of Meghan visiting the organization on Tuesday, saying she discussed climate change and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, announced plans last week to step down from their duties as senior members of the Royal Family and become financially independent.

The move reportedly annoyed senior royals who had not been consulted, sparking a summit that brought together the Queen, her eldest son and heir Prince Charles, and Prince William, who would follow his father Charles to the throne, along with Harry.

In the end, the Queen said she was supportive of the couple’s decision to split their time between Canada and the U.K.

British Columbia Premier John Horgan, meanwhile, has said he’s already had conversations with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the couple possibly moving to the province.

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Weird and wild …

OSHAWA, Ont. — Police east of Toronto say a toddler has been reunited with his mother after he was found wandering a street in Oshawa, Ont., while wearing only a diaper.

Durham regional police say a driver spotted the two-year-old walking around the side of a road at around 3:45 a.m. on Wednesday.

They say the motorist called police, who then checked with paramedics to make sure the child was OK.

“They checked the child out just to make sure he wasn’t exposed to the elements for too long,” said media officer George Tudos.

“It wasn’t too cold, but for a child just wearing a diaper, I can imagine it was pretty cold.”

Investigators say they were eventually able to get in contact with the boy’s mother.

They say there are no charges at this time.

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Know your news …

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are planning their part-time move to Canada. Name the prince who lived in eastern Ontario for six months?

(Keep scrolling for the answer)

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On this day in 1939 …

The first “Superman” comic strip by Toronto-born Joe Shuster appeared.

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Celebrity news …

Canadian professional wrestling legend Rocky (Soul Man) Johnson, the father of actor Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson, has died at the age of 75.

World Wrestling Entertainment, where Johnson reached the greatest heights of his career, confirmed his death on Wednesday.

Johnson was born in Amherst, N.S., and made his pro wrestling debut in Southern Ontario before rising to fame in the National Wrestling Alliance in the mid-1960s.

He started in the WWE in 1983 with rivalries with the likes of Greg (The Hammer) Valentine, Don Muraco and Adrian Adonis. 

Eventually he teamed with Tony Atlas as The Soul Patrol and the two men became the first African-American World Tag Team Champions in WWE history when they defeated The Wild Samoans on Dec. 10, 1983.

After Johnson retired from wrestling in 1991, he helped train his son The Rock — a nickname that was partly in tribute to his father.

The younger Johnson went on to become the first African-American WWE champion and then transition into a successful career as an actor.

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Know your news answer …

Prince Andrew. Prince Harry’s uncle attended Lakefield College School, a private school near Peterborough, Ont., in 1977 as part of an exchange program.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2020.

The Canadian Press