Morning Update: Who were the passengers on Flight 752? More updates on the victims and the investigation

Good morning,

These are the top stories:

Who were the passengers on UIA Flight 752?

Young and old, the victims of the crashed Ukrainian airliner had roots across Canada. They were dentists, doctors, newlyweds, engineers and architects. About a dozen were children. The list includes a large cohort of students, professors and graduate students, many of whom had already garnered significant awards and achievements.

The Globe and Mail is working to learn more about those who died aboard Flight 752. Here is what we know so far about some of the victims.

In addition to the sheer scale of the human tragedy, the crash is having an oversized impact on Canadian universities, where Iranian-born students and faculty form a key component of a growing population of international scholars, particularly in science and engineering-related fields.

In Edmonton, Iranian-Canadian leaders have estimated that up to 30 Edmontonians died in the crash. The University of Alberta has confirmed that 10 members of its community died. It’s likely that an additional number of students from Iran that had been offered admission to the university but had yet to register were also killed.

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What else has happened:

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• Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Canada is sending officials to Iran to deal with the aftermath of the plane crash that killed dozens of Canadians. Canada’s Transportation Safety Board, put out a statement saying that it’s making plans to visit the crash site.
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada has received intelligence indicating an Iranian missile shot down the Ukraine International Airlines flight. He said that it may have been unintentional, but that it “reinforces the need for a thorough investigation into this matter.” This is how a missile might have shot down the plane, and what a probe will look for.
• The head of the Iranian team investigating the crash rejected the missile allegation on Friday and called on Western governments to make their evidence public.
• Mr. Champagne said he called Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday night to discuss the crash, in the first ministerial contact between Canada and Iran in more than 18 months. Canada does not currently have diplomatic representation in Iran.
• To catch up on the full situation, read The Globe’s guide on what we know (and don’t know) so far

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More on international relations

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The Democratic-controlled House approved a resolution asserting that U.S. President Donald Trump must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran. The war-powers resolution is not binding on the President and would not require his signature.

Trump defended the U.S. air strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq, saying it was in part because “they were looking to blow up our embassy.”

Mr. Champagne has protested the retaliatory Iranian missile attack that targeted bases in Iraq where Canadian troops were located. No Canadian troops or other coalition forces were injured by the 22 missiles that were fired from Iran on Tuesday night, hitting two bases in Iraq where U.S. and other troops are stationed.

Click here to read The Globe’s guide to the story since Qassem Soleimani’s death

Read more opinion:

• Andrew Coyne: If Iran did shoot down the plane, what can we do about it? Nothing
• Lawrence Martin: On Iran, Trump proves it again: He’s too big to fail
• Thabit Abdullah: The U.S.'s gift to Iran: the destruction of the Iraqi Freedom Movement

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

RCMP to probe safety hazards near Coastal GasLink pipeline construction site: A group of hereditary chiefs with the Wet’suwet’en Nation has declared that the Coastal GasLink project will not go ahead, and they plan to defy a court injunction ordering the removal of barriers that have been placed on the road

After a month in Australia, two Manitoba fire experts arrive home: The men were two of 100 Canadian fire experts who worked in fire control centres in southeast Australia, helping to co-ordinate and deploy crews and resources.

Ontario Ombudsman launching investigation into long waiting times at Landlord and Tenant Board: The investigation comes during an extremely tight market in the GTA, Ontario’s largest rental area, where vacancy rates are at historic lows and rental prices are surging.

Don’t cave to Beijing’s demands, Taiwanese Foreign Minister warns Canada: Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu warns that if Canada bends now, China will demand more later, and that “Hostage-taking cannot be accepted by modern civilization."

The Globe and Mail introduces a new tech podcast, I’ll Go First. Join entrepreneur and host Takara Small as she speaks one-on-one with Canadian founders tackling the big issues – from climate change to fertility to accessibility. Season Two launches on January 13. You can listen to the trailer and season one here, and subscribe to get it in your feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you have any questions about how to listen to podcasts, you can e-mail the show at podcasts@globeandmail.com

MORNING MARKETS

Global stocks march higher as Middle East tensions ease: World stocks set new record highs on Friday and the prices of safe-haven assets such as gold pulled back as investors cheered an apparent de-escalation in U.S.-Iran tensions and looked instead to prospects of improved global growth. In Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.03 per cent just before 6 a.m. ET. France’s CAC 40 was flat and Germany’s DAX gained 0.25 per cent. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei closed up 0.47 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.27 per cent. New York futures were higher. The Canadian dollar was trading at 76.49 US cents.

TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON

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WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT

Long may it reign: Forget about Harry and Meghan, the monarchy always comes first

Carolyn Harris: “Through all those familial dramas, one thing has remained intact: The monarchy – the vital institution itself – has adapted, survived and thrived.” Harris is an instructor in history at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies and the author of three books, including Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting.

Is Justin Trudeau eyeing the exits?

Konrad Yakabuski: “Prescient Liberals are already talking about Mr. Trudeau’s replacement, with one name above all others on their lips – and no, it’s not Ms. Freeland’s.”

MOMENT IN TIME

Pugachev executed for leading rebellion

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Jan. 10, 1775: He led an immense movement by railing against elites and spreading fake news about himself. But Yemelyan Pugachev, whose campaign of violence amounted to the largest peasant revolt in Russian history, ultimately met defeat. On Jan. 10, 1775 (Julian), his head was chopped off, followed by his limbs, as punishment for his treason. Pugachev had set off the uprising by declaring himself to be Peter III, a czar ousted in a coup by Catherine the Great. He urged the rural masses to help him take back his throne. This backstory had two problems: Pugachev looked nothing like Peter and Peter was dead. But the imposter’s message of emancipation resonated among the country’s serfs. And over several gruesome months, enslaved people heeded the call to kill their masters and join the fight. The monarchy in Saint Petersburg was slow to react because Russian troops were occupied with a Turkish war, and protests by people pretending to be dead czars usually fizzled quickly. Pugachev and 20,000 rebels had seized Kazan and were threatening to take Moscow when the army finally responded effectively. Pugachev was forced to retreat. Roughly a year after the rebellion began, he was arrested and unmasked. — Joy Yokoyama

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