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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Ottawa, Wednesday, April 5, 2017.The Canadian Press

THE LATEST ON SYRIA

The United States launched 59 Tomahawk missiles at an Assad-controlled air base in Syria last night in response to the Syrian President's use of chemical weapons earlier this week.

The Syrian army says six people were killed and equipment was destroyed.

"It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons," U.S. President Donald Trump said last night in justifying the strike.

"President Putin considers the U.S. strikes against Syria an act of aggression against a sovereign country violating the norms of international law, and under a trumped-up pretext at that," a Russian spokesperson was quoted as saying this morning.

"Canada fully supports the United States' limited and focused action to degrade the Assad regime's ability to launch chemical weapons attacks against innocent civilians, including many children. President Assad's use of chemical weapons and the crimes the Syrian regime has committed against its own people cannot be ignored," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement.

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CANADIAN NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Newly disclosed emails reveal more about the concerns that Vice-Admiral Mark Norman had about a major shipbuilding contract, before he was removed from his job as the military's No. 2.

Boeing says it's working to address Canadian complaints that cockpits of the Super Hornet jets can lose oxygen.

Brian Mulroney warns the coming changes to be discussed in renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement will be more than just tweaks.

Public Services and Procurement Minister Judy Foote is taking a leave of absence to deal with family issues, the Liberals say.

And senators will spend $225,000 so they can hand out medals for Canada's 150th birthday.

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LUNCHTIME LONG READ

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and Prime Minister Trudeau may not see eye-to-eye on many issues, such as carbon pricing, but they are agree on one important thing: making sure Canadian ties to the new Trump administration are strong. The Globe's Adrian Morrow explains how Mr. Wall has been getting access to top U.S. lawmakers.

WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT

Globe and Mail editorial board: "Once again, the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad has shocked the conscience of the world by using chemical weapons on its own people. And once again, the question is asked: When will the world put a stop to this madness?"

Craig Forcese (Globe and Mail): "Boiled to its essence, international law has limited use of force by one state against another to situations of self-defence or circumstances where force is authorized by the UN Security Council. Here, there is no plausible basis for self-defence. The U.S. has not been attacked by Syria. Nor have its allies. Nor is there any Security Council authorization – thanks largely to the obstinacy of the Russians, allies of the Assad regime. The result is a legal impasse, one that is not easily circumvented by creative lawyering."

Amber Phillips (Washington Post): "Now, top Senate Republicans concerned about the death, destruction and instability that a Syrian president unanswerable to the United States has caused seem greatly relieved he's come to their side."

Robyn Urback (CBC): "But two years — plus a few symbolic gestures, a gender-sensitive budget and one balanced cabinet later — and Trudeau-brand feminism has become like that catchphrase on a family sitcom, the one that stopped being amusing two seasons ago, but the laugh track keeps rolling anyway. "

Don Martin (CTV): "[Don] Meredith may have been busted for warped predatory behavior, but he has committed no act giving his fellow senators the constitutional grounds for an unprecedented ouster. His attendance meets the requirement so, unless he revokes his citizenship, declares bankruptcy, commits treason or gives up the pittance of property a sitting Senator must own, he's in the clear. It's the best job security that political patronage can buy."

Chuck Strahl (Macleans): "There is plenty of opportunity to wield influence, but starting a new [Conservative] party is the nuclear bomb of political actions, and once unleashed, it's hard to control the fallout. Though it can be successful, it's more likely that if it happened, the other guys (in this case, the Liberals) would dine out on the twitching Conservative carcass for many elections to come.

Written by Chris Hannay and Mayaz Alam.

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