Get a head start on your Thursday with today’s round-up of 5 things to know: critics are calling Canada's regulations on transporting farm animals inhumane; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau brushed aside criticism on an arms deal during his push for a United Nations seat; the Senate is chasing down expense payments; U.K. researchers have discovered a new method to help stroke recovery; and a backlash over ketchup.
And a Life Hack Thursday story on helping you break your bad habits.
1. Tough transit: Thousands of farm animals are transported across Canada every week. But the conditions they experience are regulated by rules that are decades old, and according to many, inhumane. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says between two and three million animals die during transport every year.
2. UN seat: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has dismissed criticism of an arms deal with Saudi Arabia during his push for a seat on the UN Security Council. Reporters had asked how the country plans to campaign on a platform of peace and human rights while refusing to cancel the deal.
3. Pay up: CTV News has learned that the Senate will send letters to retired senators demanding payment of disallowed expenses. For those who are still sitting senators, they will have their paycheques docked if they don't pay up.
4. Helping to heal: An electrical current applied to a stroke patient’s brain can improve and speed up the rehabilitation process, a new study suggests. Researchers found greater improvements in the movements of stroke patients who received electrical brain stimulation over nine days.
5. Ketchup backlash: A leaked internal memo sent to some Loblaw employees has given a glimpse into why the chain dropped the Canadian-made French's ketchup. Apparently, it was hurting sales of their own brand.
And one more thing for "Life Hack Thursday": Science shows there's a chemical reason bad habits can be so hard to break -- but there's good news: There is a way to hijack our brains and snap out of the loop of habit and reward. It just involves a little trickery.
