Five stories in the news for Wednesday, Dec. 14

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CANADIAN ACTOR ALAN THICKE DEAD AT AGE 69

Canadian Alan Thicke, a versatile performer who gained his greatest fame as the beloved dad on the long-running sitcom 'Growing Pains," has died at age 69. A publicist for Thicke's son, singer Robin Thicke, says the Kirkland Lake, Ont., native died from a heart attack Tuesday in Los Angeles. Thicke was also a composer, writer and talk show host during his prolific career.

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COMMITTEE TO STUDY CETA CLAUSE-BY-CLAUSE

The House of Commons trade committee is set to begin clause-by-clause consideration today of the bill that would implement the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA. The committee chairman says he hopes Parliament can ratify the free trade pact this week before rising for the holiday break. The bill passed second reading Tuesday by a comfortable margin of 266 to 39.

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FEDS LAUNCH REVIEW OF ASSISTED DYING ISSUES

The federal government has launched a promised review of its restrictive new law on medically assisted dying to determine if it should be expanded to include Canadians suffering strictly from mental illnesses, mature minors and those with competence eroding conditions who want to make advance requests. The Council of Canadian Academies to conduct independent reviews on each group and report back by December 2018.

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SAFETY BOARD TO REPORT ON FISHING BOAT FATALITIES

Investigators with the Transportation Safety Board are scheduled to release a report today about a commercial fishing boat that capsized last year near Tofino, B.C., killing three men. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre has said the Caledonian's crew was trying to haul in a net on Sept. 5, 2015, when the boat listed.

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BLADE HAZARD PROMPTS FOOD PROCESSOR RECALL

A recall has been issued for about 300,000 Cuisinart food processors sold in Canada because of a laceration hazard. Health Canada says the recall concerns a blade in certain models which is attached by four rivets that can crack over time and small metal pieces can break off into processed food. The agency says there have been 10 reports of cracked or broken riveted blades in Canada and two reports of injuries.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will release its report into the September 2015 sinking of the fishing vessel Caledonian off B.C.

— Statistics Canada will release the national balance sheet and financial flow accounts for the third quarter.

— Sentencing in Pictou, N.S., for ex-teacher Amy Hood, convicted of sexually abusing two former students in 2013.

— Nosakhare Ohenhen, 36, will hold a news conference to detail a $4.5-million damages lawsuit against Toronto police.

— The Montreal Alouettes will make a major announcement.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2016