1. China sentences Canadian to death

2. A Canadian citizen in China has been sentenced to death after a court convicted him of drug smuggling on Monday. Chinese authorities announced that Robert Schellenberg was given a death sentence based on the nature of his crime and in accordance with the Chinese criminal code. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized the ruling, which comes as relations have strained between the two countries. According to the court, in November 2014, Schellenberg was orchestrating the smuggling of more than 222 kilograms (489.4 pounds) of methamphetamine from China to Australia. Schellenberg and an accomplice made an attempt to repackage the drugs before shipping them out in containers. After his accomplice turned himself in, Schellenberg fled but was arrested in December "I am not a drug smuggler. I came to China as a tourist," Schellenberg said Monday before the verdict was announced.” The court said Schellenberg is entitled to appeal his verdict within 10 days. He was first tried in Upon receiving a sentence of 15 years in prison, he appealed the verdict. A high court ordered a new trial in late December 2018 when the prosecution said they had uncovered new evidence to prove Schellenberg's principal role in the case. China severely punishes those caught smuggling or trafficking drugs, including foreigners. Anyone found with more than 50 grams (1.76 ounces) of a controlled substance can face the death penalty. China remains the world's top executor, according to international monitors, though the country does not publish detailed statistics.

3. In Other News
Three Florida children who were playing outside climbed into an unplugged chest freezer and died after the lid closed and they were unable to get out. Two girls, age 1 and 4, and a 6-year-old boy got into the freezer. After noticing the children were missing, people began to search the property and area. They opened the freezer and began resuscitative efforts before calling 911. First responders were unable to resuscitate the children, either. "Upon further inspection of the freezer, an after-market hasp had been installed on the lid in order to secure a padlock on it," the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. "It is believed at this time, that when the children entered the freezer, and the lid closed, the hasp fell shut, trapping the children inside.”
A photo of an ordinary, brown egg has broken Kylie Jenner's record for most-liked photo. The picture was posted January 4 with the caption: "Let's set a world record together and get the most liked post on Instagram. Beating the current world record held by Kylie Jenner (18 million)! We got this.” Jenner's birth announcement of daughter Stormi Webster from February 6, 2018 had previously been the title holder with 18 million likes. The egg photo has beaten that by racking up 28 million likes.
President Donald Trump personally paid for the meals that will be provided to the Clemson University football team during their national championship celebration at the White House on Monday night. Earlier Monday, Trump told reporters, unprompted, that he is serving "McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King's with some pizza.” President Trump told reporters that he was providing the Tigers with the fast-food dinner -- "paid for by me" -- as a result of the shutdown. The White House is operating with a thinned-out staff caused by the partial government shutdown, now in its 24th day. Much of the Executive Residence staff, who are ordinarily responsible for catering such receptions, are furloughed and thus unable to prepare for the catered events that normally take place in the White House.