Morning Cable - April 13, 2012 (Friday the 13th Edition)

The Leafs are the country's most-hated team, North Korea's failed rocket launch and Toronto's $1-B plan to boost cancer research. Your Morning Cable

The Leafs are the Country’s Most-Hated Team, Says Survey

Oh, Lupul. Image: Flickr
When Toronto Maple Leaf Joffrey Lupul got booed at the Blue Jays game on Tuesday, it was symbolic of a hatred greater than the 20, 000 or so in attendance. A new public opinion poll, released Thursday, has found the Toronto Maple Leafs to be the most-hated team in the country, beating out, yes, even the Vancouver Canucks.

The Angus Reid Poll, collected in conjunction with Maclean’s, also revealed that 48 per cent of hockey fans surveyed see the Leafs as a weak team, 39 per cent find them arrogant, and a matching 38 per cent find them both boring, and overrated.

On the other hand, the Montreal Canadiens are the most beloved hockey team nationwide.

So much for those apologies, Brian Burke. 

North Korea’s Failed Rocket Launch

North Korea failed to launch a rocket into orbit Friday, leaving world leaders scrambling to condemn further acts of aggression. 

The rocket carried a satellite for weather observation, which Pyongyang hoped to use to honour the birthday of the nation’s founder Kim Il Sung.

However, this remains a tricky diplomatic squeeze for how leading countries will be able to work together to ensure North Korea’s co-operation while they are nursing the embarassment of this expensive flop, which may also serve as a site for underground nuclear testing.

Princess Margaret Hospital’s $1-Billion Plan to Boost Cancer Research

Looks like those lottery tickets are paying off! Toronto’s Princess Margaret Hospital launched a $1-billion campaign for improved cancer research on Thursday.

The hospital hopes to reach the $1-billion mark in the next five years, with $500-million coming from grants already secured, and the other half from donors and fundraising campaigns. Ultimately, the goal of the plan is to help create better personalized cancer medicine and care for its patients, and those worldwide.

The campaign, which launches next week, will help the hospital hire more genetic researchers and elite molecular imaging professionals from around the country, and also plan to improve existing technology and care facilities. 

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Joanna Adams writes for Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter at‏ @nowstarringTO.

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