Trump calls on NATO, pregnancy complications, massive winter storm, and more

As the price of oil surges, U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that NATO faces “a very bad future” if U.S. allies don’t help to open up the Strait of Hormuz. Trump claims he has asked seven countries to escort ships through the strait, but Canada isn’t one of them. Foreign leaders are reacting cautiously to the request. Prime Minister Mark Carney hasn’t said how Ottawa will respond.

And: Research in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests better care after mothers give birth could save lives, or avoid hospitalization and long-term disability.

Also: A massive winter storm is spreading heavy rain and deep snow across a huge swath of Eastern Canada and the US. The system reaches from northern Florida to northern Ontario and beyond — spawning tornados in some places, and huge dumps of snow in others.

Plus: Man arrested in Nova Scotia for labour trafficking, U.S. health care workers lured to B.C., the Middle East war’s economic impact on China, and more.