Rosie DiManno imersonates Rob Ford

Oh c'mon, even in a headline?  Just, wow!

Sarah Thomson traded her French role for dreadlocks

It's clear that Sarah Thomson had a French roll (also known as a French twist) before getting dreadlocks:

I suppose she might have even this kind of French roll:

But I doubt she had any "role" involving France or the French people or language, à la:

Kuala Lumpur is on the western coast of Malaysia?

I don't think I'm being too persnickety in calling out this story for stating that Kuala Lumpur is "on the western coast of Malaysia".

True, it's close the west coast, and there's probably a continuous urbanized area between Kuala Lumpur and the coast.  However, having visited Kuala Lumpur a few times, I'm pretty sure no local would consider the city to be on the coast.  To put it into perspective, it's like a Canadian saying the town of Newmarket is on the north shore of Lake Ontario.

Did John Kerry say "to the gilt" or "hilt"?

It's a common saying: to "go to the hilt" means to go up to the full extent possible (like thrusting a sword or dagger right up to the handle).

Meanwhile, any dictionary will tell you "gilt" means covered in thin gold leaf or gold paint.

In this AP story published in the Star (and elsewhere), the headline says Western powers are prepared to go to the hilt to isolate Russia over Ukraine. 

But the article itself quotes the US Secretary of State as saying G8 nations are prepared to go "to the gilt in order to isolate Russia".  

Did John Kerry really say gilt, or was he misquoted?  My guess is that he was misquoted.  If he actually said gilt, I'd have expected to see a "[sic]" after the word, exculpating the quotation-taker from any blame for the verbal blooper.