Evening Update: As wildfire approaches Fort McMurray, Alberta officials hope cooler temps, winds could push the blaze away

Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:

Cooler temperatures and favourable winds could push a massive wildfire away from the northern community of Fort McMurray where thousands of residents have been forced from their homes, Alberta wildfire officials say.

The wildfire, which has grown to nearly 21,000 hectares, was driven by gusty winds and is now about 5.5 kilometres from the Fort McMurray landfill south of the town and 4.5 kilometres from a major highway intersection.

Wildfire season has started early this year, with several fires burning across Western Canada forcing thousands to evacuate. In an effort to reassure residents, the regional fire chief announced that this wildfire is much different from a devastating blaze that crippled the Alberta city in 2016. That 2016 wildfire, known as The Beast, roared through spruce trees and destroyed much of the oil sands community. The recovery took years.

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Israel battles militants as India working to repatriate body of UN staffer killed in Gaza

Israeli soldiers battled militants across Gaza on Wednesday, in an upsurge of the more than seven-month war that has killed 35,000 Palestinians according to Gaza health officials and about 1.200 people in Israel, according to Israeli tallies.

Antagonism between Israel and the United Nations worsened as the Israeli army sought an explanation for footage showing armed men next to UN Palestinian relief agency vehicles. Separately, the UN said it was investigating an unidentified strike that killed an international staffer in Gaza earlier this week.

Meanwhile, India said it was working to repatriate the body of a former Indian Army officer serving as a UN staffer, who was killed in Gaza when his vehicle was hit by what the UN said was tank fire in Rafah where only Israeli tanks are present.

Read more:

• Opinion: The privileged Gaza protesters
• Opinion: Canada let Hamas off the hook in the latest UN vote on Palestinian statehood
• Quebec judge refuses McGill’s bid for injunction to end encampment
• Netanyahu fends off criticism at home and abroad over lack of postwar plan for Gaza

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Doctors fighting for Slovak PM Robert Fico’s life after shooting, defence minister says

In an attempted assassination that shocked the small country of Slovakia and reverberated across Europe, populist prime minister, Robert Fico, has been shot multiple times and was gravely wounded after a political event.

Doctors were still fighting for his life several hours after the pro-Russian leader, 59, was shot in the abdomen, Defense Minister Robert Kalina told reporters outside the hospital where Fico was being treated for his wounds. He said an operation on the prime minister was not yet complete and described his condition as “extraordinarily serious.”

Five shots were fired outside a cultural centre in the town of Handlova, nearly 140 kilometres northeast of the capital, where Fico was meeting with supporters, the government said.

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ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Ex-CEO Glenn Chamandy finds his record scrutinized as Gildan’s shareholders mull leadership change: A Canadian clothing empire’s shareholders must soon decide whether ex-CEO Glenn Chamandy is the right man for its future – and assess his past, including labour-abuse allegations in Central America.

Reservations at 5 p.m.? Why the early-bird dinner is cool again: The 7:30 p.m. table used to be the most coveted reservation time. But lately, you may have noticed a little more competition for a 5:30 booking. Those early reservations, once shunned as an uncool time to be dining, have become a hot ticket.

Why Winnipeg is set to steal the Cannes Film Festival spotlight: The most unusual and unexpected plot line at this year’s Cannes is completely Canadian in nature. Specifically: How a fiercely determined group of Winnipeg filmmakers are storming the festival as if the French Riviera had morphed overnight into the Assiniboine River.

The new due diligence: why M&A scrutiny is digging deeper (and taking longer) than ever before: Due diligence has become much more than just double-checking contracts and balance sheets.

MARKET WATCH

Strength in technology and utility stocks helped Canada’s main stock index inch higher Wednesday, while U.S. stock markets rallied to new record highs after a pair of reports on inflation and retail sales.

“All eyes were on inflation this morning,” said Danick Dutrisac, vice-president and portfolio manager at Fiduciary Trust Canada.

The U.S. inflation report came in slightly lower than expected, said Dutrisac. That’s likely good news for the U.S. Federal Reserve, he added. The central bank has been holding its key interest rate steady as the economy remains resilient, so any data that indicates cooling gives investors hope for cuts in the future.

Markets have reacted positively to the report, Dutrisac said, particularly in rate-sensitive sectors like real estate and technology.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 349.89 points, or 0.9 per cent, at 39,908.00. The S&P 500 index was up 61.47 points, or 1.2 per cent, at 5,308.15, while the Nasdaq composite was up 231.21 points, or 1.4 per cent, at 16,742.39.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 41.42 points at 22,284.76.

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TALKING POINTS

Is Canada’s per capita GDP really 7 per cent below long-term trend?

“Why would future GDP grow at the same rate as between 1981 and 2023? Why not at the same rate as over the 1961 to 2023 period, for which Statscan has kept GDP records. Why should we expect real GDP per capita to continually grow at a constant rate?” – Claude Lavoie

We’re trapped in a system where naysayers are in command

“It’s the first time that all three major federal party leaders, the survey said, have garnered net ratings of negative 12 or worse at the same time. The minus-12 rating – meaning the disapproval percentage is that many points higher than the approval one – belongs to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. By today’s standards, that’s actually a good rating. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh scores his worst ever ranking at minus-14. And, the study noted, ‘Prime Minister Trudeau’s approval has dropped to its lowest point at just 28 per cent, with a net approval of negative 38.’” – Lawrence Martin

Heal thyselves first, uncivil politicians

“Politicians behaving badly leads to angry citizens spewing invective, which in turn leads to politicians playing to their audiences, which could in turn lead to disaster. When there is a big incident, such as Ms. Freeland’s in 2022, parliamentarians are quick to condemn it. But the same politicians need to put a stop to the daily affronts to civility that are at the root of this toxic age.” – The Editorial Board

LIVING BETTER

Try savoury croissants stuffed with vegetables, cheeses or meats

A well-made croissant is arguably the perfect pastry. Though we often see exemplary pastries overseas, we have some of the best croissants in the world here in Canada, too. Filling the classic pastry is becoming more popular, both in the form of sandwiches and pastry-wrapped style, around fillings such as spinach, mushrooms or bulgogi beef. Julie Van Rosendaal offers up a whipped feta-stuffed croissant recipe.

TODAY’S LONG READ

‘Realer than real’: Globe staff share favourite Alice Munro stories, writings and personal encounters

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Alice Munro told the stories of everyday women and girls, elevating their inner lives into a rare art that was both deeply relatable and universal. This exceptional talent earned her the Nobel Prize in 2013 as a “master of the contemporary short story,” making her the first Canadian to win the prize for literature. She also won two Gillers and the Man Booker International Prize, among other awards. Well before her death at the age of 92 this week, she left an indelible mark on Canadian literature and the short story craft. Globe writers and editors reflect on Munro’s legacy and their favourite stories.

Evening Update is written by Emerald Bensadoun. If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.