Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
BCE cutting work force by 9% in biggest restructuring in almost 30 years
BCE is cutting its work force by 9 per cent, or 4,800 positions, in its largest restructuring initiative in nearly three decades. The company blames the move on a difficult economy and a regulatory requirement to open its network to competitors. BCE announced the job cuts today after a 23-per-cent drop in its fourth-quarter profit, to $435-million.
This is the second round of restructuring at the telecom giant in eight months.
Global Affairs Canada ‘aware of reports’ of missing Canadian in Gaza Strip
Ottawa says it is aware of reports that another Canadian citizen has gone missing in the Gaza Strip. Global Affairs Canada says it is providing consular assistance to the family but can’t share more information because of privacy considerations. The Associated Press reports that Israeli forces detained two young adult American brothers and their Canadian father in Gaza in an overnight raid. The embassy official gave no details and ended the call without giving her name, while the Israeli foreign ministry and military had no immediate comment.
- Palestinians face red tape, delays in applications to come to Canada, their families say
- Blinken ends Mideast mission after Israel rejects Gaza ceasefire plan
- Immigration Minister ‘pissed off’ that Canadians’ families blocked from leaving Gaza
Pakistani election workers sort ballot papers by candidate at the start of the vote count following the close of voting in Pakistan's general election at a polling station on February 08, 2024 in Lahore, Pakistan.Rebecca Conway/Getty Images
The Globe in Pakistan
As Doug Saunders reports, voters in Pakistan are used to a system in which the military pulls the strings. But the election today has been so directly controlled that some observers are describing this as a more overtly military-led era in Pakistani politics, he writes.
The vote is taking place at a moment of crisis in Pakistan, as stubborn 30-per-cent inflation and steep currency devaluation have coincided with violent conflicts on its borders with Afghanistan, Iran and India, as well as terrorist upsurges in the country’s west and north – meaning that both the economy and large swaths of national policy are dominated by the military.
U.S. Supreme Court justices raise skepticism about Colorado decision keeping Trump off ballot
Supreme Court justices in the U.S. raised questions today about a judicial decision kicking former president Donald Trump off the ballot in Colorado, in a case with major implications for the Nov. 5 election.
The case holds immense consequences, with legal scholars saying the U.S. today confronts threats of political violence not seen since the Civil War as Trump’s candidacy hangs in the balance.
- Opinion: Should Trudeau refrain from addressing the Trump threat?
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Drug crisis: The southeastern Ontario city of Belleville has declared a state of emergency after a rash of overdoses over a 24-hour period that prompted warnings from police this week.
Climate change: Last month marked the first 12-month period in which temperatures averaged more than 1.5 C above preindustrial times, according to the European Union’s climate change monitoring service. Last year was already the world’s hottest year in global records dating back to 1850.
Car thefts: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the number of stolen vehicles in the country alarming today as he kicked off a national auto theft summit in Ottawa and indicated that the government is looking at beefing up penalties for car thieves.
Google AI chatbot: Google has finally launched its AI chatbot in Canada. The chatbot is called Gemini, and was previously known as Bard.
Messi situation: Argentina’s Lionel Messi appears to have recovered from an injury that turned him into a no-show for a Hong Kong exhibition match earlier this week, and led to fans demanding refunds. That anger seems to have grown though, after Messi played in Japan yesterday, sparking nationalist anger in mainland China.
MARKET WATCH
S&P 500 hovers near 5,000 mark, TSX lower as bond yields rise
Canada’s main stock index fell on Thursday as bond yields climbed and the communications sector lost ground ahead of a domestic employment report that could guide expectations for Bank of Canada interest rate cuts. The S&P 500 was nearly unchanged, trading close to the 5,000-point milestone, as investors reacted to earnings reports, a roughly in-line jobs report and remarks from policy makers on interest rate cuts.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index ended down 49.54 points at 20,919.64, adding to its weekly decline. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 48.97 points to 38,726.33, the S&P 500 gained 2.85 points to 4,997.91, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 37.07 points to 15,793.72.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.26 US cents compared with 74.24 US cents on Wednesday.
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TALKING POINTS
As a journalist in Gaza, I never imagined I would write about my own suffering
“In the heart of the world’s largest prison, Gaza, I’ve spent 17 years confined, subject to Israel’s strict blockade. Cut off from the outside world, our existence has been defined by these besieged borders. Now, we find ourselves amidst a harrowing war marked by death, injuries, displacement, hunger and division.” – Mahmoud Mushtaha
Bridging the gendered political divide not for marriage, but for love
“As tongue-in-cheek commentary about these findings, ‘Game over for heterosexuality’ has a certain ring to it. But in all seriousness, we must live with the reality that most women want men and vice-versa, and address this political split head-on.” – Phoebe Maltz Bovy
LIVING BETTER
The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down is just a nice Canadian show
Jennifer Robertson, Seth Rogen, Natalie Waddell, and Brendan Tang on The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down.TEAGHAN HAWKE/CBC
The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down, with host Jennifer Robertson and guest judge Seth Rogen, is CBC’s latest venture in reality TV, and a genuinely nice, surprising gem to watch. The eight-part series premieres today and is about the art of pottery – in contest form. Think The Great British Baking Show, but with clay.
TODAY’S LONG READ
How ‘romantasy’ became the red-hot genre conquering the book world
Allow us to welcome you to the realm of romantasy, the red-hot genre that’s enchanting readers and conquering the publishing industry.Illustration by Wenting Li
Romantasy – a genre with roots in the young adult fiction world – is sweeping bookstores and readers, with its sexy faeries and amorous dragon riders and vampire warriors and maidens who fall for their bodyguards. The pull of mythical worlds with love narratives is strong, with eye-wateringly high book sales in the hundreds of thousands and even millions, writes Sarah Laing. Read more here.
- Also: Seven binge-worthy romantasy titles to read until Rebecca Yarros releases her next book
- Even more: Books we’re reading and loving
Evening Update is written by Maryam Shah. 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.