Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Canada may impose sanctions on some Jewish settlers in the West Bank, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said today during a visit to Ukraine. Ottawa is also renewing calls for a two-state solution. “We are working on addressing the issue of extremist settlers in the West Bank through immigration measures and sanctions,” Joly told The Globe and Mail in an interview. She didn’t offer details on who might be targeted, saying only that the sanctions might come “in the coming weeks.”
She added that senior members of Hamas, the Palestinian militant and political group that has governed Gaza since 2007 and which is considered a terrorist organization by Canada, the United States, the European Union and Israel, “may also be sanctioned.”
She made her remarks a day after U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order that targets Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have been accused of attacking Palestinians and peace activists. According to the United Nations, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by security forces and settlers in the West Bank since October.
- Biden sanctions Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians and peace activists in West Bank
- Gazans fear they will have nowhere to flee as Israeli forces shell outskirts of last refuge
This is the daily Evening Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was sent to you as a forward, you can sign up for Evening Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters here. If you like what you see, please share it with your friends.
NHL’s investigation into sexual-assault allegations complete, but won’t be revealed while case before courts, Bettman says
National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league’s investigation into allegations that members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel is complete. But given impending criminal charges against five players, the most “responsible and prudent” thing to do is to wait for the court process to play out. Mr. Bettman said the investigative stage of the probe was completed in 2023, but the league has not released its findings because it has been processing the work by the investigative team. Mr. Bettman called the allegations “abhorrent” and “reprehensible.”
The commissioner also said he found no reason to suspend the players for the rest of the season. The four players from the NHL who have been charged have taken leaves of absences from their teams, and they are all free agents at the end of the season.
- The ‘invaluable crisis manager’ leading the NHL’s probe of the 2018 Canadian world junior hockey scandal
- Hockey Canada case for five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team to begin in London court on Monday
- Opinion: It’s time for hockey parents to have The Talk – and for systemic change, too
Trudeau condemns Danielle Smith’s plan, saying it will harm transgender kids in Alberta
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s plans to restrict access to medical treatment for transgender youth as the “most anti-LGBT” in the country. At a news conference today, Mr. Trudeau said his government is committed to protecting LGBTQ youth but did not outline specifics on how he intends to address Alberta’s proposed plans.
- Conservatives tell MPs not to comment on Alberta transgender policies, prioritize parental rights, internal e-mail shows
- Alberta Premier defends transgender youth policies as way to protect children from ‘adult decisions’
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Indigo Books: Shares of the bookstore chain were up today more than 50 per cent after a privatization proposal by controlling shareholder Gerry Schwartz. But one analyst called the offer “wholly inadequate.”
India: Muslim leaders in India called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government today to end disputes over mosques and Hindu temples, saying the minority Muslim population was feeling threatened.
Stanley cup drama (no, not that one): Four women are suing the maker of the viral Stanley cups in California state court, saying the company misled consumers by allegedly failing to disclose that the product contains lead, a toxic substance in the cups’ vacuum seals.
Farmers in Europe, explained: Why are farmers in Europe protesting? Here’s what you need to know about protest movements in France, Germany, Belgium and other European countries that have quickly combined into a larger campaign against the European Union.
- Today: French farmers lift road blockades around Paris after PM offers support plan
Rare tree fossil found: Scientists say they’ve unearthed a rare fossil tree in New Brunswick. The discovery was reported for the first time today in the journal Current Biology. One of the paleontologists says it looks “like something out of a Dr Seuss book.”
Arts: Ira Glass, co-creator and host of This American Life, is known for his nasal rasp and conversational tone, a style of audio storytelling that The New York Times once referred to as the “NPR voice.” Glass will be at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto on Feb. 10. He spoke to The Globe over Zoom about being a “podfather.”
MARKET WATCH
U.S. stocks ended sharply higher today while Canada’s main stock index posted a small loss led by weakness in energy stocks.
The S&P 500 climbed 1.07 per cent to end the session at 4,958.61 points. The Nasdaq gained 1.74 per cent to 15,628.95 points, while Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.35 per cent to 38,654.42 points. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 34.12 points at 21,085.09.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.33 cents US.
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.
TALKING POINTS
One state is the only solution
“A one-state solution might well need several decades to work, time in which to develop a framework, time for Palestinians and Israelis to learn about and not fear the other. Yet is it not better and more true to work toward a just end that is also sustainable, a society in which enmities can be eradicated, in which there is forgiveness, collaboration and even friendship?” - Noah Richler
Flight or fright: A nervous flier’s lament
“I wonder how many people scheduled to be flying in the days immediately following the door plug debacle checked to see if they were going to be on a Max 9. I did.” - Gary Mason
CBC president Catherine Tait had her own Harvard moment
“At the hearing, Ms. Tait complained about the CBC’s ‘chronic underfunding,’ as if the $1.3-billion it gets from Ottawa every year is chicken feed. It is not.” - Konrad Yakabuski
LIVING BETTER
Valentine’s Day gift guide: 10 thoughtful Canadian finds to spoil your loved ones
Roses are ready to be shipped to the U.S. ahead of Valentine's Day, the biggest holiday of the year for fresh-cut flower sales, at the Mongibello flower company in Colombia.Fernando Vergara/The Associated Press
It’s never too early to start thinking of what to get your loved ones on Feb. 14. Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day, or prefer gifting chocolate over jewellery, this gift guide spanning 10 style-conscious ideas has you covered.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Baby fever and the far right
Anti-Trump protesters fly a Baby Trump balloon over the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Calexico, Calif., in April, 2019. The election a few months later would remove the right-wing president from office; but this November, he hopes to make another run for the White House.SANDY HUFFAKER/Reuters
The developed world is seeing fertility rates drop. Fewer young people are available to fill labour shortages, buy goods and pay into the tax system. In countries not open to large numbers of immigrants, economies and populations are stagnant or in decline. In places like Canada with strong immigration, the arrival and presence of newcomers can spark resentment among those who resist change.
John Ibbitson and Darrell Bricker explain how extreme conservatives are winning support with ‘neonatalism’ that attacks reproductive rights, immigration and minorities.
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.