Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Canada resuming funding to UN aid agency in Gaza
Ottawa says it will resume funding to the United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza.
Canada was one of 16 countries that had halted future payments in January to UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East after Israel alleged some of its workers participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Ottawa is due to contribute $25-million to the agency in April and did not miss a payment as a result of the pause.
- Explainer: What is UNRWA, the UN Palestinian refugee agency?
Meanwhile, a vessel belonging to Spain’s Open Arms aid group will make a pilot voyage from Cyprus to Gaza to test a humanitarian corridor. International donors launched the sea corridor to supply Gaza with aid after five months of war.
The opening of the corridor, along with the recent airdrops of aid, showed increasing frustration with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and a new international willingness to work around Israeli restrictions.
Israel said today that it welcomed the maritime corridor. But cautioned it would also need security checks.
The ship belonging to the Open Arms aid group is seen docked as it prepares to ferry some 200 tonnes of rice and flour directly to Gaza, at Larnaca harbor, Cyprus, on Friday, March 8, 2024. A ship bearing humanitarian aid was making preparations to leave Cyprus and head for Gaza, the European Commission president said Friday as international donors launched a sea corridor to supply the besieged territory that is facing widespread hunger after five months of war.Marcos Andronicou/The Associated Press
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Turkey’s Erdogan offers to host a peace summit with Russia during a visit from Ukraine’s Zelensky
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier today and offered to host a peace summit between Ukraine and Russia. Erdogan, who has repeatedly discussed brokering a peace deal, said at a news conference in Istanbul following his meeting with Zelensky that he hoped Russia would be on board with Turkey’s offer.
Ukraine remains firm on not engaging directly with Russia on peace talks, and Zelensky said any negotiations must align with a 10-point plan he has previously suggested, which includes food security, restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression, and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Fear of losing flexibility has women less likely to change jobs, survey shows
Even as the pay gap between men and women narrows, employed women are less likely to feel support and encouragement from their employer when it comes to career growth. But they’re also less likely to look for a new job, largely out of fear of losing flexible work perks.
Because of the pandemic and the widespread adoption of remote work, many now have explicit permission – and crucially, the cultural approval – to leave work to pick up their kids from school or take a parent to a medical appointment and make up those hours later. Employers should ensure they offer adequate flexibility alongside fair compensation, as well as policies that ensure equal opportunity for career advancement.
Who’s voting where in 2024
More than half the world’s population will go to the polls this year, in what observers call a major test for democracy. Here are the key races so far and still to come.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Trump tightens grip on U.S. Republican Party with daughter-in-law taking key post
Donald Trump tightened his hold on the Republican National Committee today after his daughter-in-law and another ally assumed top leadership posts amid a debate among members over whether the organization should help pay his legal bills.
RNC members meeting in Houston voted to appoint North Carolina Republican Party head Michael Whatley and Lara Trump as chair and co-chair of the RNC, which will play a key role in marshaling voters and funds for the Nov. 5 general election.
Canada’s economy added more jobs than expected in February; unemployment rate ticks up to 5.8%
A net 40,700 jobs were added to Canada’s economy in February, twice the expected gain, and wage growth slowed for a second consecutive month as the Bank of Canada holds interest rates at a 22-year high. The jobless rate did tick up to 5.8 per cent, Statistics Canada said.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index crept lower on Friday while U.S. markets were also down, led by a 1.2-per cent loss on the Nasdaq after both countries saw fresh data on the labour market.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 57.30 points at 21,737.53.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 68.66 points at 38,722.69. The S&P 500 index was down 33.67 points at 5,123.69, while the Nasdaq composite was down 188.26 points at 16,085.11.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.23 cents (U.S.) compared with 74.22 cents on Thursday.
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TALKING POINTS
Alexey Navalny did not die for nothing
Ian Buruma: “Societies warped by dictatorship have to find a moral basis for building something better. The morale of a people used to slavishness and persecution must be restored. That some brave people stood up for freedom, even when it appeared to be fruitless, helps in this process, by providing a model.”
Want to provoke Vladimir Putin? Show weakness
Gary Mason: “Is Mr. Putin insane enough to blow up the world if the West does insert itself more fully into the war? If it puts boots on the ground? Possibly. No one knows for sure. But the alternative is to stand by and watch Mr. Putin abscond with an entire country, one that was just beginning to enjoy the fruits of its hard-fought-for freedoms.”
Mélanie Joly’s Saudi trip underscores a new maturity in Canadian foreign policy
Konrad Yakabuski: ”Renewing relations with Saudi Arabia was a first step to restoring Canada’s credibility in the region. The war in Gaza has made Ms. Joly’s move look prescient. Saudi Arabia will arguably shape the postwar Middle East landscape more than any other Arab nation. Its participation in financing the rebuilding of Gaza will be critical.”
Biden’s State of the Union address is the most important speech in his political career
David Shribman: “He faced not only Republican critics but also an American public scrutinizing the physical and mental capacity of its 81-year-old President. ‘I know it may not look like it,’ he said, ‘but I’ve been around a little.’ ”
LIVING BETTER
Oscars guide 2024: How to watch the ceremony, nominated films and more
For the first time in ages, the biggest box-office performers of the year are also leading the Academy’s nominations, with Oppenheimer scoring a massive 13 nods, including Best Picture and Best Director for Christopher Nolan, and Barbie netting eight, including Best Picture (but not, noticeably, Best Director for Greta Gerwig). Here’s our complete guide to the 96th annual Academy Awards.
Which film has the second-most Oscar nominations this year?
Take our arts and culture quiz to find out.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Millennial women are not okay
Globe reporter Ann Hui was feeling wrung out and exhausted. She was running late for daycare pickup. There were meals to cook and a fussy preschooler to feed and bathe. And there was the lack of sleep. Some call it “burnout.” Others are “quiet quitting.” Everywhere, smart, talented, hard-working women suddenly seemed to be falling apart. But women between the ages of about 25 and 45 today face a very specific kind of burnout. They’ve firmly entered the sandwich generation, where they’re juggling the competing stresses of caring for young children and aging parents. Ann Hui reports.
Evening Update is written and compiled by Andrew Saikali. 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.