Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Canada has one of the largest groups of foreign nationals in Gaza. Today, some of them were able to cross into Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, where they were met by Canadian diplomats, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. Global Affairs Canada confirmed that 59 Canadians, permanent residents and family members made the crossing. It also said Canada does not determine when or how many persons can cross each day.
A Palestinian woman holds a white flag while evacuating with a group of civilians from the north of the Gaza Strip towards the south.AHMED ZAKOT/Reuters
Meanwhile, Israel said today that its forces were operating deep in Gaza City, where residents earlier reported tanks were positioned on the outskirts for a potential storming of Gaza’s urban heartland. Israel been bombarding Gaza since Oct. 7, when Hamas fighters killed 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, and abducted more than 200, according to Israeli tallies. More than 10,000 people, around 40 per cent of them children, have been killed so far in Gaza, according to tallies by health officials there.
- Analysis: A post-war future for Palestinians will have to confront political and historical realities
- In photos: Civilians fleeing northern Gaza’s combat zone report a terrifying journey past Israeli tanks
- Related: U.S. envoy flies to Beirut in surprise visit, says Washington doesn’t want Gaza war to expand
- Also: Five hostages of Hamas are free, offering some hope to families of more than 200 still captive
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Canada Border Services Agency temporarily suspends all contracts with three IT staffing firms after misconduct allegations
The Canada Border Services Agency is suspending all agency contracts with three IT staffing firms that are the subject of contracting misconduct complaints. CBSA president Erin O’Gorman announced the decision in a letter to the Government Operations Committee, which is studying allegations of misconduct related to the three companies and their contract work with the CBSA. The committee approved an expanded study after the allegations were first reported by The Globe and Mail on Oct. 4.
- ICYMI: RCMP probes alleged misconduct in outsourced CBSA contract
Canada projected to miss its 2030 emissions reduction targets, says environment commissioner
Ottawa’s own projections show that Canada will miss its 2030 emissions reductions targets, said the federal environment commissioner in a bleak assessment today. The commissioner wrote that the federal government has failed to prioritize the most important policies needed to meet its targets, and that delays in implementing measures have led to more emissions in the interim. “We are still extremely concerned about the federal government’s ability to achieve meaningful progress,” his report said, noting that Canada is the only Group of 7 country that has not achieved any emission reductions compared with 1990 levels.
Is your seafood tainted by crime? Tracing the movement from bait to plate
The Jao Tu 668 squid-fishing ship in the South Pacific Ocean near Galapagos at night on July 9, 2022. Part of the biggest fleet in the world, more than 300 Chinese squid ships ride the line of national waters on both sides of South America.Ed Ou / The Outlaw Ocean Project/Supplied
China catches, processes and exports much of the planet’s fish. But its distant-water fishing fleet has been tied to violence, wage theft, severe neglect and human trafficking of crew members. Reporters from the Outlaw Ocean Project spent four years documenting the nature of traceability gaps as seafood catch moves from bait to plate. Ian Urbina reports on the opaque nature of the world’s seafood supply chains.
- Read more: Inside the deadly world of Chinese squid ships
- Also: China’s little-known system of forced Uyghur labour gives the world much of its seafood
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Federal government spending: Documents show Ottawa hired KPMG consultants at a cost of $669,650 for advice on how to save money on consultants. Read more here.
Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Ukrainians to remain united, days after tensions burst into the open over the weekend between the President’s office and his top general, who likened the state of the battlefield with Russia to a stalemate from the First World War.
India-Canada: A backlog in visa services caused by a recent month-long suspension amid a widening political rift between the two countries means some Canadians are now lining up at the crack of dawn for documents to travel to India.
Personal finance: Consistently one of the most downloaded personal finance apps, Mint became a popular budgeting platform for Canadians to track how much they were spending and saving. But now it’s shutting down. Here are some alternatives.
In Her Defence: In Episode 6, Helen is sent to prison for the death of her husband. Around the country, people object to her sentence and the way she’s treated in court. In the isolation of prison, Helen wonders whether she’s done something wrong by accepting the deal, and has to consider what to do next. Listen to the podcast here.
Television: CBC executives are experimenting with a new approach: turning feature-length Canadian films into episodic miniseries.
MARKET WATCH
U.S. stocks rose today, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq notching their longest streak of gains in two years, as a retreat in U.S. Treasury yields buoyed megacap growth stocks while investors sought more clarity on interest rates from the Federal Reserve. The TSX closed lower, pressured by a drop in commodity prices, especially oil.
The S&P 500 gained 12.40 points, or 0.28 per cent, to end at 4,378.38 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 121.08 points, or 0.9 per cent, to 13,639.86. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 56.74 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 34,152.60. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 168.35 points at 19,575.59.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.67 cents US.
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TALKING POINTS
Magic mushrooms are following a path well-trodden by cannabis
“To date, the response of governments to psychedelics has mirrored that to medical cannabis – creating bureaucratic hurdles. Health Canada has allowed some patients to buy the drugs legally, either by applying for a personal exemption (few of which are granted) or by requesting ‘special access’ via their physician.” - André Picard
Why Chrystia Freeland should approve RBC’s deal to buy HSBC Canada
“Buying HSBC will make RBC a far stronger, more profitable bank. Building a national champion in financial services shouldn’t offend the leader of a historically pro-business political party.” - Andrew Willis
The problem with the term ‘Global South’
“For journalists and politicians, the high, middle, low-income terminology does not roll easily off the tongue or fit well in headlines.” - Joseph S. Nye Jr.
Pensions in the next age of uncertainty: Why this economy needs defined-benefit plans
“The baby boomers gave us 50 years of above-normal workforce growth. This boosted economic activity while shifting market power to employers. But the boomers’ retirement wave represents a transition to a new normal of persistent worker shortages.” - Stephen Poloz
LIVING BETTER
Here are six cozy cookbooks for shorter days
Here are a half dozen of the latest for your cookbook shelf.Supplied
Fall is traditionally when new cookbooks land on shelves. As days retreat and dark arrives early, there’s still a plethora of fruits and veg from harvest time – and it’s no longer too hot to turn on the oven.
TODAY’S LONG READ
What are parents’ rights groups actually fighting for in schools? And do students want it?
Counter-protesters wave flags beside the Edward VII statue at Queen's Park in Toronto on Sept. 20. They were there to oppose the 1 Million March 4 Children, a rally against gender-identity education in schools.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Pronoun policies and sex education are just some of the targets of conservative movements that want to control how children learn. These new policies, and the dialogue surrounding them, reflect a growing notion of “parents’ rights” – an opposition to what some view as overliberal values taking hold at schools, particularly around gender diversity. But some pupils have other ideas. Read more here.
- Opinion: Trans people have existed for millenniums. New legislation won’t change that
- Related: Alarm grows as Saskatchewan bars third-party sexual-health, sexual-abuse prevention educators from classrooms
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.