Good evening,
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Violence flares anew in Gaza as Palestinians mourn dead
A day after Israeli forces killed at least 58 Palestinians and injured more than 2,000, protests have quieted as Palestinians mourned the dead. Yesterday was the bloodiest day since the 2014 Gaza war, as protesters demonstrated the decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by setting tires on fire and hurling stones and fire bombs across the border. Israel’s military says that at least 24 of those killed yesterday were “terrorists with documented terror backgrounds.” One of the dead included eight-month-old Leila al-Ghandour, who died after inhaling tear gas.
Today is Nakba Day, a day of mourning for Palestinians that coincides with the 1948 war that led to the creation of Israel. At least one Palestinian has been killed so far.
One of the wounded is a Canadian-Palestinian doctor who was shot in the legs by an Israeli sniper. Dr. Tarek Loubani is an emergency physician from London, Ont. and an assistant professor at the University of Western Ontario medical school. He had previously served as an emergency field doctor in conflict zones such as Iraq and Lebanon and was at the border providing medical care. Dr. Loubani said he was wearing a green surgeon’s outfit and was with paramedics, who wear orange vests, about 25 metres from the protests. “I am very seasoned about not being shot at. I know where to stand. I know where to be. I know how not to get shot,” he told The Globe and Mail. “Snipers don’t reach me because of mistakes. I did everything right. We were all huddled. We were high visibility. It was quiet at the exact moment I got shot. The bullet went through my left leg, through my right leg out and hit the ground.”
The situation on the border will continue to develop over the coming days. You can get caught up with our guide on the topic.
Doug Saunders writes in a column that times are changing for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Mr. Netanyahu’s tiny but effective circle of political support has dwindled, as this year has unfolded, into an ever-smaller cone of increasingly extreme and marginal voices. His efforts to resist corruption charges and his dangerous military skirmishes with Iran have alienated many, but the unconstrained mass killings have sent many more supporters fleeing. With Monday’s and Tuesday’s events, he has cemented his decision to embrace the U.S. Christian right, Saudi Arabia and the ultra-religious and far-right fringe within his own country – the only groups who appear willing to endorse him today – at the expense of most Jews, virtually all Arabs outside the Saudi royal family, most regional and international partners and his country’s best interests.”
Home sales drop as weaker markets ‘destabilized’ by new stress tests: CREA
The Canadian Real Estate Association says that new mortgage qualification rules have resulted in a steep drop in home sales last month. In new numbers released today, the number of homes sold across the country fell 2.9 per cent in April compared to the previous month and sales fell in 60 per cent of all local markets. New mortgage rules were introduced on Jan. 1 by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, Canada’s banking regulator, to ensure people could still afford their mortgages if interest rates were to rise. The Bank of Canada has hiked its policy interest rate three times since July of last year. Home sales in the Greater Toronto and Vancouver Areas were down significantly in April, 2018 compared to April, 2017, and national sales were down by nearly 15 per cent compared to April of last year.
Supreme Court orders new trial for Alberta parents of boy who died of meningitis
The Supreme Court of Canada has ordered a new trial for David and Collet Stephan, ruling that the trial judge erred when instructing the jury in the trial over the death over their son Ezekiel Stephan. The two were convicted in 2016 after their toddler died of meningitis after they chose to treat him with naturopathic potions and supplements. Justice Michael Moldaver, who spoke for Canada’s top court, said the trial judge did not properly explain the law “in a way that the jury could understand.” Mr. Stephan says he is “grateful” for the decision but the pair may still be convicted again in the retrial. He was sentenced to four months in jail but was freed on bail, while his wife was on three months of house arrest. Ezekiel’s parents treated him with a variety of natural remedies before seeking medical help. He died in 2012 but the legal saga has dragged on since then.
North Korea suspends talks with South, warns on Trump-Kim summit
North Korea, which was set to hold high-level talks with South Korea on Wednesday, has suspended the meeting after U.S.-South Korean military exercises. The North also warned that the much-anticipated summit between Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump could be in jeopardy. The North’s state-run news agency called the “Max Thunder” air combat drills a “provocation” that went against the broader trend of warming ties between the two Koreas following the historic meeting between Mr. Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim are set to meet in Singapore on June 12.
This is the daily Evening Update newsletter. If you’re reading this online, or if someone forwarded this e-mail to you, you can sign up for Evening Update and all Globe newsletters here. Have feedback? Let us know what you think.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index reversed course to edge higher on Tuesday, as gains in industrial stocks led by Air Canada more than offset a drop in miners due to declining gold prices. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index rose 0.08 per cent to close at 16,097.81. Meanwhile, U.S. stocks fell, and the Dow snapped an eight-day winning streak, after bond yields rose, strong retail sales data stoked inflation concerns and investors fretted about looming trade talks between the United States and China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.78 per cent to finish at 24,706.41, the S&P 500 lost 0.68 per cent to end at 2,711.45 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.81 percent to close at 7,351.63.
We have a new weekly Careers newsletter that will cover leadership, management, career advice, business education and more. Sign up today.
WHAT’S TRENDING ON SOCIAL
Tom Wolfe, the author best known for The Right Stuff and The Bonfire of the Vanities, has died at the age of 88. He is also remembered for chronicling American culture. His literary agent said that he died of an infection in a New York hospital.
TALKING POINTS
With the clock ticking, NAFTA is on the ropes
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday a deal to modernize the North American free-trade agreement is ‘very close.’ Don’t try telling that to officials involved in the negotiations. Unless there is a wholesale change of attitude by the Americans over the next few days, they say the negotiations are headed for failure. The Canadian side is very frustrated. It suspects Washington has been purposely running out the clock on negotiations. Given a failed outcome, it will then be up to the whims of U.S. President Donald Trump whether to scrap the trade agreement entirely or to have negotiations on a new accord continue following the election of a new Congress in November. He will also decide whether to hit Canada with threatened tariffs on steel and aluminum. In other words, Canada’s position is vulnerable, defenceless, precarious. Choose your adjective and get ready for the fallout.” – Lawrence Martin
Should universities inform parents when their children have mental-health issues?
“This is a crucial issue, but not a simple one. College and university students are adults. They have a right to privacy. Parents are not entitled to see their children’s medical records any more than they are entitled to see their transcripts. In the era of helicopter parenting, schools often fight these battles constantly. In most cases, parents and their children work out these issues; most share gladly. But when students suffer from mental-health problems, they are often embarrassed or scared and don’t want their parents to be worried. So, they hide their problems and try to deal with them themselves. In cases of severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, sufferers can be unaware they are even sick, a condition known as anosognosia. But, if they are competent, they can refuse help. When students exhibit concerning behaviour – such as they stop going to class, stop bathing, withdraw socially, engage in self-harm, start talking about suicide and so forth – alarm bells should go off, ideally triggered by professors, dormitory assistants and counsellors. And parents feel they have a right to know.” – André Picard
Liberals’ voting bill needs sharper teeth
“The Liberal government wants to make some changes to how we vote. If it becomes law, Bill C-76 will increase transparency around the activities of political parties and third parties and will implement measures to make voting more accessible. However, it does not do enough to address the issue of foreign interference in Canadian elections, nor does it level the uneven playing field between political parties and third parties – groups that try to influence elections through advertising but don’t field any candidates. Even if the bill passes, political parties would continue to be subject to stricter rules than third parties in terms of who can contribute to them and in what amounts. This discrepancy creates an unintended incentive for donors, including foreign entities, advocacy organizations and the wealthy, to dump their money into the pockets of third parties.” – Lori Turnbull
LIVING BETTER
How worried should parents be about apps and websites collecting children’s data? Monitoring and supervising screen time has been a mainstay of many families in the digital age. Experts say you should be wary of games and apps that ask for a lot of data and that parents should have frequent conversations with their children about what kinds of personal information they should be sharing online.
LONG READS FOR A LONG COMMUTE
Ontario election guide: What you need to know before you vote
Ontario election day is coming on June 7. Get caught up with The Globe’s latest coverage of Kathleen Wynne, Doug Ford and Andrea Horwath’s plans for the province.
Months after fleeing homes in Myanmar, Rohingya refugees reckon with new lives
With no place to call their own, Rohingya from Myanmar look for small forms of solace amid the crowded camps of Bangladesh. The Globe’s Nathan VanderKlippe visited Chakmarkul camp, home to more than 12,000 refugees, and finds a land of dancing, weeping and Shakespeare.
Evening Update is written by Mayaz Alam and Kristene Quan. 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.