GOLAN HEIGHTS - MAY 10: (ISRAEL OUT) Israeli soldier is seen next to a signs pointing out distance to different cities on Mount Bental next to the Syrian border on May 10, 2018 in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Some 20 rockets were fired at Israeli military bases by Iranian forces from southern Syria just after midnight on Thursday, sparking the largest ever direct clash between Jerusalem and Tehran, with Israeli jets targeting numerous Iranian-controlled sites across Syria. On Monday U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran deal. (Photo by Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Israel pounds Syria after Iranian rocket attack, sparking fears of escalation in Middle East
Israel said it attacked nearly all of Iran’s military infrastructure in Syria on Thursday after Iranian forces fired rockets at Israeli-held territory for the first time. Israel said 20 Iranian Grad and Fajr rockets were shot down by its Iron Dome air defence system or did not reach targets in the occupied Golan Heights, territory captured from Syria in a 1967 war. A Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the strikes killed at least 23 military personnel, including Syrians and non-Syrians. Expectations of a regional flare-up were stoked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Stephen Harper joined several other former world leaders in writing a full-page endorsement in The New York Times on Thursday, supporting Mr. Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement and reimposing U.S. sanctions.
What will Iran do now? Here’s a guide to the nuclear deal and beyond.
Trump to meet with North Korea’s Kim on June 12 in Singapore
At the upcoming meeting, which Mr. Trump announced Thursday, he will try to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. It will be the first-ever summit between the leaders of the two countries.
The announcement of the meeting came just hours after three Americans who had been held as prisoners in North Korea arrived at a military base outside Washington, having been released by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Mr. Trump was there to welcome the three men in the early hours on Thursday, thanking Mr. Kim for their release.
Ford pledges middle-class tax cut; NDP wins Ontario elementary teachers’ endorsement
In Ontario, the provincial Liberals, who are trailing the Progressive Conservatives in the polls, issued a statement raising questions about an NDP candidate who they suggest advocates for a 15-per-cent reduction to teacher salaries. Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne also said that the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario backing the NDP doesn’t mean teachers themselves will vote that way.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said she wasn’t aware of the candidate’s comments about teachers’ pay, but said teachers would be “properly paid” under an NDP government. Numerous polls have shown building momentum for Ms. Horwath and the NDP. Teachers have had a strained relationship with the Liberal government since a bitter contract dispute in 2012.
PC Leader Doug Ford promised a tax cut for the middle class, claiming it would save taxpayers as much as $786 annually. He said the biggest savings would be seen by those earning $42,960 to $85,923 per year. Mr. Ford announced last month a tax credit for minimum-wage earners that would ensure they pay no provincial income tax.
Marcus Gee writes that Mr. Ford’s transit plan doesn’t add up: “Under Mr. Ford’s plan, there would be not one but two subways to Scarborough, both terminating at the town centre and creating what Mr. Ford calls a loop. Oh, and for good measure, Mr. Ford would add back a couple of stops on the Bloor-Danforth extension that were taken out under Mayor John Tory’s plan. It seems an awful lot of mass transit for one suburb, given all the city’s other transit needs.”
National Gallery says anonymous donor helped pay to cancel Chagall sale
The National Gallery of Canada says it will not pay a penalty for withdrawing the 1929 Marc Chagall painting The Eiffel Tower from auction, the proceeds of which it planned to use to buy a Jacques-Louis David painting from a Quebec church. It wouldn’t provide details of the agreement with Christie’s auction house. The gallery says the painting is in a “secure location” as it works with Christie’s on how to return the art to Ottawa.
ON LEFT: Marc Chagall, The Eiffel Tower, 1929. Source: National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa ON RIGHT: Saint Jerome Hears the Trumpet of the Last Judgment by Jacques-Louis David. Source: Musee de la civilisation du Quebec, collection de La Fabrique de La Paroisse de Notre-Dame-de-Qubec.Musee de la civilisation du Quebec
Canadian Tire CEO says Helly Hansen deal a launch pad for global expansion
The head of Canadian Tire is calling the $985-million acquisition of the Norway-based maker of outdoor clothing a “major step forward” for its brand strategy. Canadian Tire identified Helly Hansen as an acquisition target after it established its consumer brands division, seeing it as an opportunity to strengthen some of its most “strategic and brand-sensitive categories.” Helly Hansen, which has apparel for sailing, skiing and other outdoor adventures plus casual wear, presents opportunities for Canadian Tire across a number of categories, including camping, hunting and fishing, said the CEO.
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MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main index climbed higher on Thursday, 48.69 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 15,959.50, as gold miners gained along with higher prices for precious metals, and Enbridge Inc. was boosted by strong results.
Six of Canada’s 10 main index sectors closed on positive grounds. Retailer Canadian Tire Corp., down 5.4 per cent, said it would buy Norway-based sportswear and work-wear brand Helly Hansen for $985-million, including debt. Telus Corp.’s quarterly profit came in slightly below analysts’ estimates as it spent heavily to add wireless subscribers amid stiff competition. The Canadian telecom provider’s shares were down 0.4 per cent. Meanwhile, Canadian auto-parts maker Magna International Inc. raised its full-year sales and profit forecasts, sending its shares up 2.7 per cent.
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WHAT’S TRENDING ON SOCIAL
Newfoundlanders call out Anthony Bourdain’s TV show for using ’offensive’ nickname
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and his TV show Parts Unknown are in hot water after using the term “Newfie” in a promotional tweet for this Sunday’s episode on Newfoundland and Labrador. Users were quick to jump on the use of the term that’s considered derogatory, with origins implying Newfoundlanders are unintelligent and lazy.
TALKING POINTS
This Mother’s Day, let’s think about child-care providers
“It’s impossible to quantify how much freedom it’s given me, in work and life, to know that every day my child is in safe, loving care. Quite honestly, she did all of the toilet training, not to mention way better arts and crafts than I could ever manage. This is important to say publicly, since it’s far too easy to obscure the people (mostly women) doing the work that allows parents to function, financially and otherwise.“ – Denise Balkissoon
TV show Roseanne tackles xenophobia with good old-fashioned humanity
“This scene is transformational, as fear is vanquished with the discovery of common decency. While the Conners and al-Harazis may come from different sides of the globe, they arrive at a common point of compassion, where families strive to provide the universal goals of safety and security. ” – Sheema Khan
Only in Toronto would the NBA’s coach of the year have to wonder about his job
“The Raptors have issues. They have so many issues they could fill a week of afternoon slots on Dr. Phil. The competence of the head coach is not one of them. To take the easy PR route out and pretend otherwise will only further undermine confidence in a team that deserves very little.“ – Cathal Kelly
LIVING BETTER
Even short bursts of exercise can give big boost to mood: research
People who work out even once a week for as little as 10 minutes a day tend to be more cheerful than those who never exercise, according to a new review of research about good moods and physical activity. The review, published in The Journal of Happiness, found that for most participants in the studies, exercise was strongly linked to happiness and the type of exercise didn’t seem to matter.
LONG READS FOR A LONG COMMUTE
‘It’s become a celebrity’: Agave plant on the cusp of blooming attracts an audience in Halifax
After about four decades, an agave plant in the historic Halifax Public Gardens is finally about to bloom. At that time it will spread its seeds and die. The plant wasn’t growing for many decades, but last month launched into an unexpected growth spurt. It was growing so fast, it quickly became entangled in the greenhouse rafters and staff moved it outside. As The Globe’s Atlantic correspondent Jessica Leeder reports, the city’s horticulturalist isn’t sure why the plant lived so long and just now began to flower, but this late bloomer has become an obsession in the city.
Ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir prepare for a very different next act
Over the past decade Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have become darlings of the country, winning five Olympic medals including two golds at the Pyeongchang Games this winter. Those routines all followed strict International Skating Union regulations. Now, they have packed away that rule book and are freer to dream about developing themselves as dancers who happen to work on ice. As Robert Everett-Green reports, the pair’s next act may look a lot different from what we’ve seen so far.
PLAYOFFS
The Winnipeg Jets will face off against the Nashville Predators in the decisive Game 7 tonight in the Music City. The winner will play the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference finals. In the Eastern final, the Tampa Bay Lightning will take on the Washington Capitals in Game 1 Friday evening.
Evening Update is written by Jordan Chittley and Kiran Rana. 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.