Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Israel’s Mossad intelligence chief said today that the agency would hunt down every Hamas member involved in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. David Barnea made the comments after the deputy head of the Palestinian militant group was killed in a suspected Israeli strike in Beirut.
Israel has refused to confirm or deny its involvement in the killing of Saleh Arouri but today’s remarks by Barnea appeared to be the strongest indication yet it was behind the blast.
The country was on high alert for an escalation with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia after the strike in the Lebanese capital killed the most senior Hamas member slain since the war in Gaza began in October. Mark MacKinnon analyzes how the past four days have had a number of potential tipping points in the conflict in the Middle East as the question of what each player will do in retaliation hangs over the region.
Related:
- Israel’s Supreme Court delays activation of law that makes it harder to remove Netanyahu from office
- Canada, allies warn Houthi rebels to stop attacks on shipping vessels in Red Sea
- Israel’s peers warn against displacing Palestinians in Gaza to places like Canada
- Opinion: After the Gaza war, conditions could be right for a broader Israel-Arab peace deal
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Blasts kill nearly 100 at ceremony to mark death of Iran’s Qassem Soleimani
Nearly 100 people were killed and 211 injured in Iran when two explosions went off at a ceremony commemorating Qassem Soleimani, a top commander who was killed by a U.S. drone in 2020.
Iranian officials blamed unspecified “terrorists” for the incident, which took place in the southeastern city of Kerman.
An unnamed official told state news agency IRNA that “two explosive devices planted along the road leading to Kerman’s Martyrs’ Cemetery were detonated remotely by terrorists.” No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Prolonged drought keeps B.C. village in state of emergency
Wildfire season started early for residents in the village of McBride, in British Columbia’s Robson Valley. The community of 660 people evacuated in early May under threat from the Teare Creek fire.
In September, it entered into a second local state of emergency: Drought, unprecedented in living memory, threatened McBride’s water supply. That state of emergency was still in place in December.
Residents are still rationing water, and preparing for a winter without snow. Usually, lodges and B&Bs are booked up with recreational snowmobilers who come to the mountains each winter. But this year, the key part of the local economy is suffering as the mountains remain green and guests stay away.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Russia and Ukraine prisoners of war exchange: Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in the biggest single release of captives since Russia’s invasion in February, 2022. Ukrainian authorities said that 230 Ukrainian prisoners of war returned home while Russia’s Defence Ministry said that 248 Russian servicemen have been freed under the deal sponsored by the United Arab Emirates.
People who represent themselves are failing at the Supreme Court in high numbers: Almost 700 self-represented litigants have asked the Supreme Court of Canada to hear their appeals in the past six years – and not a single one has been granted a hearing, statistics gathered by a Toronto law firm show. The last one to receive a hearing was in 2017.
New Canadian laws and rules coming in 2024: From new rules to minimum wage changes, here is how new laws coming down the pipeline could affect you.
Canada approves Pfizer’s gene therapy for treatment of rare bleeding disorder: Pfizer said today that Canada’s health regulator approved its gene therapy for the treatment of a rare inherited bleeding disorder called hemophilia B ahead of a U.S. decision.
B.C. mother who killed eight-year-old daughter dies in prison: Correctional Service Canada says Lisa Batstone, who was serving an indeterminate life sentence for suffocating her sleeping child with a plastic bag in 2014, died in custody on Monday.
Rescuers race to find survivors in Japan after earthquakes: Japanese rescue workers and canine units searched urgently through rubble today ahead of predicted bitter cold and heavy rain in what the country’s Prime Minister called a race against time after powerful earthquakes killed at least 73 people in western Japan.
MARKET WATCH
U.S. and Canadian stock indexes closed 2024′s second session down again in extended profit-taking on Wednesday after a strong end to 2023, with minutes from the Federal Reserve’s December meeting failing to shake off the funk hanging over markets.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 53.56 points or 0.26 per cent at 20,818.58.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 284.85 points or 0.76 per cent at 37,430.19. The S&P 500 index was down 38.02 points or 0.8 per cent at 4,704.81, while the Nasdaq composite was down 173.73 points or 1.18 per cent at 14,592.21.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.87 US cents compared with 75.10 US cents on Tuesday.
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TALKING POINTS
The Moe government’s open defiance of the law brings us closer to the brink
“We have reached, in short, a dangerous new turn in the current epidemic of provincial lawlessness – not only in Saskatchewan and Alberta, but in Quebec (Bills 21 and 96, both backed by the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause) and Ontario (whose own repeated recourse to the clause, on the flimsiest of pretexts, has set new standards for uncouth expedience).” – Andrew Coyne
Ottawa’s hiring spree is not the problem
“Those numbers are breathtaking, and made all the more gasp-inducing since they do not include the swollen bill for consultants and other spending on outsourced services. But the accelerating growth in the size of the federal government is not so much a problem as the most obvious symptom of Ottawa’s bureaucratic malaise.” – The Editorial Board
Canada must face the facts: China is now closed for business
“Canadian business and investors should not expect prospects with China to improve any time soon, for various reasons.” – Charles Burton
LIVING BETTER
How butter beans became a social media darling
Butter beans have become a social media sensation. Undoubtedly, that is in a large part owing to their name – but in truth they’re simply a bigger, creamy white variety of lima beans. They are an excellent source of fibre and protein, they’re inexpensive, versatile and shelf-stable. If the thought of presoaking dried beans puts you off, remember that it’s not necessary. Simmering them from dry takes just a fraction of extra time, and provides more flavourful stock. Read the recipe for Cheesy Baked Butter Beans, where the beans are simmered until tender, drenched in tomato sauce and broiled with cheese on top.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Should I take the kids to Europe? Yes!
Proudfoot's kids join the crowd chasing giant bubbles in Ghent, Belgium.Shannon Proudfoot/The Globe and Mail
Museums, history, architecture, old art and ... three small children. What could go wrong? The Globe’s Shannon Proudfoot planned her family’s first real vacation to Europe with the children in tow, hoping she and her husband would “emerge from this trip as geniuses who had cracked the code on how to be a person while being a parent.” Their first smart move was inviting Grandma along. They also chose smaller cities to visit, versus larger, touristy ones, which brought the pace of the trip down to an easy stroll as opposed to a nightmarish speedwalk from attraction to attraction. Read the full account of the family vacation, including Proudfoot’s planning tips and her one regret.
Evening Update is written by Prajakta Dhopade. 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.