Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said today that the federal government will not release the names of parliamentarians who, according to a national-security watchdog report, allegedly worked with foreign states to meddle in Canada’s democracy.
Yesterday, the Conservatives demanded that the government release the names of the politicians accused in the documents of being “semi-witting or witting” participants in foreign attempts to interfere in Canada.
The Liberals did not directly respond to those demands yesterday but when pressed today, LeBlanc flatly rejected them. “No,” he said in response to a “yes” or “no” question on releasing the names of parliamentarians. He said releasing the names would be counter to Canada’s democratic and judicial processes.
Read more:
- Andrew Coyne: We need to know the names of the traitor MPs, but don’t count on any of the parties to give them up
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Dozens reported killed in strike on Gaza school that Israel says targeted Hamas fighters
More than 30 people, including women and children, sheltering at a UN school in Gaza were reported killed by a targeted Israeli air strike, according to a Hamas official. Israel says that the strike was targeting Hamas fighters inside.
Video footage from a local hospital showed the aftermath of the attack, where Palestinians hauled in bodies and scores of injured. The attack took place at a sensitive moment in mediated talks on a ceasefire.
A joint statement from the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany and several other countries called on both sides to accept the proposal announced by U.S. President Joe Biden for a permanent ceasefire. “At this decisive moment, we call on the leaders of Israel as well as Hamas to make whatever final compromises are necessary to close this deal,” the statement said.
Talks involving Qatari, Egyptian and U.S. mediators aimed at reaching a ceasefire were still under way on Thursday but had shown no sign of a breakthrough, two Egyptian security sources said.
Meanwhile, police cleared a pro-Palestinian encampment at York University in Toronto, a day after it was established and shortly after the university issued a trespass notice, starkly contrasting other campus protests in Canada that have continued for weeks.
Read more:
- Israeli forces kill three Palestinians, wound more than 10 in West Bank raid, Palestinians say
- Spain applies to join South Africa’s case at World Court accusing Israel of genocide
- Israel’s treatment of Palestinian workers denounced at UN meeting
Calgary grapples with major water main break
Residents in Calgary were told today not to take showers or baths and some were directed to boil their water as the city dealt with a major water main break.
The city of issued the warning just before the morning commute owing to the water main break in the city’s northwest, where water flooded streets and snarled traffic. “We’re asking you to make temporary sacrifices,” Sue Henry, the head of Calgary’s emergency management agency, said at a news conference.
Director of water services Nancy MacKay said water main breaks are common in the city of about 1.6 million people, with about 170 a year. But she said the size of this one is unprecedented. City officials said they couldn’t predict how long the repair would take or how long water restrictions might last.
Veterans, world leaders mark D-Day 80th anniversary with services along Normandy coastline
World leaders and veterans gathered near the beaches of Normandy in France today to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing.
The main ceremony unfolded at an outdoor venue overlooking Omaha Beach, one of five sections along the coastline where nearly 160,000 soldiers from the United States, Britain and Canada landed on June 6, 1944.
There were musical tributes, video montages and readings from letters written by soldiers, resistance fighters and their families.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended and received a standing ovation from the 5,000 guests present, as his country’s conflict with Russia continues.
There was also a ceremony this morning near the beach at Courseulles-sur-Mer, codenamed Juno, attended by Canadian, French and international visitors to commemorate those who fought and to pay tribute to the 5,000 Canadians who died in the Battle of Normandy.
Read more:
- In small Normandy villages, a special reverence for Canadian liberators lives on
Canadian veteran William Seifried walks off Juno Beach on the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Courseulles-sur-Mer, Normandy.The Canadian Press
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Toronto transit workers could strike this weekend: The head of Toronto’s main transit union warned that labour negotiations were faltering and that his members were ready to start walking out at the midnight strike deadline, which would pause Toronto Transit Commission services and possibly leave commuters without many options in the city.
Stars of EU elections: Italy’s Giorgia Meloni is seen as the kingmaker in the European parliament elections, whose polls open Thursday and close Sunday. She is being courted by two powerful European political leaders, both women: Marine Le Pen of France’s National Rally party, which is expected to surge in the EU elections at the expense of French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm.
Two Simon’s locations coming to Toronto: The Quebec retailer’s $75-million expansion, announced today, is expected to boost Simons’ store count to 19 locations and increase the company’s annual sales of more than $650-million by 15 per cent. Some 400 workers will be hired in time for the new locations to open by winter 2025.
Coutts border blockade trial: The two men on trial for conspiracy to commit murder during the 2022 border blockade in Coutts, Alta., over COVID-19 pandemic restrictions pleaded not guilty in a Lethbridge courtroom on Thursday.
Nova Scotia to ban cellphone use in classrooms: The use of cellphones and other personal electronic devices won’t be allowed during classroom hours at public schools across Nova Scotia beginning this fall.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index rose today, led by gains in commodity-linked shares, as long-term borrowing rates held near their lowest levels in months ahead of the release of U.S. and Canadian employment reports.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 84.08 points at 22,229.10.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 78.84 points at 38,886.17. The S&P 500 index was down 1.07 points at 5,352.96, while the Nasdaq composite was down 14.78 points at 17,173.12.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.07 cents US compared with 73.01 cents US on Wednesday.
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TALKING POINTS
When will WestJet unveil an ‘ExtremeUltraBasic’ fare, where passengers are strapped to the wings?
“In what I’d call the ExtremeUltraBasic tier, passengers would only be allowed to wear light clothing as to not weigh down the plane, and they would be eligible for additional discounts if they could prove they went to the bathroom just before they boarded the flight (extra points for going #2).” – Robyn Urback
Even if Trump wins again, Washington can’t ignore the reality of U.S.-Canada trade
“Third, and most obviously, Mr. Trudeau and his team are not where they were in 2018. With the political cycle into a ninth year – the witching hour for Canadian political tenures, historically – they’ll be less able to corral cross-partisan coalitions, including of left-leaning organized labour and right-leaning business.” – Michael Den Tandt
Jacob Zuma was once a king. Now he is South Africa’s kingmaker
“The 82-year-old Mr. Zuma seems to have regained some of his former vigour – we can only wonder what moisturizer he uses. While he was once king, he is now kingmaker: As South Africa enters its national coalition era, it’s currently anyone’s guess who will form the core of the seventh national government.” – Richard Poplak
LIVING BETTER
How to shop for sunscreen like a dermatologist
Sunscreen is notoriously difficult to shop for. In the search for the perfect SPF, you’ve probably encountered a ghostly white cast, off-putting textures and nose-wrinkling scents. Finding a formula that is pleasant to use, or won’t irritate your skin, remains a case of trial and error. So what to buy and what to avoid? The ingredient oxybenzone, a popular UV filter in many chemical sunscreens, might be one to skip if you have reactive skin. It’s known to be a contact allergen. Dermatologists often say that mineral sunscreens that use zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or both to reflect the sun’s rays are preferable to chemical formulations.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Steamy hockey romance novels imagine a less toxic sports culture – and they’re scoring with readers
The Globe and Mail
Hockey romance novels are gaining popularity. These contemporary love stories in which at least one of the main characters plays hockey may be one of the few literary genres that inspires the same kind of passion as the game it is named after. They’re smutty, escapist delights, built upon familiar tropes: fake dating, friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers etc. Their titles are filled with puns like: Forever Pucked, Dump and Chase, Big Stick. They’re also full of Canadian content.
Some of the authors are embedding something deeper in the fantasies. A reckoning has begun across the country over hockey’s notoriously toxic culture. In writing hunky alpha male characters who play a violent sport but then, off the ice, are in touch with their feelings, the authors – most of whom are women – are quietly trying to write a new reality into existence.
Today’s 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.
Editor’s note: The lead item in this newsletter previously stated, that the federal government will not release the names of MPs listed in the national-security report. It has been updated to clarify that names of parliamentarians (both MPs and senators) listed in the report will not be released.