Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
McGill University on Monday declared a growing pro-Palestinian encampment on its campus illegal and denounced alleged antisemitic behaviour among protesters.
The encampment expanded significantly over the weekend but remained peaceful. In a statement, the university said the camp violates the university’s policies and the law. It said it discussed “conditions in place to ensure safety as well as a timeline to remove the tents” with lawyers for McGill students, but that students “did not bring any proposals or suggestions to further the dialogue.”
Sasha Robson, a McGill student and protest organizer, said the university “will only negotiate on us leaving” and has “not engaged substantially in any negotiation about our actual demands.” Those demands include McGill divesting its holdings in Israel-connected funds.
Postsecondary classes in Canada and the U.S. are wrapping up for the semester, and campuses are preparing for graduation ceremonies, giving schools an extra incentive to clear encampments, such as those at Columbia University and University of Southern California.
Read more
- Israeli air strikes kill at least 40 Palestinians in Gaza, as ceasefire talks in Cairo begin
- Analysis: What might Gaza look like after the war? ‘Day-after’ talks under way with no easy solutions
A pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the campus of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, on April 29, 2024.GRAHAM HUGHES/Getty Images
India’s spy agency reportedly linked to killing of Canadian Sikh activist
India’s foreign intelligence agency has been linked to the 2023 slaying of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar as well as a thwarted plot to kill his New York-based ally Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, The Washington Post reports.
U.S. officials believe the scheme to assassinate Mr. Pannun, counsel for the separatist organization Sikhs for Justice, was ultimately approved by the former head of India’s spy agency. The plot was foiled by U.S. law enforcement. The Post identified the Indian official as the man referred to as “CC-1″ in a U.S. indictment unsealed in a New York court last November that outlined the plan to kill Mr. Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen.
That indictment also detailed apparent links to the killing of Mr. Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., as well as an alleged plot by the Indian government to conduct a string of assassinations in Canada.
FBI tells parliamentarians they were targets of Chinese hackers in 2021
A group of Canadian MPs and senators who belong to an international parliamentary alliance critical of the Chinese government say the FBI recently informed their organization that many in their ranks were targeted by hackers linked to Beijing. They say the Canadian government never told them of this People’s Republic of China cyberattack even though the FBI passed on the information to foreign capitals in 2022.
We need to do more to prepare for an aging, and more diverse population
Canada needs better data to prepare for its future with a rapidly aging – and increasingly diverse – population, experts warn.
Advocates have long pointed to gaps in our healthcare system, including inequitable access to regular care among racialized communities. But given the rapid shifts in the country’s demographics the information gap takes on an added sense of urgency.
If we don’t have Canadian data, said Aisha Lofters, a family doctor at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, “it’s just too easy to sit there and say this isn’t a problem.” Part of the reluctance, too, is a historical discomfort with talking about race in the country, Dr. Lofters said.
Dr. Aisha Lofters poses for a photograph in the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, Friday April 26, 2024.Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail
This is the daily Evening Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was sent to you as a forward, you can sign up for Evening Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters here. If you like what you see, please share it with your friends.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Fires: Ontario plans to give wildland firefighters the same treatment as municipal firefighters when they suffer from certain cancers, heart injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Electric vehicles: The Opposition Conservatives are demanding to see contracts related to six EV projects under way in Canada for information on what they do to protect local union jobs.
Parliament: Ottawa spaces out microphones in the House of Commons and committee rooms after another language interpreter suffered a significant hearing injury.
Pipeline: Reliance Industries has bought two million barrels of Canadian crude from Shell, marking the Indian refiner’s first oil purchase from Canada’s new Trans Mountain pipeline, trade sources said.
U.K. politics: Humza Yousaf, first Muslim to lead a major political party in Britain, resigns as Scotland’s First Minister, days after ending coalition deal.
Personal finance: Childrens’ cellphone requirements can be expensive but there are ways to slash the costs.
Plastic: Global negotiations on treaty to end plastic pollution is at a critical phase at Ottawa summit.
MARKET WATCH
Stocks higher as investors focus on Fed moves
U.S. stocks ended higher on Monday, with sharp gains for Tesla and Apple leading the way, as investors looked toward what the Federal Reserve would say about the interest rate outlook after its policy meeting this week. The Canadian benchmark stock index edged higher, although trading was mixed and gains were led primarily by the resource sector.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed at 22,011.62 up 42.38 points. The S&P 500 gained 0.32%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.35%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.38%.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.22 cents US compared with 73.16 cents US on Friday.
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.
TALKING POINTS
For the good of the Liberal party, Trudeau needs to think about his future
“A new leader doesn’t guarantee a Liberal victory in the next election – far from it. But more might be saved than in an election with the current leader.” – John Ibbitson
It’s a mistake to confuse capital gains tax breaks with doctors’ pay
“The main lever to supply doctors is through medical-school admissions controlled by provinces. But if premiers want to set incentives for doctors to work longer hours, they could do it through fees for in-demand specialties such as family medicine and psychiatry.” – Campbell Clark
Hockey’s greatest strength is nostalgia, and Bob Cole represented a connection to the good old days
“His loss doesn’t diminish that. It aggrandizes it. Cole’s contribution is now set in amber, ready to be reappreciated whenever we play ‘remember the good old days’ on a Saturday night anywhere in this country.” – Cathal Kelly
LIVING BETTER
Why you don’t need to go to the gym
Yes, you need to move your body on a regular basis, and if you want to age with grace you need to be concerned about building and maintaining strength. But in no way does this mean you have to fork over monthly fees for the privilege of doing so.
Paul Landini’s absolute favourite place to work out isn’t a gym at all – it’s his living room. He says the best workout is the one you’re able to do, right here, right now.
TODAY’S LONG READ
(L-r) Andrea Adams and Evan van Dyk are pictured outside of the laneway house that’s being built on Andrea’s property in the west end of Toronto on March 25, 2024. Evan and his family will live in the laneway house for 13 years until it’s needed for Andrea’s family. (Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail)Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
How ‘gentle density’ measures up to the hype as cities tackle Canada’s housing crisis
The idea of “gentle density” is frequently cited as a response to Canada’s housing shortage, referring to backyard houses and small apartment buildings known as multiplexes.
In recent years, governments across the country have re-examined their planning regulations to allow more homes to be constructed in existing neighbourhoods and at a modest scale that politicians and homeowners are likely to accept. The concept has taken on new urgency as Ottawa has used billions in funding to push cities and, more recently, provincial governments to end single-family zoning and put multiunit buildings in urban neighbourhoods across the country. However, experts say transforming Canada’s housing market with such gentle solutions will be a heavy lift, and potentially a distraction from larger changes.
Evening Update is written by Sierra Bein. 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.