Evening Update: Ontario reverses latest proposal to include Greenbelt land in development project

Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:

Ontario reverses latest Greenbelt proposal

The Ontario government is backtracking on a plan to allow development in an area northwest of Toronto amid increasing scrutiny, including a police review, of carveouts from different parts of the protected area announced late last year.

The province initially said it plans to use a special zoning order to allocate more property to prominent developers for a housing project in Caledon.

But just hours before the town held a public meeting Thursday evening, a government spokesperson said the proposal would no longer include Greenbelt land.

Speaking to the media today, Premier Doug Ford said he’s confident that nothing criminal took place in his government’s process of removing land from the Greenbelt for housing development.

Read more: OPP’s ‘conflict of interest’ on Greenbelt probe puzzles police watchers

Opinion: Doug Ford has yet to do the bare minimum on the Greenbelt development scandal - David Moscrop

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Fed’s Powell keeps door open to further rate hikes

The continued strength of the U.S. economy could require more interest rate increases, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said in a closely watched speech that also highlighted the uncertain nature of the economic outlook.

Faster-than-expected economic growth and brisk consumer spending could keep inflation pressures high, he noted to an annual conference of central bankers at Jackson Hole, Wyo.

He reiterated the central bank is determined to keep its key rate elevated until inflation hits its 2-per-cent target.

War in Ukraine: the latest developments

Russia says Ukraine has fired a missile toward Moscow and attacked Crimea with 42 drones, in what would be one of the biggest known co-ordinated Ukrainian air attacks to date on Russian-held territory.

The Russian Defence Ministry said a modified S-200 missile had been shot down over the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the reports.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has rejected allegations it was behind a plane crash that is presumed to have killed mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who conducted a brief but shocking mutiny in Russia two months ago. Wagner mercenaries were key elements of Russia’s forces in its war in Ukraine.

Wildfire updates

• B.C.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in the Okanagan region to meet with firefighters. The visit comes after the last travel restriction for the Okanagan was lifted, along with evacuation orders within the City of Kelowna, following recent rainfall.
• NWT: Caroline Cochrane, Premier of the Northwest Territories, is joining her Alberta counterpart Danielle Smith to tour a Calgary reception centre for evacuees. Last night, the territorial government said it was unlikely the wildfire would reach Yellowknife in the next 72 hours.
• U.S.: Maui County has released the names of 388 people still missing following the Aug. 8 wildfires, and officials asked anyone who knows a person on the list to be safe to contact authorities.
• Opinion: The awful fires in the Northwest Territories can light the way to a better, healthier future - Courtney Howard, Nicole Redvers, and Sarah Cook
• Read more: As Canada’s boreal forests burn again and again, they won’t grow back the same way

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Donald Trump makes history: He became the first former U.S. president to have a mug shot taken after he turned himself in last night in Georgia and was booked on his fourth indictment this year, accused of racketeering in his sweeping plot to overturn the result of the 2020 election.

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Goodbye Kleenex: The brand that became the generic term for facial tissues is pulling out of the Canadian consumer market, U.S. manufacturer Kimberly-Clark says. It added other brands including Cottonelle, Depend and Huggies remain unaffected.

BlackBerry reportedly in play: Shares of the smartphone pioneer jumped today after a report that private-equity firm Veritas Capital is considering a bid for the Canadian company.

Deaths probed: British police are investigating the deaths of 88 people in the U.K. who bought products from Canada-based websites allegedly offering lethal substances to people at risk of self-harm.

Kiss controversy: Spanish soccer boss Luis Rubiales is refusing to quit for grabbing star player Jenni Hermoso’s head and kissing her on the lips after Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory, leading 56 national team members to mutiny and the government to denounce his “macho actions.”

MARKET WATCH

U.S. stocks ended higher after a volatile session as investors digested comments from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell that the U.S. central bank may need to raise interest rates further to ensure inflation is contained. Canada’s main stock index also advanced, buoyed by strength in the energy sector.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 247.48 points or 0.73 per cent to 34,346.90, the S&P 500 gained 29.40 points or 0.67 per cent to 4,405.71, and the Nasdaq Composite added 126.44 points or 0.94 per cent to end at 13,590.41.

The S&P/TSX Composite index climbed 59.92 points or 0.3 per cent to 19,835.75. The Canadian dollar traded at 73.50 U.S. cents.

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TALKING POINTS

The bear trap of incumbency snaps shut on the Trudeau cabinet in Charlottetown

“Trudeau and certain of his ministers seem increasingly peevish that everyone keeps hassling them about what they do instead of properly understanding who they are.” - Shannon Proudfoot

How Trump’s arrest and GOP debate make for a country totally unsettled

Few countries that have climbed the heights of international influence the United States now occupies have endured a spectacle like the serial arrests of a one-time leader, or of the dominant figure in the political opposition – or, in the case of [Donald] Trump, both of those. - David Shribman

LIVING BETTER

Back-to-school money smarts: Over the first few days of the new semester, campuses will be lined with booths, including ones flogging credit cards or cellphone plans. Some offer deals worth taking advantage of while others are likely to lead to increased spending and debt. Here’s how to tell them apart.

Read more: Check out The Globe’s financial guide for university students and their parents

TODAY’S LONG READ

Pregnant Hondurans with HIV fight for just after being sterilized against their will

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In La Ceiba, a port city in northern Honduras, a 22-year-old woman sat with her head in her hands. After a few moments, she took a breath, and recounted the time two years ago when she was forcibly sterilized.

She was pregnant and knew that as someone living with HIV, she would have a C-section, because a surgical delivery reduces the risk of transmission. But she was shocked to be told by a doctor that she also had to be sterilized because of the disease. She wanted to have a large family and resisted, but said she was forced to sign a piece of paper agreeing to the procedure.

After her ordeal, the young woman sought help from CEPROSAF, a non-governmental organization in Honduras dedicated to the promotion of family health – and which provides legal support for HIV-positive women who experience this type of coercion. Read the full story by Janice Dickson

YOUR WEEKEND QUIZZES

• How old is the Pumpkin Spice Latte? Take The Globe’s business news quiz
• What Metallica song did Elisapie cover on her new album? Take our arts quiz to find out

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