Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
The latest in coronavirus news: vaccine updates, Quebec’s new one-day record and more
In vaccine developments, the chief medical adviser at Health Canada, Supriya Sharma, says Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate could be approved in this country next month. Canada has a purchase deal to buy at least 20 million doses of the vaccine, developed with and BioNTech, with the first four million of those on track to arrive before the end of March.
Separately, AstraZeneca is likely to run an additional global trial to assess the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine using a lower dosage, its CEO was quoted as saying today amid questions over the results from its late-stage study.
Explainer: When will a COVID-19 vaccine be available in Canada? How well do they work? Here’s what you need to know.
Opinion: Trudeau bet big against vaccine nationalism. His odds aren’t looking good - Robyn Urback
Business: Empire Co., One of the country’s largest grocers with brands including Sobeys, has reinstated pay bonuses for some front-line workers in regions where governments have mandated a new round of pandemic lockdowns, beginning with Manitoba and parts of Ontario.
Read more: Airline workers struggle to find employment as COVID-19 decimates industry
B.C.: Public-health officials promised a robust contact tracing regime to keep the spread of COVID-19 in check as the province reopened. But a surge in cases this month has overwhelmed the system, leaving COVID-positive individuals to make their own calls to close contacts.
Ontario: The province will limit the fees that delivery services such as UberEats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes charge to restaurants in locked-down communities to 20 per cent of the order price, while threatening fines of up to $10-million for violations.
In Toronto, the owner of a small chain of barbecue restaurants has been arrested for breaking COVID-19 restrictions. Police say Adam Skelly, the owner of Adamsons Barbecue, is facing several criminal charges after repeatedly breaking health regulations imposed by Toronto and Ontario.
Quebec: The province has reported 1,464 new COVID-19 infections, the highest daily total of new cases since the pandemic began.
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Ethiopia vows to launch ‘final’ military assault on Tigray’s capital
Ethiopian troops, backed by tanks and warplanes, have been ordered to launch a final assault on Mekele, a city of 500,000 people, despite worldwide pleas for negotiation instead of war.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed promised that his soldiers would take “all efforts” to ensure that the Tigrayan capital is not “severely damaged” by the attack. But relief agencies and global leaders are deeply worried that the assault could lead to massive civilian casualties and war crimes.
A delegation from the African Union has arrived in Ethiopia, hoping to negotiate a solution to the conflict, and is expected to meet Abiy on Friday, although its prospects are uncertain.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Foreign-state-sponsored harassment victims speak out: Victims of foreign-state-sponsored harassment recounted threats of rape, murder and harm to family from supporters of authoritarian governments in Iran, Russia and China today as they spoke out in an effort to convince Ottawa to take new steps to fight foreign interference on Canadian soil.
Quebec City mosque shooter’s parole eligibility changes: Alexandre Bissonnette was sentenced in February, 2019, to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 40 years for the 2017 attack. With today’s decision from the Quebec Court of Appeal, Bissonnette will be eligible to apply for parole after serving 25 years.
Van attack trial resumes: Renowned psychiatrist John Bradford testified today in the trial of Alek Minassian, accused in the Toronto van attack that left 10 dead, that only a small number of people with autism spectrum disorder have committed mass homicides and notes that those with the disorder are far more likely to be victims of violence.
Plaintiff in RCMP harassment suit speaks out: It cost her career, her mental health and a huge part of herself, but Janet Merlo says she’s glad she came forward about the harassment she faced as an officer with Canada’s national police force.
Rockefeller owl released: The tiny Northern saw-whet owl nicknamed Rocky that was found stuck inside the famed Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York has released back into the wild. Watch the video here.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s S&P/TSX Composite Index had a typically quiet session while markets were closed on Wall Street for Thanksgiving. The benchmark closed up 38.27 points or 0.22 per cent at 17,351.34, with materials leading advancers with a gain of 1.22 per cent. Global stock markets were similarly subdued after significant gains in recent days.
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TALKING POINTS
The Trans Mountain pipeline could soon be Canada’s white elephant
“It may well turn out that the federal Liberals’ decision to build the $12-billion Trans Mountain expansion was blindingly short-sighted, one that could end up costing taxpayers a bundle if other pipeline projects such as Enbridge’s Line 5 and the Keystone XL end up being completed.” - Gary Mason
Jason Kenney doesn’t seem to understand what the Charter actually says
“The Charter assigns no inherent precedence to one right or freedom over another, and the right of a business to stay open is no more important than an individual’s Charter-protected rights to life and the security of the person.” - Max Fawcett
How one organization has broken the silence on abuse within Muslim institutions
“Muslims have a deferential and respectful attitude toward their religious leaders. Not surprisingly, accusations of impropriety are often disbelieved. Accusers become the object of shame, blame and ostracization. Protection of the vulnerable from harm is sacrificed for the protection of the institution. It takes tremendous courage for a victim to come forth.” - Sheema Khan
LIVING BETTER
Listen and learn: It can be a difficult conversation, but people really do need to talk about money with their significant others, and the latest episode of the Stress Test podcast is here to help. Personal finance columnist Rob Carrick and editor Roma Luciw discuss how couples can avoid money blowouts.
Give it forward: Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but if you buy her a certain necklace from Birks, featuring sapphires, tsavorites and rubies, you’ll be helping to support the Canadian Red Cross’s COVID-19 response this holiday season. Throw in a set of Fable’s artisan-crafted ceramic dishes, and the Vancouver-based company will donate a meal to youth in need through Mealshare. For other ideas on how to spread the love beyond your gift list, check out our selection of presents with a philanthropic twist.
Tonight: Join The Globe and Mail and Chris Hadfield in a conversation about climate and sustainability on Thursday Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. EST via Facebook live. Send in your questions here.
TODAY’S LONG READ
“We’re just writing what we know. But it really allows you – if you want it – to write without burden if we choose, right? It’s the last decolonized space there is: imagination.” -Cherie Dimaline, Métis author
Eden Robinson and Cherie Dimaline are on top of the science fiction and fantasy world. Robinson’s 2018 novel, Son of a Trickster, got a major boost in 2020 with a six-part screen adaptation broadcast on CBC Television. And the buzz around the Haisla and Heiltsuk author will continue into 2021 with the third and final book in her Trickster Trilogy, Return of the Trickster, set for a March release. Métis author Dimaline is also preparing for a big 2021, while her highly acclaimed recent novels, 2017′s The Marrow Thieves and 2019′s Empire of Wild, continue to inhabit bestseller lists. Fellow author Waubgeshig Rice recently spoke with Robinson and Dimaline about bringing the stories from their communities into genre fiction, and how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted them and their writing. Read the full Globe 100 conversation.
Evening Update is written by S.R. Slobodian and Dianne Nice. 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.