Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced Thursday that the COVID-19 curfew his government imposed in December will be lifted on Monday, and the province’s vaccine passport will soon be required to shop at big box retail stores.
Legault told reporters in Montreal the number of daily COVID-19 infections appears to have peaked, and he said health experts project that COVID-19-related hospitalizations will peak in the coming days.
Legault said the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew introduced on Dec. 31 was needed “to stop the exponential rise” of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.
“And because we seem to have reached a (peak), it allows us to remove the curfew,” he added. The government had imposed a similar curfew for five months in 2021, from January to May.
Quebec Premier François Legault responds to a question during a news conference in Montreal, Jan. 11, 2022.Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press
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Prince Andrew’s military titles, royal patronages removed with ‘Queen’s approval’ amid sexual assault lawsuit
Prince Andrew has given up his military affiliations and will no longer use the title “His Royal Highness” as he battles a lawsuit over allegations of sexual assault.
“With The Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” Buckingham Palace announced Thursday. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
Royal sources have told the media that the Duke will also stop using the “HRH” title in any official capacity.
Reuters
Between Belarus and Poland, Yazidi refugees found only cold and hunger – then ‘came back to nothing’ in Iraq
For 13 days in November, Haitham, his wife, Dalia, and their daughter, Qader, camped out in woods along Belarus’s border, waiting to enter neighbouring Poland. Like many other Yazidis, an ethno-religious minority in Iraq, they were trying to reach Europe. Instead, they found themselves trapped between countries, in frigid conditions with no food or water.
“Believe me, it’s not a good feeling when you see your daughter caught between life and death,” said Haitham, 24, last month as he watched one-year-old Qader fall asleep on the floor of a friend’s house back in Sharya, a village in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
“I was trying to get water by digging in the ground, but there was nothing,” said Dalia, 24, recounting their time in the no man’s land along the border. She also tried chewing leaves. The lack of water and food meant she couldn’t breastfeed her daughter, and the family couldn’t get diapers so they reused the ones they had, cleaning them with tissues. In a photo they took of Qader in the woods, her hair is messy and her big brown eyes look tired. She is lying on the ground, wearing a red coat and pink socks with no shoes.
The flow of Middle Eastern migrants to the Polish border was reportedly orchestrated by Belarus in retaliation for EU sanctions, which were imposed after a crackdown by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko on opposition activists. Mr. Lukashenko appears to have calculated that migrants can be used as political pawns to pressure European countries whose populaces are divided over accepting refugees.
Haitham and Dalya with Qader inside their home in Sharya Camp.Giulia Frigieri/The Globe and Mail
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Canada joins Mexico in escalating legal dispute with U.S. over core portion of USCMA pact: Canada is joining Mexico in an escalating dispute with the United States over how much of a car or truck must be made in North America to qualify for duty-free treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
Conservatives call on Trudeau government to conduct formal security review on Chinese takeover of Canadian lithium firm: The Conservative Party of Canada is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government to conduct a formal national security review on the pending acquisition of Canadian lithium development company Neo Lithium Corp. by Chinese state-owned Zijin Mining Group Ltd.
N95, medical or cloth face masks: Which is best against the Omicron COVID-19 variant? Canada’s latest guidance explained: Which face mask provides the best level of protection against Omicron – N95s, medical masks or cloth masks? What are the most effective face masks for children? Here’s everything we know about Canada’s latest mask guidelines.
Toronto, Montreal populations decline as urban exodus accelerates: Over the year ending July 1, 2021, Toronto saw its population drop by around 16,600 and Montreal by roughly 46,700, according to estimates published Thursday by Statistics Canada.
Scores of unvaccinated workers are filing wrongful dismissal claims against their employers: Employers across the country have begun firing employees who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to lawyers who say they are inundated with vaccine-related cases and claims of wrongful dismissal.
MARKET WATCH
Major North American stock indexes closed lower on Thursday as investors took profits, particularly in technology stocks after a three-day rally, while multiple Federal Reserve officials were out talking about inflation and interest rate hikes.
Canada’s TSX closed down just over 100 points, as Shopify dove 8.8 per cent. That brought its market capitalization down to $167.43-billion, which is now not only below Royal Bank of Canada’s $207.14-billion, but also Toronto-Dominion Bank’s $185.62 billion. Shopify lost its crown to RBC as Canada’s most valued stock last week. Shopify is still valued well above fourth place Brookfield Asset Management, which has a market cap of $114.42-billion.
According to preliminary data, the S & P 500 lost 66.92 points, or 1.42 per cent, to end at 4,659.43 points, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 377.31 points, or 2.48 per cent, to 14,807.29. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 161.44 points, or 0.44 per cent, to 36,128.88.
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TALKING POINTS
It’s painful. But the sooner we reduce inflation, the better
“Getting inflation back to the 2-per-cent target set by the Bank of Canada will mean tighter monetary policy, including higher interest rates. That will hurt – but inflation hurts more. The sooner we settle on what to do about it, the easier reducing it will be.” – William Robson
The Pope’s criticism of childless couples demonstrates a gross ignorance of our times
“As much as having children remains one of the greatest joys and achievements of my life, I’m not sure I’d do it in today’s environment. There are many impediments, some of which I’ve mentioned. The thought of raising a family in a small apartment doesn’t appeal to me, even though many have no alternative. But it is a choice – and many young people are saying ‘No, thanks.’” – Gary Mason
Correcting COVID-19 misinformation does not equate to cancel culture
“Being shown that you are wrong isn’t censorship. You don’t have a constitutional right to lie or spread misinformation on social media. And not getting the same amount of airtime as health experts to explore every wacky and harmful COVID-19 treatment idea isn’t a freedom-of-speech issue.” – Timothy Caulfield
No, Mr. Putin, Russia doesn’t have a ‘sphere of influence’ that gives it Ukraine and Kazakhstan
“Talks aimed at averting a second Russian invasion of Ukraine have become deadlocked over President Vladimir Putin’s insistence that Moscow deserves, and indeed was once promised, a Cold War-style buffer zone that gives it some control of countries adjoining Russia’s borders. While it is worth making some compromises to ensure peace in Eastern Europe, this concept is a fiction that should never return to international politics.” – Doug Saunders
LIVING BETTER
Eleven wines to enjoy now, including a standout chardonnay from the Okanagan
Meyer Family Vineyards launched its Tribute Series Chardonnay with the 2006 vintage to honour a Canadian who in some way has made an outstanding contribution. Recipients over the years have included hockey luminary Pat Quinn, artist Bill Reid and health official Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Now in its 14th release, the new Tribute Chardonnay celebrates the late Terry Threlfall, the talented sommelier who opened Hawksworth Restaurant, served as sommelier for the Vancouver International Wine Festival and helped establish the British Columbia chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. Threlfall was working as wine and spirits buyer for Selfridges department store in London, England, at the time of his death from a heart attack in 2020. He was 43.
As part of the honour, Threlfall’s family received seed money from the Okanagan winery to establish the Terry Threlfall Scholarship with the B.C. Hospitality Foundation. The award will be granted annually to an individual wishing to pursue wine education a at an eligible B.C. postsecondary institution.
The new Tribute Chardonnay is one of this week’s recommended wines that offer a mix of personalities and styles that are truly appealing right now.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Shakespeare’s First Folio acquired by UBC in ‘once-in-eternity’ purchase
A rare and valuable complete first edition of William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories & Tragedies – known as the First Folio – sits on display at a new exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Jan. 12, 2022 in Vancouver, B.C.Jesse Winter/The Globe and Mail
An exceedingly rare and valuable complete first edition of William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies – known as the First Folio – has been acquired by the University of British Columbia. The purchase of the nearly 400-year-old book follows a relentless side-of-their desks campaign by two determined UBC bibliophiles, a recognition of their dedication by a prestigious auction house, a substantial government grant, a network of deep-pocketed anonymous donors from across North America, a willing seller – also anonymous – and a concerted international effort connected by Zoom calls during a pandemic.
“It really did take a village to bring this book to B.C.,” says Katherine Kalsbeek, head of rare books and special collections (RBSC) at UBC Library, one of the main players in this drama.
“This was a once-in-eternity proposition being given to a public university by the most prestigious auction house in the world,” says her partner in this venture, Gregory Mackie, associate professor in the Department of English language and literatures at UBC, and Norman Colbeck curator at RBSC.
The First Folio, Shakespeare’s first printed collection, is a compendium of nearly all his plays. Published seven years after the Bard’s death and edited by his close friends and colleagues, the collection of 36 works is credited with preserving some titles that had not been previously published and may otherwise have been lost, including Macbeth, Julius Caesar, The Tempest and Twelfth Night.
Evening Update is written by Emerald Bensadoun. 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.