Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Five Russians and three citizens of Ukraine and Armenia have been detained in connection with the bombing of a vital bridge to Crimea, according to Russia’s Federal Security Service.
The FSB said the attack was organized by Ukrainian military intelligence and its director, Kyrylo Budanov – echoing accusations by President Vladimir Putin over what he has called a “terrorist attack” against critical civilian infrastructure.
Ukraine has not officially confirmed its involvement in Saturday’s bridge blast, but some Ukrainian officials have celebrated the damage and an unidentified Ukrainian official told The New York Times that Kyiv was behind the attack. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s allies announced delivery of new air defences and recommitted to providing it robust, enduring military assistance at a meeting at NATO headquarters today.
Read more:
- Intense lobbying ahead of UN vote on Russian annexations
- Let’s get serious about a Putin-era strategy for energy, economy, climate, Freeland says
- “This war has gone on long enough. It’s time to negotiate with Mr. Hitler:” In this column, Andrew Coyne uses fictitious quotes to scrutinize the conversation around Putin’s invasion of Ukraine by drawing parallels to the commentary that took place around Hitler’s regime during WWII.
- The Editorial Board: Someday, Vladimir Putin is going to have to talk about ending his war in Ukraine. That day is getting closer
- Explainer: Power cuts raise risk at Russian-occupied nuclear power plant in Ukraine
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African allies bolster Chinese President Xi as he prepares for third term
As the ruling Communist Party prepares to install President Xi Jinping for an unprecedented third term as China’s most powerful leader, Beijing is flexing its global muscles to demonstrate that Mr. Xi can command support around the world.
At the United Nations, and in regions such as Africa, the Chinese government is mobilizing its allies to praise its paramount ruler and deflect his critics. The campaign is gathering momentum at a crucial moment for Mr. Xi, who is expected to secure yet another term at the Communist Party Congress, which begins Sunday.
African support was vitally important for Beijing when it narrowly won a key vote at the UN Human Rights Council last week. Eight African countries sided with China in the 19-to-16 vote, thus blocking a proposed debate on human rights in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region, where large numbers of the predominantly Muslim population have reportedly suffered torture and imprisonment in detention camps.
Read more:
- The man who will shape the future: The challenges facing China’s Xi Jinping are mounting. The Globe’s James Griffiths takes a look at what is to come for the leader as he begins his second decade in power.
Pierre Poilievre names opposition critics, taps two former Conservative party leadership rivals
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has announced a list of opposition critics that includes posts for his leadership rivals Scott Aitchison and Leslyn Lewis, but not former party leader Erin O’Toole.
Also missing from the roster of critics are veteran B.C. MP Ed Fast, who supported former Quebec premier Jean Charest in the leadership race that Mr. Poilievre won last month, and Alberta MP Michelle Rempel Garner, who supported Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown’s unsuccessful bid to lead the party.
In a statement, Mr. O’Toole said on Wednesday that he asked not to have a critics role in order to allow Mr. Poilievre an “unobstructed runway” to put forward his own team, and that he would be available as a “pinch hitter” on issues. “My focus will remain my riding and issues that I think are very important to the country,” said the Ontario MP for Durham.
Read more:
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
IMF warns of possible recession in Canada: The International Monetary Fund said it expects “substantial further cooling” of the Canadian economy, and advised the federal government and provincial governments to refrain from spending windfall revenues as the country teeters on the edge of recession.
Two police officers dead after shooting in Innisfil, Ont.: Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, said the two police officers who died were involved in a shooting with a 23-year-old man inside a home.
Alex Jones must pay Sandy Hook families for hoax claims: Alex Jones must pay US$965-million in damages to numerous families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting for falsely claiming they were actors who faked the tragedy, a Connecticut jury said on Wednesday, marking the second multimillion-dollar verdict against the conspiracy theorist in just over two months.
Canada’s permanent resident application backlog is forcing skilled workers to return home: Many of the thousands of immigrants returning home are former international students who landed jobs in Canada mid-pandemic, during a critical labour shortage. Now they find themselves in limbo, waiting for opportunities to apply for permanent resident status – opportunities that may never arrive.
Protests reach 19 cities in Iran despite internet disruption: Protests swept across at least 19 cities in Iran on Wednesday sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman detained last month by the country’s morality police, even as security forces targeted demonstrators in the streets, activists said.
Jurors begin deliberating sentencing for gunman in 2018 Parkland school shooting: After three months of testimony and lawyers’ arguments, 12 jurors began deliberating on Wednesday on whether the man who killed 17 people at a Florida high school on Valentine’s Day in 2018 should be sentenced to death.
MARKET WATCH
The S&P 500 and S&P/TSX Composite Index ended a choppy session slightly lower on Wednesday after minutes from the last Federal Reserve meeting showed policymakers agreed they needed to maintain a more restrictive policy stance.
The S&P 500 lost 11.81 points, or 0.33%, to end at 3,577.03 points, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 9.09 points, or 0.09%, to end at 10,417.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 28.34 points, or 0.1%, ending at 29,210.85. The TSX was down 10.40 or 0.06% to 18,206.28.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.37 cents US, according to XE.com, compared with 72.60 on Tuesday.
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TALKING POINTS
There is nothing noble in the Hockey Canada resignations
“The noble thing would have been resigning in the summer, when it was clear that the manner in which it handled alleged sexual-assault complaints and associated legal claims involving its players was beyond troubling.” – Gary Mason
We can help Iranian women and girls by seizing the assets of corrupt officials
“And the truth is this: For far too long, corrupt Iranian officials have acted with impunity. They have not only stolen massive amounts of wealth from their own people, but they have also oppressed and disenfranchised these people.” – Ratna Omidvar
This is not a column about Kanye West
“The most distressing thing about Kanye West’s recent antisemitic outburst was not what the rapper said. It was the response.” – Marsha Lederman
Canada should try to profit from the U.S. transition to a low-carbon economy
“The IRA is writing on the wall: if Canada wants to escape the inflationary doldrums and reach for a new, shared national prosperity that we can count on into the future, then decarbonization is now an economic imperative.” – Michael Bernstein, Dale Beugin and Blake Shaffer
LIVING BETTER
Seven fall cookbooks to inspire you to get into the kitchen
As the weather cools, new cookbooks – mostly written by authors during the pandemic – are trickling onto store shelves to inspire us to get off Uber Eats and into the kitchen. Canada’s Best New Cookbook celebrates Canada’s diverse culinary scene, with recipes from more than 30 Canada’s Best New Restaurants winners. Meanwhile, Lunchbox: 75+ Easy and Delicious Recipes for Lunches on the Go offers a collection of versatile sandwiches, salads, and bowls to ensure your midday meal is one to look forward to.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners go deep to see our planet’s inner beauty
Tony Wu/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest honours those who go the extra mile to show us how animals live, and the fragility and beauty of our planet.
This year’s winners were announced this week by the Natural History Museum in London, which will exhibit their work from Oct. 14 through July. The 2022 winners capture bird breeding grounds in the Andes, snake-filled caves of Mexico, a writhing ball of bees and more. Dive into the stories behind some of the winning entries, including what this creature pictured above is and what photographer Tony Wu had to do for the shot.
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.