Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
The war in Ukraine’s latest developments
Russia has bombarded the port city of Odesa for a second consecutive day, damaging agricultural infrastructure in the region, including a terminal partly owned by the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately targeting agricultural assets, days after the Kremlin pulled out of a deal that allowed for the safe export of Ukrainian grains through the Black Sea. Ukraine is setting up a temporary route to maintain grain shipments.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is cancelling a planned visit to a BRICS summit meeting in South Africa after the host government made clear that it cannot ignore an arrest warrant issued for Putin over alleged war crimes by the International Criminal Court.
In photos: Russia strikes critical port facilities in Odesa after Kremlin halts grain deal
Read more: Nuclear threat from war in Ukraine prompts Ottawa to update plans for catastrophe
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B.C. port workers’ union issues new strike notice
The union representing 7,400 B.C. port workers has issued 72-hour strike notice, according to employers.
The move comes after the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered the union representing B.C. port workers to cease and desist strike activity because it did not provide 72-hours notice.
The BC Maritime Employers Association says members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada are now in a legal position to go on strike on Saturday.
The port workers returned to the picket line yesterday after union leadership rejected a tentative mediated deal.
Policing changes coming for Surrey, B.C.
British Columbia Solicitor-General Mike Farnworth has ordered the province’s second-largest city to drop the RCMP and move to a municipal police force after months of hostile debate,
The move means the RCMP will lose its contract in the largest city it polices and comes as Ottawa is considering changing the RCMP’s role in contract policing for municipalities .
Farnworth and his staff called the situation unprecedented and one of the biggest policing transitions Canada has ever seen, with “no playbook” to outline the optimal route.
ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY
Shelter for refugees: Toronto is opening up hotel rooms for 150 asylum seekers who have been sleeping outside for the past several weeks after the city received a pledge from Ottawa for $97-million, but Mayor Olivia Chow said more support is needed to respond to the growing demand.
CAF helicopter crash lawsuit: The families of six Canadian Armed Forces members who died after their helicopter plunged into the Ionian Sea off the coast of Greece more than three years ago are suing the aircraft’s U.S. manufacturer, accusing the company of gross negligence and a reckless disregard for safety.
MARKET WATCH
Wall Street stock indexes rose modestly today, as investors gauged the latest round of corporate earnings. Broad-based strength among equities led by battery metals helped lift Canada’s main stock index higher.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 109.28 points or 0.31 per cent to 35,061.21, the S&P 500 added 10.74 points or 0.24 per cent to end at 4,565.72, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 4.38 points or 0.03 per cent to 14,358.02.
The S&P/TSX Composite index advanced 114.60 points or 0.56 per cent to 20,491.17. The loonie traded at 75.95 U.S. cents
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TALKING POINTS
There is no ‘convention’ that the party with the most seats gets to govern
“To be considered a binding rule, rather than just an observed pattern, all sides must have agreed it’s a rule and to be bound by it. There’s no evidence that there has ever been any such all-party accord.” - Andrew Coyne
Women’s soccer players have upheld their ethics at the World Cup
“The day FIFA’s boss, Gianni Infantino, turned down a suitcase filled with Saudi cash – that’s when you knew power had shifted.” - Cathal Kelly
Read more: Canada players are relaxed ahead of Women’s World Cup opener tomorrow, but still face injury issues
LIVING BETTER
The Associated Press
You’ve already seen Barbie. We all have. The marketing campaign for Greta Gerwig’s film began in earnest last summer when paparazzi shots of stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in neon rollerblading outfits broke the internet. But when it finally hits theatres this Friday, should you go see it? The Globe rates it a critic’s pick, calling it “both a master’s thesis on feminism and an Austin Powers-esque romp.”
TODAY’S LONG READ
U.S. soldier detained in North Korea could be released quickly – but not everyone is so lucky
Private Travis T. King crossed the demilitarized zone into North Korea earlier this week, breaking away from a civilian tour group. He was reportedly facing disciplinary action, following a stint in detention in South Korea, Korea, and had been due to board a flight home before joining the tour group.
Chad O’Carroll, the Seoul-based founder of analysis service NK Pro, said that North Korea would likely release King “in relatively short order – though a lack of clear precedent means it’s still difficult to predict Pyongyang’s next steps.”
Other foreigners have not been so lucky. In late 2015, Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student visiting North Korea as a tourist, was accused of trying to steal a propaganda poster and later sentenced to 15 years of hard labour. He was held for 17 months before suffering a medical emergency under uncertain circumstances. He was returned to the U.S. in a comatose state and died soon after his arrival. Read the full story by James Griffiths.
Related: North Korea stays silent on apparent detention of U.S. soldier
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