Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Russian President Vladimir Putin is “open to negotiations” on Ukraine but the West must accept Moscow’s demands, the Kremlin said on Friday, a day after U.S. President Joe Biden said he was willing to talk if Putin were looking for a way to end the war.
Speaking after talks on Thursday at the White House with French President Emmanuel Macron, Biden said he was ready to speak with Putin “if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he’s looking for a way to end the war,” adding the Russian leader “hasn’t done that yet.”
Bakhmut under attack
Meanwhile, fighting is raging in eastern Ukraine, with the town of Bakhmut the main target of Moscow’s artillery attacks, while Russian forces in the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions remain on the defensive, Ukraine’s General Staff said in its latest battlefield update.
The HALO Trust, a non-governmental organization that has received $2-million in funding from the Canadian government, is working metre by metre to clear mines in Peremoha, as well as in Chernihiv and other areas ravaged by the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian military's Grad multiple rocket launcher fires rockets at Russian positions in the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Nov. 24, 2022.Libkos/The Associated Press
With nature on the line, delegates head to Montreal for COP15 to negotiate landmark global biodiversity agreement
When representatives from more than 190 countries assemble in Montreal next week to try to negotiate a landmark agreement on global biodiversity, their focus will be on Mother Nature. But it’s human nature that will determine the outcome.
COP15, which is the 15th session of the parties to the 1992 convention, is shaping up to be the biggest and most consequential gathering about the future of life on Earth so far. The meeting is expected to draw more than 12,000 participants.
The stakes are high. Since the last time countries undertook such an effort in 2010, scientists have determined that approximately one million species face extinction if action is not taken. On land and at sea, ecosystems in every region of the globe are threatened. And the growing impact of climate change has only exacerbated the loss of nature through other human activities.
Read more:
Police walk past the Palais de Congres, the site of the COP15, in Montreal, Quebec, Dec. 1, 2022.Christinne Muschi/The Globe and Mail
Decades of abuse, then years in prison: Inside Helen Naslund’s fight for her life – and justice
In the fall of 2020, Helen Naslund was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the death of her abusive husband. Even with only the sparest details made public, her case and the lengthy sentence she received sparked outrage around the country, and exposed serious issues with how the justice system treats abused women.
Through multiple interviews and letters from prison, Naslund is opening up for the first time about life on the farm, what happened that night 11 years ago, and everything that came after. Jana G. Pruden has the story.
Helen Naslund at the Edmonton Institution For Women, where she is serving a sentence for killing her abusive husband, Miles Naslund, in Edmonton, Alberta, on Aug. 2, 2022.Amber Bracken/The Globe and Mail
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Gas-station operator Parkland doubles plans to install rapid EV chargers: One of the country’s largest gas-station operators is doubling its plans to install rapid chargers for electric vehicles at its locations in Western Canada – a possible glimpse of a more convenient future for EV drivers nationwide struggling with inadequate infrastructure.
U.S. same-sex marriage law set to pass as country at crossroads on LGBTQ rights: The U.S. is on the cusp of enacting a law guaranteeing same-sex marriage, an insurance policy against the Supreme Court overturning its landmark 2015 ruling on the issue.
Why is flying in Canada so expensive? Sky-high airport fees don’t help: Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, the largest in the country, has long been known as one of the most expensive in the developed world for airlines and passengers. And the cost is about to go higher.
How an Inuit factory producing modular homes aims to ease Nunavut’s housing shortage: Nunavut’s only factory will open in 2025 in Arviat, where Inuit tradespeople would be put to work building modular units tailored to the North’s needs.
Canada’s Baha’i community see Iran protests as hope for political and social change: The movement sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini has gained broad international attention, causing many in Canada’s Baha’i community to feel hopeful for change, yet wary of violence.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index closed down Friday while U.S. markets were mixed after a bumpy day of trading following job reports that came in stronger than expected.
The S&P/TSX composite index ended down 39.79 points at 20,485.66 after trading more than a hundred points lower early in the day and pushing briefly into positive territory in mid-afternoon.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 34.87 points at 34,429.88. The S&P 500 index was down 4.87 points at 4,071.70, while the Nasdaq composite was down 20.95 points at 11,461.50.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.25 cents US compared with 74.44 cents US on Thursday.
The January crude oil contract closed down US$1.24 at US$79.98 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was down 46 cents at US$6.28 per mmBTU.
The February gold contract was down US$5.60 at US$1,809.60 an ounce and the March copper contract was up three cents at US$3.85 a pound.
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TALKING POINTS
Hot dam: Beavers could be North America’s secret weapon against the climate crisis
“They create damming complexes that store, slow and cleanse water, ensuring that when rain falls, it moves gradually through the watershed, sinking down through the soils to recharge aquifers as it moves through the river system. By doing what they naturally do, beavers help ensure that our waterways function as they should: pulsing like vast arteries to bring water and life throughout the land.” – Leila Philip
Desperate for oil, Joe Biden throws Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro a lifeline
“It would take several years and tens of billions of dollars of Western investment to restore Venezuela’s oil industry to its former productive state. But other Western oil companies are also seeking relief from U.S. sanctions to reactivate their joint ventures with PDVSA. How could they resist? Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and comparatively lax environmental standards.” – Konrad Yakabuski
This year, let’s try to stop before we drop
“The pre-holiday frenzy can be powerful. The urge to shop is strong. Especially this year, when we can once again spend the holidays with people we love, safely. Giving feels great; so does receiving. But there are reasons to perhaps reconsider our shopping habits.” – Marsha Lederman
The Canadian Armed Forces are heading for a Titanic collapse
“Support for our troops is certainly necessary, but it doesn’t deal with the fundamental problem: The Canadian Armed Forces no longer reflect the principles and values of the Canadian populace, or of a modern Canadian work force. If this is not addressed, any reform will only amount to a shuffling of the deck chairs.” – Ken Hansen
LIVING BETTER
These versatile spirits are perfect for gifting
Planning for the festive season often involves shopping for liquor on your to-do list. Whether you need to restock your bar cart or are on the hunt for tasteful gifts, Christopher Waters offers a selection of spirits covering a range of styles and flavours that share an enjoyable character.
Most are easy to find, and many were singled out because they are versatile spirits that could work for both cocktails and sipping. There are also two exclusive whiskies that have just come to market for enthusiasts looking to splurge.
TODAY’S LONG READ
The Globe 100: The best books of 2022
Illustration by Meegan Lim
To help shape this year’s Globe 100, our annual list of best books, we surveyed more than 200 authors, in Canada and abroad, about their favourite reads of 2022. Votes were cast for nearly 600 titles – poetry and horror, history and memoir, essays and short stories – representing a diversity of genre and authorship, not to mention a robust selection of books from Canada’s independent publishing houses.
Here are the 100 books that made the final cut – the books our respondents felt most strongly about, and the books that will continue to find a place on their shelves in the years to come.
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.