Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Russia on Tuesday took its case to the U.N. Security Council that Ukraine is preparing to use a “dirty bomb” on its own territory, an assertion dismissed by Western and Ukrainian officials as misinformation and a pretext for escalating the war.
Moscow sent a letter detailing the allegations to the United Nations on Monday, and Russia raised the issue at a closed meeting with the Security Council. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday repeated Russia’s allegations and said the West was foolish to dismiss them.
They follow hints from Moscow that it might be forced to use a tactical nuclear weapon against Ukraine, whose president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said the dirty-bomb allegation showed Moscow was planning such an attack and seeking to blame Kyiv.
Read more:
- Explainer: How does a ‘dirty bomb’ work and what damage can it cause? Here’s what you need to know
- Eric Reguly: Marshall Plan 2.0 to rebuild Ukraine: Nice idea, shame about the details
- Russian court upholds U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner’s nine-year drug sentence
Ontario government introduces sweeping new housing plan
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is unveiling sweeping new legislation aimed to speed up housing construction that will cut fees for affordable and rental projects and increase density near transit stations while allowing three units on any residential lot across the province.
According to a briefing document the government provided to reporters, the changes will also bar residents or environmental groups from challenging developers before the province’s land tribunal and assign new housing targets to the province’s biggest municipalities.
The bill would also loosen rules for projects with fewer than 10 units, reduce the role of regional governments to approve housing projects and cut the number of public meetings municipalities must hold. It would also “streamline” and standardize the way local conservation authorities issue permits for development in wetlands or flood-prone areas.
Ottawa police inspector worried convoy protest could turn into Jan. 6-type attack
An inspector with the Ottawa Police Service told the public inquiry into the federal government’s unprecedented use of the Emergencies Act that the convoy protest that strangled downtown Ottawa last winter “exceeded” all expectations police had about how many people would take part.
Insp. Russell Lucas also said while he felt the first few days of the convoy protest were managed well, police missed an opportunity to reduce the area of the demonstrations when crowds thinned out after the first weekend.
In an interview with commission lawyers before the public hearings, Lucas also said social media posts made him worry the “Freedom Convoy” could turn into a Jan. 6-style attack on Parliament Hill.
Read more:
- Premier Doug Ford to fight summons to testify at Emergencies Act Commission
- Ottawa Police were unable to predict ‘community trauma’ from convoy protests, interim chief tells Emergencies Act inquiry
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Trump supporters in Michigan are mobilizing to give themselves authority over election results: Across Michigan, once-obscure election committees are now a front in the fight by Trump’s acolytes to take control of the country’s voting systems, reports Adrian Morrow.
Rishi Sunak pledges to bring ‘economic stability’ as he becomes Britain’s PM: Rishi Sunak became Britain’s third prime minister of the year on Tuesday, tasked with taming an economic crisis that has left the country’s finances in a precarious state and millions struggling to pay their food and energy bills.
Actors say Toronto talent agency Compass owes them more than $230,000 for work: The Globe and Mail has spoken with 22 current and former clients of Compass who say the agency has not paid them for acting work they did between January and September this year.
HSBC Canada reports profit in third quarter as deadline closes for first round of bids for company: HSBC Bank Canada reported a 29-per-cent increase in third-quarter profit, with rising income from each of its main business lines as total profit for its parent company HSBC Holdings PLC beat analysts’ expectations.
Elon Musk reportedly pledges to close Twitter deal this week: Elon Musk has pledged to close his $44-billion Twitter Inc deal by Friday in a video conference call with bankers who are helping fund the deal, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
MARKET WATCH
U.S. stocks ended sharply higher on Tuesday as soft economic data hinted that the Fed’s aggressive policy is taking effect, while falling benchmark Treasury yields boosted the rally’s momentum.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 337.12 points or 1.07 per cent at 31,836.74. The S&P 500 index was up 61.77 points or 1.63 per cent at 3,859.11, while the Nasdaq composite was up 246.51 points or 2.25 per cent at 11,199.12.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 178.61 points or 0.94 per cent at 19,097.01.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.32 cents US, compared with 72.88 cents US on Monday.
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TALKING POINTS
It’s time for Toronto’s mayor to step it up
“Mr. Tory is a steady-as-she-goes kind of guy, not a galvanizing figure or a visionary. That’s not always a bad thing in a tumultuous world. But it can be a fault at a time when citizens are looking for someone who can command their attention and inspire their hopes.” – Marcus Gee
Xi’s grip may have tightened, but he still has China’s long history of democratic protest to contend with
“Before Mr. Xi came to power in 2012 and tightened the screws on Chinese society, support for human rights and democracy was more mainstream, especially online. But even Mr. Xi has not been able to entirely quash China’s long tradition of democratic protest.” – Maya Wang
In the wake of four line-of-duty deaths, it’s clear we need to better protect our protectors
“While the men and women who answer the call to serve their communities do so with the knowledge that police work can be inherently dangerous, they did not sign up for this.” – Brian Sauvé
LIVING BETTER
Want to keep your pets safe and healthy? This tech’s for you
Wearable tech that tracks location, distance and health aren’t just for humans any more, as smart collars and other tech-assisted pet accessories have cropped up in the pet market. The work-from-home pivot of COVID-19 saw a spike in pet ownership in Canada; an Abacus Data survey estimates 900,000 Canadians got a new pet. With people now returning to the office, they are turning to AI-assisted cameras and other app-operated products to care for their pets from afar.
TODAY’S LONG READ
The long road ahead: Remaking the Coquihalla Highway after a one-in-1,000-year storm
The destroyed Juliet Bridge on the Coquihalla Highway in B.C. between Merritt and Hope.Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail
The Coquihalla, or Highway 5, was first built in the late 1980s as a shortcut between Hope and Kamloops. The four-lane highway offered a faster route not just for travelers, but also for goods moving to and from the Port of Vancouver.
In November, 2021, an atmospheric river brought heavy rain, landslides and deadly flooding to B.C. The Coquihalla and Coldwater rivers, which follow Highway 5, became so swollen with water that they easily overwhelmed the roadway’s defences against weather damage.
The damage forced the B.C. government to close Highway 5 temporarily. By the time it reopened two months later, the province had spent roughly $50-million on temporary repairs. It has now embarked on an unusual collaborative approach to a permanent solution: it hired design and construction firms at the same time, to accelerate the work.
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.