Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Despite overtures from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urging Russia to begin withdrawing its troops by Christmas, there will be no Christmas ceasefire on the Ukrainian frontlines.
On a day when Ukrainian air defences repelled 13 drones aimed at the capital, Kyiv, Russia said Ukraine must accept the loss of territory before any progress on a possible truce can be made. That doesn’t mean, however, that diplomatic relations are frozen solid.
Despite the lack of peace talks, hundreds of detainees have been freed in swaps in recent weeks. The releases have shown the two sides maintain at least limited contact on several levels. The latest exchange of dozens of detainees included a U.S. citizen, Kyiv and Washington said on Wednesday.
Stranded in Pakistani hotels for months, Afghan refugees struggle with hopelessness while awaiting word from Canada
A number of Afghan interpreters who have worked for Canada in the past, along with their families, now find themselves in an excruciating state of limbo. While they have been approved for resettlement in Canada, the wait to be offered a flight goes on. And on.
“We’re hopeless,” says one, surrounded by young children who are waiting for the elusive “e-mail” that would signal their ticket to Canada is ready.
They remain in Pakistan despite the fact that they have completed every step necessary to travel to Canada under a special immigration program established for Afghans who worked with Canadian military and diplomatic missions in Afghanistan. The uncertainty has left families confused and depressed.
OSC moves to withdraw charges against former CannTrust officials accused of growing pot in unlicensed areas
The legal saga of cannabis company CannTrust Holdings Inc. appears to be drawing to a curious close after the Ontario Securities Commission dropped its case against three former high-ranking officials at the company, former CEO Peter Aceto, former chairman Eric Paul and Mark Litwin, a former director.
The move was prompted by the revelation that the critical allegation against the three, that they allowed unlicensed growing of marijuana plants at the company’s facility, was walked back by a key witness.
The case resumes tomorrow after the judge agreed to give the OSC one day to consider its response to the men’s request for a verdict that would acquit them.
France books its ticket to World Cup final vs. Argentina
Randal Kolo Muani of France scores the team's second goal during the World Cup semi-final match between France and Morocco at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.Julian Finney/Getty Images
France prevailed today in the second World Cup semi-final, securing a chance to repeat as champions with a 2-0 victory over Morocco. A goal in the fifth minute of play by Theo Hernandez gave France an early lead and set a desperate tone for Morocco, the defensive side that had become the first African nation to appear in a World Cup semi-final.
The equalizer never came, but substitute Randal Kolo Muani added a second goal near the end of regular time to clinch France’s spot in Sunday’s final, when it will face Argentina. Morocco will play Croatia Saturday for the bronze medal.
Related:
- Investigation commissioned by National Women’s Soccer League finds ‘widespread misconduct’ directed at players
- Heart problem killed soccer journalist Grant Wahl
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Rate hike stateside: The U.S. Federal Reserve has again raised its key interest rate, opting for a half-percentage-point increase to 4.5 per cent instead of a three-quarter-point hike like those seen earlier this year.
Record-high average rents: On average, renters in Canada paid $2,024 for housing in November, $224 more than a year ago, with no signs of the trend slowing.
First Capital in turmoil? First Capital, owner of a $10-billion retail property portfolio, is asking investors to remain patient as it fends off multiple activist investor challenges.
Police state in Peru: Reacting to protests over the removal of President Pedro Castillo, Peru’s new government imposed a police state suspending citizens’ rights today.
Popular Ellen DJ dies: Stephen “tWitch” Boss, the long-time and beloved dancing DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and a former contestant on So You Think You Can Dance, has died at the age of 40.
MARKET WATCH
Volatile trading occurred today on the stock markets after the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate announcement, with indexes closing lower as Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he remained focused on pushing down inflation.
The strategy of aggressive interest rate increases by major central banks around the world this year has increased worries the global economy could be pushed into a recession.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 142.29 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 33,966.35, the S&P 500 lost 24.33 points, or 0.61 per cent, to 3,995.32 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 85.93 points, or 0.76 per cent, to 11,170.89.
On Bay Street, the S&P/TSX composite index ended down 131.81 points, or 0.7 per cent, at 19,891.65.
It cost 73.83 cents US to buy one Canadian dollar.
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TALKING POINTS
Do police officers in schools cause more harm than good?
“The effectiveness of placing officers in schools in terms of actually deterring violence is hard to measure ... [but] it is fair to say that SROs offer an imperfect solution to a complex set of problems” – Robyn Urback
Germany’s conspiracy-fuelled coup plot shouldn’t be laughed off
“That the plot had little chance of succeeding is not the point. The point, rather, is what this signals about the susceptibility of certain sections of the public to far-right conspiracy theories and the growing threat this poses, not just in Germany but across the democracies.” – Andrew Coyne
There are no grey areas in Mary Ng’s ethics breach. Apologizing is not good enough
“Ms. Alvaro acted as spokesperson for Ms. Ng’s first campaign in 2017 and had worked in political communications for years. It’s not surprising that Ms. Ng would want to get her communications advice from a pro she knows. It’s just that it’s against the rules to steer a government contract to a friend.” – Campbell Clark
LIVING BETTER
Brendan Fraser in a scene from The Whale.A24 via AP
The comeback story of Brendan Fraser, the humblest star in Hollywood
Thanks to his starring role in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, a dark and purposefully messy character study whose success rests entirely on the hefty shoulders of its leading man, 54-year-old Brendan Fraser is currently in the true thick of a Hollywood resurgence. “I still think that I’m the luckiest guy to have had the most diverse choices of film until I took a step back, and I don’t ever want to lose this.”
What Lucy Waverman is obsessed with right now: Gift-worthy cookbooks
Cookbooks have changed over the years. Once just collections of recipes, they are now tomes of wisdom and advice with chatty asides by the authors. My favourite books this year are all relaxed, creative, enticing and beautifully written.
TODAY’S LONG READ
How big-name investors, including Canadian pension funds, bought into a crypto craze that has resulted in criminal charges for FTX founder
“It was a new gold rush,” Kevin O’Leary recalled in a recent interview about the rise and fall of crypto giant FTX. “Everyone wanted in.”
But now, O’Leary is facing staunch criticism after he boosted FTX and failed to spot any irregularities from the many that would come to light just over a year later.
The recently bankrupted crypto firm’s startling collapse began in November. This week, police in the Bahamas arrested founder Sam Bankman-Fried in his Albany apartment complex. Mr. Bankman-Fried faces U.S. charges of criminal fraud and conspiracy, and said in court on Tuesday he will fight an extradition.
Still, global institutional investors poured more than a billion dollars into FTX, helping seal its leading position in the sector and Mr. Bankman-Fried as the golden boy of crypto. The glitzy hoopla surrounding FTX created a fear of missing out, pulling big investor and celebrity money into the frenzy, successively providing it with legitimacy, only to see a stunning meltdown.
Read the feature by Temur Durrani.
Evening Update is compiled and written weekdays by an editor in The Globe’s live news department. 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.