Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Russia fired two missiles into the Ukrainian capital Kyiv today during a visit by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. At least three people are injured after one of the missiles hit a residential building, according to the mayor of Kyiv.
Kyiv has enjoyed relative calm since Russian invasion forces failed to capture it and withdrew several weeks ago, but the capital remains vulnerable to longer-range Russian heavy weaponry.
The blasts shook Kyiv’s central Shevchenko district and the three injured have been hospitalized, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a Twitter post.
President Joe Biden asked Congress on Thursday for US$33-billion to support Kyiv, responding to pleas from Ukraine. It’s a massive jump in U.S. funding, which already includes over US$20-billion for weapons and ammunition, US$8.5 billion in direct economic assistance and US$3-billion in humanitarian and food security aid.
Meanwhile, Anita Anand, Canada’s Defence Minister, said during a visit to Washington on Thursday, where she was meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, that Canadian troops were training Ukrainian troops to use howitzer artillery.
In Germany, deaf Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Berlin say authorities are forcing them to leave the city and move to other parts of the country. Doing so would pull them away from integral services such as sign language interpretation, and from each other, reports Janice Dickson.
The group of about 90 refugees includes both deaf Ukrainians and their hearing family members. They say they have found schools for their deaf children in Berlin and have made friends in the local deaf community and that leaving would be difficult and isolating.
Read more:
- David Parkinson: War in Ukraine shines spotlight on fractures in the global financial system
- Doug Saunders: The world learned the wrong lessons about defence spending after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
- Konrad Yakabuski: The U.S. wants to ‘weaken’ Russia. Does it also want regime change?
- David Welch: Angela Merkel’s nuclear folly fuelled Putin’s ambitions in Ukraine
Ontario’s 2022 budget projects a deficit at $19.9-billion next year, increased spending for highways
Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy unveiled a pre-election budget on Thursday that pledges more money to expand hospitals and build highways. It puts off eliminating the province’s deficit for another six years.
The budget, released by the Progressive Conservative government just days before heading into a re-election campaign, contains little in the way of new policies or projects, as the government has spent months announcing many of its key provisions, including money for hospital expansion projects, an end to car-licence-plate fees as well as refunds on those fees, as well as a temporary 5.7-cent-a-litre cut to the gas tax after the election.
Titled Ontario’s Plan to Build, the budget projects that the deficit will spike to $19.9-billion in 2022-23. Other highlights include a focus on highway spending, with an added investment of $4-billion from what was earmarked last year. The government also plans to boost spending on health care infrastructure by $10-billion over the next 10 years, adding to the $30-billion previously budgeted.
Canadian Blood Services to end ‘blood ban’ for specific donors after Health Canada approval
Health Canada has approved the request by Canadian Blood Services to end the policy that prevents men who have sex with men from donating blood.
Starting no later than Sept. 30, potential blood donors will be asked if they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months, no matter their gender or sexual orientation.
Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said ending the discriminatory ban was “good news for all Canadians,” adding that the ban should have come to an end 10 to 15 years ago.
This is the daily Evening Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was sent to you as a forward, you can sign up for Evening Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters here. If you like what you see, please share it with your friends.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Pierre Poilievre would oppose Bank of Canada’s digital currency as PM: Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre said on Thursday that he would oppose a public digital currency backed by the Bank of Canada and would increase parliamentary oversight of the central bank.
Rebuilding community trust part of response plan for ‘Rolling Thunder’ biker rally: Ottawa’s mayor and interim police chief say a key part of the city’s planning for a massive motorcycle rally in the capital this weekend is to regain the trust of downtown residents who were traumatized by the trucker convoy protest earlier this year.
Families of foreign prisoners in China worry about their health, safety amid Shanghai’s COVID-19 lockdown: Authorities in China have responded to the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks in jails by further cutting off inmates from the outside world, reducing the ability of prisoners – both foreign and Chinese – to raise the alarm about abuses or poor care.
Moderna to seek authorization for COVID-19 vaccines for kids 5 and under: Moderna says it’s working on a submission to Health Canada for the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of six.
Elliott Investment Management calls for overhaul at Suncor, pushes for sale of Petro-Canada chain: Activist hedge fund Elliott Investment Management L.P. has launched a campaign against Suncor Energy Inc., pushing for an overhaul of management at one of Canada’s largest oil and gas producers and the sale of its Petro-Canada gas station chain.
Inflation bites Canada’s low-income workers: Canada’s high inflation rate is disproportionately affecting low-income workers, prompting some of them to demand higher wages from their employers, even if it means going on strike.
MARKET WATCH
Wall Street ended sharply higher on Thursday after a strong quarterly report from Meta Platforms lifted beaten down technology and growth stocks and offset worries about the U.S. economy’s contraction in the first quarter.
The S&P 500 climbed 2.47% to end the session at 4,287.50 points.
The Nasdaq gained 3.06% to 12,871.53 points, while Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.85% to 33,916.39 points. The TSX was up 1.81% to 21,121.06.
The Canadian dollar traded for 77.95 cents US, unchanged from Wednesday.
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.
TALKING POINTS
Politicians are selling us a myth on housing: that more supply will be our salvation
“...There needs to be a crackdown on individuals and corporations buying up real estate for their investment portfolios. In places like Toronto and Vancouver, this represents as much as 30 per cent of the market.” – Gary Mason
Johnny Depp, Amber Heard and the court of public opinion
“So far we’re experiencing a textbook case of what philosopher Kate Manne has labelled ‘himpathy’ – the tendency to extend undue empathy to men, and make excuses for certain behaviours.” – Elizabeth Renzetti
These are the holes to patch in Canada’s climate policy
“Carbon pricing is Canada’s main tool for slashing emissions, which is why the price is going to steadily rise in the years to come. But for now, it’s low enough to not make much of a difference.” – The Editorial Board
Lessons from Canadian political leadership reviews
“Consider how previous political leadership reviews have played out, paying particular attention to the threshold of approval considered necessary to declare a victory.” – David Mitchell
LIVING BETTER
Acknowledging your own burnout is hard enough – telling your boss can be even harder. Executive coach Ron Carucci says the first step in doing so is tackling your own resistance to seeking help. Most professionals shy away from asking for help, thinking it may make them feel inadequate, weak or incapable. When you do approach your boss, be specific about the symptoms you’re experiencing; generalizations like, “I’m just really stressed,” aren’t helpful.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Walmart Canada is in dire need of a shakeup. Meet the guy who’s leading it
When Walmart veteran Horacio Barbeito took over the retailer’s Canadian business, he found an operation in scorching need of a shake-up—one that’s going to cost $3.5-billion to pull off. April 2022NATHAN CYPRYS/The Globe and Mail
Horacio Barbeito joined Walmart 27 years ago in Argentina as a buyer-in-training. In 2012, he became CEO of Walmart Argentina and in 2019 he was asked to head up the revitalization of Walmart Canada. In two years he has witnessed, and contributed to, a retail landscape transformed by the forces of pandemic and technology. Walmart Canada’s e-commerce operation is now several years ahead of plan, and the company is adding high-tech fulfillment centres across the country. Trevor Cole spoke to Barbeito about what he thought of Canada’s ‘sleepy’ retail landscape when he first started, and the thought process behind his $3.5-billion modernization plan. Read the full interview here.
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.