Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
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A New York jury has found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts in a hush-money case related to the 2016 election, marking the first ever criminal conviction of a former U.S. president.
Trump was convicted of falsifying business records to hide a US$130,000 payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels. The jury deliberated for a day-and-a-half. Prosecutors had argued the payment was an illegal contribution to Trump’s presidential bid, and the jury found the falsifications were made to violate campaign-finance law, making the charges felonies.
It could mean prison time for Trump, but a sentence likely won’t be handed down until after the Nov. 5 presidential election, in which he is seeking to return to the White House. It remains to be seen what effect the conviction will have on the rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden.
And it’s not the end of Trump’s legal woes: He faces three other criminal prosecutions, though those trials likely won’t begin before voting day.
Medical experts, federal Health Minister criticize breast cancer screening guidelines
Experts are criticizing an update to Canada’s national breast screening guidelines that does not advise that people in their 40s be routinely screened for breast cancer, despite shifts toward earlier screenings by other jurisdictions and organizations.
Federal Health Minister Mark Holland said he had “serious concerns” about the findings and called for a review of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care’s decision.
The task force released its new recommendations today, a time of heightened debate over the right time to start screening. The Canadian Cancer Society recently released a position statement calling for routine breast screenings to begin at age 40, and governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario moved screenings to that age. A U.S. task force also recently recommended screenings begin at age 40.
But Guylène Thériault, co-chair of the task force, said the group didn’t find compelling scientific evidence to warrant lowering the screening age for average-risk individuals.
The guidelines advise screenings every two to three years for people aged 50 to 74. They also note that women aged 40 to 49 should be able to access screening if they want it, after being told about possible risks and benefits.
Related:
- When are Canadians eligible for breast cancer screenings? Guidelines for each province and territory
A doctor examines mammograms.Eric Gaillard/Reuters
Hong Kong convicts 14 pro-democracy activists, acquits two in biggest national security case
Fourteen pro-democracy activists were convicted in a landmark Hong Kong national security case. The court said the group’s plans for an unofficial primary election would have undermined the government’s authority and created a constitutional crisis.
Former lawmakers were among those found guilty of conspiracy to commit subversion, and they could face up to life in prison. Two former district councillors were acquitted, but the prosecution said it intends to appeal those acquittals.
Chinese authorities have effectively silenced dissent in Hong Kong after 2019′s protest movement, including by imposing the security law that the activists were convicted under. Critics say the latest development sends a chilling message about the state of democracy and rule of law in Hong Kong.
Related:
- ”Hong Kong 47″ convictions close the book on city’s opposition movement, James Griffiths writes
Lawrence Lau, a former pro-democracy district councilor, leaves the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts in Hong Kong, where 14 pro-democracy activists were convicted in Hong Kong’s biggest national security case. Lau and one other were acquitted, but prosecutors intend to appeal that decision.Chan Long Hei/The Associated Press
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
RBC earnings: Royal Bank of Canada beat analysts’ estimates for its second-quarter profits. The bank set aside lower-than-expected provisions for potentially bad loans, and it’s absorbing its $13.5-billion takeover of HSBC Bank Canada.
South Africa election: Votes are being counted in South Africa’s election, and the ruling African National Congress seems headed for its worst-ever performance. Follow along with Geoffrey York’s coverage.
Doug Ford: Critics are calling on Ontario’s Premier to apologize after he suggested without proof that immigrants were to blame for shots fired at an empty Toronto Jewish school. Police have said they have little information about potential suspects.
Financial literacy: Ontario high school students will need to pass a financial literacy test in order to earn a diploma starting in 2025, the provincial government has announced.
Sunset clauses: In a significant shift, Ottawa is advising that public servants release historical records after designated time thresholds. A lack of policy in this area has posed challenges for historians in Canada, a Globe investigation revealed last year.
Israeli woman recalls captivity: Hagar Brodutch was held captive by Hamas with her three children and the daughter of a family friend while Israel’s retaliatory bombing began. After being freed in November, she’s sharing her story – and advocating for peace.
Cybercrime: A network of European law enforcement agencies say they have taken down computer networks that spread ransomware through infected e-mail. They’re calling it the biggest-ever international operation against this form of cybercrime, making four arrests, taking down more than 100 servers and seizing 2,000 internet domains.
Campus protests: McGill University’s president is decrying a lack of police action against pro-Palestinian protesters, who he alleged have made threatening actions. Montreal police said they couldn’t comment because an investigation is under way.
Grizzly attack: In an unusual attack, a Grizzly bear killed 17 sheep on a ranch in Alberta.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index differentiated itself from sliding U.S. markets Thursday, gaining more than 150 points on the back of better-than-expected quarterly results from Royal Bank and CIBC.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 173.73 points at 22,071.71.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 330.06 points at 38,111.48. The S&P 500 index was down 31.47 points at 5,235.48, while the Nasdaq composite was down 183.50 points at 16,737.08.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.11 cents US compared with 72.99 cents US on Wednesday.
The July crude contract was down US$1.32 at US$77.91 per barrel and the July natural gas contract was down 10 cents at US$2.57 per 1,000 cubic feet.
The August gold contract was up US$2.40 at US$2,366.50 an ounce and the July copper contract was down 13 cents at US$4.66 a pound.
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TALKING POINTS
Free trade with our friends, absolutely. With our enemies? Not so much
“If Portugal takes over the EV industry, it’s not an issue. If China takes over the EV industry, it may be: not as a matter of economics, but of security. Such claims should still be viewed skeptically. There are any number of old-fashioned protectionist interests hoping to hide behind the newfangled concern for security. But they can’t be dismissed out of hand.” – Andrew Coyne
Civil servants’ battle for remote work represents a new frontier in workers’ rights
“This has never been about how many days workers should spend in the office; it’s about the future of work as we know it for tens of millions of Canadian workers whose jobs can be done just as effectively from home as in the office.” – Chris Aylward
A Liberal position on housing that defies gravity
“But here’s the rub: the Prime Minister can’t have it both ways. Housing is inaccessible right now because it is too expensive. The only way to increase access until supply can catch up to demand is for prices to drop.” – The Editorial Board
LIVING BETTER
Illustration by Allison & Cam
Single people are fed up with dating apps and returning to the real world to meet their match
Old-school dating methods are making a comeback, as singles feel burnt out from swiping on dating apps. Read how daters are trying out singles mixers, meetup groups and speed dating to meet their matches.
TODAY’S LONG READ
The Klamath River runs near Happy Camp, Calif.Nathan Howard/The Associated Press
Klamath dam removal aims to return salmon to waters they could not reach for decades
Salmon may soon start swimming along a Western U.S. waterway again in an ambitious dam removal project. The Klamath River restoration effort is the largest of its kind in U.S. history, and it raises questions about how to redraw an environment that’s already been shaped by humans.
Evening Update is written by Holly McKenzie-Sutter. 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.