Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Trump expected to report to Atlanta jail tonight
Developing story: Donald Trump is set to make history as the first former U.S. president to submit to a mug shot when he appears at an Atlanta jail this evening to face criminal charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia.
He already has entered uncharted territory as the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges, though those four cases against him have not slowed his momentum as the front-runner in the Republican presidential nomination race.
While he was a no-show at the first Republican presidential candidate debate last night, his spectre loomed large. The chaotic scene unfolded as something between a fight for second place, an audition for a role in a future Trump administration and a battle over the direction of the party.
Trump instead gave a pretaped interview to fired former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, in which he dismissed his competitors.
Analysis: Even in absence, Trump casts a long shadow over Republican debate - David Shribman
Timeline: When is Donald Trump due in court next? Dates to watch in his criminal cases and the GOP campaign
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Russian plane crash seen as Kremlin’s revenge
A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment has found that the plane crash presumed to have killed Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was intentionally caused by an explosion, according to U.S. and Western officials.
The officials did not offer any details on what caused the explosion that was believed to have killed Prigozhin and several of his lieutenants to avenge a mutiny that challenged Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s authority.
Earlier in the day, Putin was silent as speculation swirled, addressing the BRICS summit in Johannesburg via videolink without mentioning the crash. Later, in a televised interview, he expressed condolences for those who were aboard the jet, including Prigozhin.
Analysis: Prigozhin’s apparent death is what happens when you challenge Putin’s hold on power - Mark MacKinnon
BRICS expands membership in boost to China, Russia
The BRICS bloc of countries has agreed to add six new members in a major expansion drive that strengthens the hand of China and Russia in their battle against the power of Western sanctions.
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates will formally join in January in the first expansion of the bloc since 2010.
It means the bloc will represent 47 per cent of the world’s population and 36 per cent of the global economy, according to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Opinion: BRICS’ growing momentum is a direct challenge to the U.S.-led economic order - Bessma Momani, political science professor, University of Waterloo
Walmart, Diesel and Hugo Boss face forced-labour federal probe
A federal watchdog created to probe corporate wrongdoing abroad says it is opening investigations into whether three clothing retailers, Walmart Canada, Hugo Boss Canada and Diesel Canada, are selling products made in China with Uyghur forced labour.
Last month, the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise announced probes into Nike Canada and Dynasty Gold, and earlier this month said it was investigating Ralph Lauren Canada.
The federal watchdog is investigating all of the companies in response to complaints filed last year by a coalition of human-rights groups..
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Bank earnings: Royal Bank of Canada has reported higher third-quarter profit that beat analysts’ estimates on a boost in revenue from higher interest rates, and also says it expects to trim its workforce to rein in costs.
Meanwhile, Toronto-Dominion Bank has posted lower profit for the quarter that missed analysts’ estimates. The bank also has been responding to inquiries from regulators and law enforcement related to its anti-money laundering practices.
Wildfires updates: Northwest Territories officials are using roadblocks to turn back Yellowknife residents who are trying to return home while the city is still under a state of emergency.
In B.C., RCMP say protesters hoped to “overwhelm” a wildfire blockade on the Trans-Canada Highway in the Shuswap region, confronting officers late yesterday while some residents refused to obey evacuation orders.
Missed Amber alert probed: The OPP say an early-morning Amber Alert was not transmitted to cellphones across the province and they are investigating what went wrong. The baby girl involved has since been found safe, and her father has been taken into custody.
Arby’s owner to buy Subway: Private-equity firm Roark Capital has agreed to buy U.S. sandwich chain, in a deal said to value Subway at up to $9.55-billion, including debt.
MARKET WATCH
U.S. stocks ended sharply lower today, led by a drop in the Nasdaq and investor nervousness ahead of U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell’s speech tomorrow. Canada’s main stock index also retreated, including losses for energy and technology shares.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 373.56 points or 1.08 per cent to 34,099.42, the S&P 500 dropped 59.70 points or 1.35 per cent to 4,376.31, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 257.06 points or 1.87 per cent to end at 13,463.97.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index slid 103.96 points or 0.52 per cent to 19,775.83. The Canadian dollar traded at 73.61. U.S. cents.
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TALKING POINT
New Trudeau cabinet, same old spending – this hurts the middle class
“Every time the Finance Minister now mentions fiscal restraint, the government is rushing to telegraph new spending is on the way, the latest case being housing and pharmacare.” - Robert Asselin, senior vice-president of policy, Business Council of Canada
LIVING BETTER
Kids who are taught money management by their parents are more likely to demonstrate healthy financial behaviors like saving and budgeting, research shows. Here are some tips for starting money-wise conversations with your teenager in preparation for their college years. They include starting the conversation early and figuring out the student’s “financial road map.”
TODAY’S LONG READ
New generation of Loch Ness monster hunters on quest to finally solve the mystery
The myth of the Loch Ness monster, caricatured in this 1934 postcard.ullstein bild Dtl./Getty Images
The Loch Ness monster has captivated explorers, curiosity seekers and lovers of tall tales for nearly a century. Now a group of Nessie enthusiasts hopes to finally unlock the mystery this month when they launch the biggest search for the elusive creature in 50 years.
The Quest Weekend, which runs Aug. 26-27, has drawn interest from around the world and it’s being billed as a chance for “a new generation of monster hunters to help uncover the truth.”
Organizers plan to use thermal drones equipped with infrared cameras at night to scan the surface of the lake in the Scottish Highlands, and to submerge a hydrophone to listen for any “Nessie-like calls” under water. They’ll also be relying on more than 100 volunteers who will stand along the shore and watch for any inexplicable movements. Read the full story by Paul Waldie
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