Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Ukrainian dam destroyed, thousands evacuated due to flooding
An explosion blew a large hole in a dam and hydroelectric plant on the Dnipro River in Ukraine, flooding at least eight communities, threatening the city of Kherson and causing mass evacuations.
The 30-metre-high Nova Kakhovka dam had been destroyed by an “internal detonation” early Tuesday, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine is accusing Russia of a “terrorist attack,” while Moscow claims the dam collapsed owing to Ukrainian shelling. Meanwhile, some local officials suggested the 67-year-old structure had burst due to poor maintenance and record-high water levels.
Read more:
- EU member Slovenia overwhelmingly defeats Moscow ally Belarus for UN Security Council seat
- Head of Wagner calls Russian claims of victories in Ukraine ‘absurd science fiction’
David Johnston says China interference findings may have been based on incomplete intelligence
Former governor-general David Johnston conceded Tuesday that his findings that China did not orchestrate a campaign against the Conservative Party may have been based on incomplete intelligence, casting doubt on the special rapporteur’s report that a public inquiry into Beijing interference in Canadian democracy is not warranted.
In testimony before the Commons committee on procedure and House affairs, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh pressed Johnston to explain a contradiction between his report and what former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole told Parliament last week.
On May 30, O’Toole informed the House that CSIS briefed him that “my party, several members of my caucus and me were targets of misinformation and voter suppression that was orchestrated by China before and during the 2021 election.” Johnston said his report was based on what he knew at the time.
Read more:
- David Johnston’s lead counsel on foreign interference probe attended Trudeau fundraiser in 2021
- John Ibbitson: David Johnston’s report on foreign interference will keep the issue front and centre
‘Significant progress’ made on Stellantis deal, Ottawa says, as automaker reviews offer
Automaking giant Stellantis announced today that it is reviewing a written offer from Ottawa after weeks of negotiation to keep its electric-vehicle battery plant in Ontario.
Federal and provincial politicians were optimistic that a deal could be struck in the next few days that would prevent the company from moving construction of its $5-billion electric-vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont., to the United States.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said today he believes the deal is close, but wouldn’t say if Ottawa is prepared to propose even more money if the offer is refused, saying he won’t negotiate in public. “I think we have made significant progress. We’re getting to the end of that,” Champagne told reporters in Ottawa.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Prince Harry tells court he has been under ‘press invasion’ most of his life: The Royal Family member brought his crusade to reform Britain’s tabloid press to a London courtroom on Tuesday, but he often came up short when pressed to back up his claims about illegal wrongdoing by journalists.
PGA Tour to merge with Saudi-funded LIV Golf, ending feud: The PGA Tour ended its expensive fight with Saudi Arabia’s golf venture and now is joining forces with it, making a stunning announcement Tuesday of a merger that creates a commercial operation with the Public Investment Fund and the European tour.
Latest updates on wildfires in Canada today: As one Quebec city that had been threatened by wildfires lifted an evacuation order Tuesday, authorities turned their attention to communities in the northern and northwestern parts of the province. As a whole, Canada could exceed the largest total amount of burned area recorded in this country in a single year.
Fire & Flower files for CCAA: One of Canada’s largest cannabis retailers filed for creditor protection after it faced losses every year of operation and intense competition from the industry and illegal market.
Will Canada be able to house all the immigrants it hopes to welcome by 2025?: The country is already dealing with a profound housing crisis. As it faces the prospect of welcoming half a million permanent residents a year by 2025, this episode of the CitySpace podcast tries to answer some fundamental questions. Where will all these newcomers live and whose job is it to make sure the country is prepared?
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index rose on Tuesday to its highest closing level in two weeks, helped by gains for the technology sector and an increase for Teck Resources shares as investors awaited a Bank of Canada interest rate decision.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 123.98 points or 0.62 per cent at 20,055.60
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 10.42 points or 0.03 per cent at 33,573.28. The S&P 500 index was up 10.06 points or 0.24 per cent at 4,283.85, while the Nasdaq composite was up 46.99 points or 0.36 per cent at 13,276.42.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.52 cents US compared with 74.44 cents US on Monday.
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TALKING POINTS
B.C.’s drug decriminalization experiment is off to disastrous start
“The reality is, when it comes to dealing with the widespread scourge of drug addiction, we need to balance the needs of the individual with the broader needs of society.” – Gary Mason
Immigration: Don’t mess with the success of private refugee sponsorship
“Private sponsorship of refugees is a huge undertaking, in financial and logistics and social support, and it is amazing that so many Canadians put up their hands to do this.” – The Editorial Board
In Hong Kong, the government is redefining ‘the right to know’
“That expression – ‘the right to know’ – is often used in the context of asserting citizens’ right to access government or corporate data. In Hong Kong, it seems, its meaning has been twisted into the government’s right to silence its critics.” – Frank Ching
LIVING BETTER
If apples, pistachios, cocoa and tea don’t show up often in your diet, consider incorporating them into your regular menu, writes Leslie Beck. Thanks to their flavanol content, doing so can mitigate age-related memory loss. That’s according to new research from Columbia University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
TODAY’S LONG READ
The exterior of the Thornton-Smith building at 340 Yonge Street in Toronto, on June 2, 2023.Duane Cole/The Globe and Mail
The Thornton-Smith building on Toronto’s bustling Yonge Street has existed since 1922 and housed an antiques/interior design firm, then a ladies’ ready-to-wear shop. Around the simple and classic building, Yonge Street shapeshifted over the years. By 1948 the restaurant across the street would become Steele’s Tavern, where a young Gordon Lightfoot would find his footing. The building’s other neighbours helped change the face of Yonge to one filled with tawdry, flashing neon, laughter, music and booze. From the sixties onwards, the Thornton-Smith building at 340 Yonge St was the Toronto Camera Centre, run by George Rutherford and sons Jack and Ken. In the mid-1980s, George’s grandson, J. Ken Rutherford, would take ownership and has since transformed the beautiful building. “I own this property because I want to make a difference in the city,” he says. Read Dave LeBlanc’s full column on the journey of 340 Yonge.
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.