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Surveillance footage from a temple in Surrey, B.C., captures the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar last June, which began with a barrage of bullets and was over in less than two minutes.
The video, which The Globe and Mail has viewed, shows Nijjar’s pickup truck blocked by another car at one of the exits of the temple’s parking lot. Two men emerge from the vehicle and fire shots into Nijjar’s truck before getting back in their car and driving off.
In September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the government of India of being behind the shooting – an allegation strongly denied by the Indian government. A senior federal source said the Trudeau government is frustrated that no arrests have yet been made.
A car drives down Guru Nanak Way in Surrey B.C., on Monday, March 4, 2024.Ethan Cairns/The Globe and Mail
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Super Tuesday results move Biden, Trump closer to November rematch
Donald Trump strengthened his hold on the Republican Party’s presidential nomination after the candidate cruised to victory in the Super Tuesday contest, where residents of 16 states cast ballots on the single largest day of the primary calendar.
Polls showed Trump victories in all but one of the states, including California, the day’s biggest prize. The wins have significantly added delegates to his count, and by next week he could build an insurmountable majority.
Nikki Haley plans to suspend her Republican presidential primary bid in a speech on Wednesday morning, media reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
With President Joe Biden expected to steamroll over his token opposition in Democratic primaries, the result moves the country closer to a November rematch between the two men.
Senior business leaders support more pension fund investment in Canada
More than 90 top business leaders and executives, representing some of Canada’s largest companies, have signed on to support a campaign to increase Canadian pension plan investments in domestic businesses. The initiative has led to strong opposition from some of the country’s largest pension fund managers.
An open letter to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and her provincial counterparts urges the politicians to “amend the rules governing pension funds to encourage them to invest in Canada.”
In response, Michel Leduc, the global head of public affairs and communications at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, said policy makers need to look at the root economic causes of the decline in Canadian productivity, and consider a range of policy options.
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Also on our radar
Just for Laughs 2024 festival cancelled: Just for Laughs Group, the organizer of one of the world’s pre-eminent and influential comedy festivals, has cancelled this year’s event as it files for creditor protection. The company said the impact of COVID-19 and high inflation led to it ceasing all operations.
Ceasefire deal is in Hamas’ hands, Biden says: U.S. President Joe Biden said yesterday that it was up to Hamas to decide whether to accept a deal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages, as delegations held a third day of talks with no sign of a breakthrough. Hamas said on Wednesday it was pressing on with efforts to secure a ceasefire despite the absence of Israeli negotiators from talks in Egypt.
Five Canadians killed in plane crash: A single-engine plane that crashed near downtown Nashville was carrying five Canadians, an investigator with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said yesterday. The pilot told air traffic controllers he could see the runway they were clearing for an emergency landing, but said he couldn’t reach it before the plane crashed alongside Interstate 40, killing everyone on board.
Man who killed women in 1983 says he can’t remember crimes: A man who escaped police scrutiny for nearly 40 years after he murdered two Toronto women says he has almost no recollection of his crimes. But Joseph George Sutherland argues that the trial judge should give him some sentencing leeway to reflect the childhood trauma he suffered as an Indigenous boy forced to attend residential school.
Banks strike deal to build Indigenous projects faster: The Canada Infrastructure Bank and the First Nations Bank of Canada have struck a $100-million loan agreement to make it easier for Indigenous communities to borrow money to build infrastructure, including homes, roads and water-treatment plants.
Morning markets
U.S. stock index futures rose on Wednesday as investors await testimony by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell before Congress that could help determine the central bank’s monetary policy path.
World shares were mostly higher. Germany’s DAX added 0.1 per cent to 17,718.00 and the CAC 40 in Paris gained 0.2 per cent at 7,945.82. Britain’s FTSE 100 was 0.2 per cent higher to 7,663.94. Japan’s Nikkei was virtually flat.
The Bank of Canada will announce its latest interest rate decision at 9:45 a.m. ET, followed by a press conference by Governor Tiff Macklem and senior deputy governor Carolyn Rogers at 10:30 a.m. Follow our live coverage.
The dollar was trading at 73.65 U.S. cents.
What everyone’s talking about
Campbell Clark: “However, there is also an argument to be made that there aren’t a lot of political points to be won with spending in Ms. Freeland’s 2024 budget. The Liberals are way behind in polls and finding their credibility with the public low. Trying to rebuild it without a whack of new spending might be a better political plan. That just hasn’t been in the Liberal DNA. Can Ms. Freeland bravely announce nothing?”
Gary Mason: “To wit, it was no surprise when it was revealed last week the city of Toronto is already facing an $80-million cost overrun to host six games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The original estimate of $300-million has jumped to $380-million. Anyone thinking that will be the end of it is a fool. It’s only March, 2024, for heaven’s sake.”
Today’s editorial cartoon
Editorial cartoon by David Parkins, March 6, 2024.Illustration by David Parkins
Living better
How delaying retirement can boost income for singles
For many Canadians who work past 60, the question of retiring now or working a little longer is always top of mind. The answer for most lies in how much income they could expect in each scenario. Frederick Vettese looks at how delaying retirement can boost income for single people.
Moment in time: March 6, 1947
Dick Fosbury, of the United States, clears the bar in the high jump competition at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.Anonymous/The Associated Press
Dick Fosbury is born
Dick Fosbury didn’t make the cut for his high school’s basketball team, but his innovation on the athletic field at Oregon State University would turn heads. Born on this day in 1947 in Portland, Ore., Mr. Fosbury won the high-jump competition at two National Collegiate Athletic Association meets in 1968, using a revolutionary technique that would become known as the Fosbury Flop. He then gained international prominence when he won the gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. He cleared the bar with his novel way of going headfirst and arching his body backward before landing on the foam mat. His new technique went against the grain. The old way to do the high jump was either the straddle method or, even more basic, the scissor kick, which focused on getting one leg first over the bar and then the other leg. But then the Fosbury Flop took the athletic world by storm. Mr. Fosbury died of lymphoma on March 12, 2023. He left behind an inspirational legacy as a pioneering thinker in sports. Brent Jang
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