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The trial of Hong Kong’s most famous activist publisher, who was arrested under China’s crackdown on dissidents, has begun after being delayed for more than a year. Western leaders are calling for his immediate release.
Jimmy Lai, 76, broke into the city’s once freewheeling media world about three decades ago, armed with the belief that delivering information is equal to protecting freedom. Now, his own freedom is at stake as he faces possible life imprisonment for violations of Beijing’s sweeping national security law in a case that international human-rights groups have described as an attack on dissent and press freedoms in the territory.
The businessman was arrested in August, 2020, under Beijing’s newly imposed law and charged with colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to publish seditious publications. He is currently serving a term of five years nine months for fraud, related to a lease dispute at the former newspaper headquarters.
Opinion: Beverley McLachlin’s strange lack of judgment on Hong Kong - Globe editorial
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who founded local newspaper Apple Daily, prepare to put on a face mask before entering a court in Hong Kong on May 5, 2020.Kin Cheung/The Associated Press
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Canadian fighters in Ukraine feel effects of West’s waning interest first-hand
As the world shifts its attention to the Middle East, Canadian volunteers Dave and Justin Smith are growing concerned that the war they’d come to Ukraine to fight is slowly being lost. Not because the two Canadians have any doubts about the bravery or the commitment of the Ukrainians they fight alongside, but because they feel the West is becoming distracted and losing interest in the grinding conflict in Europe.
The stakes for them, and Ukraine, are getting higher. And the drift in public interest in Canada, the United States and Western Europe is being translated into government policies through a slowing of military assistance to Ukraine, as well as escalating diplomatic pressure on Kyiv to at least start thinking about what a negotiated end to the conflict might look like.
Canadians Dave and Justin Smith, members of International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine, walk the streets of Kupyansk, just eight kilometres from the Russian front line, Dec. 4, 2023.Anton Skyba/The Globe and Mail
Statscan data show rise in Canadian suicide deaths linked to toxic substance in Kenneth Law case
Data obtained by The Globe and Mail show a starkly rising death toll arising from toxic salts, a trend noticed at least five years ago in at least two provinces by pathologists, who have urged government officials to restrict sales of the substances. Yet no measures are being announced in Canada to contain the trade of substances such as sodium nitrite, even though jurisdictions such as the United State have already announced plans to better regulate the chemical in the near future.
Sodium nitrite has safe and legitimate uses, including in the preparation of cured meats, but it can be lethal if consumed in a highly pure form. The substance has come to public attention in Canada because of the arrest of Kenneth Law, a one-time chef from Mississauga who was charged this week with 14 counts of second-degree murder.
A Statistics Canada building and sign are pictured in Ottawa on July 3, 2019.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Israel opens aid crossing to Gaza while stepping up bombardment
Israel has opened a direct crossing for aid into Gaza for the first time since its war against Hamas began more than two months ago, but also stepped up attacks on the Palestinian enclave, saying military pressure was the only way its hostages would be freed.
The Israeli military also says it has discovered a large tunnel shaft in Gaza close to what was once a busy crossing into Israel, raising new questions about how Israeli surveillance missed such conspicuous preparations by Hamas for the militants’ deadly Oct. 7 attack. The entryway to the tunnel is just a few hundred meters from the heavily fortified Erez crossing and a nearby Israeli military base.
Meanwhile, in Canada, the RCMP and advocacy organizations are warning about a rise in online extremism in Canada after the arrest of an Ottawa youth who is facing terrorism-related charges for allegedly plotting an attack on Jewish people. Mounties said the youth was arrested on Friday and charged with two offences: facilitating a “terrorist activity” by communicating instructional material pertaining to an explosive substance; and knowingly instructing a person to carry out terrorism against Jewish people.
Smoke rises from damaged buildings, amid the ongoing ground operation of the Israeli army against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Dec. 15, 2023.AMIR COHEN/Reuters
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Also on our radar
Woody the talking Christmas tree delights and terrifies visitors at a Nova Scotia mall: Halifax’s talking Christmas Tree is loved and hated, garnering attention internationally while mesmerizing and terrifying locals at one of the region’s biggest shopping malls.
SDTC fallout: Is it time to change how Canada finances the clean-tech industry? Canadian clean-tech executives are growing worried about the sector’s ability to raise capital as the future of Sustainable Development Technology Canada – a crucial source of funding – remains uncertain after months of corruption accusations and political controversy.
Former Gildan CEO’s demand set off turmoil at company, director says: The turmoil now engulfing Gildan Activewear Inc. was triggered by an ultimatum the clothing maker’s former CEO gave to the board seeking their approval to do two to three multibillion-dollar acquisitions outside the company’s core manufacturing business, says a Gildan director.
Wireless home internet is latest battleground for telecoms: A new competitive front is emerging in Canada’s home-internet business. A recent promotional offer from Rogers Communications Inc. on fixed-wireless home internet has telecom analysts watching for signs that the service could become more popular in Canada – and possibly erode the sector’s profitability.
Nine Canadian fund managers offer their top picks and portfolio advice for 2024: A year ago, nine Canadian fund managers bravely broke out their 2023 crystal balls for us. We thought we’d check back in to see how their recommendations fared – and what their best advice and top picks are for the year ahead.
Morning markets
Global stocks struggle: World stocks slipped on Monday, while the U.S. dollar steadied ahead of a week including a Bank of Japan policy announcement and a key reading on U.S. inflation. Around 5:30 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.40 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 slid 0.14 per cent and 0.25 per cent, respectively. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei fell 0.64 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.97 per cent. New York futures were positive. The Canadian dollar was fairly steady at 74.73 US cents.
What everyone’s talking about
Here’s how we can safeguard privacy amid the rise of artificial intelligence
“While local laws may differ from country to country, principles are borderless. Adhering to this internationally recognized standard will be the only way that our global community can set itself up for a future that leverages data to its fullest potential, in a transparent and responsible way.” – Ann Cavoukian
Today’s editorial cartoon
David Parkins/The Globe and Mail
Living better
How to shop for the perfect winter parka, plus six coats that pack style and function
Reporting from the KITE Research Institute’s Controlled Climate Performance Lab in Toronto, part of the University Health Network, where scientists test state-of-the-art winter clothing and footwear with a focus on safety and efficacy, Truc Nguyen discusses what makes the perfect winter parka, based on scientific analyses.
Moment in time: Dec. 19, 2015
Mummer’s parade, Newfoundland and Labrador
A participant in the Mummer's Parade in St. John's, NL on Dec. 19, 2015.Darren Calabrese/The Globe and Mail
For more than 100 years, photographers and photo editors working for The Globe and Mail have preserved an extraordinary collection of news photography. Every Monday, The Globe features one of these images. This month, we’re showcasing parades.
In Newfoundland, mummering is a 300-year-old Christmastime tradition in which people dress in disguise and visit several homes in an evening to see if their identity is guessed – and then invited in for a drink or some food. Fun and simple. But mummering was once thought to be dangerous, so it used to be banned in the province. Of course, people still took part on their own, but not in official parades in towns and cities. Now, the province fully recognizes mummering’s historical significance. In the 2015 photo above, a participant takes part in the mummer’s parade in St. John’s. The parades are creative and relatively easy for the hundreds of participants. Mummers pull together a costume from tables piled high with used clothing and off they go. They capture the spontaneity of the old tradition and for several hours, mummerers can sing, dance and play – in the streets or house to house – and likely have no one guess who they are. Philip King.
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