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These are the top stories:
In Hong Kong, hundreds of thousands protested against extradition bill
Fears of China’s encroachment are mounting on the semi-autonomous island just days before a controversial bill is put forward to Hong Kong’s legislature. Protest organizers say more than one million took to the streets to oppose a bill that would allow people to be extradited to mainland China, where they could face politically charged trials.
The demonstration included clashes with authorities, with some protesters removing barriers and police in riot gear using batons and pepper spray to push people back.
In Canada, protests were held in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary. There are about 300,000 Canadians living in Hong Kong who would be at risk should the legislation pass.
Human-rights groups say the bill erodes Hong Kong’s judicial independence and is a sign of the Communist Party reneging on a deal to guarantee social and political independence for 50 years following the handover to China in 1997.
Meanwhile, two Canadians continue to be caught up in Beijing’s incarceration system. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been detained for more than five months in apparent retaliation for the arrest of Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou. Kovrig’s employer says the ex-diplomat is “fighting and being as resilient and courageous as one could hope” in difficult conditions.
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Military sexual-assault trials have high acquittal rate despite a zero-tolerance policy
In 2015, General John Vance launched a zero-tolerance policy to combat sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces. But since then, only one soldier has been convicted by a military judge of sexually assaulting a female member, according to a new report. And of 14 sex-assault trials, nine resulted in acquittals on all charges. That’s an acquittal rate of 64 per cent – far higher than the rate of fivr per cent in civilian courts.
Meanwhile, many of the alleged assaults aren’t tried that way: The accused are sometimes permitted to plead guilty to lesser disciplinary offences and walk away with a fine and reprimand.
The Raptors have a chance to win their first NBA championship tonight
As many as 20,000 fans came out to cheer on the Raptors near Mississauga's city hall on Friday. (J.P. Moczulski/The Globe and Mail)J.P. MOCZULSKI/The Globe and Mail
At 9 p.m. ET, the Raptors will hit the court in Toronto for the chance to close out their series against the Golden State Warriors – and all of Canada will be watching. So how did we get here, with “Jurassic Park” viewing parties, O Canada singalongs at Oakland’s Oracle Arena and driveway hockey nets pushed aside for basketball hoops?
Just ask 10-year-old Trey Greger: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – 24 years and the Raptors are in the finals.” Along with his friend Fisher, he already has the okay from his parents to stay up late to watch the game, maybe even at an outdoor gathering in downtown Ottawa.
Cathal Kelly tees up the excitement in the air: “Great events aren’t about results. They’re about feelings. The Raptors are creating a lot them at the moment. This isn’t a basketball franchise any more. It’s a dream factory.”
One Raptor eager to get back on the court is Fred VanVleet. He was forced to get seven stitches – and a new tooth – after taking an elbow to the face during the fourth quarter of Game 4. “I’m not gonna smile for you or show you, but I’m back to normal,” he said, noting that doctors found no signs of a concussion.
If you’re thinking about buying a ticket for the game, good luck: prices on Ticketmaster’s resale marketplace start at around $2,500 for a nosebleed seat. (for subscribers)
In Toronto, city officials are expecting big crowds downtown this evening and they’re urging people to leave their cars at home. Extra subway trains and buses will be in operation.
Ottawa is moving to ban single-use plastics. The first step? Designating the waste as a toxic substance
Canada is taking a cue from the European Union as it eyes a ban on a range of plastics, including straws, coffee cups and stir sticks. The federal plan underscores a growing problem: City waste programs are overwhelmed by the spread of consumer packaging that’s discarded after a single use, with only nine per cent of plastics recycled in Canada. Plastics are also polluting Canada’s rivers and lakes.
The federal government is also pushing ahead with an effort to get provinces to transfer the costs of recycling to the businesses that produce or sell plastic products. Ontario recently revealed it would join B.C. as the only other province to do just that.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Major changes could be coming to Toronto’s French immersion program. The TDSB’s board is set to consider a proposal that would reduce the number of entry points to the second-language program from six to two: in junior kindergarten and Grade 4. The school board’s chair called the plan “bold” while a parents’ organization is expressing concern about barriers to access. (for subscribers)
B.C.’s forestry-dependent communities are feeling the impact as forest fires and the pine-beetle infestation deplete the availability of trees for logging. In Vavenby, north of Kamloops, 180 direct jobs will be lost in a city of just 3,500 when a sawmill closes in July. That’s just one of as many as 12 sawmills analysts predict will fold in the near future. (for subscribers)
The Stanley Cup Final is headed to a decisive Game 7 after the St. Louis Blues failed to close things out on home ice. The Boston Bruins topped the Blues 5-1, tying the series at three games apiece. The Blues will have another chance to win the first Cup in the team’s 51-season history on Wednesday.
European shares followed Asian stocks higher on Monday after the United States shelved plans to impose tariffs on Mexico and as investors anticipated lower U.S. interest rates when the Federal Reserve meets next week on the back of poor jobs data. Tokyo’s Nikkei gained 1.2 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng 2.3 per cent, and the Shanghai Composite 0.9 per cent. In Europe, London’s FTSE 100 and the Paris CAC 40 were up by between 0.3 and 0.5 per cent. New York futures were up. The Canadian dollar was holding just below 75.5 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
I was raised a Jehovah’s Witness. When I left the faith, my family and community shunned me
Amber Scorah: Really, I am not much different than the person they knew before. When you leave a cult, you shed its belief system and, if anything, you are more yourself than ever. Maybe that’s the problem. These are good people. These are people who love me. I know that they do. But if they saw me, they’d cross the street to avoid me. Amber Scorah is the author of Leaving the Witness: Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life.
Mixing immigration and tariffs alienates Trump business allies
David Shribman: “In employing bluff, bluster and bargaining tools to force a border agreement on Mexico, Donald Trump melded two of the most controversial – and unrelated – elements of contemporary debate in the United States: immigration and tariffs. But the administration’s gambit … had powerful aftershocks that will continue to rumble through Washington this week and stoke powerful resentments.” (for subscribers)
Canadian cities need to start turning down the volume
Globe editorial: “The dial is starting to turn. The issue of noise is evolving into a public-health question. Noise has been linked to heart disease and high blood pressure. It has been shown to affect the ability of children to learn – and adults well know the difficulty of concentration in a noisy office.”
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
(David Parkins/The Globe and Mail)David Parkins/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
Eating better can improve your mental well-being, particularly if you have depression
Research has linked a healthy eating to a lower risk of depression in adults and children, Leslie Beck writes. And while the findings don’t prove cause and effect, they do imply that an anti-inflammatory diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish can help. (for subscribers)
MOMENT IN TIME
Canadian troops landing on D-Day
For more than 100 years, The Globe and Mail has preserved an extraordinary collection of 20th-century news photography. Every Monday, The Globe features one of these images. In June, we’re looking back at D-Day.
(Gilbert A. Milne/The Canadian Press)GILBERT A. MILNE/The Canadian Press
Throughout D-Day, Canadian photographers Gilbert A. Milne and Ken Bell risked their lives to produce a treasure trove of photos, including the only colour images of the invasion, such as this shot of Canadian landing craft carrying infantry onto Juno Beach. Helping protect the soldiers were barrage balloons, four of which are visible here. Tethered to the ground by thick cables, the balloons prevented Nazi fighter jets from swooping in low and attacking the soldiers. The painted number 252 allows us to identify this boat as part of the 2nd Canadian flotilla, capable of carrying roughly 150 troops, and which reached the beach after the first assault had taken place. All in all, Canada contributed 110 vessels and 14,000 soldiers – by the end of the day, 359 Canadians had been killed and almost 700 wounded or missing, but the day had been won. – Ken Carriere
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