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Police trucked away the blackened remnants of a massive Iranian attack that saw more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward Israel as the country’s war cabinet met to consider its response to the unprecedented strike that has pushed the region toward the precipice of a devastating war.
The unprecedented direct attack caused remarkably little damage after air defence systems knocked down virtually all of the incoming projectiles, but has raised fears that Israel will once again respond. Both sides warned that they are prepared for further violence, an outcome U.S. President Joe Biden sought to thwart by saying that American forces will not participate in any counteroffensive on Iran. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, however, said that conflict with Iran “is not over yet,” amid reports that the cabinet favours some form of retaliation but is divided on the scale and timing.
Iran’s offensive included roughly 120 ballistic missiles and 30 cruise missiles, along with some 170 drones. Israel, with assistance from U.S., Jordanian, French and British forces, boasted a 99-per-cent interception rate that knocked down much of the aerial fusillade before it could even cross into Israeli territory.
Read more:
- U.S. will not join any Israeli retaliation against Iran, Biden says
- Ukraine, like Israel, needs help from allies with air defence, Zelensky says
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system launches to intercept missiles fired from Iran, in central Israel, April 14, 2024.Tomer Neuberg/The Associated Press
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Canada’s top soldier touts greater focus on Arctic strategy amid moves by China and Russia
A sharper focus on the Arctic in Ottawa’s defence policy is a strategic move welcomed by Western allies, Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff says, as Russia and China contest this increasingly pivotal region, where global warming is opening the Northern Sea Route to shipping and military manoeuvres.
Wayne Eyre acknowledged that the $8.1-billion committed over all by the government to defence spending over the next five years falls short of the NATO spending target of 2 per cent of annual economic output. Still, he says the new money will help a military long neglected by governments of various political stripes.
Eyre also said he is unsure whether the military will see all of the $8.1-billion because the government is also imposing spending cuts that will reach $900-million annually with several years. At this point, he remains unsure of the net impact.
Lieutenant-General Wayne Eyre listens to speakers during a change of command parade for the Canadian Army on Parliament Hill, Aug. 20, 2019 in Ottawa.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
B.C. formally recognizes First Nation’s Aboriginal title to Haida Gwaii
The B.C. government has formally accepted that the Haida Nation has Aboriginal title to all one million hectares of the islands of Haida Gwaii, west of British Columbia’s north coast.
The unprecedented agreement – reached outside of the courts or the B.C. treaty process – includes a commitment from the Haida to leave privately owned lands unchanged and under B.C. authority. Governance over the existing Crown land tenures and protected areas will now be negotiated in a process that must reconcile Haida and provincial law.
The Gwaii Haanas legacy totem pole is seen after being raised in Windy Bay, B.C., on Lyell Island in Haida Gwaii on Aug. 15, 2013.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
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Also on our radar
How The Globe aligned its Arctic coverage with a truer image of the North: In the opening lines of her 2022 feature “No place to grow old,” health reporter Kelly Grant invites readers into a living room in Nunavut.
Ottawa focuses on French-speaking economic immigrants – and often bypasses stronger candidates: The federal government is prioritizing French-speaking economic immigrants, a shift that has often seen higher-ranking applicants bypassed in the selection process, according to a Globe and Mail analysis of figures published by the Immigration Department.
Do companies keep their job-creation promises after receiving government subsidies? Ottawa won’t say: Ottawa will not disclose whether companies that received subsidies have kept their job-creation promises, and internal documents suggest bureaucrats do not even track the information, which some experts say raises accountability concerns.
Barrick faces new pressures from Mali’s military junta as regime seeks control of mining sector: Barrick Gold Corp. is facing mounting pressure in Mali as the country’s military regime seeks to boost its control of the multibillion-dollar mining sector at a time of growing Russian influence over its economy.
Budget’s credit reporting for rent payments great in theory but hard in practice: The federal government’s move to have rent payments count toward credit scores could help millions of Canadians build a stronger credit history, but tenant advocates say the plan needs safeguards to protect vulnerable and low-income renters.
Morning markets
Europe’s main share and currency markets started the week modestly higher while oil and bond prices dipped, as investors kept Middle East concerns in check after Iran’s weekend attacks on Israel.
The pan-European STOXX 600 climbed 0.3 per cent, led by defence stocks. In early trading, Germany’s DAX rose 0.8 per cent and France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.66 per cent while Britain’s FTSE 100 slid 0.46 per cent.
U.S. stock futures ticked higher, after the heavy selloff on Wall Street on Friday that had been fuelled by dwindling rate cut hopes and a round of disappointing bank earnings.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei slid 0.74 per cent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed 0.72 per cent lower.
The dollar traded at 72.77 U.S. cents.
What everyone’s talking about
The budget needs bold change to fix Canada’s falling productivity
“We are in free fall, contributing to more expensive goods and services, and wasted opportunities for Canadian workers. Simply put, we are falling further behind in our standard of living without realizing it. Canada has become a nation of complacency.” – Mark Wiseman
Why the shadowy credit score industry should not exist
“Since the turn of the 1900s, credit bureaus – which sound governmental, yet are for-profit businesses – have aimed to predict financial behaviours and trustworthiness of borrowers. But credit scores today, created by private-sector firms that sell them for profit to creditors, should be consigned to history. It’s an industry that should no longer exist.” – Rob Csernyik
Today’s editorial cartoon
David Parkins/The Globe and Mail
Living better
Family support: How parents can set rules for smartphone use
Parents should have age-appropriate conversations about social-media use alongside managing screen time. For upper-elementary schoolchildren, discussions should focus on basic online etiquette and safety. Middle-school conversations can delve deeper into cyberbullying and digital-footprint management. High-school discussions should encompass responsible social-media use, including privacy settings, critical thinking about online content, and navigating complex online situations. Read the full story here.
Moment in time: Feb. 4, 2008
UBC students’ VW Bug prank
Workers remove a Volkswagen bug that was hanging from the Lion's Gate Bridge in Vancouver, Feb. 4, 2008, put there by UBC engineering students.JOHN LEHMANN/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 hoaxes.
University of British Columbia engineering students are wickedly clever, with a well-founded reputation of being great pranksters during the school’s engineering week. The students’ greatest stunt drew international attention. In February of 2001, they worked quickly in the middle of the night to heave the hollowed-out shell of a red Volkswagen Beetle off the side of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, leaving it hanging from a cable 30 metres in the air. The prank was pulled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first time UBC students hung the iconic Bug from Vancouver’s Lion’s Gate Bridge. And on Feb. 4, 2008, the red car, with a giant E (for engineering) painted on the roof, reappeared. Globe photographer John Lehmann captured the moment the car was removed from the Lion’s Gate Bridge. The stunts aren’t easy, requiring enormous planning and problem-solving. In the 1980s, it took students many months to figure out how to successfully plop a car on top of UBC’s clock tower. Practice makes perfect. Philip King.
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