Christopher Wylie, who formerly worked with Cambridge Analytica, the consulting firm at the centre of a data privacy scandal, speaks at the Frontline Club in London on Tuesday.Matt Dunham
Good morning,
These are the top stories:
Whistle-blower alleges AggregateIQ involved in dirty-tricks campaigns worldwide
Christopher Wylie, the Canadian whistle-blower whose revelations shed light on the abuse of user data on Facebook, is accusing a Victoria-based company of participating in dirty practices during Brexit and the Nigerian election campaign. Mr. Wylie helped launch AggregateIQ, and appeared before a House of Commons committee in Britain, where he levelled the accusations. Mr. Wylie also previously helped launch Cambridge Analytica, the Britain-based political consultants that have been at the centre of Facebook’s data scandal. AggregateIQ worked for Vote Leave during the Brexit referendum two years ago and denies any wrongdoing.
Ann Cavoukian, former information and privacy commissioner of Ontario, writes that individuals should be in control when it comes to privacy: “We can do this by using the innovative technologies of artificial intelligence encompassing deep reinforcement learning, homomorphic encryption, blockchain and evolutionary computation. We have tools that can serve as technologies of freedom – not the dystopian view of dated zero-sum, win-lose models. This is a call to all privacy-loving technologists: Let’s take the road less travelled and develop technologies that will preserve our privacy and, most importantly, our cherished freedoms.”
The escalating toll: 2017 set to be worst year in Canada for overdoses
According to new estimates by the Public Health Agency of Canada, more than 4,000 people are projected to have died of opioid-related overdoses in 2017. The figure would be the worst year on record for overdose deaths. The death toll continues to rise despite efforts by both federal and provincial governments to address the crisis. National numbers are imperfect because of discrepancies between the ways that different provinces report statistics on overdoses but the figures show an emerging trend: More Canadians die of overdoses than motor-vehicle accidents and homicides combined.
Evelyn Pollock hopes the story of her son’s life and death will serve as a warning about the scale of the fentanyl crisis affecting Canadians across the country, and a reminder that the addicts we pass in the street are real people.
Kim Jong-un’s surprise trip to Beijing places China back at the fore of talks on North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju travelled to Beijing for diplomatic talks, China says, ending the mystery and speculation that had arisen when an armoured train used by North Korea arrived in China’s capital. The trip by Mr. Kim, which is the first reported overseas visit since he became supreme leader in 2011, thrusts China back into a leading role in de-escalating tensions in the Korean peninsula. During his trip he said that he is willing to speak with the United States and hold a summit, according to Chinese state media. Since Mr. Kim’s ascension, the relationship between North Korea and China has soured but this week’s trip points to changing dynamic between the two countries.
Quebec pre-election budget contains massive boost in government spending
The Quebec Liberals have tabled a balanced budget that includes a massive spending boost, six months before Quebeckers go to the polls in a provincial election. The spending plan, which was tabled by Finance Minister Carlos Leitao, includes a sales tax on Netflix and other foreign digital companies. Quebec had three previous years of surplus budgets and this year’s budget is expected to bring down the province’s debt-to-GDP ratio further. The budget promises to hire teachers and support staff while also increasing health spending. There are no major personal tax cuts but a smattering of targeted tax cuts and subsidies for small businesses and cultural and community groups.
We’ve also broken down the most important things about the budget, with charts illustrating what you need to know.
Five things to watch for in Ontario’s budget
The Ontario Liberals will table the final budget of their mandate today and will likely dangle plenty of incentives and targeted spending announcements to prospective voters. What should you expect? Spending announcements on child care, pharmacare, health care and infrastructure as well as a budget that goes into the red once again.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
What went wrong with Uruguay’s cannabis legalization and what Canada can learn from it
It’s been nine months since Uruguay became the first country in the world to fully legalize and regulate cannabis, but with crackdowns by banks and bureaucratic backlogs, getting recreational marijuana is a challenge. The Globe’s Latin America Bureau Chief Stephanie Nolen travelled to the South American country to investigate what happened, and what lessons Canada can take away from it. (for subscribers)
MORNING MARKETS
Stocks tumble
Stocks toppled again on Wednesday, as jitters about a U.S.-China trade war and regulatory crackdown on firms such as Facebook left investors facing their first quarterly fall in equity markets in two years. Tokyo’s Nikkei lost 1.3 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng 2.5 per cent, and the Shanghai composite 1.4 per cent. In Europe, London’s FTSE 100, Germany’s DAX and the Paris CAC 40 were down by between 0.5 and 1.2 per cent by about 5:50 a.m. ET. New York futures were also down. The Canadian dollar was holding at about 77.5 US cents. Oil fell as investors took profit on a rally the previous day after a report showed a surprisingly large increase in U.S. crude inventories.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Brian Pallister’s latest wounds are self-inflicted
“Not only has he angered one of the province’s most powerful figures and a key party benefactor, he’s also infuriated and alienated an Indigenous community whose co-operation he’s going to need down the road. It’s quite a predicament he’s found himself in, most of it of his own making.” – Gary Mason
The Stormy Daniels scandal is not about sex – it’s about threats, bribes and silence
“The most significant aspect of the Stormy Daniels case is not the sexual relationship, which she says was consensual – a rather novel concept given the many allegations of sexual assault levelled at Mr. Trump. What matters is the Trump team’s alleged use of non-disclosure agreements, payoffs, and threats to intimidate a target into silence – allegations that Mr. Trump and his enthusiastic backers have had to defend for decades. By refusing to stand down, Ms. Daniels provides valuable insight into how Mr. Trump maintains power – and prompts disturbing questions about what those who are too scared to speak might have to say.” – Sarah Kendzior
Want to punish Putin but not the Russian people? Seize the oligarchs’ luxury properties
“So how to punish Mr. Putin, and try to contain Russian aggression, without hurting the Russian people and the European economy? Everything from boycotting this summer’s World Cup soccer tournament in Russia to cutting the Russian banks out of the SWIFT payment order network has been floated (a few Russian banks operating in Crimea were disconnected from SWIFT after Russia’s seizure of the former Ukrainian territory). Each is problematic for political, legal or moral reasons. But there is one option that would hurt Mr. Putin and his oligarch buddies without wrecking the Russian economy: The seizure of Russian-owned luxury properties in London, New York and other addresses into which which torrents of Russian money have flowed.” – Eric Reguly
Why treating runner’s knee can be a simple fix
When it comes to runner’s knee, something that afflicts recreational runners as well as professionals, the first question to ask is “did I do too much, too soon,” personal trainer Alex Hutchinson writes. Avoiding training errors like running too fast or increasing distance too quickly should be the first priority if you’re dealing with knee-related pains.
MOMENT IN TIME
‘Big Bang’ theory is coined
March 28, 1949: Unlike most of the world, much of the scientific community in the early 20th century subscribed to the static infinite or steady state theories, which hold that the universe has neither a beginning nor an end. But in 1927, Belgian priest and astronomer George Lemaître proposed that the universe came into being at some point – what he called the “hypothesis of the primeval atom” – and is expanding. The idea was initially rejected, but later accepted by Albert Einstein, who had developed the static infinite theory to accommodate certain elements of his general theory of relativity. Two decades later, astronomer Fred Hoyle, a proponent of the steady state theory, referred to Lemaître’s idea – perhaps derisively – as the “Big Bang” theory on a BBC radio show. He later said many scientists liked the idea because “it is deep within the psyche of most scientists to believe in the first page of Genesis.” In fact, Pope Pius XII later said Lemaître’s theory confirmed Catholic teachings about creation, but both Lemaître and the Pope’s own scientific adviser told the pontiff not to conflate the scientific theory with the story in the Bible. The Pope agreed, of course, obviously aware that St. Augustine had also cautioned his fellow Christians, 15 centuries earlier, about reading the allegories of the Bible as scientific facts. – Massimo Commanducci
Morning Update was written by Mayaz Alam
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