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Canada is facing criticism for its equivocal stand on the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor’s decision to request warrants for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defence Minister as well as three senior members of Hamas.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada respects the independence of the ICC, but that they are concerned the court is drawing parallels between Israel and Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist organization in Canada.
Their remarks contrast with the firm response of many of Israel’s Western allies, including the United States, Britain and Germany which strongly condemned the ICC initiative, and France which offered support for the court’s move.
- Norway, Ireland and Spain to recognize Palestinian state in historic move
- Israeli forces move deeper into Rafah after night of heavy bombardment
- UN halts all food distribution in Rafah after running out of supplies in the southern Gaza city
People look for surivors in the rubble of a building that was damaged during Israeli bombardment at the Al-Daraj neighbourhood in Gaza City on May 21, 2024.-/Getty Images
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Inflation cools in April, increasing odds of a summer interest rate cut
Canada’s inflation rate cooled further in April as higher interest rates work to restrain price growth. The Consumer Price Index hit a three-year low, rising 2.7 per cent on an annual basis in April, down from 2.9 per cent in March.
The annual inflation rate has fallen within the Bank of Canada’s target of 1 to 3 per cent for four consecutive months, signalling that the central bank will start cutting interest rates this summer.
A loosening of monetary policy will mark a significant milestone for the Canadian economy, which has struggled with the largest bout of inflation in four decades.
With community washroom, Winnipeg proposes a dignified solution to a widespread shortcoming
The pandemic exposed what had effectively become a two-tier system of toilet access in Canada. Homeless people relied on substandard public toilets, while anyone who appeared middle class could go into a mall or coffee shop, whether or not they were customers.
However, the shuttering of many businesses made the shortcomings in public washrooms more visible. And those flaws have persisted as normal life resumed.
Now, a number of Canadian cities are launching new projects to make public toilets more accessible, most notably in Winnipeg where a facility known as Amoowigamig (”public washroom” in Ojibwe) is serving thousands of people a month.
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Also on our radar
Pickton in grave condition after prison assault: Serial killer Robert Pickton is in critical condition in a Quebec hospital after he was attacked by another inmate at a maximum-security prison. A spokesperson for the provincial police said Pickton was seriously injured and still fighting for his life yesterday. The suspect had not yet been interrogated and was still incarcerated at the prison, police said.
Liberal Party apologizes to Fergus over event ad: The Liberal Party apologized yesterday to one of its MPs, Greg Fergus, who also serves as the Speaker of the House of Commons, over an advertisement for an event with Fergus that the party says included partisan language. Conservatives are criticizing Fergus over the ad, saying that a Speaker cannot credibly claim to objectively police debate in the Commons by day while holding “partisan attack rallies against the Leader of the Official Opposition by night.”
- Campbell Clark: The accident-prone Speaker is limping again
India’s consul departs B.C. amid Nijjar probe: India’s top diplomat in Western Canada has moved to a new job in Cyprus amid a continuing RCMP investigation into whether the murder of a Sikh activist in British Columbia last year was tied to agents of the Indian government. Manish, who only goes by one name, left his post earlier this month. For much of his final year here, Sikh activists in Vancouver accused him of playing a role in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Lithuania arms itself for the Russian threat: A three-day civil-defence campaign in Lithuania that involved the military, local governments, charitable organizations and the Catholic Church was the largest of its kind in modern Lithuanian history and the latest example of how countries across Europe are seeking new ways to respond to the threat posed by Russia and its expansionist rhetoric.
Lt. Col. Linas Idzelis, left, walks down the main street of Kaunas, a city in Lithuania, during a three-day military exercise, May 7, 2024.Anna Liminowicz/The Globe and Mail
Morning markets
Share markets fell as stronger-than-expected inflation in Britain offset investor hopes that AI-heavyweight Nvidia could meet sky-high expectations, with the market also waiting for possible clues in U.S. Federal Reserve meeting minutes on when it will begin to bring down interest rates.
European stocks dipped 0.3 per cent in early trading, after earlier being poised for slim gains. Britain’s FTSE 100 declined 0.3 per cent, Germany’s DAX retreated 0.3 per cent and France’s CAC 40 gave back 0.53 per cent.
The MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, was flat, as were U.S. futures. Japan’s Nikkei closed 0.85 per cent lower at 38,617.10, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slid 0.13 per cent to 19,195.60.
The Canadian dollar traded at 73.17 U.S. cents.
What everyone’s talking about
Editorial: “Mr. Trudeau came to power vowing to set a sunny example by making information open by default to all Canadians. Then he discovered what every new prime minister discovers: that the default preference in Canada’s halls of power is to keep voters in the dark. He could still restore his reputation on this issue. He should allow the independent review of the system and restore the Commissioner’s funding. It’s not too late for the Prime Minister to live up to what are still very good ideals.”
Marsha Lederman: “... cheering for a sports team – feeling its wins and losses – allows us to experience big emotions without any real impact. We get to care about something that truly doesn’t matter, at least not to our own lives. We have no actual skin in the game. At the end of the day, the Canucks’ Monday night loss has no meaningful effect on my well-being – other than having one less thing to look forward to for the next few weeks.”
Today’s editorial cartoon
Illustration by David Parkins
Living better
Short on cash? Tips on how to plan a getaway on the cheap
As the higher cost of living is taking a bigger bite out of household budgets, many are looking for cheaper vacation options. If you’re hoping to get away on the cheap, you have to be flexible on destinations and travel dates. Here are a few ways to plan a vacation that’s more budget-friendly.
Moment in time: May 22, 2003
Catriona Le May Doan beams as she powers round a turn during training at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City on Feb. 7, 2002.FRANK GUNN/The Canadian Press
Olympic medalist Catriona Le May Doan retires
Sportswriters knew something was up when Catriona Le May Doan called a press conference at Calgary’s Olympic Oval on this day in 2003. The Saskatoon-born speed-skating star was just 32, but she announced to no one’s surprise that she was retiring from the sport that she had dominated for almost a decade. Ms. Le May Doan had competed for Canada in four Winter Olympics. She won gold and bronze in the 500-metre and 1,000-metre events, respectively, at Nagano in 1998 and then repeated as the 500-metre gold medalist at Salt Lake City in 2002. Along the way, she set world and Olympic records in the 500-metre. She was named Canadian female athlete of the year (Bobbie Rosenfeld Award) three times. At the press conference, with her husband, Bart, at her side, Ms. Le May Doan said, “This kind of feels like our wedding day. Everybody’s waiting to see us.” Her husband countered, “You’re right. Because at a wedding, nobody cares about the groom.” Asked why she was walking away from the sport, she replied, “I’ve accomplished more than I ever dreamt of.” Sometimes dreams do come true. Bill Waiser
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