Good morning,
These are the top stories:
Canada calls out U.K. for stripping ‘Jihadi Jack’ of British citizenship
Britain has revoked the citizenship of a man dubbed “Jihadi Jack” by the U.K. media, leaving the terror suspect behind bars in Syria with only his Canadian nationality in a move the federal government has criticized as Britain shirking its responsibilities.
Jack Letts, a British-born son of two Canadian citizens, has been imprisoned for two years because of allegations he may have once been an Islamic State fighter, accusations his parents doubt but say should be investigated. His father is calling on Canada to bring his son home and punish him if he’s found to have ties to the terror group.
A statement by Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale’s office read: "Canada is disappointed that the United Kingdom has taken this unilateral action to off-load their responsibilities,” adding that countries should be working together on security matters.
About 20 Canadian citizens are believed to have returned from Islamic State territory in recent years, as the terror group’s hold on parts of Syria and Iraq has largely collapsed because of a local military campaign aided by Russia and western countries.
Opposition wants ethics commissioner to testify on SNC-Lavalin
Opposition MPs are putting pressure on the Liberals to hear from Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion and up to nine witnesses who have been prevented from testifying because of cabinet confidentiality on the SNC-Lavalin affair.
The Conservatives and the NDP have joined forces to call a meeting of the ethics committee of the House on Wednesday to hear immediately from Mr. Dion, before hearing from other individuals with knowledge of the backroom plans involving the Quebec engineering firm.
In a report released last week, Mr. Dion found that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau violated the Conflict of Interest Act by using his authority over former attorney-general Jody Wilson-Raybould to press her to overrule the Director of Public Prosecution’s decision not to negotiate a deal with SNC-Lavalin that would avoid criminal prosecution.
Mr. Trudeau said he disagrees with the commissioner’s conclusions and has refused to apologize for his actions.
It is not known whether the Liberal MPs on the committee will allow the meeting to occur or whether they will use their majority to shut down the hearing.
Huge crowds rally in Hong Kong in heavy rain
A huge assembly of Hong Kong demonstrators showed support yesterday for protests that have now continued for more than two months.
Protests have shut down the city’s airport, snarled traffic and led to violent encounters with police in one of the world’s most important financial centres, which is starting to show signs of economic pain from the unrest.
Protesters have demanded the full cancellation of a proposed China extradition bill, an independent probe into police use of force and more democratic freedoms.
Meanwhile, critics in Hong Kong and Beijing have called the protests an extremist movement that has shown “signs of terrorism."
The protest, which was attended by about 128,000 people, is unlikely to mark a turn away from the violent clashes with police that have clouded Hong Kong streets in tear gas and pepper spray. Instead, some of the city’s most provocative voices took the large turnout as a validation of more aggressive tactics used by flash mobs in recent weeks.
This is the daily Morning Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you from someone else, you can sign up for Morning Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters on our newsletter signup page.
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Gibraltar refuses U.S. request to detain Iranian ship: Authorities in Gibraltar yesterday rejected the United States’s latest request not to release a seized Iranian oil tanker, clearing the way for the vessel to set sail after being detained last month for allegedly attempting to breach European Union sanctions on Syria. The tanker, Adrian Darya 1, left Gibraltar on a course for Greece on Monday.
Indian authorities ease some restrictions in Kashmir: Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir began restoring landline phone services and some public-transport services on the weekend after a nearly two-week security crackdown following a decision by India’s government to downgrade the Muslim-majority region’s autonomy.
Maxime Bernier insists he will appear in the leaders’ debates: The leader of the People’s Party of Canada says not inviting him to take part in the official election debates means excluding the only political party who has anything different to say. He also dismissed his political rivals of espousing varying degrees of left-leaning views.
Islamic State claims responsibility for Kabul wedding bombing that killed 63: The attack was the deadliest in the Afghan capital this year. Outraged locals questioned just how safe they will be under an approaching deal between the United States and the Taliban to end America’s longest war.
Iceland commemorates first glacier lost to climate change: Around 100 people gathered to mark the loss of Okjokull glacier as Icelandic geologist Oddur Sigursson said all of the nation’s ice masses will be gone in 200 years.
Canary Islands authorities evacuate 4,000 as wildfire spreads: The wildfire, which started on Saturday close to the town of Tejeda, advanced on two fronts in a mountainous area of the island.
MORNING MARKETS
Stocks gain
Global equity markets rose on Monday on signs that major economies would look to prop up stalling growth with fresh stimulus measures, easing pressure on bonds and dampening demand for perceived safe-havens such as gold. Tokyo’s Nikkei was up 0.7 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and the Shanghai Composite both gained 2.1 per cent. In Europe, London’s FTSE 100 was up 1 per cent. Germany’s DAX was up 0.9 per cent and the Paris CAC 40 was up 0.8 per cent at about 6:25 a.m. ET. New York futures were up. The Canadian dollar was at 75.42 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
We’re in the midst of a convenience crisis
Gayle MacDonald: “Others would call it slothful or irresponsible. There is no question, however, that this tendency for many of us to choose convenience – sometimes over basic common sense – is an issue.”
Debunking myths, half-truths and misinformation about women’s bodies
Jen Gunter: “Over the years, I’ve listened to a lot of women, and I know the questions they ask as well as the ones they want to ask but don’t quite know how. Almost all of these queries are born of inaccurate knowledge about their bodies, gleaned from what they learned (or didn’t learn) in school or at home, from men or in magazines or online. The problem? You cannot be an empowered patient with inaccurate information.”
More young people should consider skilled trades over university
Hamida Ghafour: “Young people urgently need to be educated and trained for the economy of the future. Part of that is rethinking what trades and skills mean, and how we value them.”
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
David ParkinsDavid Parkins/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
With the thrill of adventure comes the inevitable return to reality. Before you know it, that vacation high has turned into the back-at-home blahs.
The best way to get the high back is tapping into the power of your senses, remembering the smells, touches, tastes, sounds and sights of the places you’ve visited.
Buy souvenirs that you’ll use on a semi-regular basis such as pens, tote bags and tea towels. Listen to your travel playlist. Cook dishes that remind you of your trip.
For more tips on keeping your vacation high, read here.
MOMENT IN TIME
ALGONQUIN PARK -- Canoeists avoid portage by wading through Otterslide Creek's rocky section, July 1968. A sandy logging road -- wide enough for a single truck -- cutting through evergreens beside the gurgling rapids of this small Algonquin creek is a bone of contention between the Algonquin Wildlands League and the Ontario Government. The spot is hidden in the forest 20 miles north of Highway 60. Photo by Don Delaplante / The Globe and Mail. Originally published July 26, 1968.Donald (Don) Delaplante/The Globe and Mail
Aug, 19. 1968
Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park – three hours north of Toronto – is enormous. At 7,650 square kilometres, it’s about one and a half times the size of Prince Edward Island. Lots of room for adventure, and logging. In 1968, a new logging road that came too close to a popular portage was causing alarm. Globe reporter and photographer Don Delaplante paddled into the Algonquin backcountry to see just how much trouble it was causing. Delaplante spoke to canoeists as they traversed the 320-metre path, including this group of teens who thought that dragging their canoes through the shallows instead carrying their gear over the portage might be a good idea. (It wasn’t.) No canoeist complained about the road or noisy chainsaws. And today, logging still occurs in Algonquin. Its long and colourful history is also celebrated each summer at the park’s Logging Museum. Catherine Dawson March
If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday morning, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.