Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
NDP calls vote on Palestinian statehood, opens Liberals to more caucus division on Israel-Hamas war
The House of Commons is set to vote late Monday on an NDP motion calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that opponents say would reward Hamas for its deadly invasion of Israel, but which New Democrats say is an imperative step to creating a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
However, by mid-day Monday Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly signalled to the House of Commons that the government would vote against it, even though she dodged direct questions from the NDP and Conservatives to clarify the government’s precise position on the motion under debate.
Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Canada will allow more people trapped in Gaza who have extended family members in Canada to apply for temporary refuge – but he admits the move is “cold comfort.”
Read more
- The UN food agency said that “famine is imminent” in northern Gaza, where 70 per cent of the remaining population is experiencing catastrophic hunger, and that a further escalation of the war could push around half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation.
- UNICEF says over 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza in Israel offensive
- EU agrees on sanctions on Hamas, violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank
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Ottawa to release review of ArriveCan contractor’s use of Indigenous program
After previously saying it would be kept secret, the Indigenous Services department now says it will release audit summaries of how an ArriveCan contractor used a federal government procurement program aimed at supporting Indigenous businesses.
Dalian Enterprises describes itself as an aboriginally owned company, and it regularly works in joint ventures with a larger company called Coradix Technology Consulting Ltd., which does not contend to be Indigenous. The two companies have been paid more than $400-million over the past decade.
Dalian founder David Yeo, who was suspended from the public service last month after federal ministers learned he was working as a Defence Department employee, is scheduled to appear tomorrow before a House of Commons committee.
Today in U.S. politics
- At the U.S. Supreme Court, justices appear skeptical of a challenge on free speech grounds to how President Joe Biden’s administration encouraged social media platforms to remove posts that federal officials deemed misinformation, including about elections and COVID-19.
- Donald Trump failed to secure a bond to cover a US$454-million judgment in a civil fraud case, his lawyers said, inching him closer to the possibility of having his properties seized.
- Opinion: The Trump-Biden rematch shows how far America’s political parties have fallen
Aaron Kheriaty, a plaintiff in "Murthy v. Missouri" speaks during a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court after justices heard opening arguments in an appeal by President Joe Biden's administration of restrictions imposed by lower courts on its ability to encourage social media companies to remove content deemed misinformation, in Washington, U.S., March 18, 2024.Bonnie Cash/Reuters
The Globe nominations at the NNA awards
The Globe and Mail has received 20 nominations for this year’s National Newspaper Awards, across 16 categories, for work that includes coverage of foreign interference in Canadian elections and the newspaper’s Secret Canada project, which exposed how this country’s access-to-information laws are failing.
The Globe has the most nominations of any media outlet and had multiple entries that are finalists in four categories. Check out the full list of nominees and the stories that are up for awards.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Russian elections: As President Vladimir Putin claims victory in sham Russian election, Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexei Navalny, steps in as his chief opponent. Putin appeared briefly at an open-air concert to mark the 10th anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Health care: Newfoundland, eager to shed dependency on expensive travel nurses, launches program for rural communities.
Auto theft: Toronto’s police chief says more than 12,000 vehicles were stolen across the city last year, a figure that equates to a car theft every 40 minutes.
Housing: Canadian home prices were flat in February after falling for five straight months, a potential sign that the country’s housing market may be rebounding after last year’s slump.
Justice: Ottawa is challenging a court decision directing it to step up the pace of judicial appointments to address an “untenable” number of vacancies.
Artificial intelligence: Two investment advisers have agreed to pay penalties to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges that they made false and misleading statements about their use of AI, including Toronto-based Delphia Inc., which did not admit or deny the agency’s charges.
Technology: Nuvei stock soars as Montreal digital payments processing company confirms talks that could lead to a takeover.
MARKET WATCH
Wall Street higher as investors juggle Fed nerves with AI enthusiasm; TSX slips
Wall Street’s main indexes advanced on Monday, with megacap growth stocks such as Alphabet and Tesla supporting a rebound in technology-heavy Nasdaq while investors also waited for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s meeting this week. The Canadian benchmark stock index - lacking in big tech names - was left behind, closing slightly in negative territory.
The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index ended down 11.97 points at 21,837.18, but staying within reach of a near two-year high it posted last Wednesday at 21,970.11. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 75.66 points to 38,790.43, the S&P 500 gained 32.33 points to 5,149.42 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 130.27 points to 16,103.45.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.85 cents US compared with 73.89 cents US on Friday.
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TALKING POINTS
Canada’s immigration system isn’t living up to its potential. Here’s how to fix it
“One of the most pressing issues in Canada’s immigration system is the absence of a minimum points threshold for eligibility under the Express Entry program, which is aimed at streamlining the selection process for economic immigrants.” - Parisa Mahboubi
How Canada can better combat Uyghur forced labour
“It must embrace a dual-track strategy that combines increased pressure on China at international institutions with the deployment of two domestic legal tools in the service of international law: a Xinjiang-specific forced labour import ban, and mandatory due-diligence legislation.” - Preston Lim
LIVING BETTER
Six canned foods to always stock in your pantry
Beyond nutrition, canned foods have other benefits. They are more affordable than their fresh equivalents. Plus, they’re convenient and have a long shelf life, usually at least two years.iStockphoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Not all canned foods are made equal. Some have a bad reputation for being too salty or too sugary. But Leslie Beck says there are some options that are good to stock away for a rainy day.
TODAY’S LONG READ
How Globe coverage of crime and punishment has righted wrongs and made mistakes
Nothing exposes a newsroom’s wealth or dearth of experience like a crime story.Tibor Kolley/The Globe and Mail
The Globe has covered crime since its inception, and one of the defining features of that coverage has been a focus on the relationship between crime and institutional justice. This reportage has led to some of the finest journalism the paper has ever produced, with stories that launched national inquiries and helped acquit innocent people. But as novelist and former Globe reporter Omar El Akkad points out, it is also behind some of the paper’s failings.
This is an excerpt from A Nation’s Paper: The Globe and Mail in the Life of Canada, a collection of history essays from Globe writers past and present, coming this fall from Signal/McClelland & Stewart.
Evening Update is written by Sierra Bein and Maryam Shah. If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.
Sierra Bein