Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Boris Johnson renews call for early election, says he’d rather be ‘dead in a ditch’ than delay Brexit
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has renewed his call for an early election and said he’d rather be “dead in a ditch” than delay Britain’s departure from the European Union.
In a speech today, Johnson said the country deserved a choice between his plan to pull out of the EU on Oct. 31 and the Labour Party’s call to extend the deadline.
A “rebel alliance” of opposition and Conservative members of Parliament have derailed Johnson’s Brexit strategy by passing legislation that compels him to seek an extension if he hasn’t struck a deal with the EU by Oct. 19.
The Brexit drama is also unfolding along family lines, as the Prime Minister’s brother, Jo Johnson, quit Parliament. “In recent weeks I’ve been torn between family loyalty and the national interest – it’s an unresolvable tension & time for others to take on my roles,” he tweeted.
Context: Catch up on the issues and events concerning Brexit with our explainer here.
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The latest on Canada-China relations
Canadian meat-packers and processors say the economic cost to their industry of China’s ban on pork and beef shipments from Canada is nearing $100-million. The Canadian Meat Council is asking Ottawa to explain how it will resolve the impasse and for financial assistance.
China has targeted Canadian agri-food products - including pork and beef - in a continuing dispute between the two countries following the December arrest in Vancouver of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at the request of U.S. officials.
Resolution could be an uphill battle, as Beijing today showed no change of tone following the appointment of Dominic Barton as ambassador to China, urging Canada to “reflect on its mistakes” and immediately release Meng.
When asked to respond at a meeting with journalists, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said China uses arbitrary detentions as a tool to achieve its political goals, calling it a pressure tactic that is worrying Canada as well as its Western allies. Shortly after Meng’s arrest, China detained two Canadians – former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor – who are still being held.
Opinion: “Sending an envoy to Beijing with that agenda is more controversial now than it was three years ago. Beijing has made clear, in brutish terms, what it will do to Canadians when it is displeased.”- Campbell Clark
Canadian woman among at least 20 people killed in Bahamas during Hurricane Dorian
An undated Facebook photo of Alishia Sabrina Liolli.Handout
Hours before hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas, 27-year-old Canadian Alishia Sabrina Liolli asked her friends and loved ones on social media to pray for her family and the small island she called home. Liolli, who grew up near Windsor, Ont., is confirmed to be one of at least 20 people killed during the storm.
Today, Dorian raked the U.S. Carolina coast with howling winds and sideways rain, spinning off tornadoes and knocking out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses. As of midday, the hurricane that passed Florida at a relatively safe distance and grazed Georgia overnight was a Category 2 storm, blowing at 110 mph (177 kph) – a far cry from the Category 5 that mauled the Bahamas, but still dangerous.
Meanwhile, Canadian forecasters say the storm system is expected to severely impact parts of the Atlantic provinces this weekend. The Canadian Hurricane Centre says the most likely track projection brings Dorian south of the Maritimes on Saturday, pushing through eastern Nova Scotia late in the day.
In photos: You can see here the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas.
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING
(Photo by Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images
Andreescu in U.S. Open semi-final tonight: Ontario teen phenom Bianca Andreescu plays her semi-final match of the U.S. Open against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland tonight, a quick turnaround from her victory yesterday in the quarter-finals. Check back later tonight for scores and highlights at GlobeSports.com.
Health Canada warns on modified vaping pens: Health Canada says people who vape should get medical attention right away if they think e-cigarettes are harming them, and is warning users not to modify them or use them in ways they’re not made for.
Roles for Butts, Telford in Liberal campaign: Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has decided to switch his senior campaign team around for the coming election, bringing chief of staff Katie Telford on the campaign plane while long-time adviser Gerald Butts will be stationed at party headquarters in Ottawa.
BoC cites economy for keeping rates steady: The Bank of Canada says the unexpected strength of the domestic economy and the fact that inflation is right on target were the main reasons for keeping interest rates unchanged this week.
Amazon apologizes for shipping Atwood book early: Amazon.com is apologizing for a “technical error” which led to some copies of Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, the year’s most anticipated novel, being “inadvertently” sent early. Didn’t get a copy? Here’s an excerpt of The Testaments. You can read the Globe’s review here.
Oakland Raiders plan to suspend Antonio Brown: The National Football League season kicks off tonight, and not without controversy: The Oakland Raiders plan to suspend wideout Antonio Brown after he “got into it” with general manager Mike Mayock, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting.
MARKET WATCH
Stocks rallied today as renewed U.S.-China trade optimism and upbeat U.S. economic data boosted risk appetite and lured investors away from safe-haven assets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 372.68 points to 26,728.15, the S&P 500 gained 38.22 points to close at 2,976.00 and the Nasdaq Composite added 139.95 points to end at 8,116.83.
In Toronto, the S&P/TSX composite index closed up 125.97 points at 16,574.81, led by the 2.7-per-cent climb in the energy sector.
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TALKING POINTS
Put down your phones. Social media isn’t helping our political discourse
“During an election, social media becomes a hotbed of lunacy, a playground for trolls and meme-makers and politicians with itchy Twitter fingers. We should all get off it, now – voters and politicians alike.” - Elizabeth Renzetti
Alberta’s fiscal panel gives Jason Kenney the austerity roadmap he wanted
“He can wave the report to advertise an urgency and if he then slightly dials back to his United Conservative Party’s platform – it forecast 2022-23 spending of $48.9-billion – he can claim a middle ground.” - Globe editorial
An economy’s success has little to do with its political leader
"What Trump’s first term shows is an economy that’s as resilient to negative political shocks as it is resistant to efforts to goose it. We’d do well to remember this lesson ourselves in Canada. - Jason Kirby
LIVING BETTER
The Toronto International Film Festival opens today - and for the first time in almost a decade, with a Canadian movie, Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band. Don’t have a ticket? Read up on the Canadian-born musical icon in an interview here. If you are planning on catching some festival action, plan your time with the Globe’s ratings and reviews guide here.
LONG READ FOR A LONG COMMUTE
Toronto bookseller Ben McNally set to close next year for building renovations
Ben McNally Books, a cherished independent Toronto bookstore and a champion of Canadian authors, will close its doors some time next year to make way for a renovation of the building that has been its home since its launch in 2007 in the city’s Bay Street business district.
Proprietor Ben McNally and his son, Rupert, with whom he runs the business, hope to relocate the store, which customers praise for its inviting atmosphere and knowledgeable staff. But they acknowledged in separate interviews with that, if they do reopen, their new operation would likely not include many of the elements that have helped draw customers to the store, including its elegant design and open spaces that offer a welcoming setting for the hundreds of author events and book launches they play host to each year.
“I think it’s going to be pretty expensive to maintain this much square footage,” Ben said. “In terms of actual books, we won’t need that much. We’ll have to see what the fiscal limitations are, going forward, to see what we can afford. We’re going to be running numbers in a whole different way than we did when we first opened up.” Read Simon Houpt’s full story here.
Rupert, left, and Ben McNally. (Photo by Christopher Katsarov for The Globe and Mail)Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail
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