Evening Update: Humans are the primary cause of climate change, UN report says; Indigenous leaders call for reparations from Catholic Church

Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:

UN global team of scientists find more evidence humans cause climate change

Climate change is proceeding at a faster pace and producing widespread effects that are more definitively tied to human influence than ever before, according to a new United Nations report from a global team of scientists.

The report, released today, is the most comprehensive and strongly worded assessment yet of the present condition and future trajectory of the Earth’s climate. It effectively lays the factual foundations for international climate talks scheduled to take place this November in Scotland.

“A great injustice”: Indigenous leaders call for reparations from Catholic Church for residential schools abuses

Indigenous leaders are calling for a re-examination of the Catholic Church’s commitments under the residential schools settlement agreement after a Globe and Mail investigation found billions of dollars in assets for the combined entities of the church in Canada.

Despite its ample finances, the church has not paid all of what it committed to under the 2006 agreement; it collected just $3.7-million of what was supposed to be a $25-million national fundraising campaign, the proceeds of which were meant to be directed toward healing.

• The Globe Investigation: The Catholic Church in Canada is worth billions. Why are its reparations for residential schools so small?
• Methodology: How much Canadian wealth does the Catholic Church have? Inside The Globe investigation

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COVID-19 developments:

• Canada reopens border to fully vaccinated U.S. travellers: As of 12:01 a.m. today, U.S. citizens and permanent residents were allowed back on Canadian soil, provided they have had a full course of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Health Canada.
• Albertans worried about lack of guidance for Alberta schools: The uncertainty over safety guidance for the upcoming school year has left many school administrators, teachers, parents and students in a state of unease. Hundreds have attended daily protests in Calgary and Edmonton, calling on the province to reverse course.
• Pediatricians brace for possible resurgence of respiratory illnesses: Canadian pediatricians are hoping to avoid the fate of hospitals abroad that are struggling with rising numbers of COVID-19 cases among children, coupled with an earlier-than-expected surge of another seasonal virus - respiratory syncytial virus.
• Will Germany embrace vaccine passports to avert a fourth wave of COVID-19? So far, it’s been up to states to decide whether vaccination status can exclude people from large events and indoor venues, but the Merkel government is taking dramatic steps to change that.
• Opinion: ‘Nasty fall ahead’: The fourth wave of COVID-19 has begun in much of Canada – and it could be the toughest one yet - André Picard

In Afghanistan, I saw firsthand how these interpreters saved lives. Now who will save them?

Throughout the Canadian military’s years on the front lines in Afghanistan, local Pashtun interpreters were the voice of Canada. They weren’t on the news, but did risk their lives everyday providing essential services to the military.

Louie Palu witnessed their indispensability firsthand in 2008, when he photographed interpreters at a forward operating base near Kandahar. And even though Canada left Afghanistan years ago, many of them continue to live in fear, waiting for their former employers to rescue them.

• Taliban capture sixth Afghan provincial capital as U.S. troops withdraw

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ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Brookfield reinsurance unit to buy American National: Brookfield Asset Management Inc.’s reinsurance unit has agreed to buy insurer American National Group Inc. for about $5.1-billion in an all-cash deal as U.S. insurers step up sales of annuities and other capital-intensive assets.

Meng’s lawyers call for stay in proceedings: Lawyers for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou told a B.C. Supreme Court judge today the only appropriate remedy for four alleged abuses of process in her extradition case is for proceedings to be stayed.

More Cuomo fallout: Roberta Kaplan, the leader of Time’s Up - the #MeToo-era organization devoted to fighting sexual harassment - has resigned under fire for advising Andrew Cuomo’s administration in its effort to discredit one of Cuomo’s accusers. The move comes after Melissa DeRosa, top aide to the New York Governor, resigned late yesterday on the heels of a report that found he sexually harassed 11 women.

MARKET WATCH

Global shares treaded water today as sharp falls in gold and oil prices and concerns over the spread of the coronavirus Delta variant dented sentiment. Canada’s main stock index fell from record highs, with the heavyweight energy sector leading losses.

The S&P/TSX composite index fell 38.00 points or 0.19 per cent to 20,437.42.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 106.66 points or 0.30 per cent to 35,101.85, the S&P 500 slid 4.17 points or 0.09 per cent to 4,432.35 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 24.42 or 0.16 per cent to 14,860.18.

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TALKING POINTS

Harjit Sajjan has defaulted on Canada’s peacekeeping promises

“It is no wonder that Canada lost its bid last year for a seat on the UN Security Council. Mr. Sajjan has not followed his own advice to the council in 2018: ‘The time for change is now and we must be bold.’” - Walter Dorn and Peggy Mason

Do we need more laws banning noxious views online?

“The argument put forward by the Nazis’ lawyers was simple: If you allow the state to ban opinions you oppose, you make it easier for the state to ban views you agree with. This argument still holds, even in our digital age.” - Ian Buruma

School students will need better mental-health support than they had prepandemic

“There is no perfect path to follow, but as the pandemic continues with the return to school around the corner, we must take the first steps in the right direction.” - Amy Nam

LIVING BETTER

Fermented foods belong in a gut-friendly diet

Recent studies show diets rich in fermented foods – including kefir, kombucha and pickled vegetables – can improve gut health and reduce inflammation. In fact, there is evidence that the active microbial community that lives inside our large intestine – our gut microbiome – influences mood, mental health and appetite, as well as the risk for chronic diseases.

Read health and diet columnist Leslie Beck’s story on why if you haven’t yet jumped on the fermented-food wagon, you might consider adding them to your regular diet.

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TODAY’S LONG READ

Looking back the Olympic closing ceremony

Yesterday, a complicated Tokyo Olympics took its final bow. It was the end of a different Games, to be sure.

Approximately 120 Canadian athletes and coaches took part Sunday night but the stands inside Olympic Stadium were empty but darkened. Freshly minted Olympic decathlon champion Damian Warner carried Canada’s flag, and called it the honour of his life.

As Tokyo passed the baton to the next Summer Olympic host – Paris in 2024 – video showed signs of hope for a return to normalcy. And now we hope that there will be a stark difference between what Tokyo was and what Paris hopes to be.

• Cathal Kelly: After a flat end to the Tokyo Games, Paris takes up the difficult task of making the Olympics exciting again.

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Evening Update is written by Sierra Bein. 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.