Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly visits the International training center of the Ukrainian National Guard in the village of Stare outside Kyiv on Jan 18, 2022.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
Ukraine calls on Canada for weapons and other help as war threat rises
Ukraine has urged Canada to follow the lead of Britain and rush military supplies to the country’s army as it faces the growing possibility of Russian invasion.
In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna said she had asked visiting Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly for Canada to provide Ukraine with lethal and non-lethal military gear, which she said was “essential” as Russia continued to accumulate forces around the country.
Stefanishyna said she also hoped that Canada, the United States, and the European Union would impose pre-emptive economic sanctions on Russia as a way of raising the costs of any military action being planned by President Vladimir Putin’s regime.
Opinion: On Ukraine, let’s not forget what history teaches us about appeasement - David Collenette and Hugh Segal
Read more: What’s the latest in Russia and NATO’s standoff over Ukraine? The story so far
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Hong Kong to kill 2,000 small animals after hamsters blamed for COVID-19 outbreak
Authorities in Hong Kong will euthanize about 2,000 hamsters and other small animals after a minor COVID-19 outbreak was linked to a pet shop in the city. A government official said preliminary testing had returned positive results for a number of animals after an employee tested positive for the Delta variant this past Sunday.
It was the first untraceable Delta infection in three months in Hong Kong, sparking concern the employee may have been infected by the animals she was handling. A handful of other cases have since been linked to the pet shop, and those people and their close contacts have been quarantined under the city’s strict COVID-19 regulations.
Silvio Berlusconi seeks unlikely political revival as he competes with Mario Draghi for the Italian presidency
Italy’s next presidential election, which starts Jan. 24, could see the political resurrection of four-time prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Berlusconi, infamous for his tax-fraud conviction, “bunga bunga” sex parties and courting of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is not considered the front-runner to become the next head of state – that status belongs to Mario Draghi, the Prime Minister.
But a Berlusconi victory is not out of the question, and he could emerge as the kingmaker, given his endorsement by Italy’s centre-right parties.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
WestJet reduces February flights: WestJet Airlines is cutting 20 per cent of its February flights, citing “government barriers” amid the Omicron COVID-19 variant case surge, which has affected staffing levels. Air Canada has not made an announcement, but data indicate it has also reduced flights in February and March.
The damage to Tonga: All the homes on one of Tonga’s small outer islands have been destroyed by a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami, with three people so far confirmed dead, the government said in its first update since the disaster struck. Here’s our visual guide.
Manitoba cabinet shuffle: Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson is adding a third health minister and promoting four backbenchers in her first cabinet shuffle since she took office in November.
Alberta Justice Minister to “step back”: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has asked the province’s Justice Minister to “step back” after Kaycee Madu acknowledged he phoned Edmonton’s police chief over a traffic ticket.
Microsoft to buy Activision Blizzard: Microsoft says it is acquiring Call of Duty video game maker Activision Blizzard for US$68.7-billion in cash, the biggest deal in the sector that would help the Xbox maker become the third-largest gaming company by revenue.
Hamilton paramedics sentenced: Steven Snively and Christopher Marchant have received 18-month conditional sentences for their role in the death of Yosif Al-Hasnawi., a teenager who died of a gunshot wound after receiving inadequate medical care.
Karim Ouellet found dead: The Quebec coroner’s office is investigating the death of the 37-year-old singer-songwriter after his body was found in a building last night in Quebec City.
On today’s episode of The Decibel podcast: Why have some of 2021′s hot stocks such as Shopify, Zoom and Peloton suddenly fallen out of favour with investors? Report on Business writer Tim Kiladze explains what’s behind this investor whiplash and how a lot of stock trading has become detached from the actual value of some companies.
MARKET WATCH
Wall Street’s main indexes fell sharply today as weak results from Goldman Sachs weighed on financial stocks and tech shares continued their selloff to start the year as U.S. Treasury yields rose to milestones. Canada’s main stock index also closed lower, with tech stocks among those issues sinking the most, with financials also seeing a weak session.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 543.34 points or 1.51 per cent to 35,368.47, the S&P 500 lost 85.74 points or 1.84 per cent to end at 4,577.11, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 386.85 points or 2.6 per cent to 14,506.90.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index slid 262.88 points or 1.22 per cent to 21,274.57. The loonie was flat at 79.887 U.S. cents.
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TALKING POINTS
If Beijing is looking to gain anything from monitoring sportswriters during the Olympics, the joke’s on China
“You know what sportswriters talk about? Sports. You know what else they talk about? Each other. And you know what else? Nothing. ... Most of it isn’t talking, as such. It’s more correct to call it complaining, sometimes leaning toward whining.” - Cathal Kelly
Read more: Security flaw found in smartphone app for Olympians in Beijing
As the pandemic drags on, governments can only do so much to protect us
“As horrible as the pandemic has been, as ugly as the death rate is, I don’t think anyone wants their government to shut the economy down completely in an effort to stop the spread of Omicron, or whatever comes next.” - Gary Mason
On mandatory COVID-19 testing for travellers, the airlines have a point – up to a point
“For now, this country’s quest to get through Omicron is largely a domestic fight. It makes sense to concentrate our limited testing resources where they can do the most good.” - Globe editorial
LIVING BETTER
Like baking sourdough bread and completing 1,000-piece puzzles, Wordle is the latest activity to become a viral sensation during the pandemic. It’s a free online game in which you have six tries to guess a five-letter word through deduction. Each time you guess a word, the letters will turn green, yellow or grey to indicate if it is in the correct spot. Read more here about the game, how to play and strategies to use.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Harlem Globetrotter Mel (Trick) Davis left an indelible mark in Vancouver
Mel Davis in 1971.Courtesy of National Museum of American History
In the early 1960s, Mel (Trick) Davis began playing for the Harlem Globetrotters. During one of the fabled basketball team’s visits to Vancouver, he met a woman named Megan Carvell, then 18, and they started a long-distance relationship.
He was married when they met, and because he was Black and she was white, they did not think the relationship would last. But in 1987, Davis returned to Vancouver to visit Carvell and their son, Hubert, and stayed. The couple’s relationship ended up lasting about six decades.
Davis, who died Dec. 16 of cancer at age 84 in a Burnaby, B.C., long-term care facility, left an indelible mark in Canada. He developed a skills development program, known as Have Ball Will Teach, and a community league while showing thousands of kids how to conduct themselves on and off the court. Read the full obituary here.
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