Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Wounds of war: Ordinary Ukrainians who found ways to resist
Dmytro Shatrovsky is amazed he’s alive. Seven months ago, he was lying in a field in southern Ukraine with a piece of shrapnel embedded in his head. Another chunk had struck his spine.
The bloody scene was the picture of how Russia’s war against Ukraine was supposed to go: Few Ukrainians would resist the invasion Vladimir Putin had ordered, and those who did would be obliterated by superior Russian firepower. A pro-Moscow government would then be installed in Kyiv.
None of that, of course, came to pass. Instead, it’s Russia that is on the retreat as the year draws to a close.
During their coverage of Russia’s invasion, The Globe and Mail’s Mark MacKinnon and photographer Anton Skyba followed the stories of eight Ukrainians to document the monumental, intimate and sometimes surprising ways the war is changing their lives.
Lawyer Masi Nayyem lost an eye fighting for Ukraine against the Russian invasion in the Donbas region.Anton Skyba/The Globe and Mail
Read more: Zelensky shows up failed Russian efforts with visit to east Ukraine
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Five victims of the Vaughan condo shooting identified
Two current condo board members and one former member were among the victims in a mass shooting by an angry neighbour in a Vaughan, Ont., condominium Sunday evening – after years of bitter disputes between the gunman and the board.
York Regional Police identified the victims as Rita Camilleri, 57, Vittorio Panza, 79, Russell Manock, 75, Helen Manock, 71, and Naveed Dada, 59.
A sixth victim, a 66-year-old woman, remains in hospital with serious injuries. Condo president John Di Nino has said that the woman is his wife.
The gunman, shot dead by police, was earlier identified as 73-year-old Francesco Villi, who lived in a first-floor unit in the building and was known for harassing neighbours and posting rants to social media about condo management.
Weather wallop: Flights suspended at Vancouver airport, warning issued for Ontario
Most of British Columbia is covered by weather warnings as snow, extreme cold and arctic winds grip the province, forcing the suspension of all flights at Vancouver International Airport and playing havoc with transportation across the south coast.
A statement from the airport said the storm had an “unprecedented” effect on flights. It was crowded with stranded travellers, many sitting or sleeping on the floor.
Meanwhile, Environment Canada is warning of a significant winter storm that’s set to hit much of Ontario and says residents should consider altering travel plans through the holiday weekend as road conditions could become dangerous.
Manufacturing, importing of straws and other single-use plastics now banned in Canada
As of today, companies can no longer produce or bring into the country plastic checkout bags, cutlery, stir sticks, straws and takeout containers. In a year, it will also be illegal to sell them.
The manufacturing and import ban will extend to the plastic rings used to package six-packs of canned drinks next June and their sale will be prohibited a year after that.
Opinion: Here comes Canada’s (sort of) ban on (select) plastics that are (often) single-use – Robyn Urback
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Hockey Canada responds: Hockey Canada says it is confident that M.M., the well-dressed “older gentleman” who is reported to have been partying with members of the 2018 world junior hockey team in the hours prior to an alleged group sexual assault, has never been an employee of Hockey Canada, a spokesperson for the sports governing body said in an e-mail today. That’s included in the first comment to The Globe and Mail since Sunday’s report on the details of a 94-page court filing from the London Police Service about the case.
Russian oligarch says no reason to sanction him: Russian billionaire Alexei Mordashov wants Ottawa to ignore requests from Canadian parliamentarians to levy sanctions on him and his family’s gold mining company that has an exploration project in Nunavut.
Women banned from Afghan universities: Women are not allowed to access private and public universities in Afghanistan with immediate effect and until further notice, a Taliban government spokesman said today, the latest blow to their rights and freedoms.
Teen girls charged with murder: Toronto police say eight teenage girls, ages 13 to 16, have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a man who lived in the city’s shelter system.
RIP Terry Hall: The singer who helped create the defining sounds of post-punk Britain with The Specials and who co-wrote the Go-Go’s hit Our Lips are Sealed has died at 63 after a brief illness.
First King Charles bank notes: The Bank of England has unveiled its first bank notes featuring King Charles, which will enter into circulation from mid-2024 to gradually replace those featuring his late mother.
-/AFP/Getty Images
MARKET WATCH
Wall Street stocks closed slightly higher today, but investors fretted about weak holiday shopping and rising bond yields added pressure after the Bank of Japan’s surprise tweak of its monetary policy. Canada’s main stock market rebounded as a weaker U.S. dollar bolstered the outlook for resource shares and heavily weighted financials rallied.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 92.20 points or 0.28 per cent to 32,849.74, the S&P 500 added 3.96 points or 0.1 per cent to end at 3,821.98, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.08 points or 0.01 per cent to 10,547.11.
The S&P/TSX Composite index advanced 106.13 points or 0.55 per cent to 19,306.89. The loonie traded at 73.47 U.S. cents.
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TALKING POINTS
Time for Competition Bureau to stop litigating Rogers takeover
“The country’s competition regulator needs to decide if it is working for the benefit of Canadian consumers or a handful of lawyers.” – Andrew Willis
France makes a fool of itself as World Cup wraps up
“When Mbappé tried sliding away again, Macron took hold of his head and refused to let him go. What was it going to take to get away from this weirdo? Le judo?” – Cathal Kelly
LIVING BETTER
Just in time for last-minute gift ideas – or a splurge for yourself – Globe staffers share 15 items that have made their lives better. From Cathal Kelly’s low-tech, low-budget kitchen tool to Carolyn Ireland’s smart travel backpack, there’s something for everyone. Game-changer: Dave McGinn picks an app that helps travellers find certified locations to store their luggage ahead of check-in time.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Used cars, lumber and other sectors defying inflation and seeing price drops
A car dealership in Fort Erie, Ont. on Nov. 20, 2022CARLOS OSORIO/Reuters
It feels like there’s no escaping inflation, no matter where you are in the world or what you’re buying.
Rising interest rates are jacking up borrowing costs, while supply chain issues and high demand are bringing up the price of just about everything else.
But even as the cost of living has risen at an alarming pace, there are some products whose prices are falling. Some goods, such as lumber, are on the cusp of having prices drop, while others, such as certain produce items, have seen price declines already that could be at risk of reversing. Read Salmaan Farooqui’s full story.
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