Skip to main content

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

Mariupol was emerging from its industrial past to become a cultural capital of eastern Ukraine. It was a growing high-tech hub, a place of trendy beer bars, feisty independent news media and a proud LGBTQ community. The city known for its Soviet-era steel factories was getting a European makeover. That ended three months ago when the Russian army launched its attack on the port city, bent on destroying it. That destruction was complete this week. Mark MacKinnon has the stories of former residents as they reflect on the once-flourishing city and everything that was lost.

Oleksandr Shelipov was one of the first casualties of Russia’s invasion. The war crime trial around his death could make history

The killing of Oleksandr Shelipov on Feb. 28 made him one of the early casualties of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the basis of the first war crimes trial to emerge from the conflict. Shelipov, 62, was unarmed, dressed in boots and civilian clothes when he was fired on by Vadim Shishimarin, the Russian sergeant who was stopped from escaping the village by a group of local hunters armed with shotguns.

In a Kyiv court this week, Shishimarin has admitted guilt, saying he followed orders to gun down Shelipov. He is being tried for killing a civilian non-combatant, a war crime. Prosecutors have called for him to be sentenced to life in prison. Nathan VanderKlippe reports.

Waves of sanctions were supposed to crush the Russian economy, but it is still showing signs of resilience

The Russian economy was thought to be doomed at the outset of the invasion of Ukraine, as the sanctions piled up. Three months later, there is little sign that the Russian economy is collapsing. Hurting and no doubt in recession, the Russian economy is also showing annoying signs of resilience, in good part because oil and natural gas revenues are climbing even as Europe tries to wean itself off Putin’s hydrocarbons. Eric Reguly reports.

Zelensky struggles to gain support in African countries as Russian interests prevail

While the West sends a seemingly endless flow of weapons and politicians to Kyiv, there has been a distinct lack of African support for Ukraine and, significantly, a complete absence of African sanctions against Moscow. This has been helpful to the Russian cause as Africa provides votes at the United Nations, arms sales for Russia’s military industry, business for its private military contractors, resources for its extractive sector and potential bases for its navy. Geoffrey York reports.

Read also:

This is the daily Evening Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was sent to you as a forward, you can sign up for Evening Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters here. If you like what you see, please share it with your friends.

China accuses Canada of ‘political manipulation’ over 5G ban of Huawei, ZTE

Beijing has accused Ottawa of “political manipulation” after it announced it would ban Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE from Canada’s 5G networks. A Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman said Canada’s decision “runs counter to market economy principles and free trade rules and has seriously damaged the rights and interests of Chinese companies.”

Canadian ministers had announced earlier that a national intelligence review found the two Chinese companies presented security risks. Canadian firms that currently use Huawei and ZTE gear in their networks will be required to remove it over the next five years.

Average gas prices have hit $2 a litre. Here’s how Canadians are coping with soaring costs at the pump

Oil and gasoline prices have been on the rise for much of this year, particularly since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February. Gas prices continue to shoot up due to surging demand amid the pandemic recovery, outpacing refining capacity. The $2 mark is a pain point for many, forcing them to adjust their driving and spending habits amid a broader surge in inflation. Many are driving less, cancelling excursions or strategically planning their trips, while others are cutting back on general discretionary spending to offset the higher cost of gas.

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Health officials say monkeypox poses low risk to Canada; a couple dozen possible cases being investigated

Although the risk posed by monkeypox is low, nearly everyone in Canada is susceptible because routine vaccination against smallpox ended decades ago, top public health officials said today.

The Public Health Agency of Canada, which is investigating about two dozen possible cases of monkeypox on top of two confirmed cases in Quebec, says it is spread through prolonged close contact. That includes through direct contact with an infected person’s respiratory droplets, bodily fluids or sores, and is not very contagious in a typical social setting.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization was holding an emergency meeting today to discuss the recent outbreak.

G7 financial leaders agree on $9.5-billion in new aid for Ukraine

The Group of Seven’s financial leaders agreed on $9.5-billion (U.S.) in new aid to Ukraine and promised sufficient funds to keep the country’s devastated economy afloat as long as it fights against Russia’s invasion.

After Winter Olympics, China retreats from sports hosting amid ‘zero-COVID’ policy

A few months after holding a Winter Olympics as memorable for its extreme anti-COVID-19 measures as the competition, China has all but given up hosting international sporting events while it battles fresh outbreaks around key cities. China recently surrendered hosting rights for next year’s Asian Cup, the continent’s top soccer showpiece, just a week after it postponed the multi-sport Asian Games to 2023. Top-tier athletics, figure skating and an X Games event have been moved or cancelled in recent months.

MARKET WATCH

Wall Street ended mixed after a volatile session that saw Tesla slump and other growth stocks also lose ground. Canada’s TSX ended slightly higher after a last-minute rally brought the index out of the red.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq logged their seventh straight week of losses, their longest losing streak since the end of the dotcom bubble in 2001. The Dow suffered its eighth consecutive weekly decline, its longest since 1932 during the Great Depression.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index settled at 20,197.61, up 0.08 per cent. The S&P 500 edged up 0.01 per cent to end the session at 3,901.36 points.. The Nasdaq declined 0.30 per cent to 11,354.62 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.03 per cent to 31,261.90 points.

The loonie was trading at 77.88 cents (U.S.), down 0.09 cents.

Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.

TALKING POINTS

How we respond to Bill 96, Quebec’s language law, is who we are

Andrew Coyne: “If the precise terms of the legislation have eluded you thus far, it is enough to know that its animating ideal is that Bill 101, not known for its hesitancy to trample upon minority rights, did not go nearly far enough.”

Ontarians don’t fear Doug Ford the way they did in 2018. Did he change, or did we?

Robyn Urback: “A retail politician won’t want to destroy the store, and certainly won’t want the majority of his customers leaving angry. It seems he just didn’t realize how far he’d strayed until he heard tens of thousands of customers yelling at him in unison.”

Our restrictions-free COVID-19 summer is here – but we’re leaving out people who can’t afford it

Kieran Delamont: “What if people were welcomed back to “normal” not as walking spending opportunities? What if we were instead greeted by considerable public investment in free, accessible civic culture, to heal communities by bringing them together?” – Kieran Delamont is a writer, photographer and postal worker based in Nova Scotia, and the associate editor of London Inc. Magazine.

Don’t look now, but conservatives are developing a culture of cancelling their own

Campbell Clark: “There’s a desire to rip out the pandemic and everything to do with it, especially authority figures. Not just to cancel restrictions, but cancel the people who made them in 2020 or whenever, institutions that were involved and authorities in general.”

The wave of anger that toppled Kenney is a danger to all conservatives

Melanie Paradis: “People who are so angry at the system that they want to tear it down don’t care about conserving anything. Instead, they are now the party of 4chan and Facebook.” – Melanie Paradis is a veteran conservative campaigner and an executive ghostwriter.

LIVING BETTER

The world order that emerged after the Second World War was stickier than many predicted. The persistence of a Cold War mentality, lingering historical antagonisms and rivalries, and the domestic and international political institutions formed throughout the last century continue to shape our lives. David Moscrop applies a modern lens to a selection of Cold War fiction and non-fiction.

TODAY’S LONG READ

On the road: Hidden Canada travel guide

Let this year’s instalment of the Globe’s Canadian travel guide inspire you to hit the road and explore old sights in new ways. Go off the beaten path in Banff, bike PEI’s hilly twists and turns or treat yourself to a beach holiday in a century-old Manitoba beach town that’s been brought back to life.

Evening Update is written and compiled by Andrew Saikali. 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.

Follow related authors and topics

Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Interact with The Globe