Good morning,
These are the top stories:
Canada and the U.S. are in talks to close a loophole that brought asylum seekers across the border
With the Safe Third Country Agreement only requiring Canadian officials to turn away those who cross at official ports of entry, thousands of asylum seekers have entered at unofficial crossings, mostly via one location in Quebec. Now, Ottawa is proposing changes that would allow officials to escort those who cross at unauthorized locations to official crossings, where they would be refused entry into Canada and sent back to the U.S. (for subscribers)
The Conservatives have urged the Liberal government to close the loophole, but the NDP has called for the safe-country pact to be dropped because the Trump administration “has created conditions that are not safe for asylum seekers.”
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New Zealand is moving to change gun laws after the deadly mosque shootings
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is weighing options that include a ban on private ownership of semi-automatic rifles as well as a buyback of newly outlawed guns. Ms. Ardern said on Monday she would announce new gun laws within days. “Now is the time for change,” she said, referring to previous efforts that failed amid pressure from the gun lobby.
Thousands of mourners gathered yesterday to pay tribute to the 50 killed in the mosque attacks, as relatives wait for authorities to release the bodies. Islamic law calls for bodies to be cleansed and buried as soon as possible after death.
Women embrace near Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch on Sunday. (Jorge Silva/Reuters)JORGE SILVA/Reuters
White supremacist Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 28, has been charged with one murder so far, with more charges expected. Tarrant had posted an anti-immigrant manifesto online ahead of the attacks, and also e-mailed it to the Prime Minister’s office nine minutes before the shootings. He also broadcast the attack live on Facebook; the social-media site said it has removed 1.5 million videos of the shootings.
Former CSIS analyst Jessica Davis says Canada, along with the rest of the world, isn’t doing enough to combat right-wing extremism: “Unfortunately, Canada has a natural leadership role in this space in part because our country has experienced several right-wing terrorist attacks: the 2014 murder of 3 RCMP officers, the 2017 Quebec mosque shooting, and (arguably) the 2018 van attack in Toronto, to name three. Some of these attacks have, and may yet, serve as inspiration for others in Canada and abroad.”
A political controversy is brewing in Alberta over Jason Kenney’s 2017 UCP leadership campaign
Leaked e-mails show Kenney’s campaign collaborated with Jeff Callaway, a leadership rival who’s alleged to have run as a “kamikaze” candidate to attack former Wildrose leader Brian Jean. The news comes as Alberta readies for a spring election that could be called as early as today.
While Kenney previously dismissed the “kamikaze” allegations as “conspiracy theories,” the leaked e-mails reveal a Kenney staffer was in regular contact with Callaway’s campaign and provided support that included speaking notes, message planning, graphics and videos. A staff member from Callaway’s campaign also outlined a plan that included a proposed timeline for Callaway to drop out of the race.
At just 18, Canadian Bianca Andreescu won her first women’s tennis title
The Mississauga teen started 2019 ranked 152 on the WTA circuit. Today, she’ll likely climb all the way to No. 24 after capping off a remarkable string of upsets to win the BNP Paribas Open. Andreescu beat former No. 1 seed Angelique Kerber 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the finals, her 28th victory out of 31 matches so far this season.
The BNP title gave her a US$1,354,010 paycheque – along with praise from Kerber and tennis great Rod Laver: “A star is born, congratulations @Bandreescu – what a fighter you are,” he tweeted.
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ALSO IN THE NEWS
The federal budget will be unveiled tomorrow, and it’s expected to include measures aimed at helping prospective home buyers, action to reduce prescription-drug costs and funding for employee training initiatives. One thing that will be off the table, though, is a plan to overhaul the tax code that business groups say hurts Canada’s competitiveness. (for subscribers)
An initial analysis of recovered black boxes shows there are “clear similarities” between the Ethiopian Airlines crash and October’s Lion Air disaster, Ethiopia’s transport ministry said. The 737 Max was flown in both crashes, and the Seattle Times is reporting that Boeing’s safety analysis of the aircraft’s new flight-control system had a number of critical flaws.
MORNING MARKETS
Stocks rise
Global stocks rose to their highest in five months and the dollar dipped on Monday as traders began to price in an accommodative stance from the U.S. Federal Reserve at its policy meeting this week. Tokyo’s Nikkei gained 0.6 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng 1.4 per cent, and the Shanghai Composite 2.5 per cent. In Europe, London’s FTSE 100 and the Paris CAC 40 were up by between 0.2 and 0.7 per cent by about 6:10 a.m. ET, with Germany’s DAX up marginally. New York futures were mixed. The Canadian dollar was above 75 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
True crime is popular. But is it ethical?
Jana G. Pruden: “What does it mean to really enjoy a true-crime show on Netflix? To be hooked on a true-crime podcast? To really appreciate the way a true-crime story is told? Are we hurting families just by consuming these stories? Are we using the pain of others for our own entertainment?”
France already has a problem with anti-Semitism. America must not follow suit
Marc Weitzmann: “After years of rising anti-Semitism, followed by an unprecedented wave of terror attacks, France – long familiar with popular protests of all kinds – is experiencing another outbreak of protests. At once both strange and new, it is also deeply bound into a strain of anti-Semitic ideology, this time born in France and championed in recent years by the likes of Steve Bannon.” Marc Weitzmann’s latest book is Hate: The Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism in France (and What It Means for Us).
The Brits should have learned from Quebec’s referendum
Barbara Yaffe: “At the time of the 1995 Quebec referendum, then-prime minister Jean Chrétien controversially advanced the view that a simple majority vote was not enough to take Quebec out of Canada. ... The close referendum vote in 2016 and the Westminster shenanigans that have ensued since surely remind Canadians of the wisdom and prescience of their federal leaders when their own referendum vote was held. Chrétien was right; votes that bring overwhelming change may well require overwhelming votes in favour.” Barbara Yaffe is a retired journalist who lives in Vancouver.
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
(David Parkins/The Globe and Mail)TGAM
LIVING BETTER
Recapping the Juno Awards
Shawn Mendes was the big winner at the Juno Awards, taking home five trophies including album of the year. Corey Hart, the singer behind the 80s hit Sunglasses at Night, delivered a tearful speech to mark his induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. And host Sarah McLachlan opened the show with a jab at Donald Trump, referencing a “crazy neighbour” who starts “putting up weird walls.”
MOMENT IN TIME
The Flying Newsroom, 1937
For more than 100 years, photographers and photo librarians working for The Globe and Mail have preserved an extraordinary collection of 20th-century news photography. Every Monday, The Globe features one of these images. In March, we’re looking back at The Globe through the ages.
(John Boyd/The Globe and Mail)John Boyd/The Globe and Mail
With a six-photo feature in the June 11, 1937, edition, The Globe proudly unveiled “The Flying Newsroom” – the first plane owned by a Canadian newspaper, and a huge advantage over other Earth-bound competitors. Piloted by First World War ace James Crang, seen here in a picture taken by legendary photography pioneer John Boyd, the De Havilland Dragon Rapide zoomed at speeds upward of 250 kilometres an hour. The bright-orange plane was decked out with a sterling-silver typewriter, cutting-edge wirephoto equipment, and life-saving medical supplies, and could land on water, snow or dry ground. Soon it took off on its first mission: a tour of northeastern U.S. airports to report on the technology behind their construction. In July, it carried reporters to the remote north to dig up information on mining operations. Sadly, however, the plane’s glory proved short-lived. In late August, an explosion during refuelling destroyed it completely. – Ken Carriere
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Arik Ligeti