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Ottawa is poised to extend a military training mission in Ukraine for another six months and is mulling whether to expand the number of soldier-trainers deployed and provide Kyiv with defensive weapons and gear, two government sources say.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday that Ottawa is also drawing up a list of economic sanctions that would be imposed on Moscow if Russia launches a military offensive against Ukraine.
The sources said Canada is talking to the United States, Britain and other countries about punishing economic sanctions, which President Joe Biden said Wednesday would severely hurt Russia’s financial system.
- Biden predicts Russian invasion of Ukraine, warns it will pay high price for full-scale incursion
- United States, allies pledge unity on Russia, but what to do isn’t as clear
A convoy of Russian armored vehicles moves along a highway in Crimea, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. Russia has concentrated an estimated 100,000 troops with tanks and other heavy weapons near Ukraine in what the West fears could be a prelude to an invasion. (AP Photo)The Associated Press
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Inflation rate hits three-decade high as Bank of Canada interest-rate hike looms
Canadian inflation hit a three-decade high in December ahead of a hotly anticipated decision from the Bank of Canada that could see the central bank start to raise interest rates next week to rein in price growth.
Prices are being pushed up for many reasons, including supply chain disruptions that have stymied global trade the past year, adverse weather, labour shortages and rampant consumer demand. Lofty inflation has become a top concern for households and a frequent source of debate among politicians in Ottawa.
The situation has put greater focus on the Bank of Canada. The bank has previously signalled it could start raising its benchmark interest rate – now at a record low of 0.25 per cent – as soon as April. However, a slew of recent data suggest high inflation is at greater risk of becoming entrenched and tougher to tame.
- David Parkinson: Hyperventilating over inflation? Try looking beyond the headline
- Editorial: Today’s inflation is a problem the Bank of Canada can’t tackle alone
Minister of Sport commits to closing loophole on investigating abuse
Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge said she plans to close a loophole that allows national sport organizations to appoint their own investigators when it comes to complaints of athlete abuse within their own ranks.
The problem was detailed in a recent Globe and Mail investigation into alleged abuse at the national synchronized swimming program, where athletes say they were pushed into dangerous eating disorders by coaches using questionable science and arbitrary metrics, leaving some of those swimmers with lifelong problems.
However, when the athletes raised concerns within the program, they say their complaints were never addressed.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Liberal government ‘undermines’ financial transparency, PBO says: Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says the Liberal government “undermines” accountability when it comes to the timely disclosure of federal spending and is recommending legislative changes to limit Ottawa’s ability to delay the release of key accountability reports.
- Campbell Clark: Trudeau doesn’t seem to think this warning sign of government bloat is even worth thinking about
Trudeau defends vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending the federal government’s decision to implement a vaccination mandate for truck drivers even as critics say the mandate is poorly timed, coming in the winter, when Canadians rely on international supply chains for fresh produce, and that it will push already high levels of inflation even higher.
British PM to lift nearly all COVID-19 restrictions: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is fending off calls for his resignation with a vigorous defence of his handling of the pandemic and a plan to remove almost all COVID-19 restrictions in England next week.
- Italian plague diary: As Omicron spreads, so does my fear and Europe’s rancour over vaccines
Florida public-health official punished over vaccines: A prominent public-health official in Florida has been pulled from his position after advocating vaccines for his own staff, as the political divide deepens in the U.S. over the role of government in pandemic response.
Beijing 2022 officials warn against ‘Olympic spirit’ violations: Behaviour by athletes that violates the Olympic spirit or Chinese rules could be subject to punishment, a Beijing 2022 official said, after rights groups voiced concern about the safety of competitors if they protest at next month’s Games.
MORNING MARKETS
European markets struggle: European stocks fell on Thursday as cautious investors continued to assess how far and fast the U.S. Federal Reserve will begin raising interest rates this year. Around 5:30 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.13 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 were down 0.15 per cent and 0.58 per cent, respectively. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei rose 1.11 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 3.42 per cent. New York futures were firmer. The Canadian dollar was trading at 80.09 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Robyn Urback: “There are times when robust border measures are absolutely crucial: when a new and strange virus is suddenly sickening people overseas, for example, or when an unknown and concerning variant is first identified abroad.... But that time has now passed: Omicron is everywhere, hospitals have cancelled non-urgent procedures, and testing and tracing in many jurisdictions have collapsed.”
Rob Carrick: “A prediction about the many measures the federal Liberals have promised to make houses more affordable: None will work.”
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
Brian GableBrian Gable/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
How (and why) to ‘green’ your Mediterranean diet
So far, though, there’s sparse data from randomized controlled trials on whether following a Mediterranean diet can preserve brain volume. Until now. New research from Israel has shown that eating a Mediterranean diet slowed the age-related loss of brain tissue. What’s more, a new take on the diet, a “green” Mediterranean diet, had even greater brain-health benefits.
MOMENT IN TIME: JANUARY 20, 1982
Ozzy Osbourne in concert at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, April 25, 1984.Nancy Ackerman/The Globe and Mail
Ozzy Osbourne bites off a bat’s head
Ozzy Osbourne went batty in Iowa 40 years ago today. The peculiar British rocker was performing at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines on his Diary of a Madman tour. The poster for the show depicted the former Black Sabbath frontman in a cape and with devil horns, under the heading, “Just when you thought it was safe to go back to a concert.” Indeed, parental guidance was suggested. At some point, a fan threw a bat on the stage. Enthralled with his Prince of Darkness persona, Osbourne chomped into it. “My mouth was instantly full of this warm, gloopy liquid, with the worst aftertaste you could ever imagine,” he wrote in his memoir, I Am Ozzy. Although the bat-tossing teenager, Mark Neal, later said the animal was long dead, Osbourne has always maintained it was living when he stuck it in his mouth. Regardless, Osbourne was treated for rabies after the concert. In commemoration of the incident 37 years later, the Crazy Train singer sold replica bat dolls with detachable heads. Even at a pricey US$40 apiece, they flew off the shelves. Brad Wheeler
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