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On a muggy Tuesday evening, outside the London, Ont., mosque where the Afzaal-Salman family once worshiped, politicians, community leaders, and people of all faiths gathered to mourn three generations of a family killed in what police have said was an act of terrorism and anti-Islamic hate.
In about two hours of speeches, speakers at the vigil repeatedly called for both personal and political action to address racism, hatred and Islamophobia, including a national summit on Islamophobia and action against hate groups.
“Every single one of us, we need to do our part,” said Imam Abd Alfatah Twakkal, one of the speakers who addressed the crowd from the steps of the London Muslim Mosque during the vigil. “And we need to do this together, collectively.”
Read more:
London family remembered for hard work, patience, selflessness
Opinion: The London attack reaffirms why Muslims often feel unsafe in their own country
Accused in London mass killing bought pickup truck in May
People wait for a vigil to begin outside the London Muslim Mosque for the victims of the deadly vehicle attack on five members of the Canadian Muslim community in London, Ont., on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Four of the members of the family died and one is in critical condition. Police have charged a London man with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan DenetteNathan Denette/The Canadian Press
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Ottawa may relax quarantine rules for travellers in first-phase easing of border restrictions
The federal government is actively considering a first-phase easing of border restrictions that would grant returning Canadians and permanent residents who are fully vaccinated a measure of relief from onerous post-travel quarantine rules, according to a senior government official.
This change, under serious consideration, would allow these travellers to isolate at home instead while awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test. Once the traveller received confirmation that their return COVID test was negative, they would no longer be under isolation restrictions.
Such a change, which could take effect early in July, would benefit Canadian snowbirds who have prolonged their stay in the U.S. because of Canada’s current quarantine rules.
Read more:
As more Canadians get vaccinated, calls grow for national guidance on life after the second dose
Editorial: How Canadians turned a bronze-medal vaccine supply into a gold-medal vaccination rate
Canadian charity gives US$1.3-billion to boost lagging COVID-19 vaccine deliveries in Africa
What does China’s future hold? A parting view from The Globe’s correspondent in Beijing
Nathan VanderKlippe moved to Beijing in 2013, an arrival that roughly coincided with Xi Jinping’s rise to power. Since then, The Globe’s Asia correspondent has watched China change.
If China’s current course stays the same, according to economists, it will eclipse the United States as the world’s pre-eminent economic power within the next decade or two. As VanderKlippe gets ready to leave the country, he examines what China’s future will hold.
Other pieces in the series include Will China be the next world leader? and Can China make its people happy?
The Decibel: Will the Pope apologize for residential schools?
On today’s The Decibel podcast, host Tamara Khandaker speaks to reporter Tavia Grant about calls from survivors, some Catholics, and even the Prime Minister for the Pope to apologize for the Church’s role in running many residential schools.
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
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Real-estate prices expected to sharply increase this year: Royal Bank of Canada has revised its housing forecast higher, predicting home prices will rise 13 per cent this year and saying policy makers have done little to cool the frenzied real-estate market.
Pembina Pipeline joins Indigenous effort to buy Trans Mountain: Pembina Pipeline Corp. has joined with an Indigenous-owned group to propose an offer for the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, marking the first time a major energy company has signalled its intention to bid for the line now being expanded.
Flight ban leaves travellers from India, Pakistan in limbo: There are many Canadians who are stranded in India and Pakistan because of travel restrictions. The ban on direct flights from those countries was one of several actions taken by the federal government to reduce transmission of the virus, especially the variant now known as Delta, which was first reported in India. They must either wait out the ban, with the risk of contracting the virus, or face the challenge of navigating complicated flight paths home.
Sunrise solar eclipse to sweep across Arctic and central Canada: A solar eclipse is set to sweep across a large portion of Canada tomorrow. For southerners, including those in Toronto, Montreal and Halifax, the event will feature the rare sight of a crescent sun rising, with the moon blocking a large fraction of the solar disc. But observers who are located in a broad strip from Northern Ontario to Canada’s high Arctic will also have a chance to see the moon’s round silhouette passing directly in front of the sun.
MORNING MARKETS
Global stocks near record: World stock prices teetered near record highs on Wednesday, while U.S. bond yields touched their lowest levels in a month, as investors bet the Federal Reserve is some way off from tapering its economic stimulus. Just before 6 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 0.52 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 fell 0.28 per cent and 0.02 per cent, respectively. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei slid 0.35 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended down 0.13 per cent. New York futures were little changed. The Canadian dollar was trading at 82.71 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Campbell Clark: “There would be an outcry if he didn’t do the hotel quarantine, of course. But we’d all be better off if the Prime Minister had scrapped the hotel quarantine two weeks ago, and chosen a different set of symbols for this trip. That way he could have quarantined at home and declared his test results after a week.”
Gary Mason: “At some point, if he hopes to survive, the Premier [Jason Kenney] is going to have to do something that does not come naturally to him: He is going to have to admit his broader failings, issue a sweeping apology for the lousy job he’s done to this point and promise to do better with a concrete action plan. To press the restart button, he is going to have to swallow his pride.”
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
Brian GableBrian Gable/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
Family, murder and politics - two left-field thrillers on streaming
Two recently arrived thrillers offer entertainment and compelling insight into the culture and politics of places that are remote from us and only register sometimes as the source of dramatic news stories.
MOMENT IN TIME: JUNE 9, 1961
Justine Bateman as Mallory Keaton, Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton, Marc Price as Erwin 'Skippy' Handleman in 'Family Ties,' first aired on Sept. 25, 1986.NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Michael J. Fox is born
Sixty years ago, Michael J. Fox, OC, was born in Edmonton – the first of many Canadian cities in which the award-winning entertainer, activist and self-proclaimed “army brat” would live throughout his childhood. At 15 years old, Fox’s acting career began with a leading role in CBC-TV’s Leo and Me. In the 1980s, his roles as Alex P. Keaton in the NBC sitcom Family Ties, and as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy, would earn him worldwide recognition and critical acclaim. But Fox’s career, life and legacy were profoundly changed in 1991, when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at 29. After sharing his diagnosis with the public, Fox soon became a leader in Parkinson’s disease research and advocacy. Through the Michael J. Fox Foundation – which The New York Times called “the most credible voice on Parkinson’s disease research in the world” – Fox has fought to accelerate the pace of Parkinson’s research. Since 2000, the foundation has funded investigations resulting in 20 early-stage therapeutic programs. Today, 15 disease-modifying interventions are in clinical trials, owing to Fox’s relentless efforts to find a cure for the six million people living with Parkinson’s disease around the world. Serena Marotta
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