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A ‘for sale’ sign stands in front a Toronto home in this file photoDarren Calabrese/The Globe and Mail

Good evening,

This is the daily Evening Update newsletter, a roundup of the important stories of the day and what everyone is talking about that will be delivered to your inbox every weekday around 5 p.m. ET. If you're reading this online, or if someone forwarded this e-mail to you, you can sign up for Evening Update and all Globe newsletters here. As we continue to grow the newsletter over the coming months we'd love to hear your feedback. Let us know what you think.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Foreign buyers retreat from Ontario market in wake of new tax

Purchases of Toronto homes by foreign buyers dropped over the summer after a new tax in Ontario began targeting foreign property investment, falling from 7.2 per cent of sales in the spring to 5.6 per cent of homes over the three months ending in August. Data released by the provincial government on Thursday show foreign investment began to fall in a large area around Greater Toronto known as the Greater Golden Horseshoe after a 15-per-cent foreign-buyers tax was implemented in April. The tax was part of a number of new rules designed to cool the region's housing market. Earlier, Moody's Analytics forecasted that homeowners across most parts of Canada are facing the prospect of watching their houses fall in value over the next five years, reversing the trend after several years of price increases.

Separately, the head of the Ontario Real Estate Association says the federal government should stop its "war on first-time home buyers" and hold off on proposed changes to mortgage qualification rules as the slumping Ontario housing market absorbs the impact of two recent interest-rate increases. OREA chief executive officer Tim Hudak, who represents 70,000 Ontario real estate agents, said changes proposed by Canada's banking regulator, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), will make it harder for many people to get mortgages at a time when several other recent policy changes are still being absorbed and interest rates are increasing. (for subscribers)

Opioid poisoning hospitalizations soared 70 per cent in last decade

Canadian hospitals have seen a tremendous increase in the amount of patients hospitalized for opioid poisoning, according to a new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. The study, which found that smaller cities were disproportionately affected, says that an average of 16 people per day were hospitalized this past year. The Globe has been covering the opioid crisis extensively and has previously written about how Canada got addicted to fentanyl and how the deadly drug makes its way into Canada.

New Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor defends tax changes under fire from doctors

In an interview with The Globe, the New Brunswick MP says her time as parliamentary secretary to Finance Minister Bill Morneau will help her weather the onslaught of criticism the Liberal government faces from doctors and concerned constituents. In addition to the situation with doctors, Ms. Petitpas Taylor takes on a file that is undergoing change with respect to the legalization of marijuana and delivery of healthcare services to Indigenous Canadians. (for subscribers)

UN seeks 'massive' help as 400,000 Rohingya flee Myanmar

The United Nations appealed on Thursday for 'massive' help for nearly 400,000 Muslims from Myanmar who have fled to Bangladesh, with concern growing that the number could keep rising unless Myanmar ends what critics denounce as "ethnic cleansing." The Rohingya are fleeing from a Myanmar military offensive in the western state of Rakhine that was triggered by a series of guerrilla attacks on Aug. 25 on security posts and an army camp in which about a dozen people were killed. The violence in Rakhine and the exodus of refugees is the most pressing problem Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has faced since becoming national leader last year.

Robert Rotberg on the Rohingya crisis: "The prime task of humanitarian forces is to act now to save the lives and well-being of millions of underprivileged persons. Nothing is more urgent."

Canadian retailer Roots files for IPO

Roots Corp. said on Wednesday that it filed for an initial public offering with securities regulatory authorities in Canada. The retailer, known for casual wear and leather goods with its iconic beaver logo, said it is seeking to raise about $200-million in a share sale and said the company could have a market value of about $700-million after listing. Shares for the retailer will trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ROOT, according to the filing.

MARKET WATCH

Canada's main stock index posted its highest close in nearly two weeks on Thursday, driven by gains for energy firms and strong quarterly results from Empire Company Ltd. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index unofficially closed up 0.3 per cent at 15,172.72. On Wall Street, the Dow hit a record high led by rising shares of Boeing. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both fell after higher-than-expected inflation increased the chances of an interest rate hike. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.22 per cent to end at 22,207.07, the S&P 500 lost 0.10 per cent to end at 2,495.93 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.48 per cent to end at 6,429.08.

WHAT'S TRENDING

On Thursday, Selena Gomez revealed that she had received a kidney transplant from television actress Francia Raisa due to her struggle with lupus. The actress-singer disclosed in an Instagram post, which was confirmed by her publicist, that she has been somewhat out of the spotlight this summer because she was recovering from the procedure. The 25-year-old revealed her lupus diagnosis in 2015 and took a break from her career last year to deal with anxiety, panic attacks and depression stemming from her battle with the disease. Many people praised Ms. Gomez for bringing attention to the effects of the autoimmune disease, specifically her candour about how lupus affects her mental health and helping to beat back the stigma surrounding depression and anxiety.

TALKING POINTS

Female small-business owners have enough to worry about, Mr. Trudeau

"Female physicians join the ranks of other women entrepreneurs who operate as small businesses in Canada. We celebrate the victories they have made in following their dreams against all odds, and we stand with them against the unfair tax changes proposed by a government that dares call itself a feminist one. The current changes proposed by the federal government challenge the economic security of small-business owners in Canada and, in particular, negatively affect women as child bearers and primary-care providers for their families." Anne Niec and Beverly Johnson

Impact of tax changes on small businesses greater than you think

"Mr. Trudeau says the proposed tax changes will only impact the wealthy. He's either disingenuous or doesn't understand the proposals his government announced on July 18. Neither of these is acceptable for our Prime Minister – or his Finance Minister. The answer? Abandon the proposals, clearly define and make public the desired policy objectives, then consult with professionals, business owners and Canadians at large on how to change our tax law in appropriate ways." Tim Cestnick

When will China drop Pyongyang and act like a leader?

"As North Korea's stubborn dysfunction deepens, China must be realizing that the time has come to act like a world leader and co-operate with the United States, Japan and South Korea to reunify the Korean Peninsula, along the lines of Germany's reunification 27 years ago. Beijing already has highly productive political and economic relations with South Korea, whereas North Korea has become deadweight for China." Charles Burton

LIVING BETTER

On a scale of one (low) to 10 (high), how happy are you on a typical day? A world expert in positive psychology suggested that happy people demonstrated themselves as being satisfied, upbeat and with good temperament. Try this survey that The Globe and Howatt HR launched as a tool that measures individuals' quality of work life. It's meant to educate, not diagnose, to help bring awareness to our role in our own happiness and indicate that it's not passive.

LONG READS FOR A LONG COMMUTE

Germany's election: Why we should care, what you should know

Germans go to the polls on Sept. 24 after a campaign that failed to stir people inside or outside of Germany. But don't be lulled into thinking that this election doesn't matter just because it hasn't electrified voters. Whoever wins will set the post-crisis European agenda. A German Europe or European Germany? The Globe and Mail's European bureau chief Eric Reguly looks at why Germany's election will have long-lasting implications for democracy and liberal values.

Evening Update is written by Kristene Quan, Mayaz Alam and Omair Quadri. 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.

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