People search for survivors in a collapsed building in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City.Enric Marti/The Associated Press
Magnitude-7.1 quake kills scores in central Mexico
The death toll continues to climb in the aftermath of yesterday's magnitude 7.1 earthquake in central Mexico. At least 248 are dead and many buildings in Mexico City and nearby states have been destroyed or badly damaged. The federal Education Department said 25 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage of a school, all but four of them children. The quake happened on the same day as Mexico's most deadly quake, which killed thousands in 1985. Southern Mexico was also hit with a quake just weeks ago. That one left 90 people dead.
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Puerto Rico braces for Hurricane Maria
East of Mexico, the Caribbean is feeling the effects of yet another hurricane. Puerto Rico's Governor Ricardo Rossello is warning that Hurricane Maria could hit the island today "with a force and violence that we haven't seen for several generations." Those who live in wooden or flimsy homes have been ordered to evacuate for safer shelters. The storm has already inflicted damage on Dominica: Communications there have been knocked out and the extent of its impact on the island's infrastructure remains unclear.
Trudeau urges world leaders to work together
On the same day Donald Trump hailed his "America first" agenda during his United Nations address, Justin Trudeau emphasized the need for world leaders to renew commitments to global alliances. "Worldwide, the long-established international order is being tested," he said at an awards gala in New York. "We have to work together on this. Which means a renewed commitment to long-standing alliances" like NATO and the UN. Trudeau is set to give his speech at the UN General Assembly tomorrow.
Breaking down Trump's UN address
On North Korea: The U.S. "will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea," if threatened, Trump said. "Rocket Man [Kim Jong-un] is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime," he said. Trump is the "bluster man" to Kim's "rocket man," Lawrence Martin writes in The Globe and Mail: "what the record shows is that bluster man rarely follows through. He's more bark than bite. He comes off sounding like a Category 5 hurricane but, if you put his words to actions, he's barely a tropical storm."
On nationalism: "I will always put America first," he said, adding that "the nation-state remains the best vehicle for elevating the human condition." Doug Saunders writes that Trump's "steely talk of vengeful national will and angry patriotism" was a throwback to a darker world.
On Iran: "We cannot abide by [the 2015 nuclear deal] if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program."
On refugees: "The substantial costs of uncontrolled migration are borne overwhelmingly by low-income citizens whose concerns are often ignored by both media and government."
Ontario tables $50,000 fines for careless drivers causing death
Right now, careless drivers in Ontario who kill someone can be fined up to $2,000 and jailed six months under the province's Highway Traffic Act. But if proposed legislation is enacted, drivers could face a penalty between $2,000 and $50,000 and up to two years in jail. That's just part of a series of possible changes coming as Ontario responds to concerns from activists who want better protections for pedestrians and cyclists. One activist, for example, lost his wife in 2014 after a motorist hit her on the sidewalk. That driver received a $1,000 fine. The legislation would also increase penalties for those convicted of distracted driving. Fines would be between $300 and $1,000 and licences would be suspended for 30 days on the third offence.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Equifax says up to 100,000 Canadians affected by cyberattack
Americans aren't the only ones affected by the Equifax cyberattack. The personal information and credit card details of around 100,000 Canadians may have been compromised, the company said. In a column, business and securities lawyer Daniel Tsai argues the hack reveals the need for tougher regulations: "Considering the seriousness of this breach, it is time for Ottawa and provincial governments to consider treating Equifax and other credit bureaus as quasi-governmental or highly regulated institutions."
MORNING MARKETS
Global stocks eked out a record high on Wednesday and the U.S. dollar dipped against its major rivals with the focus on a U.S. Federal Reserve policy meeting that may give clues as to whether it will raise interest rates for a third time this year. Tokyo's Nikkei gained less than 0.1 per cent, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng and the Shanghai composite each rising 0.3 per cent. In Europe, London's FTSE 100, Germany's DAX and the Paris CAC 40 were up by 0.1 per cent or less by about 5:30 a.m. ET. New York futures were little changed, though up, and the Canadian dollar was inching back toward the 82-cent (U.S.) mark. Oil rose, set for its largest third-quarter gain in 13 years, after the Iraqi oil minister said OPEC and its partners were considering extending or deepening supply cuts to erode an existing global surplus.
WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT
B.C. finally shuts Wild West Fundraising Saloon; gives tab to taxpayers
"Too many Canadian political parties have long operated on the belief that there are only two ways they can raise money – through unethically large donations, or by feeding from government coffers. This is absurd, and contrary to existing evidence. Federal parties somehow survived an election, and the two years since, without public subsidy. Why are the governments of two of the wealthiest provinces – Ontario and B.C. – insisting on taking the easy route? Especially when B.C. parties will also now be eligible for reimbursement of up to half of their campaign expenses in voting years?" – Globe editorial
Myanmar's Suu Kyi is no 'Asian Mandela'
"The Lady has broken her silence, and left the world dumbfounded. In the face of a "textbook case of ethnic cleansing" (to use the words of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights) Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi – the country's de facto head of state – has responded with 30 minutes of well-worn excuses typical of authoritarian regimes. Instead of a principled position with unequivocal condemnation and bold leadership expected of a global human-rights icon, "the Asian Mandela" trotted out a litany of diversions, equivocations, appeals for time and "understanding" that were tone-deaf to the depth and breadth of international concern and fly in the face of the facts before our eyes." – John Packer, professor of law and director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre, University of Ottawa
HEALTH PRIMER
What you need to know about trans fats and why they are being banned
Health Canada is banning trans fats from our food supply as of Sept. 15, 2018. The ban will cover food products, imported foods and restaurants. Trans fats are partially hydrogenated oils used to add taste and texture to foods and allow products to last longer. Growing evidence shows trans fats are tied to a higher risk of coronary heart disease. Regularly eating foods with trans fats raises levels of bad cholesterol, studies have shown. And while 97 per cent of Canada's food supply met its trans fat targets in 2014, parts of the food industry kept on using the partially hydrogenated oils.
MOMENT IN TIME
Sears buys out Eatons
Sept. 20, 1999: This day marked a turning point for Sears Canada Inc., paving the way for its long, slow decline. On this date, U.S.-controlled Sears unveiled a $50-million deal to buy archrival T. Eaton Co., a Canadian retail icon. But, just as new forces today are rattling traditional retailers, department stores then were also feeling a squeeze. More nimble big-box specialty stores and U.S. discounter Wal-Mart Stores Inc. had emerged, stealing away customers with faster and cheaper ways of doing business. Eaton's was on the brink. Sears bought it and kept just seven stores under the "eatons" name, switching to a lower case "e" and no apostrophe before the "s." It went over budget to transform them into upscale destinations. Alas, shoppers were not ready to open their wallets and, by 2002, Sears scrapped the money-losing eatons. In ensuing years, Sears struggled under new ownership and shifting leaders and strategies. Today, its future is in question as it closes dozens of stores under creditors' court protection. – Marina Strauss
Morning Update is written by Arik Ligeti.
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