Emmerson Mnangagwa.JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP / Getty Images
Robert Mugabe's successor has returned to Zimbabwe
Emmerson Mnangagwa had fled to South Africa after Mugabe fired him as vice-president. But now the 75-year-old former spy chief and defence minister is back, returning to cheering crowds. Mnangagwa, who is known as "The Crocodile," hardly has a stellar human-rights record after working with Mugabe for four decades. But many are hoping he brings about much-needed economic reforms. Zimbabwe is now heading toward a "new unfolding democracy," Mnangagwa said in his return speech. Despite all signs that the military takeover and the transition of power was all a carefully orchestrated coup, the peaceful process has earned support from the African Union.
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Ottawa's $40-billion housing plan relies on substantial provincial funding
A key initiative is a $4-billion program to offer rent support for 300,000 low-income households. But the federal government expects provinces to cover half of the cost, and funding won't kick in until 2020, after the next federal election. Justin Trudeau announced the housing strategy next to Ontario's Housing Minister, but even Peter Milczyn wasn't ready to commit to new spending. And Quebec applauded the funding but said it wants to negotiate its own agreement outside the national plan. The federal strategy will also direct $4.8-billion toward social-housing agreements that were set to expire. And while experts praised the efforts to assist low-income communities, they questioned why a government that has advocated for the middle class didn't address their housing concerns.
Here's Campbell Clark's take: "The bad news is that calling what the Liberal government released on Wednesday a National Housing Strategy exaggerates the scope of the plan. It was an outline of the rudiments of a federal low-income housing strategy, with roughly drawn directions for policy. The good news is that they were the right directions." (for subscribers)
Nova Scotia has major gaps in its health-care system, according to a new report
There are 36,000 Nova Scotians on a wait list for a family doctor but they aren't being prioritized based on health needs, the province's Auditor-General says. One pregnant woman reached out to more than 20 doctors, but none took her on as a patient. The province's health authority told her to go to an emergency room. Nova Scotia is in need of 500 more family doctors over the next decade. At the same time, the province is working to attract new residents and businesses which would put further burdens on its health services.
B.C.'s Premier is warning against overtaxing cannabis
John Horgan says all levels of government need to be careful to strike the right balance on taxation in order to compete with the black market. Municipalities should be wary of charging high licensing fees for cannabis firms to operate, he said. The province had planned on adding its own cannabis tax once legalization arrives, but Horgan said that idea is being reexamined after Ottawa unveiled plans for $1-per-gram tax, with revenue split 50-50 with provinces (many provinces say they should be getting a larger share).
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Ex-Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic was sentenced to life in prison
Mladic was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity for the killings of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in the 1990s. A United Nations tribunal found him responsible for the murder of 8,000 Muslim men and boys, Europe's worst mass killing since the Second World War. He was also charged for a siege in Sarajevo that left 10,000 civilians dead.
Ontario's $15 minimum wage is coming on Jan. 1, 2019
The government passed a series of labour reforms yesterday, including a requirement for employers to pay part-time and casual workers the same rate as full-time staff. All workers will also be eligible for 10 days of emergency leave. Members of Ontario's business community oppose many of the measures, arguing the increased costs will limit their ability to hire, and in turn force them to pass costs on to consumers.
MORNING MARKETS
The U.S. dollar was on the defensive Thursday after suffering its worst drubbing in five months, as the biggest slump in Chinese stocks in almost two years took the shine off another record high in the global bull run. The near 3-per-cent drop in China came as its recent bond market worries bled into equities. Tokyo's Nikkei was closed, but Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 1 per cent, and the Shanghai composite tumbled 2.3 per cent. In Europe, London's FTSE 100 and Germany's DAX were each down 0.2 per cent by about 5:35 a.m. ET, though the Paris CAC 40 was up 0.3 per cent. The Canadian dollar was up, nearing 79 cents (U.S.) as the greenback slipped. U.S. oil prices eased back from a two-year high.
Heads up: The Globe now provides all users access to real-time stock quotes for both Canadian and U.S. markets. Go here to find out about the major changes to our Globe Investor site.
WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT
Safety on campus shouldn't require the muzzling of ideas
"In a first-year communications course [at Wilfrid Laurier University], teaching assistant Lindsay Shepherd showed her students a TVO debate in order to demonstrate the highly controversial politics of grammar, gender and the use of non-gendered pronouns. After one or more anonymous student complaints to the administration, Ms. Shepherd was summoned to a meeting with university officials … In the span of just a few short years, we have witnessed a revolutionary series of successes in entrenching legal and social recognition for trans rights. Should we not take a longer-range view on how social change comes about and shouldn't this include a fierce commitment to the respectful airing of a diversity of perspectives under the banner of free speech? Indeed, our laws demand and protect it." – Melanie Randall, associate professor at Western University's Faculty of Law
LaVar Ball is doing the world a favour by giving Trump someone to fixate on
"Ball floated into Trump's tunnel vision over the past week when his middle son, LiAngelo, a freshman at UCLA, was arrested for shoplifting while on tour with the team in China. In what might be the only successful foreign-policy intervention of his presidency, Trump convinced the Chinese to spring LiAngelo and two of his teammates. … When asked about Trump's involvement, Ball barked, 'Who?' The rest of what he said doesn't matter. He'd hit the target straight off. There can no better way to bait Trump than impugning his fame. … But, honestly, this is probably a best-case scenario. Ball is doing us all a favour – and I mean 'all humans' – by giving the President someone to fixate on. Trump needs a Binky. As long as he has his Binky, he will be less inclined to get out of his crib and spark a global conflagration on Snapchat." – Cathal Kelly
HEALTH PRIMER
Should I be undergoing any tests for my severe back pain?
"There are only a handful of situations when an X-ray or scanning test should be done to investigate back pain. In such cases, the patients usually have additional symptoms, such as an inability to urinate or loss of bowel control, a history of cancer, unexplained weight loss or a fever. When any of these 'red flags' are present, it can be a sign of nerve damage or another serious problem requiring prompt medical attention – justifying an imaging test. For most patients, however, backaches don't involve nerve damage or other complex issues. They normally get better with gentle exercises, over-the-counter pain relievers, a heating pad – and time." – Paul Taylor, patient navigation adviser at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
MOMENT IN TIME
Residential school students compensated
Nov. 23, 2005: It was not the apology that many former students of Indian residential schools were looking for. That would come two-and-a-half years later. But the financial settlement worth billions of dollars that was announced by the Canadian government on this date in 2005 was recognition of the harm inflicted upon generations of Indigenous people by a program designed for assimilation. The deal, which would benefit nearly 80,000 survivors, included a payment for all who attended one of the infamous schools, additional compensation for those who were physically abused, and money for healing, reconciliation and commemoration. Irwin Cotler, then the justice minister, proclaimed that day that the residential school system was "the single most harmful, disgraceful and racist act in our history." But Phil Fontaine, head of the Assembly of First Nations who was instrumental in obtaining the agreement, was more relieved than angry: "Justice has prevailed." – Gloria Galloway
Morning Update is written by Arik Ligeti.
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Arik Ligeti