Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Britain’s finance minister Rishi Sunak and health minister Sajid Javid resigned on Tuesday, plunging Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government into crisis.
Javid said he had lost confidence in Johnson’s ability to govern in the national interest after a series of scandals, saying he could “no longer continue in good conscience.” He said that many lawmakers and the public had lost confidence in Johnson’s ability to govern in the national interest.
The resignations came from what appeared to be a choreographed release of letters to Johnson, in which both took aim at his ability to run an administration that adhered to standards.
- Listen to The Decibel: How Boris Johnson survives scandal after scandal
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Suspect confesses to killing Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, says hit was ‘just business’
The man accused of detonating a car bomb that killed a prominent Maltese journalist has confessed to the crime in an interview with a Reuters reporter and says he will soon implicate others in plotting to assassinate her.
Speaking from jail in his first comment on the case, George Degiorgio said if he had known more about Daphne Caruana Galizia – the journalist he and two others are accused of killing in 2017 – then he would have asked for more money to carry out the hit.
Degiorgio says his motive for confessing was to seek a sentence reduction for himself and his brother and to ensure that “we’re not going down alone.”
Alberta to intervene in antitrust review of Rogers, Shaw deal
Alberta will intervene in competition tribunal proceedings of a proposed $26-billion merger between Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. because it will impact the provincial economy, Alberta’s Attorney-General said in a notice filed Monday.
The notice of intervention states that the “successes and failures” of the deal will have an impact on Alberta consumers and the province’s economy. It also states that the Attorney-General “takes no position” on the deal at this time.
This week is the first scheduled mediation period between Rogers, Shaw and the Competition Bureau, a process they agreed to participate in last month.
- Rogers and Shaw heading to mediation with Competition Bureau over contested $26-billion takeover
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Suspect in Chicago suburb shooting bought gun legally, officials say: The man accused of attacking a Fourth of July parade in a Chicago suburb bought his rifle legally, fired more than 70 rounds from a roof and dressed in women’s clothing to blend into the fleeing crowd afterwards, local officials said on Tuesday. Police revised the confirmed casualty toll with the death of a seventh person who had been hospitalized after the attack.
City of Toronto working to reinstate Sikh security guards: The City of Toronto is working with private security firms to reinstate more than 100 Sikh men who lost their jobs as guards due to a municipal policy that requires them to be clean shaven so they can wear properly fitting N95 respirators while working.
NATO nations sign off on accession protocols for Sweden, Finland: Canada and Denmark were the first countries to ratify Finland and Sweden’s request to join NATO, turning in their documents just hours after the accession protocols were signed in Brussels.
- Russian forces shell Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region as war enters new phase
CN Rail employees to return to work Wednesday after union agrees to binding arbitration: A two-week strike at Canadian National Railway Co. is ending after the union representing 750 signals and communications workers agreed to binding arbitration. The strike that was launched June 18 will end just after midnight Tuesday and employees will return to their roles Wednesday morning.
National Chief RoseAnne Archibald takes stage at AFN meeting: The annual Assembly of First Nations gathering in Vancouver comes as members of the AFN executive urged the delegates not to allow the human resource complaints involving National Chief RoseAnne Archibald to “overshadow the real and ongoing work that is required on behalf of the First Nations people.”
- Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald says suspension unlawful
MARKET WATCH
Investors are bracing themselves for interest rate hikes coming at the end of the month, while some eye the growth trajectory of the U.S. economy.
U.S. markets reopened on Tuesday after closing for Independence Day on Monday. The S&P 500 gained 6.86 points, or 0.17 per cent, to end at 3,831.80 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 195.65 points, or 1.76 per cent, to 11,323.49. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 127.99 points, or 0.41 per cent, to 30,969.27.
The Canadian dollar traded for 76.70 cents US compared with 77.72 cents on Monday.
Energy stocks hit five-month lows as recession fears darkened the outlook for oil demand. Business growth across the euro zone slowed further in June and European natural gas prices surged again, reigniting worries of a recession in the bloc.
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TALKING POINTS
The Supreme Court decision on the ‘Ghomeshi’ amendments will help sexual assault victims access justice
“The court recognized that judicial screening of such records is needed to weed out myths that distort the truth-seeking function of the trial. Not only the myth that a sexually active woman is more likely to have consented or to lie, but myths about the credibility and reliability of women with mental health challenges or who have consumed alcohol and drugs; about the failure to report a sexual assault immediately....” - Elizabeth Sheehy
How long will the bear market last?
“It’s all a little reminiscent of the hard times seen in the 1970s when stocks floundered as inflation and high interest rates plagued the economy. I hope we will avoid a repeat of that unfortunate period but I’m less than optimistic about the stock market’s near-term prospects. Problem is, bear markets have a habit of lingering for many months – or years.” - Norman Rothery
LIVING BETTER
A Canadian traveller’s airport survival guide: what to pack, what to leave behind
There’s one prevailing piece of advice when it comes to managing air travel in 2022: “pack your patience.”
But as flight cancellations and delays continue, there are also some steps you can take to make the process as smooth as possible, industry insiders say. From avoiding peak times to packing a luggage tracker, here are their tips.
TODAY’S LONG READ
‘Safe haven’ states prepare to fight for abortion rights alongside activists
Abortion rights activists gather for a protest following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, at Washington Square Park, Friday, June 24, 2022, in New York.Yuki IWAMURA/The Associated Press
In a Bronx coffee shop near the end of a New York subway line, Elizabeth Estrada reminded herself that hope is a discipline. She was quoting Mariame Kaba, a Black activist, educator and grassroots organizer whose wisdom is resonating with reproductive justice campaigners devastated by the United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“It’s hard to even talk about this without getting choked up, because the impact is so deep,” Ms. Estrada, a field and advocacy manager for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, said about the ruling, which ended nearly 50 years of abortion rights.
“As an immigrant it makes me feel, this is what my family immigrated to the United States for? We’ve regressed, and white supremacists, capitalists, the patriarchy are winning at this particular moment but that doesn’t mean that our fight stops. It’s not just a punchline. La lucha sigue.” The struggle continues, she said in Spanish. Read the full story by Natalie Alcoba.
Evening Update is written by Mahdis Habibinia. 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.