Good morning,
These are the top stories:
U.S. lawmakers are warning Canada about Chinese smartphone maker Huawei
A pair of senior U.S. politicians say the Chinese telecom giant is a national-security threat to Canada and other western allies. Huawei’s smartphones and equipment shouldn’t be used north of the border, Republican Senator Tom Cotton and Democratic Senator Mark Warner said. The firm is already largely shut out of the U.S. market, while Australia is considering blocking it from supplying equipment for the construction of 5G telecom infrastructure. Huawei has turned Canada into a key research centre as it works to become a world leader in 5G technology.
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Right-wing candidate Ivan Duque won Colombia’s presidential election
Duque’s win, while reassuring for the business sector, throws into question the fate of the government’s landmark 2016 peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (more commonly known as FARC). While the war has ended and the guerrillas have abandoned their weapons, many Colombians are still living in fear, Globe correspondent Stephanie Nolen reports. “We thought there would be peace – but it’s worse here now,” said Manuel Ul, whose cousin was assassinated earlier this year. Militias and drug cartels have begun asserting control, threatening community leaders on a near-daily basis. Duque is a critic of the peace deal but has offered no plans to reduce violence.
Immigration is on the agenda in the U.S. this week amid outcry over the separation of migrant children from parents
Donald Trump is set to meet with Republicans tomorrow to discuss immigration legislation, with a vote expected in the House of Representatives this week. It’s not yet clear if the bill pushed by conservatives will have enough support to pass. This comes as the President’s key adviser, Kellyanne Conway, said “nobody likes” breaking up families. Like Trump, she pinned the blame on Democrats despite the policy being put in place by the current administration. Nearly 2,000 children were separated from their families in a six-week period in April and May after the White House issued a directive to refer all cases of illegal entry for criminal prosecution.
Here’s David Shribman’s take: “The current imbroglio over immigration stands as a symbol of multiple aspects of contemporary America: ambiguity over its immigrant heritage, frustration over its congenital political impasse and confusion about the way forward.”
And here’s Sarah Kendzior’s view: “The older children scream for their parents, while the babies simply scream. The littlest ones cannot even tell us who they are. They don’t yet have words. And so we try, in the United States, to find the words for them. To find the words to describe this level of evil, which was both preventable and proclaimed.”
A man convicted in a ‘Mr. Big’ sting is asking the Supreme Court to reopen his case
Kevin Simmonds, who was convicted of murder nearly 20 years ago, says his confession to undercover police would be “incontrovertibly inadmissible” today. That’s because in 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that confessions produced via the Mr. Big tactic – where police create a fake criminal enterprise to lure in a suspect – should be presumed to be false. It’s extremely unusual to ask the Supreme Court to reopen a case, but Simmonds says the federal mechanism for reviewing convictions is mired in delays. If he is able to obtain a new hearing, it could open the floodgates to similar cases.
California and Quebec have closed the joint carbon market to Ontario
The move comes after Ontario’s premier-designate Doug Ford announced the province would end its cap-and-trade system. California and Quebec’s action prevents companies from dumping roughly $2.8-billion in emissions allowances. Ford’s decision could provoke lawsuits from companies that purchased allowances, though Ford is insisting that they will benefit in the future. The federal government is vowing to impose a carbon tax on provinces that don’t have a carbon levy in place. Ontario is set to join Saskatchewan’s challenge to the federal plan.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Switzerland held Brazil to a 1-1 draw in the World Cup
And that wasn’t the only surprise outcome in opening matches at this year’s tournament in Russia: Mexico topped Germany 1-0, while Iceland drew 1-1 with Argentina.
Here’s John Doyle’s take on the rough starts by three stellar squads: “This tournament is the better for Germany’s defeat and both Argentina and Brazil being held. That makes every game matter more, every goal and point count for more. There will be no dull or irrelevant games in the first round. Can Germany recover? Yes, probably. Can Argentina meet the expectations attached to Lionel Messi and his helpers? Probably not. Croatia will be a stern test on Thursday. Brazil’s path is now bumpy and Costa Rica will be unawed for Friday’s game against a team that could come to define a mass South American collapse.”
MORNING MARKETS
Global stocks retreat on trade concerns
European stocks edged lower following drops for U.S. futures and Asian peers as concerns grew over the escalating protectionist standoff between China and the U.S. Oil fell before a key OPEC meeting this week, while the dollar U.S. gained and Treasuries were steady. Just before 5:30 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 0.10 per cent. Germany’s DAX was off 0.78 per cent and Frances CAC 40 fell 0.59 per cent. In Japan, the Nikkei finished down 0.75 per cent. The Canadian dollar was trading slightly higher at 75.95 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Point-counterpoint: The Supreme Court’s Trinity Western ruling
On Friday, the top court said law societies have the right to refuse to accredit graduates of a proposed law school at Trinity Western University, a Christian institution which requires all students sign an agreement prohibiting them from having sex outside of heterosexual marriage. Here are two perspectives on the decision:
Lorna Dueck, host of Context TV: “A portion of Christian freedom of expression loses big time in this ruling, which implies that in Canada, sexual identity trumps religious identity. … To restrict Canadians from a profession or education because of beliefs and identity makes for a shallow freedom and does nothing to foster the kind of good-neighbourliness we’d like Canada to stand for.”
Elaine Craig, associate professor at Dalhousie’s Schulich School of Law: “While acknowledging that the lack of a Christian law school will limit (to an insignificant extent) the religious freedom of prospective TWU law students, the majority of the Supreme Court of Canada accepted that this modest impact was outweighed by the harmful consequences of accrediting a new law school that excludes the vast majority of LGBTQ people on the basis of their sexual orientation. … [the decision] represents another step toward recognizing LGBTQ people as equally worthy of respect and dignity.”
LIVING BETTER
Tips to help you safely grill meat this summer
Cooking at a high temperature creates carcinogens. But there are things you can do to reduce the formation of these chemicals. For one, marinating meat for at least 30 minutes has been shown to have a positive impact. Using small portions of meat in order to reduce the amount of time on the grill can also make a difference. Go here for more tips.
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Arik Ligeti