Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Energy takes centre stage in the latest Russia-Ukraine developments
Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to halt contracts supplying Europe with a third of its gas unless they are paid rubles, his strongest economic riposte so far to crushing Western sanctions over his invasion of Ukraine. European governments rejected Putin’s ultimatum for tomorrow, with the continent’s biggest recipient of Russian gas, Germany, calling it “blackmail.”
In the United States, President Joe Biden is ordering the largest ever release from the U.S.’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve in a bid to push down skyrocketing inflation amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ahead of midterm congressional elections later this year. The move will pour more than 180 million barrels of oil onto the market in the next six months.
On the ground in Ukraine, heavy fighting raged on the outskirts of Kyiv and other zones. The Kremlin is suspected of using talk of de-escalation as cover while regrouping its forces for a stepped-up offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, a convoy of buses headed to Mariupol in another bid to evacuate people from the besieged port city after the Russian military agreed to a limited ceasefire in the area. And a new round of talks aimed at stopping the fighting was scheduled for tomorrow.
Read more: International Red Cross in Ukraine says it is a victim of a disinformation campaign
Xenia (who did not want to provide last name) comforts her baby Alexander while they rest at a temporary refugee center setup at the main train station on March 31, 2022 in Lviv, Ukraine.Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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Indigenous leaders optimistic Pope Francis will apologize for residential school suffering
Following a two-hour meeting with Pope Francis today, delegates from the Assembly of First Nations emerged optimistic that he would offer a full apology for more than a century of abuse at the Catholic-run residential schools and visit Canada, where they would like the apology to be made.
The AFN also urged him to revoke the 1493 Doctrine of Discovery, or Terra Nullis, the papal decree that allowed European explorers to claim waterways and “vacant” land in the name of European sovereignty.
Phil Fontaine, a former national chief of the AFN, said Pope Francis spent most of the meeting listening to the stories of the 13 delegates. “He did not respond directly for calls for an apology,” Fontaine told the media at a press conference in St. Peter’s Square.
Former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Phil Fontaine, stands outside St. Peter's Square at the end of a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, March 31, 2022.Andrew Medichini/The Associated Press
Read more:
- Former chief hopes second meeting with Pope will lead to papal apology, better understanding of trauma
- Tsilhqot’in Chief refuses to meet with Trudeau over concerns regarding residential school
When will COVID-19 be endemic? Four factors will shape an uncertain future
Not since the start of the pandemic has the future seemed so difficult to read, Ivan Semeniuk writes. In Canada, genomic surveillance suggests that Omicron’s BA.2 variant makes up a growing share of total cases and is spreading at a rate that is roughly 1½ times faster than its predecessor.
But the data are limited because widespread testing was phased out at the start of the year. Meanwhile, as mandatory masks and proof of vaccination requirements disappear, individuals are increasingly being left to make their own calculations about what precautions to take.
Based on what is currently known, there are four factors that are most likely to influence our interaction with COVID-19 through the rest of this year: the evolution of the virus, vaccines and antiviral medications, data gathering and human behaviour.
Read more:
- NACI guidance on fourth dose of COVID vaccine expected soon
- Starting tomorrow, vaccinated travellers to Canada don’t need a COVID-19 test
- Canada faces rising COVID-19 wave as health restrictions ease
Opinion: Is that a tidal wave of COVID-19 heading toward us, or just a ripple? – Globe editorial
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
CP called out on safety issues: Canada’s Transportation Safety Board says Canadian Pacific Railway failed to act on repeated employee reports of braking problems on a steep stretch of track in B.C. prior to a 2019 crash that killed three train crew on the same route. It is also urging Ottawa to toughen the rules for trains that operate on mountainous routes, and calling for improved braking systems on rail cars.
Next stop, World Cup: The Canadian men’s soccer team wrapped up a remarkable qualifying campaign yesterday on a losing note, beaten 1-0 by Panama, but will still go to Qatar as the top finisher in CONCACAF.
Arians steps down: Bruce Arians unexpectedly retired as head coach of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers last night, a stunning move that the 69-year-old who guided the team to its second Super Bowl title says is not related to health.
MARKET WATCH
U.S. stocks closed out the first quarter on a down note today with their biggest quarterly decline in two years, as concerns persisted about the continuing conflict in Ukraine and its inflationary effect on prices and the Federal Reserve’s response. Canada’s main stock index also closed lower, with heavyweight energy, financials and materials sectors all in the red.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 550.46 points or 1.56 per cent to 34,678.35, the S&P 500 lost 72.04 points or 1.57 per cent to end at 4,530.41 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 221.75 points or 1.54 per cent to 14,220.52.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index slid 185.80 points or 0.84 per cent to 21,890.16. The loonie was trading at 80.03 U.S. cents.
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TALKING POINT
Politicians are poisoning our own democracy
“Ideological differences shouldn’t be fuelled by the demonization of those you disagree with. And yet that happens all the time, especially with this Prime Minister.” – Gary Mason
LIVING BETTER
If you’re planning to catch a movie at a theatre this weekend and are wondering which is worth your time, check out The Globe’s reviews on some of the buzziest films opening tomorrow:
- Atrocious Spider-Man spinoff Morbius represents the absolute nadir of superhero cinema
- Everything Everywhere All at Once is a gleeful ride in limitless cinematic shapeshifting
TODAY’S LONG READ
Ottawa’s ‘ambitious’ climate plan to get more drivers into zero-emission vehicles remains short on details
The federal government is forcing a faster change in the driving habits of Canadians, with its decision to include a sales mandate for zero-emissions cars in the country’s first legally mandated climate plan, released this week. Now, Ottawa will have to iron out the details of the controversial strategy, as the clock ticks toward 2026.
That’s the date by which 20 per cent of light-duty vehicle sales will need to be zero-emissions cars, according to the Liberals’ Emissions Reduction Plan. The target will rise to 60 per cent in 2030 and 100 per cent in 2035. The government said it also wants to see zero-emissions vehicles, or ZEVs, make up 35 per cent of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales by 2030.
To achieve the targets, Ottawa will need both carrots, in the form of meaningful rebates that encourage consumers to buy ZEVs, and sticks, in the form of regulations that compel automakers to move away from traditional internal combustion engines. Read Kathryn Blaze Baum and Adam Radwanski’s full story here.
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