Evening Update: Two people dead in vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge, prompting border-crossing closings

Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:

Two people dead in vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge, prompting border closings between New York and Ontario

Developing story: A vehicle exploded on the U.S. side of the Rainbow Bridge border crossing near Niagara Falls, prompting the closing of that checkpoint on the eve of the American Thanksgiving holiday. Three other crossings were closed for several hours but were later reopened, the OPP confirmed.

Two people are dead in the explosion, according to reports. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said there is so far no evidence that the crash was a terrorist attack. She said the driver of the car was from western New York State. The driver and a passenger died while one U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was slightly injured.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau both say they have been briefed on the situation. The FBI said it is investigating, and Trudeau’s office said the public safety minister, the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency are “fully engaged and providing all necessary support,” and “we are in contact with the U.S. officials.” Follow live updates here.

This is the daily Evening Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was sent to you as a forward, you can sign up for Evening Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters here. If you like what you see, please share it with your friends.

Former RCMP intelligence director Cameron Ortis found guilty on all counts

Ex-RCMP intelligence director Cameron Ortis has been found guilty on all accounts by a jury in a weeks-long trial held in the Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa.

Ortis faced six charges in total, including four for allegedly breaching the Security of Information Act when he communicated with the subjects of international criminal investigations and shared secret information with them. He also faced a charge for unauthorized use of a computer and another for breach of trust. The 51-year-old pleaded not guilty to all charges.

His case gained the attention of the national security and intelligence community around the world because of highly classified Five Eyes information he had access to.

U.S. raised reported plot to kill Sikh separatist in America with India, White House says

The United States has raised the issue of a reported plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil with senior Indian government officials, according to the White House.

Citing unnamed sources, The Financial Times reported that U.S. authorities had thwarted the plot and issued a warning to India over concerns that its government in New Delhi was involved.

The outlet identified Gurpatwant Singh Pannun as the target of the foiled plot. He is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada. Two months ago, Canada alleged that India was linked to the June murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in a Vancouver suburb, something India has rejected.

Those allegations prompted India to pause visa processing for Canadian tourists but the country resumed issuing e-visas for Canadian tourists and business travellers today.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day ceasefire, officials say

In a major diplomatic breakthrough, Israel and Hamas agreed today to a four-day ceasefire in the seven-week-long war in Gaza. The arrangement, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, along with the United States, would free dozens of hostages held by militants as well as Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. It would also allow more aid into the territory.

Israel’s national security adviser said today that the hostage-for-prisoner swap with Hamas has been delayed until at least Friday and it’s not immediately clear when the ceasefire would begin.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would resume the war after the truce and keep fighting to destroy Hamas.

Related:

• Israel-Hamas hostage deal offers hope for longer-term peace in Gaza, Trudeau says
• Indigenous curator’s departure from AGO underscores tensions over Israel-Hamas war at art institutions
• Dispute erupts over whether Pope Francis called Gaza situation a ‘genocide’
• Boycott campaigns over Gaza war hit Western brands in some Arab countries

Open this photo in gallery:

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Macklem says interest rates may be high enough: Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said interest rates may now be high enough to get inflation under control, but cautioned that the central bank needs to “stay the course” to ensure there isn’t another surge in prices.

Senator receives online abuse after Andrew Scheer posts ‘wanted poster’: Senator Bernadette Clement says she left her home fearing for her safety after receiving a threat that she says followed a tweet by former Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer in the style of a wanted poster with her picture and office phone number.

HBC sells off US$340-million in real estate: Hudson’s Bay Co. has completed a series of real estate transactions in the United States and Canada worth US$340-million, cash that the company says will help to finance its retail operations after falling behind on payments to its suppliers.

Low water levels preventing supplies from reaching NWT communities: Groceries are already expensive in the Northwest Territories but low water levels are leaving towns to rely on flights to get crucial supplies – causing prices to spike even more.

Return of Sam Altman: The ousted leader of ChatGPT maker OpenAI will return to the company that fired him just days ago.

Canadian astronaut to join ISS mission: Joshua Kutryk has been assigned to a six-month mission that will launch no earlier than the beginning of 2025.

What the tightening job market means for you: Employers are more hesitant to hire, less willing to offer remote work and less generous with what they are offering. Listen to the latest episode of Stress Test to hear how that is affecting job-seekers.

MARKET WATCH

Stocks gain ahead of U.S. holiday; investors optimistic Fed done raising rates

U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday on optimism that the Federal Reserve may be done raising interest rates and that the economy is still resilient. The Canadian benchmark index was nearly unchanged, as a decline in the energy sector offset gains in other sectors, including a rally in consumer staples.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 3.99 points or 0.02 per cent at 20,113.96.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 184.74 points or 0.53 per cent at 35,273.03. The S&P 500 index was up 18.43 points or 0.41 per cent at 4,556.62, while the Nasdaq composite was up 65.88 points or 0.46 per cent at 14,265.86.

The Canadian dollar traded for 72.87 US cents compared with 73.00 US cents on Tuesday.

Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.

TALKING POINTS

JFK’s legacy, 60 years on, is as much a reflection of us as it is of him

“As always with leaders, we learned in time, there is more than one truth. Kennedy’s emerged more favourably in declassified documents, transcripts, audio recordings, memoirs and diaries. History turned sympathetic.” – Andrew Cohen

Faced with an economic downturn, the Liberals’ fiscal framework could easily derail

“A cursory glance at Ottawa’s fall economic statement leaves the impression of a government that has, at last, discovered the virtues of fiscal restraint.” – The Editorial Board

LIVING BETTER

Roasted vegetables are perfect for cold-weather meals

The weather is getting colder – why not use your oven to make a salad? Warm salads are the perfect way to get your veggies into your diet in the winter. Try jumbling warm roasted veg with salad-friendly ingredients – then drizzle with a vinaigrette, creamy dressing or something saucy. High-water veggies add a satisfying crunch. And because no salad is complete without croutons, try roasting bread along with your veggies to create your own. Here’s a recipe to get started with winter salads.

TODAY’S LONG READ

How Ridley Scott’s Napoleon is fuelling Apple’s big-screen revolution

Open this photo in gallery:

Tech giants might just be revolutionizing the film industry. With legacy companies like Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal Pictures having drifted away from financing anything that isn’t easily franchise-able, filthy-rich outside players such as Amazon and Apple have come to the rescue. They’re funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars to make films that essentially act as loss-leaders. Original movies, the thinking seems to go, are just a form of advertising: Consumers are drawn to streaming services, and then to companies’ other, more profitable divisions. The trend has transformed itself into a curiously opaque financial ecosystem that runs parallel to the traditional-studio model.

Martin Scorsese got upward of US$200-million from Apple TV+ to make Killers of the Flower Moon, David Fincher received who knows how much from Netflix to make The Killer, and Ridley Scott pulled in a reported US$200-million from Apple to make his latest epic, Napoleon, which hits theatres this week. Barry Hertz speaks to producer Kevin Walsh on Scott’s movie and the implications of this new era of film.

Evening Update is written by Prajakta Dhopade. 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.