Good morning. The U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran enters its third week. More on that below, along with a cybercrime operation and the Bank of Canada’s coming rate decision. Let’s get to it.
A cargo ship is seen leaving the Dubai port, United Arab Emirates, on Sunday.Altaf Qadri/The Associated Press
TOP STORY
The U.S. appeals to allies in the Strait of Hormuz
The latest: No country stepped forward with a commitment to help keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe” on Sunday after U.S. President Donald Trump appealed to China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others to send warships to the shipping route. Iran has said the strait is open to all except the United States and its allies, as oil prices continue to soar the longer the war goes on.
Israel: To address online rumours that he was dead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video of himself getting a cup of coffee and chatting with an aide yesterday.
Lebanon: Israel’s controversial scorched-earth strategy, known as the “Dahiya Doctrine,” has been used against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Now the military concept has come back home, so to speak.
At home: Initial investigation determined that criminality was involved in the murder of Masood Masjoody, a critic of the Iranian regime, whose remains were located March 6 in Mission, B.C.
What’s next: There are no signs of attacks slowing down after this weekend as Israel said it continued to strike Iran, and Iran continued to fire missiles toward Israel. Meanwhile, the war comes home in the form of higher energy prices – and Canada’s energy superpower status can’t fully protect us. Here’s why.
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Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Oslo on Sunday.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
World
Canada vows closer collaboration with Nordic countries
The latest: At a summit in Oslo, the leaders of Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland announced plans to band together and form a bloc of middle powers to influence world affairs. They released a joint statement that was long on generalities about meeting more regularly and deepening co-operation in a range of areas, but short on specifics.
What’s next: Prime Minister Mark Carney ended his three-day trip to Norway Sunday and heads to London for a meeting on Monday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and an audience with King Charles III.
What else: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre argued Sunday that Canada has no alternative to the American auto market and he unveiled a new auto plan aiming to secure tariff-free access to the U.S., saying he expects Trump to agree.
Advice columnist Ann Landers, right, and her twin sister, Abigail Van Buren, who also wrote an advice column as Dear Abby.The Associated Press
How We Live
The history of the advice column
The latest: Long before Reddit threads, relationship podcasts or virtual therapists, there was the advice column. And at The Globe and Mail, advice has been part of the editorial fabric for nearly a century. Often dismissed as fluff or filler, these pages were shaping public discourse. The humble advice column helped reshape not just journalism but the way readers understood their private lives.
What’s next: Real Talk is a new relationship advice column featuring questions from readers and answers from experts. The first reader asks: How can I find a path back to my estranged daughter?
Have a problem? Tell us about it here. Some details may be changed to protect the privacy of the people profiled. It is not a substitute for seeking professional psychological or medical advice.
Cybercrime
Canada, U.S., Britain team up to tackle crypto scams
The latest: Law-enforcement agencies in Canada, the United States and Britain are teaming up for a week-long blitz aimed at tackling cryptocurrency investment scams. The initiative, dubbed Operation Atlantic, will help victims of what are known as “approval phishing” scams recover their stolen funds. In an approval phishing scam, the transactions are irreversible, which makes the stolen money difficult to retrieve.
What’s next: During the operation, which kicks off today and lasts through Friday, law-enforcement personnel from the three countries will work out of a command centre, where they will be joined by representatives from cryptocurrency exchanges.
Economy
Bank of Canada expected to hold rates
The latest: The Bank of Canada is widely expected to hold interest rates steady this week amid a surge in global oil prices that has reignited concerns about inflation. Economists expect Governor Tiff Macklem to signal that the bank is monitoring the situation closely and is prepared to move if necessary. Before the new war in the Middle East, Canada’s central bankers had indicated that further interest rate moves, in either direction, were unlikely any time soon.
What’s next: On Wednesday, the Bank of Canada will make its policy announcement with Macklem’s press conference to follow. On the same day, the U.S. Fed will also make its announcement and summary of economic projections followed by a press briefing from Chair Jerome Powell.
Bookmarked
- Off the wall: Elusive street artist Banksy’s identity finally revealed.
- At home: Canadian Sasha Suda was hired to revitalize Philadelphia’s renowned art museum. Now she is engaged in legal combat with the institution.
- Abroad: An investigation has found that flights resettling Palestinians from Gaza were organized by an Israeli group, raising questions about the motives.
- For your finances: The world has changed a lot in the past two weeks. The stock market has not.
- Conversation starter: He’s useful in a crisis – but is he any good at politics? Shannon Proudfoot looks at Mark Carney’s first year.
The Quote
This is why I remind people to have grace toward themselves. This is all built to keep us hooked, tethered and in our phones. Big tech wants us to feel small and distracted.
— Cody Cook-Parrott, author of the new book, The Practice of Attention: Cultivating Presence in a Distracted World
Cody Cook-Parrott says it’s no longer realistic to think we can win back our focus through screentime limits or the occasional digital detox. The social-media addiction author spoke with The Globe about deactivating Instagram, resurfacing to life offline, getting to know neighbours and reconsidering church.
The Shot
Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle L.M. Wong pose with the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film for "KPop Demon Hunters" in the photo room at the 98th Academy Awards in Hollywood last night.Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
One Battle After Another wins big at the Oscars as Canadians triumph in a heated rivalry with Hollywood. Plus, here are the best celebrity looks from the red carpet.