Good morning,
These are the top stories:
Britain set to give Huawei limited role in supplying 5G network
In a major break between allies, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to allow Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. to supply components for Britain’s 5G wireless network, something the United States had been pressing him to reject. As Paul Waldie reports, U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo exerted pressure on Johnson to ban Huawei equipment from the next generation of cellphone networks.
Canada has yet to decide, and last week Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said the government’s decision would be based partly on economic and geopolitical considerations. So far Australia, New Zealand and Japan have banned Huawei, while the European Union and other countries are considering restrictions.
The British government is expected to announce its decision Tuesday. Johnson told reporters on Monday that the government would find a way to balance security concerns with the needs of consumers.
This is the daily Morning Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you from someone else, you can sign up for Morning Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters on our newsletter signup page.
The latest on the coronavirus and a second Canadian case
Health officials across Canada are taking steps to contain the novel coronavirus, but are facing questions about whether provincial and federal governments are enough. We have several stories published today. Here’s the latest:
- Ontario has one confirmed case and one presumptive case of the virus. But other cases are under investigation, including an additional 19 patients in Ontario, and federal and provincial health leaders warn that the number of cases will likely rise. However, health officials emphasize that the overall risk to the public remains low. Despite the low risk of an outbreak in Canada, face masks as selling at a higher clip than normal.
- Some members of Chinese communities in Canada are feeling vilified. One Ontario school board sent a letter to parents after a petition circulated suggesting the board ban certain students.
- Stock markets in North America had their worst day of trading since October. Companies such as film projector maker IMAX, Magna and Air Canada saw stocks fall.
- In China, media reports Tuesday said the number of deaths from the virus has reached 106, with more than 4,500 confirmed cases worldwide. China continues to battle the outbreak by locking down cities and preventing travel.
Opinion: What should we fear more: coronavirus or fear itself? – André Picard
Pressure mounting for Republicans to call Bolton as witness in impeachment trial
Republican senators are facing mounting pressure to call former national security adviser John Bolton to testify at the impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump. A draft book from Bolton asserts that Trump had wanted to withhold military aid from Ukraine until it committed to helping with investigations into Democratic rival Joe Biden.
At a private GOP lunch on Monday, Mitt Romney of Utah made the case for calling Bolton as a witness. Some senators, including Senator Susan Collins of Maine, suggest the report about Bolton’s book strengthens the case to call witnesses. The Senate is expected to hold a vote on whether to hear from any witnesses late this week.
Ontario teachers to hold weekly strikes until deal with province reached
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is stepping up job action amid stalled contract talks with the government and has called for weekly one-day strikes beginning Feb. 6 as well as rotating strikes that will affect all boards across the province. That means schools would be shut down twice in one week by job action, leaving thousands of parents scrambling for childcare, reports Caroline Alphonso.
No talks have been scheduled between the two sides. ETFO president Sam Hammond said teachers “are taking a stand” for publicly funded education and Education Minister Stephen Lecce said in a statement that the escalation “to advance higher compensation, higher wages, and even more generous benefits,” is hurting families.
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
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
RCMP lay three more charges against Mountie Cameron Ortis. The former head of the national police force’s intelligence unit is already awaiting trial on charges of leaking sensitive information.
Kobe Bryant’s helicopter was flying too low in dangerous fog before fatal crash. The dense fog, and its role in the crash, came under scrutiny on Monday as fans, friends and family of the NBA superstar mourned the charismatic 41-year-old and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
Tim Hortons franchisee association rebrands amid recruiting drive. The Great White North Franchisee Association, which was formed to represent the concerns of restaurant owners, is now called the Alliance Of Canadian Franchisees.
Ottawa’s electric-car rebate burns through nearly half its three-year budget in eight months. More than $134-million in rebates have been issued to 33,000 Canadians who have taken advantage of an incentive program that offers up to $5,000 off the price of buying new electric and hybrid passenger vehicles.
MORNING MARKETS
Selling abates after virus causes worst day since October: European markets rebounded early on Tuesday after the previous day’s thumping, which saw investors worried about the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak in China huddle in safe-haven assets. Tokyo’s Nikkei lost 0.6 per cent. London’s FTSE 100 and the Paris CAC 40 were up by between 0.1 and 0.2 per cent by about 4:45 a.m. ET, with Germany’s DAX up marginally. New York futures were higher. The Canadian dollar was below 76 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Reflections of a life cut short: Kobe Bryant tragedy reminds us all of our mortality
Cathal Kelly: "If we can no longer agree to admire all politicians, military figures or thinkers of note, the masses need at least one group that gets a pass. Athletes are it.”
In praise of Paris Hilton, performance artist and ace comedian
John Doyle: “Cooking with Paris (now on YouTube) is Hilton’s latest adventure into something like reality TV and it is priceless. You are awed by the finely honed persona on display in every one of its roughly 20 minutes. What unfolds is a brilliant bit of trickery. Hilton sets out to make lasagna and you are constantly wondering if she’s actually dumb, mocking herself or mocking the audience.”
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
Brian Gable/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
Lin-Manuel Miranda all set for long-anticipated Canadian premiere of Hamilton
The American composer of Hamilton speaks with freelance writer Martin Morrow and reminisces about spontaneously playing the main score for then-U.S. president Barack Obama at a White House event a little more than a decade ago. Since then, the musical has received countless standing ovations on Broadway and the London stage and is set to make its debut this February in Toronto.
If Michael Redhill can declutter his bookshelves, you can too
The Canadian poet, playwright and novelist talks about books, letters and memorabilia he still keeps and why he let some of it go in this essay that explores the place books hold in our lives. “If you collect books – if they come into your house and don’t leave – there’ll be times when you have to choose between them and your furniture,” he writes.
The quantum entrepreneur: Joseph Emerson
What happens when a physicist decides to start a company? As CEO of Quantum Benchmark, Joseph Emerson is melding the two very different worlds of science and business, working with companies like Google to make quantum computing a reality. We hear about his entrepreneurial journey on this week’s episode of The Globe’s tech podcast, I’ll Go First. Listen here.
MOMENT IN TIME
The Supreme Court strikes down Canada’s abortion law as unconstitutional
Jan 28, 1988: The landmark ruling of the R. v. Morgentaler Supreme Court of Canada case redefined the reproductive rights of Canadian women, decriminalizing abortion nationwide. At a time when the procedure was only available under restrictive circumstances, doctors Henry Morgentaler, Leslie Frank Smoling and Robert Scott were successful in getting the Criminal Code abortion laws repealed, after decades of legal battles and illegal activism. The verdict determined that Canada’s strict rules infringed upon women’s Charter right to security of the person and were therefore unconstitutional. The change was hailed by women’s rights activists, and Dr. Morgentaler called the court’s decision a “vindication of a lifetime of struggle.” Though the ruling marked a progressive step forward for Canadian values, it wasn’t without backlash. Two years later, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney introduced a bill aimed at re-criminalizing abortion, though it failed. Today, even though the procedure is legal across the country, barriers to access remain, particularly in rural areas and Atlantic Canada, where women sometimes have to travel or endure significant wait times to receive an abortion. Julianna Perkins
If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday morning, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.
Michael Snider