Evening Update: Haiti’s gangs have gained strength in the chaos left by the country’s politics

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

The struggle for power in Haiti has filled Port-au-Prince with dead bodies, displaced people and questions about who, if anyone, can bring peace to a troubled country.

Gangs are the main authority, and their law is brutal violence. Twenty-five hundred people have been killed or injured since the start of the year, rape has become a weapon of war, and almost half of the country’s population is struggling to feed itself, according to the World Food Programme. A long-delayed international military force, led by Kenya and financed in part by Canada, is expected to arrive in Haiti near the end of the month. Photographer Goran Tomasevic was on the ground to see it himself.

• The Globe explains: What’s going on in Haiti? Latest news from a Caribbean nation in crisis

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Israel strikes eastern Rafah as ceasefire talks end with no deal

Israel bombarded areas of Rafah after U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States would withhold weapons from Israel if its forces mount a major invasion of the southern Gaza city.

A senior Israeli official said that the latest round of indirect negotiations in Cairo to halt hostilities had ended and Israel would proceed with its operation in Rafah and other parts of the Gaza Strip as planned. The Hamas delegation left for Doha for consultations, blaming Israel for the lack of agreement so far.

Opinion: Hamas is in trouble with Palestinians in Gaza

In Lebanon: An Israeli air strike on a car in southern Lebanon killed four Hezbollah fighters, security sources said, and the group said it retaliated by launching explosive drones at a military base in northern Israel.

Still to come: The United States is due to deliver a first-of-its-kind formal verdict this week on whether the air strikes on Gaza and restrictions on delivery of aid have violated international and U.S. laws designed to spare civilians from the worst horrors of war.

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Secret Canada: Thirteen Saskatchewan ministries refuse to comply with watchdog’s decision

The Globe and Mail filed an appeal last year with the Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner, which adjudicates access disputes, after the ministries uniformly insisted on releasing records in an unwieldy format.

In his decision, Saskatchewan’s Information Commissioner wrote that they had failed to comply with the province’s freedom of information law, and found that they should release the records in the format requested by The Globe.

But, in virtually identical response letters, every ministry declined to do so, stating that they had fulfilled their requirements under the law. Experts say the move points to a lack of accountability mechanisms in the province’s freedom of information system.

Maple Leafs fire head coach Sheldon Keefe

Toronto’s general manager made the announcement today after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Keefe had a 212-97-40 record over parts of five campaigns in Toronto, but was just 16-21 in the postseason, including a 1-5 series record.

Despite finally getting the organization over a painful playoff hump last spring when the Leafs advanced for the first time in nearly two decades, Keefe was unable to keep that momentum going.

• Cathal Kelly: Who will land the greatest job in hockey?
• Meanwhile: A 4-1 lead, halfway through a hockey game, usually provides ample leeway to ride out a victory. But last night it wasn’t enough for Edmonton, as the Oilers stumbled their way into a jarring 5-4 loss to the underdog Canucks.

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Politics: Alberta plans to move its fixed election date from May to October, one year after wildfires forced the evacuation of nearly 30,000 people as parties jostled on the campaign trail.

Mortgages: Homeowners due to renew their mortgage over the coming years will face steep jumps in payments, according to the Bank of Canada, with median monthly payments increasing by more than 60 per cent for those with a variable rate mortgage.

Cryptocurrency: Canada’s anti-money-laundering agency has imposed a roughly $6-million fine on the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance Holdings Ltd., the first monetary penalty issued by the financial intelligence unit against a virtual currency trading platform.

Trump trial: Donald Trump’s lawyer pressed porn star Stormy Daniels on apparent inconsistencies in her various tellings of having sex with Trump in 2006, part of an effort on Thursday to undermine her credibility as a witness in the first criminal trial of a sitting or former U.S. president.

Immigration: Operation Abraham has worked to bring more than 100 Afghans fleeing Taliban persecution to Canada. The Samim family – relatives of Farouq Samim, one of Operation Abraham’s co-founders – was the last on their list, but has made it to Canada.

Health: The Canadian Cancer Society is changing its stance on mammography and urging provinces and territories to lower the screening age for average risk individuals to 40 from 50.

MARKET WATCH

Dow up seven in a row as jobs data boosts rate-cut hopes; TSX at new record high

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended up on Thursday, the seventh straight daily advance for the benchmark, as all three major U.S. indexes gained after weekly U.S. jobless claims data offered fresh hope for interest-rate cuts. The S&P/TSX Composite Index climbed along with them, and notched its first record high close in a month.

The S&P 500 gained 26.41 points to 5,214.08 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 43.51 points to 16,346.27. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 331.37 points to 39,387.76. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 116.67 points at 22,375.83.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.04 cents UScompared with 72.81 cents on Wednesday.

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TALKING POINTS

Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda scheme is a global lesson in policy stupidity

“Without having managed to deport a single migrant, his government has already paid $412-million to the government of Rwandan president Paul Kagame, who has an appalling human-rights record.” - Doug Saunders

This is how much homeowners are spending to replace a roof or furnace and fix a toilet

“The point of information like this is to offer a sharper picture of what it costs to own a home and to provide some context for the quotes you get from contractors and tradespeople.” - Rob Carrick

To get buy-in for Canada’s World Cup games, Canadians must be able to buy at all

“I’m no financial expert, but I think it’s pretty clear that hosting these World Cup games is not exactly the bargain of the century.” - Marsha Lederman

LIVING BETTER

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What to see at the 2024 Venice Biennale

Every other year, the Venice Biennale welcomes the who’s who of the art world, the so-called Olympics of art, if you will. This year, 86 countries are participating, each with their national pavilions until November 24. Here are some highlights, including Kapwani Kiwanga who has covered the Canada Pavilion with millions of glass beads, in Trinket, a piece that refers to the historic Venetian trade that saw Europeans exchange beads for copper, palm oil and even enslaved people.

• If you’re planning on staying at home this weekend: Barry Hertz has rounded up his usual five picks for streaming.

TODAY’S LONG READ

New recruits to BC Wildfire Service hone their skills for a hard season

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Jesse Winter takes us behind the scenes of an annual rite of passage for new recruits in the BC Wildfire Service. Drills include carrying gear weighing as much as 70 kilograms up a steep hill for two hours straight. Their training carries extra urgency this year after last summer brutal wildfire season. Read more here.

• Related: Property insurer Intact rolls out pilot project to fireproof homes when wildfires are near
• Elsewhere: Wildland firefighters call for change on frontlines of forest fire fight as season ramps up

Evening Update is written by Sierra Bein and Maryam Shah. 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.