Water floods the streets on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin on Sept. 6, 2017, after Irma’s high winds hit the island.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Hurricane Irma lashes Cuba, Bahamas; Florida warned of 'catastrophic' storm
Hurricane Irma lashed Cuba and the Bahamas as it drove toward Florida after hitting the eastern Caribbean with its high winds, killing at least 21 people and leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake. Hurricane conditions were spreading westward over parts of Cuba and the central Bahamas as the storm skirted near Cuba's northern coast. As Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, bore down on Florida, Governor Rick Scott warned residents to leave if they were in evacuation zones. "We are running out of time. If you are in an evacuation zone, you need to go now. This is a catastrophic storm like our state has never seen," he said. Irma was forecast to bring dangerous storm surges of up to six metres to the southeastern and central Bahamas, and up to three metres on parts of Cuba's northern coast. It was predicted to slam southern Florida on Sunday. Canadians in Florida are bracing for the weekend's arrival of the monstrous hurricane.
For the latest developments on Hurricane Irma, follow our coverage here.
Ontario unveils plan for government chain of marijuana stores
With the federal government's plan to legalize marijuana set to take effect next July, Ontario's Liberal government unveiled its plans Friday to launch a government-controlled monopoly of cannabis retail stores, with 150 locations to be opened by 2020. Officials say the new retailer will likely be a subsidiary of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, but kept completely separate from the LCBO's chain of booze retail outlets. Forty outlets are to be open in time for legalization next year, with double that number in the year after that. An online retail operation is also set to be in place next year.
Jobs growth picks up, unemployment rate falls
Canada's unemployment rate edged lower by 0.1 points to 6.2 per cent in August, making it the lowest since the 2008 financial crisis. The economy added more jobs than expected, but the addition of 110,400 part-time jobs was offset by the loss of 88,100 full-time jobs. Also, employment among those aged 15-24 fell as fewer younger people participated in the labour force. Despite the jobs gains, economists stressed that there are weak underlying details and some are now softening their expectations of another Bank of Canada rate increase this year.
B.C. pair can be extradited to India to face 'honour killing' charge: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled unanimously that a woman and man in British Columbia can be extradited to India to face charges of conspiracy to murder in a so-called honour killing over a forbidden marriage. The court said the Canadian government acted reasonably in assessing Indian assurances that the Canadians would not be tortured or mistreated in jail while awaiting trial. The case pits the need to hold alleged murderers to account against the responsibility of judges to ensure those within their control are not sent off to face severe violations of their safety or rights.
Dozens killed as Mexico hit by most powerful earthquake in decades
At least 58 people were killed when the most powerful earthquake to hit Mexico in over 80 years tore through buildings, forced mass evacuations and triggered alerts as far away as Southeast Asia. The 8.1 magnitude quake off the southern coast late on Thursday was stronger than a temblor that flattened areas of Mexico City and killed thousands in 1985.
MARKET WATCH
Canada's main stock index fell for the fifth straight day Friday, weighed down by a drop in mining and energy stocks, and investor caution over the impact of Hurricane Irma. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index fell 0.26 per cent to 14,985.32. The S&P 500 ended slightly down on hurricane worries, the Nasdaq was pushed down by a decline in big tech stocks, and the Dow squeezed out a small gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.06 per cent to 21,797.79, the S&P 500 lost 0.15 per cent to end at 2,461.43 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.59 per cent to end at 6,360.19.
WHAT'S TRENDING
Search crews say they've found a test model of the Avro Arrow, an advanced Canadian fighter jet that was controversially scrapped in 1959, on the floor of Lake Ontario. The mission to find nine models of the Avro Arrow began in late July near Point Petre, Ont., with a submarine scouring Lake Ontario. The expedition also is meant to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Avro Arrow's first test flight happening next year.
TALKING POINTS
When dinosaurs rule, the Trudeaus and Macrons deserve credit
"If the world's stage is dominated by the battle of the dinosaurs, the rise of Mr. Trudeau and of French President Emmanuel Macron proves that a different, more evolved paradigm of masculinity can win. The smart, engaged women they have married are true thought-partners, not trophies." – Tina Brown
How the wider world enables Myanmar's ethnic cleansing
"If we ascend back to orbital distance, [Aung San Suu Kyi's] motives become clearer. Myanmar does not exist in isolation; it is subject to Asia-wide trends. The anti-Rohingya hatred is a manifestation of the Buddhist fundamentalism that threatens the crescent of Buddhist-majority countries stretching from Sri Lanka through Myanmar and Thailand to Cambodia." – Doug Saunders
Angela Merkel: Cool, calm … and coasting to victory
"The fact is, her low-key (see excruciatingly subdued), hyperintellectualized approach to governing seems like the perfect antidote for the perilous, unstable times we live in." – Gary Mason
LIVING BETTER
Parenting in the age of Donald Trump can be challenging, but writer Nicole Chung is having those tough conversations with her daughters, ages 6 and 9. In a poignant contribution to the collection How Do I Explain This To My Kids? Parenting In The Age Of Trump, Chung describes trying to help her children make sense of Trump's victory and why these conversations are an opportunity to impart important values on her kids.
LONG READS FOR THE WEEKEND
How Putin became the unlikely calm in the North Korea storm
He is the reigning bad boy of global affairs, a nemesis of American presidents and an antagonist who flouts international borders and diplomatic protocols. So how did Vladimir Putin come to be the voice of calm in the storm?
Invaders in the Arctic: How ships and climate change are bringing strange species to Nunavut
As higher temperatures proliferate in Canada's Arctic, scientists have begun to notice signs of encroaching species from warmer climes. The race is on for them to establish a baseline while they still can.
Evening Update is written by Kristene Quan and Omair Quadri. 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.