Seven months in, is it now Israel vs. the world?

Plus, beware the bait of text message scams, why the world’s best restaurant leaves a bitter taste and Alice Munro’s Huron County [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning. First Up is off tomorrow for Victoria Day. For those hoping to take in the festivities, including public fireworks displays, [here’s what you need to know ahead of the holiday Monday](. Here’s the latest. MUST READS AFP via Getty Images Global Affairs [Seven months into the Israel-Hamas conflict, it increasingly appears to be Israel versus the world]( In the early aftermath of Oct. 7, Israel had the world’s widespread sympathy, Allan Woods writes. Today, with the Gaza Strip reduced to rubble and 1.7 million displaced Palestinians bracing for famine conditions, Israel faces accusations of conducting genocide and its government awaits a possible war crimes indictment. [The potential fallout for a country whose leaders are increasingly aware of their isolation could be monumental](. Cameron Tulk illustration Crime [What happens when text scammers reel you in with the promise of work]( In recent years, you’ve likely noticed a dramatic uptick in spammy text messages from unknown job recruiters. But what would happen if you followed this seemingly obvious con down the rabbit hole? As Alex Boyd discovered, you begin to understand how text message scams defrauded Canadians of nearly $24 million in 2023. [Here’s how swindlers bait their prey — then reel them in, hook, line and sinker](. David Hou/Stratford Festival Theatre [Never was there a more storied Stratford show than this of Juliet and her Romeo]( Since the 1960s, not a decade has passed without the Stratford Festival mounting a major production of “Romeo and Juliet,” notes Joshua Chong. As the repertory company prepares for its 13th production, today’s lead performers look back at the stars who have come before them, from Christopher Walken to Julie Harris. [Somehow, it’s a feel-good story about a recurring series of teenaged tragedies](. Tony Wong photo FOOD [He ate at the world’s best restaurant. Here’s why it wasn’t to his taste]( Central Restaurante in Lima, Peru, is routinely billed among the world’s best eating experiences. Expectations for the evening were quickly established when the table was brought a massive dish... featuring two finger potatoes nestled among maybe 10 pounds of inedible rocks. Paying a bill nearly twice the average Peruvian’s monthly salary, [Tony Wong couldn’t quite sink his teeth into the much-ballyhooed experience](. Derek Shapton Culture [In Huron County, Alice Munro was as deeply rooted as anything in its fertile soil]( On “Ontario’s West Coast,” Huron County is Alice Munro Country, a corner of the world immortalized in the writer’s work. The qualities that so transfixed Munro, who died this week at age 92, have also captured the heart of Leanne Delap, a transplant to the Nobel-winner’s hardwood bush and barn-filled world. [Huron County has surely changed but it will always live on through Munro](. UP CLOSE Toronto Star illustration When Blue Jays fan-favourite Davis Schneider improbably began breaking out in the majors last summer, there was an important person missing from his cheering section, Braydon Holmyard writes. [There isn’t a day that passes that Schneider doesn’t think about his brother Steven](. Eat THIS Steve Russell/Toronto Star Debu Saha has dazzled Toronto foodies for decades. Now, the seasoned chef is taking his talents to... a food court stall at College Park? Karon Liu explains why [BHK Biryani House and Original Kathi Roll is well worth venturing to an unlikely location for an uncommonly great meal](. Thanks for reading. Please send all fake job offers directly to my personal cell. You can reach the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_213935), and we will see you back here Tuesday. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](