Ottawa's sending equipment to Ukraine as tensions grow

Plus, the Indian family who died in the Manitoba cold and the fight to ban NDAs [The Star] First Up [By Lex Harvey] By Lex Harvey Good morning. Here’s the latest on growing tensions in Ukraine, more details about the family who died in the Manitoba cold, and the fight to ban NDAs in sexual harassment cases. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld ukraine-russia crisis [Canada is sending non-lethal defensive military equipment to Ukraine ]( Ottawa will also provide intelligence and cyber-defensive support, and extend its military training mission in Ukraine for three more years as part of an international effort to avert war in eastern Europe, Tonda MacCharles reports. NATO allies have tried to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin by warning of the steep consequences to Russia should it encroach further on Ukraine. [Here’s more on the Ukraine-Russia conflict](. - The aftermath: The Liberals’ response drew fire from Conservative critics who said Trudeau “failed” to “do the right thing” and give Ukraine “lethal defensive weapons.” - Context: Trudeau’s news came hours after the U.S. rejected Moscow’s demands that NATO bar Ukraine from future membership and reduce military presence in nearby countries. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there’s “no daylight” among NATO allies over how to respond to Russia’s military threat. - What we know: Ottawa ordered family members of Canadian embassy personnel to come home Tuesday and urged against non-essential travel to the area. Defence Minister Anita Anand will travel to Ukraine in the coming days. Hemant Shah/Supplied Photo human smuggling [The family who died of cold near the Canada-U.S. border has been identified]( Jagdish Patel, 35, Vaishali Patel, 33, and their children Vihanga, 12 and Dharmik, 3, from the Indian village of Dingucha, are reportedly the family who died in Manitoba while attempting to cross into the U.S. last Thursday, Alex McKeen reports. Much still remains unknown about the family, including how they entered Canada, how the alleged human smuggling ring they were part of worked, and why they so badly wanted to get to the U.S. [Here’s what we know so far](. - Miss something? Here’s how a trek from Canada to the U.S. [left four people — including a baby — dead in the Manitoba cold](. - What we know: Several Indian newspapers noted Dingucha is a magnet for human-smuggling operations, with people offering risky paths to the U.S. to those eager to experience a version of the American dream. - More: The Florida man who was stopped with the other Indian nationals south of the border appeared in a North Dakota court Monday and was released pending a trial. Authorities say he’s part of a larger, organized human-smuggling operation. Alastair Grant/AP Photo non-disclosure agreements [Should NDAs be illegal in sexual harassment cases? Some Canadians think so]( Zelda Perkins, who famously broke a non-disclosure agreement in 2017 and went public about the sexual harassment she faced working for disgraced movie mogul and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein, is teaming up with a Canadian professor to help other women in her position, Jacques Gallant reports. Perkins and University of Windsor law professor Julie Macfarlane have launched a campaign to get governments to restrict the use of NDAs in cases where they cover up misconduct. [Here’s what we know](. - Context: NDAs are legal documents that bar people from sharing information about a particular case or situation. Perkins and Macfarlane say they act like gag orders and prevent people who have faced harassment or discrimination from ever speaking out. - More: Perkins signed an NDA in 1998 when she was 24, after she confronted Weinstein over the alleged attempted sexual assault of colleague Rowena Chiu, who also signed an NDA. [Both women have since broken them](. - Watch for: Last November, PEI became the first province to pass a law restricting NDAs and Manitoba’s Liberal government will table a similar bill in March. WHAT ELSE The “Freedom Rally” is rolling through Toronto on Thursday. [Here’s what you need to know](. “I do not see a commitment to funding people.” [The public is taking aim at police spending](. Spammers are using my number and there’s nothing I can do. [Why spoofed calls are more than a nuisance](. With door-to-door canvassing a challenge, Ontario’s next election campaign is [coming to your smartphone](. A youth advocacy group is calling for [mental health days for Ontario students](. When a father of triplets lost his wife, [Regent Park rallied around him](. POV Rebecca Cabage/AP Photo [Neil Young’s ultimatum to Spotify over vaccine misinformation is doomed, argues Vinay Menon. The company needs Joe Rogan more than him.]( YOU’RE UP Shari Wert/Supplied Photo AVENUE ROAD & THE 401: First Up reader Shari Wert sent us this photo of herself and her dog PK out for a morning walk. Thanks, Shari, and everyone who’s already sent us a glimpse of your mornings! If you haven’t yet, snap a pic of your morning in the GTA — it could be of your commute, your dog walk or anything else — and send it to us at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_102105), and you might get featured in an upcoming edition. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow. [The Star]( 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]( [Become a Star Subscriber]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](