How we can do better by women in their senior years

Plus, new protections for international students and investigating election interference [Get access now!]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on poverty among seniors, protections for international students and claims of election interference.  DON’T MISS R.J. Johnston/The Star the third act [They had families, worked hard and grew old — how we’re failing women facing poverty in their senior years]( Women in their 70s, 80s and 90s grew up at a time when they often stayed home, worked part-time, had low-paying jobs with no private pension or lost promotions to men who didn’t have the same household responsibilities. Now, many of these women — at higher risk of poverty than men — are often left to rely on depleted savings of basic government supports as they face rising rental fees and increasing isolation, Moira Welsh reports. [Take a closer look at the detrimental risks that come with old-age poverty — and the emerging ideas that could help](. - By the numbers: Of Canadians over age 75, 21 per cent of women live on low income compared to about 14 per cent of men, according to government figures. Statistics Canada defined low income in 2020 as $22,060 before taxes for a single person living in a city with a population of 500,000 or more. - More: Sheilagh Hagens, 80, is grateful for her apartment in a High Park basement, “and yet it is costing me the earth.” She pays $1,410 a month for the 216-square-foot unit. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star immigration [Ontario colleges are moving to protect international students, before and after they come to Canada]( Publicly funded colleges in Ontario are ushering in a new set of standards meant to protect international students — and the rules include changes around how recruiters are trained and how the education is being marketed. Of Colleges Ontario’s 24 members, 23 have signed on to begin compliance immediately, and they’re expected to be fully compliant by June 2024. [Nicholas Keung reports on the issues that prompted the change](. - Context: Until now, there were no rules to guide institutions in serving international students. The new protocols help set minimum industry standards and tougher enforcement guidelines. - By the numbers: Last year, Canada had more than 800,000 international students, an increase of 43 per cent compared to five years ago. More than half of those students are in Ontario. - ICYMI: Isolation, exploitation by landlords and precarious jobs. [Here’s what international students say about their experience in Canada](. Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick federal politics [Justin Trudeau has asked a former governor general to investigate claims of election interference]( Former Governor General David Johnston, who was appointed by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper and headed the independent elections debate commission in the past two campaigns, is now being tasked with advising Trudeau on the need for a full public inquiry into foreign interference in elections. Conservatives were quick to criticize the decision, Tonda MacCharles reports, suggesting Johnston isn’t an impartial choice. [Here’s what you need to know](. - More: Trudeau promised the government would comply with “and implement his public recommendations, which could include a formal inquiry, a judicial review, or another independent review process.” - Susan Delacourt’s take: When it comes to trust, [Trudeau’s point man on election interference wrote the book](. - Behind the scenes: Liberal MPs say a public inquiry into Chinese election interference is [the only real option at this point](. WHAT ELSE Acquitted of sexual assault, Major General Dany Fortin is [suing the government and prime minister for $6 million](. Gabor Maté discussed trauma and therapy with Prince Harry. [He writes for the Star about why most of us don’t seek help](. Flair Airlines is suing an Irish leasing company for $50 million over seized jets. [Here’s what we know](. Controversial, bombastic former long-time Toronto city councillor [Giorgio Mammoliti is running for mayor](. Lisa LaFlamme explains [why she put her own work forward for the Canadian Screen Awards](. Canadian home prices have fallen 19 per cent from last February’s market peak. [Is the worst behind us?]( This is why your child’s vision deteriorated so rapidly during the pandemic and [what you can do now](. [What happened to BlackBerry?]( A new movie chronicles the Canadian story of the world’s first smartphone. Google honoured the classic Filipino dish adobo. [Here’s where you can try it in Toronto](. The Cure priced tour tickets as low as $20 — [Ticketmaster had other ideas](. ICYMI Toronto Star Phto Illustration [These five tax credits and deductions can save you big money — here’s how to make sure you get them.]( CLOSE-UP El Salvador Presidential Press Office /AP EL SALVADOR: Inmates identified by authorities as gang members are seated on the floor of the country’s new Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca on Wednesday. While anti-gang crackdown measures have proved popular among most Salvadorans, human rights groups have documented thousands of cases of prisoner abuse. [Here’s what you need to know](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and 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_171773). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. Get Star digital and ePaper access Sale: Limited-time offer of $0.50/week [Get This Offer]( 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]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 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