Would you buy a condo if it came with a new car?

Plus, repatriating Canadian women from Syria and Ontario's education plans [The Star] First Up [By Ashley Okwuosa] By Ashley Okwuosa Good morning. Here’s the latest on the disappearance of Canadian women and teens in Syria, developer tactics to lure buyers, and the province’s plan to take control of school boards. DON’T MISS Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images canada [They were supposed to come home from Syria — instead two women and three teen girls have gone missing]( Two Canadian women and three teenage girls are missing somewhere in northeast Syria, after an attempt by the Canadian government to repatriate them failed, reports Michelle Shephard. The women are sisters-in-law from Edmonton who left Canada to join the Islamic State terrorist group in 2014. One of the women brought her three young daughters, who are now 13, 15 and 16. Their families believe that instead of being handed over to Canadian officials to be flown home along with four other Canadian women and 10 children, they were instead taken by Kurdish officials to a facility other female captives refer to as the “Red Prison.” [While what happened on the day of the planned handover is unclear, here’s what we do know about the case](. - Context: Earlier this year, a Canadian Federal Court judge ordered Ottawa to repatriate all its citizens held in Syrian camps. [Here’s how the journey home began for some Canadians](. - Why it matters: The case underscores the humanitarian and security issues posed by the camps, where tens of thousands of captives from more than 60 countries remain. At the al-Hol camp, where the now-missing Canadians were, 90 per cent are women and children, with an estimated 40,000 children under age 12. - Go deeper: Canada has been condemned internationally as lagging behind other countries in bringing its citizens back to face justice at home or protecting the rights of detained children. Rick Madonik/The Star real estate [A new car, free cash: Developers look to lure nervous GTA home buyers]( Want an extra $3,000 a month? Consider purchasing this new Toronto condo. Cash is just one of a number of incentives developers are using to entice buyers into making an offer in a shaky market. One expert, who noted incentives are a little more aggressive within the city of Toronto, has seen iPhones offered for new build condos. While there are signs the sluggish housing market is coming back to life, pre-construction condos have been particularly hard hit by the slump, reports May Warren. So, are these incentives actually boosting sales? [Here’s what we know about their success rate so far, and why developers are relying on them to convince buyers](. - By the numbers: According to market research by housing data platform Zonda, 130 of 199 active condo sites in the fourth quarter of 2022 included incentives. - Why it matters: Condo sales have dropped by about 33 per cent across the GTA. Meanwhile interest rates have soared. Although the last two Bank of Canada announcements held the overnight rate at 4.5 per cent, that followed eight consecutive hikes, meaning aspiring buyers need bigger down payments and may worry about meeting monthly mortgage payments. Canadian Press/Chris Young education [The Ford government says it will take more control of school boards “to refocus on what matters”]( On Monday, Education Minister Stephen Lecce proposed the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, which would impose new standards of training and assessing job performance of education directors, giving trustees and the Ministry of Education more opportunity to weigh in. The Ontario government has cited concerns over lagging student achievement in areas like writing and math as the reason things need to change. Kristin Rushowy breaks down why critics say the legislation “is not really addressing the problems in our schools,” and [why many worry about how much power it would give the province]( - More: The government also announced funding for school boards for the 2023-24 school year, with an increase of $693 million, or 2.7 per cent, from last year, which critics noted isn’t enough to cover inflation. Per pupil funding goes from $13,059 to $13,125. - By the numbers: The province noted that while Ontario has a 89 per cent graduation rate after five years, some 15,000 students aren’t earning a diploma in that time. [Sherman Investigation Alerts] What really happened to Honey and Barry Sherman? Get breaking updates in your inbox from the Star’s investigation as it keeps unfolding, including new episodes of our #1-rated podcast “The Billionaire Murders.” [Sign up for our free alerts here](. WHAT ELSE After CBC announced it will take a break from Twitter, [Elon Musk changed its label to “69% government funded.” ]( Doug Ford government says moving Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place would [bring both attractions “back to life.”]( Olivia Chow has entered the Toronto mayor’s race. [Here’s why she’s running](. Here’s what happens to federal services if [public servants strike on Wednesday](. Local politicians say plans to split Don Valley East is “a slap in the face.” [Here’s what they say will be lost](. Permits to build new condos in Ontario have soared by 25 per cent as [new policies speed approvals](. An 84-year-old white man in Missouri was [charged in the front-door shooting of Black teen Ralph Yarl](. Here’s why hundreds of TTC buses sit idle at rush hour [despite millions in government funding](. Tucker Carlson documentary says U.S. must “liberate” Canada. [Be afraid, if you can stop laughing](. [Here’s where Harry and Meghan stand]( with Windsor family members post-coronation RSVP. POV Canadian Press/Patrick Doyle [Pierre Poilievre’s solution for a “broken” Canada is to break more things — including the CBC.]( CLOSE-UP Toronto Star Photo CAA CENTRE: Canadian forward Brianne Jenner reacts after Sunday night’s 6-3 loss to the United States in the gold-medal game at the women’s world hockey championship in Brampton. 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_177089). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](