How is the Canada-India dispute going to play out?

Plus, Canada's sex-ed culture wars and another Greenbelt resignation [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on rising Canada-India tensions, the sex-ed culture war overtaking the nation and another Greenbelt resignation. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick federal politics [As Canada and India eject each others’ diplomats, just how bad could the international dispute get?]( Expelling foreign diplomats from a host country is a first and “very strong step” to expressing one government’s displeasure with another, but experts say escalating international tensions may eventually trickle down to their people, Nicholas Keung reports. Days after accusations of New Delhi being linked to a Canadian Sikh leader’s assassination, India has suspended its visa services in Canada, warned its citizens against travelling to the country and cautioned its international students against “hate crimes and criminal violence.” There could be economic consequences, as well — the dispute has already prompted a trade deal to be put on hold. [Here’s what more to expect from the unfolding conflict](. - Word from Jagmeet Singh: The federal NDP leader, who is Sikh, said Canada’s allegations have shaken his family’s feelings of safety after they left India prior to the nation’s 1984 anti-Sikh riots. [“It was almost like a validation of a fear and a confirmation of something you knew, but then also a heightening of a fear… that Canada is no longer safe,”]( Singh told the Star in an interview. - Go deeper: [Justin Trudeau pulled world leaders aside at a UN summit Wednesday for one-on-one conversations about the allegations]( prompting Western allies to announce they too will press the issue with New Delhi. Trudeau also spoke with India, although the details of his conversations were not disclosed. Steve Russell/The Star education [Indoctrination or information? Here’s what your kids are really being taught about sex in school]( Sexual education in schools is once again on the front-lines of a culture war that saw protests and counter protests erupt across Canada on Wednesday. The rallies, organized by the group “1 Million March 4 Children,” advocated for eliminating topics including sexual orientation and gender identity from the curriculum, as well as “pronouns, gender ideology and mixed bathrooms in schools,” according to its website. Some experts countered that teaching these subjects is “not indoctrination,” but providing “accurate knowledge about things like gender, sexuality, (and) identity in the body.” [Take a closer look at Ontario’s sex-ed curriculum by grade](. - Context: Thousands of Canadians from coast-to-coast took part in Wednesday’s demonstrations, with protestors and counter-protesters clashing in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and other cities. [Here’s what you missed](. - Meanwhile: The nationwide protests follows [Doug Ford’s comments last week that school boards are “indoctrinating” students on gender ideology]( adding it’s a parent’s right to “listen and make sure they are informed when their children make a decision.” Canadian Press/Cole Burston greenbelt [Another Doug Ford cabinet minister has resigned — and quit the PC party — over the Greenbelt scandal]( Yet another Ford cabinet minister has resigned his post — and left Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party – in the aftermath of the government’s $8 billion Greenbelt scandal. Former minister of public and business service delivery Kaleed Rasheed quit Wednesday, the day before Ontario Legislature’s return, following questions about his involvement in the controversy. “If Mr. Rasheed can clear his name through (Ontario’s integrity commissioner), he will be provided an opportunity to return to caucus,” a statement from the premier’s office read. On social media, Rasheed said he resigned to sit as an independent MPP to not “distract from the important work of the government.” [Here’s what you need to know](. - What we know: Rasheed’s office gave the wrong dates for a 2020 trip to Las Vegas, where he encountered his developer friend Shakir Rehmatullah — who Ontario’s integrity commissioner believes was likely tipped off by someone about the Greenbelt plans. Amin Massoudi, now Ford’s director of housing policy, was also on the trip. - Miss something? Rasheed’s resignation follows that of Ontario housing minister Steve Clark, [after two scathing reports from Ontario watchdogs pointed to alleged corruption in the project](. WHAT ELSE As GTA new home sales drop 63 per cent from the 10-year average, [will the housing market ever recover?]( “An ego-driven sideshow.” [Conservatives shrug at Canada’s new political party with Tory roots](. A new survey suggests over 40 per cent of Ontario grads are [considering leaving the province amid the affordability crisis](. A top Nova Scotia Mountie says he apologized for the Portapique mass shooting response. [Families’ lawyer says that’s not good enough](. Bonnie Crombie was compared to Doug Ford in a [heated Liberal leadership debate](. Here’s how a Niagara community [threw a wrench into Doug Ford’s gas plant plans](. Beverage producers are taking over recycling programs in Ontario – [but that doesn’t mean they’ll pay for it](. The Nova Scotia RCMP are promising a [public apology to the Black community over “street checks.”]( A Toronto man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two men after [using a “fake female identity as bait.”]( Four young firefighters heading home after battling B.C. blazes have [died in head-on crash on the highway](. A Batman researcher said “gay” in a talk to school kids. [When asked to censor himself, he quit](. The 2023 Toronto International Festival of Authors is here. [Don’t miss these events](. POV R.J.Johnston/The Star [Who won the Liberal leadership debate? That’s the wrong question to ask.]( CLOSE-UP Richard Lautens/The Star TORONTO: Hundreds of worshippers gather to pray in a field behind the Marian of Gratitude Shrine last week. After being bought by a homebuilder, access to the former monastery site has been closed off with security present – [igniting a fight between property rights and religious rites](. 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_199670). 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. 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