Things are going from bad to worse for Canada-India relations

Plus, new home construction is way down and a mother's search for justice [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on another sharp escalation in the Canada-India conflict, new home construction hitting new lows and a mother still seeking justice six years after her son was killed by police. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick federal politics [India is expected to expel 41 Canadian diplomats as Justin Trudeau says relations are “extremely difficult”]( Another steep escalation in India’s rebuke of Ottawa’s assassination allegations will reportedly see the expulsion of 41 Canadian diplomats from the nation next week, Tonda MacCharles reports. While Justin Trudeau’s government refused to confirm whether it was told to withdraw two-thirds of its diplomatic corps from India by next Tuesday, it did not deny a Financial Times report on the expulsions. Instead, Trudeau admitted it’s an “extremely difficult” time for Canada-India relations, emphasizing the need for ongoing diplomatic talks. Meanwhile, India has slammed Trudeau’s allegations of New Delhi being linked to a Canadian’s killing as “absurd” and politically motivated. [Here’s what you need to know](. - Listen: [Journalists from Ottawa and New Delhi weigh in on Canada and India’s diplomatic showdown]( as tensions threaten to spiral out of control. - Go deeper: Did India really kill a Canadian Sikh leader? [Take a look at how Indian spymasters and security agencies approach perceived threats to the state](. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star housing [Canada is building fewer homes today than during the 2020 lockdowns — and economists say “the worst is yet to come”]( Despite the nation’s desperate need for affordable housing, a new report has found that inflation and mortgage fears have brought new home construction to lows not seen since the COVID-19 lockdowns. An economist tells the Star’s Clarrie Feinstein the situation will only get worse. Counter to Ontario’s repeated claims it needs to free up land to construct new homes, the report found a lack of land wasn’t the issue — inflation and the increased cost of materials has made construction less profitable, while fears linger that higher interest rates will slow the market. [Here’s what you can expect in the future](. - By the numbers: Compared to April 2020 — the lowest point of the lockdowns — investment in new single-family homes in July 2023 was down 21 per cent. New row homes were down eight per cent, and new apartment and condo construction was down two per cent. - Context: This latest development follows a cratering in newly constructed home sales, [which plunged to a 23-year low earlier this year](. Buyers are hesitant over dipping prices and higher borrowing costs. Supplied Photo Policing [He’s one of the youngest people ever killed by police in Ontario. His mom is still seeking justice]( Six years after her boy was shot in the stomach and killed during a standoff with Peel police, Kadene Thain says she’s finally getting a full picture of what happened. Her son, 15-year-old Ozama Shaw, was slain after pointing an unloaded pellet gun at police. It was only in the lead-up to the coroner’s inquest, which wraps today, that Thain learned her son was also Tasered by another officer after he was shot. “I want justice. I need truth,” she told the Star’s Mahdis Habibinia through tears. “This is going to take me to the grave.” Ontario’s police watchdog previously ruled out criminal charges against the officer, saying they had no way of knowing Shaw’s firearm was a replica. [Get the full story here](. - More: Thain isn’t naive to her son’s actions that night. According to the inquest, 911 callers reported Shaw had attempted two armed robberies and two carjackings with what witnesses believed was a gun. - Even more: Ozama later died at the Hospital for Sick Children after undergoing 11 surgeries in 30 days. [His mother held him in bed as he passed](. WHAT ELSE Greg Fergus is the first Black person elected Speaker of the House of Commons. [Here’s what we know about him](. Should Ottawa slap a new tax on the record profits of oil and gas companies? [This Green MP thinks so](. [Doug Ford should fire Metrolinx’s CEO over the long overdue Eglinton Crosstown LRT]( NDP MPPs argue. “Ontario Place, not Toronto Place.” [Ford defends his spa and parking garage plan for the iconic waterfront site](. “The details just don’t add up.” [Greenbelt ghosts continue to haunt Doug Ford’s government](. [Condo sales are slowing down]( across major Canadian markets, a new report has found. Manitoba NDP will form a majority government in the province after a [historic win for Canada’s first Indigenous premier](. A surge in real estate listings last month brings [Toronto’s sales-to-new-listings ratio to levels unseen since the financial crisis](. Elon Musk says Justin Trudeau is ‘“trying to crush free speech.” [Here’s what’s really going on](. [U.S House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been ousted]( setting off a scramble for a new Republican leader. Should Bo Bichette have gone home? [A crucial play in the Blue Jays’ Game 1 loss reflects a season-long problem](. Deep Left Field Daily: [Now it’s win or go home](. GET THIS McKenna Deighton/Toronto Star Graphics [Take a look at how Toronto’s housing prices have changed in comparison to median income, which has remained stagnant.]( CLOSE-UP R.J. Johnston/The Star UNION STATION: Frustrated commuters await updates on widespread rail delays Tuesday, after [an internet outage stranded GO and UP riders for hours during rush hour](. 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_200859). 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]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](