South Africa's genocide case against Israel

Plus, Toronto Police's budget concerns and the spread of misinformation online [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, Toronto police’s reaction to the proposed city budget and challenges in separating fact from fiction. DON’T MISS Patrick Post/AP Photo Israel-Hamas War [South Africa made its genocide case against Israel at the World Court]( “For the past 96 days, Israel has subjected Gaza to what has been described as one of the heaviest conventional bombing campaigns in the history of modern warfare,” the International Court of Justice heard Thursday. Arguing that Israel must be ordered to stop its military operations, South Africa said the country is committing a genocide of Palestinians through forced displacement of Gaza residents, restrictions on food, water and medicine, an assault on Gaza’s health-care system and “reproductive violence” to prevent Palestinian births, Allan Woods reports. [Here’s how South Africa argued Israel has shown genocidal intent — and how Israeli officials responded](. - By the numbers: More than 23,000 Palestinians, 70 per cent of them women and children, have been killed since the conflict began, according to Palestinian health officials. - Watch for: Thursday’s hearing was dedicated to South Africa’s claim. Israeli lawyers will argue their case today. [You can follow live updates here](. - Meanwhile: [With Canadian support, the U.S. and U.K. have launched airstrikes in Yemen against the Houthis]( who had attacked commercial shipping in an effort to stop Israel’s war effort in Gaza. Lance McMillan/The Star policing [The proposed city budget poses “unacceptable risks,” Toronto police chief warns ]( Toronto’s police chief and board chair are warning that the city’s proposed 2024 budget for the force — which allocates $12.6 million less than what police requested — will “pose a significant risk to our communities.” Without the full $1.186 billion the police board requested, Chief Myron Demkiw said the service has “no prospect of delivering adequate and effective policing services.” Critics, however, are dismissing the claims as “irresponsible” fear mongering, Wendy Gillis reports. [Here’s why police say they need more money](. - Context: The city revealed the proposed $17-billion operating budget yesterday, allocating a net police budget of $1.174 billion — still a slight increase over the 2023 budget. - More: “What we can't overestimate is the inefficiency in the police department. For the police to say, ‘unless you give us all this money, you won’t be safe’ is simply false,” said John Sewell, former Toronto mayor and member of the Toronto Police Accountability Coalition. - Go deeper: For years, there has been debate over whether the police budget — one of the city’s largest annual expenses — would be better spent on social services, like prevention and non-police response to mental health calls. Don Ryan/AP Photo misinformation [Why “doing your own research” so often backfires]( We’re often encouraged to go online and do our own research, Alex Boyd writes, but what if that actually makes things worse? A recent study has shed light on the rise in false information online and the way our search engines can direct us to it, rather than help us navigate around it. The study found evidence that turning to the internet to check if a false news article is true actually made people more likely to believe it. [Here’s why — and how — search engines can often be unreliable](. - More: “The study highlights the degree to which information echo chambers can form and the power of algorithms to reinforce false beliefs,” University of Alberta professor and misinformation expert Tim Caulfield said in an email. - Go deeper: Media literacy is partially to blame, but technology, and the way it fails to prioritize trustworthy information or high-quality content, is also a significant factor. WHAT ELSE Feel like you’re making less money? [A Star analysis has found workers with these jobs are making less than they were a decade ago](. Toronto police are banning protests on an Avenue Road overpass after high-profile incidents. [A civil liberties group says it’s concerning](. [As a journalist, I’m crushed by my industry’s silence on our Gaza colleagues]( Shree Paradkar writes. Apple has agreed to pay a $14 million battery settlement. [Here’s what Canadian iPhone owners can apply for](. [There will be no winner in the Russia-Ukraine war]( Thomas Walkom writes. Ontario school boards are making changes to [grapple with the use of the N-word in books](. [Here’s how much Bonnie Crombie will make as Liberal leader](. Six TTC subway stations on Line 1 will have [no service for the next two weekends](. The Professional Women’s Hockey League have received overwhelming support from fans — [especially at one sports bar on Queen Street West](. From the next Taylor Swift to the next blockbuster superhero, [these will be the breakout stars of 2024](. ICYMI Eneko Urunuela/Unsplash [Decoding the top health and wellness trends of 2024.]( CLOSE-UP Richard Lautens/The Star JANE FINCH MALL: A developer has submitted an ambitious redevelopment plan for the Jane Finch Mall, seen here on Thursday, including five condo towers and surrounding amenities. [Here’s why residents are skeptical](. 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_206988). Andrew will see you back here tomorrow. Get unlimited access to the Star Limited time offer: Only $4 for your first 8 weeks [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]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](