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Greg Downer hangs a poster for Andrew Kinsman, who disappeared in June.The Globe and Mail/The Globe and Mail

Good evening,

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Toronto only Canadian city on Amazon's short list for second headquarters

Amazon released its shortlist Thursday, saying it had whittled down its options from 238 applications to 19 U.S. cities, one in Canada and none in Mexico. Twelve Canadian cities submitted bids, including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Halifax, Sault Ste. Marie, Hamilton and Ottawa. Some of the anticipated favourites are Denver, Raleigh and Nashville. Amazon expects to create 50,000 jobs and invest more than $5-billion (U.S.) in the city where it opens HQ2, promising it will be a "full equal" to the Seattle headquarters.

Back in November, Mark Rendell and Janet McFarland reported on the Amazon effect, how e-commerce is driving a real estate revolution.

Konrad Yakabuski writes in a column that Montreal's bid for Amazon HQ2 was sunk because of the high tax rates in the city: "Montréal International, the organization that piloted the city's bid to attract Amazon's HQ2, touted the region's emergence as an artificial-intelligence hub, its affordable housing prices and lower wages than in other major urban centres.

What Montréal International could not put lipstick on, however, were the highest personal income taxes in North America and the third-highest among countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development." (for subscribers)

Toronto police charge man with murdering two missing men, believe there are other victims

Bruce McArthur, a 66-year-old freelance landscaper from Toronto, was arrested Thursday morning and is charged in connection with the homicides of Andrew Kinsman and Selim Esen. Mr. McArthur is also being investigated for other possible deaths. "We believe there are other victims, " Detective Sergeant Hank Idsinga of the homicide squad told reporters, but was reluctant to label the suspect a serial killer. The arrest is the result of Project Prism, a police task force set up after the disappearances last spring of Mr. Kinsman and Mr. Esen.

Trump threatens to link Mexico wall to NAFTA renegotiations

U.S. President Donald Trump turned to Twitter to tie together his promise to build a Southern border wall, and to make Mexico pay for it, with NAFTA renegotiations. Mexico's chief negotiator reiterated that a border wall would have no part in the ongoing discussions to overhaul NAFTA. The trilateral trade deal is set to enter its sixth round of talks next week in Montreal and its future continues to be shrouded. Finance Minister Bill Morneau and his Mexican counterpart Jose Antonio Gonzalez Anaya held bilateral discussions in Toronto today and were accompanied by Canadian business leaders.

Alberta pumps up Keystone XL, sparking ire of rival Enbridge

The Alberta government's crown corporation will pledge 50,000 barrels of oil per day for 20 years to TransCanada's long-stalled pipeline. It is a move that will underpin the $8-billion (U.S.) project that has struggled to gain enough support from major oil shippers. While rival Enbridge calls the deal a "subsidy" for the project, the Alberta government said the commitment will bolster industry confidence and stability for the pipeline, as well as the province's economy as a whole.

Globe in South Africa: Cape Town at risk of becoming first major city in the world to run out of water

One of the biggest cities in South Africa announced Thursday it will begin marking collection points where its 3.7 million residents will be required to wait for rationed water on "Day Zero" – currently forecast to be April 21. If it happens, Cape Town would become the first major city in the world to shut down entirely the supply of running water in all of its homes. The city has suffered two years of severe drought. By some calculations, so severe that it would normally happen once a millennium. As Geoffrey York reports, climate-change models have predicted that Cape Town would become increasingly dry.

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MARKET WATCH

Canada's main stock index finished lower on Thursday, as energy companies and metals miners weighed. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index closed down 0.26 per cent to end at 16,284.47. Meanwhile, Wall Street ended lower as losses in industrial stocks and interest-rate sensitive sectors offset marginal gains in tech stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.37 per cent to close at 26,018.64, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 per cent to finish at 2,798.11 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.03 per cent to end at 7,296.05.

WHAT'S TRENDING

Protesters angered by some Tim Hortons franchisees who slashed workers' benefits and breaks after minimum wage hikes plan to demonstrate across the country. Nearly 50 demonstrations are planned in Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia.

TALKING POINTS

Mr. Trudeau, strong words and money will not save the Rohingya – it's time for Canada to act

"The Canadian government shouldn't be cautious as evidence of continuing attacks on the Rohingya community comes to light. Instead, it should lead an international consensus on justice and accountability for one of the world's most persecuted peoples." — Farida Deif

B.C. solitary ruling: A bold move that may finally bring about change

"The decision breaks sharply from the deference that courts have almost invariably shown to prison administrators in the not-so-distant past. The idea that prisoners retain any legal rights at all while incarcerated is relatively new. For much of the 20th century, the 'hands-off' doctrine meant that judges would not intervene in matters of prison administration. The idea was that courts were responsible for setting the length of a sentence, but prisons could carry out the sentence as they saw fit. Judges had no business second-guessing the decisions and policies of prison officials. That tradition of judicial reticence did not appear here." — Lisa Kerr

The PQ has a problem: Everyone's leaving the party

"Despite a balanced budget, decent economy and the country's second-lowest unemployment rate – an unprecedented 4.9 per cent in December – Mr. Couillard appears to be on his way to becoming a one-term premier. If the downtrodden Liberals can take any consolation, it lies in the fact that their main nemesis for the past four decades is in even worse shape than them." — Konrad Yakabuski

LIVING BETTER

Is there a downside to going gluten-free if you don't need to?

A 2013 report by the NPD Group found as many as one in three Americans were trying to avoid gluten. But even though it is harmful to a small number of people, it isn't a bona fide toxin, according to doctors. They say a gluten-free or grain-free diet is unlikely to provide any benefits and can pose risks for those without a sensitivity. One of the main reasons is that avoiding grains can reduce the overall quality of one's diet. Fibre is important to overall digestive help and high intake of whole grains has been associated with reduced risk of heart disease, some cancers, Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

LONG READS FOR A LONG COMMUTE

Uber Canada's GM on company's plan to win back trust of drivers, riders and investors

Last year, the ride-sharing company dealt with allegation of sexual assault and a toxic workplace, the revelation of a major data breach and endless leadership shakeups. Now, Uber is framing 2018 as a chance to change and trying to shift corporate culture to win the trust of drivers, riders and investors. In Canada, the new general manager is Rob Khazzam, who grew up in Toronto and cut his teeth working in finance before overseeing the service's growth in central and eastern Europe. Josh O'Kane sat down with Mr. Khazzam to talk about profits, privacy and the competition. (for subscribers)

From Quebec to the Arctic Circle, embrace winter at a snow or ice hotel

With weather systems such as bomb cyclones bearing down on us, even those made from the hardiest stock may find themselves hibernating this winter rather than embracing a sub-zero landscape. But there's a ton of icy beauty to be had from Quebec to the Arctic Circle, and there's no better way to enjoy it than by visiting a snow or ice hotel. Constructed from, yes, snow and ice, they dazzle with their frozen H2O architecture and iced vodka cocktails. Rebuilt seasonally, the time is now to book a night of frigid fun. Amy Rosen looks at places to stay in Quebec, Switzerland, Finland and Sweden.

Evening Update is written by Jordan Chittley, Mayaz Alam and Kristene Quan. If you'd like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.

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