 Here’s what you need to know to get the day started: | | | MP Han Dong leaving Liberal caucus, denies allegations of working against release of 2 Michaels | | |  | MP Han Dong speaks with reporters outside the House of Commons on Tuesday. (Chris Rands/CBC) | | | Han Dong, the Toronto-area MP at the centre of allegations involving Chinese government interference in Canada's affairs, says he is leaving the Liberal caucus and will sit as an Independent.
"I'm taking this extraordinary step because to [sit] in the government caucus is a privilege and my presence there may be seen by some as a conflict of duty and the wrong place to be as an independent investigation pursues the facts in this matter," he said, reading a statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday night.
"I will be sitting as the Independent so that business of government and indeed the bills of Parliament is not interrupted as I work to clear my name and the truth is presented to Parliament and to Canadian people."
His comments follow a story from Global News alleging Dong advised a senior Chinese diplomat in February 2021 that Beijing should hold off on freeing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor — the two Canadians being held by China at the time.
Their detention is widely considered to be a retaliatory action in response to the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada in 2018 following an extradition request from the U.S.
The Global story cited two unnamed national security sources who said Dong made the suggestion because their release would be helpful to the Conservatives. CBC News has not verified the allegations.
Dong confirmed to Global that he had a discussion with Consul General Han Tao, but denied that he advised Beijing to delay releasing Kovrig and Spavor.
"Let me be clear. What has been reported is false, and I will defend myself against these absolutely untrue claims," said the Don Valley North representative in his remarks to Parliament.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said the office "only became aware that a conversation took place after Mr. Dong told us, following recent media questions." | | | | | In a spin | | |  | (Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images) | | | | France's Camille Kovalev and Pavel Kovalev compete during the free skate routine portion of the pairs competition at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan, on Thursday. | | | | | | | | | In brief | | | U.S. President Joe Biden will touch down in Ottawa on Thursday for his first official state visit to Canada since winning the presidency more than two years ago — and the trip could be an opportunity for the two countries to cut some deals. Biden's two-day visit starts tonight with a meeting with the King's representative in Canada, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon. Other planned events include Biden's address to Parliament on Friday, a series of meetings with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other high-level Canadian officials, and what the White House is calling an "intimate gathering" at Trudeau's residence. There will also be a "pull aside" at some point with Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre. Canada will then host Biden and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, for a state dinner at the Aviation and Space Museum. Hundreds of dignitaries have been invited. Read more here.
Canada's highly toxic illicit drug supply is worsening with the emergence of xylazine, a dangerous and unpredictable animal tranquillizer that's putting drug users' lives at risk in alarming new ways, and advocates are calling for more to be done to address the issue. The severely potent veterinary sedative, known on the street as "tranq dope" or "zombie drug," is being cut with opioids like fentanyl to prolong their effects, but can also cause hours-long blackouts and horrific, painful wounds that can lead to amputation. "It puts people in sort of blackout states. People are at really high risk of walking into traffic because they don't really know what's going on," said Matt Johnson, a drug user and harm reduction worker at the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre in Toronto. "We have definitely seen people get brain injuries from having these mild overdoses again and again and again. We've had people who have died from a mix of fentanyl and xylazine." Read the full story here.
After working on it for almost a decade and a half, the Department of National Defence (DND) is rolling out a new benefit to help military members deal with the high cost of housing. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces learned at a virtual town hall on Tuesday that the new benefit is coming in July. It's meant to help lower-ranking members cope with steep housing costs in dozens of additional Canadian locations. But not everyone is getting it. The military estimates the new policy will mean roughly 7,700 military members who have been receiving a monthly housing allowance will soon be cut off. That news sparked an angry online backlash from those who say they will receive less than before. Read more here.
A dozen Zellers locations are set to open across Canada on Thursday, a decade after the discount chain vanished from the country's retail landscape. Hudson's Bay Company, which began the lengthy process of shuttering Zellers locations in 2013, announced earlier this year that it planned to resurrect the chain at 25 locations scattered across the country soon. The first dozen — nine in Ontario and three in Alberta — are set to officially open today in a move that retail analysts say faces an uphill climb in a tougher-than-ever retail landscape. Joseph Aversa, who teaches retail management at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University, said it's telling that the chain is building Zellers locations inside Bay stores. That's likely because parent company The Bay is trying to find innovative ways to drive customers to hundreds of thousands of retail square footage it already has. Read the full story here.
With the start of Ramadan, health experts say practising Muslims who go on a month of spiritual fasting may need to adjust their medications. Ramadan, which falls on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a holy time for Muslims around the world. From sundown on March 22 until sunrise on April 20 observers deepen their relationship with God through, prayer, reflection and charity. They also abstain from food, drink, sex, smoking and oral medications between sunrise and sundown. "If you're not eating much, your medications might cause you low blood sugar, so the timing of dosing has to be changed. Sometimes the dose has to be changed as well," said Wasem Alsabbagh, an assistant professor at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo and a pharmacist in Kitchener, Ont. While people with chronic conditions like diabetes are most affected, any individuals who fast are encouraged to speak with their doctors or pharmacists. Read more on this story here.
Now for some good news to start your Thursday: A Halifax-area surfing club is fostering a community of women in the sport, providing opportunities to improve their skills and share their knowledge. The Trim Collective: A Ladies Longboard Club was established last summer. It holds "board meetings" and progression sessions a few times a year at Martinique Beach on the Eastern Shore, 50 kilometres east of Halifax. "We all get together, we bring our surfboards onto the beach and we can just hang out," said Sarah Zollinger, one of the collective's founders. Read more about the club here. | | | FIRST PERSON | I'm chronically ill and can barely get enough financial assistance to survive | | | When filling out medical forms to continue receiving her social assistance, Alexandria Nassopoulos was left with the unsettling feeling that she could be eligible for medical assistance in dying. Read her column here. | | | | | Your weekly guide to what you need to know about federal politics and the minority Liberal government. Get the latest news and sharp analysis delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. Click here to sign up for the newsletter. | | | | |  | | | Imran Khan: from cricket star to polarizing politician | | | There have been violent clashes between police and the supporters of Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former prime minister and one-time cricket superstar, who was kicked out of government last year. Why does he remain so popular?
Listen to today's episode | | | Today in history: March 23 | | | 1752: The Halifax Gazette, Canada's first newspaper, begins publishing.
1903: The Wright brothers apply for a patent on their airplane, which they flew successfully on Dec. 17 of that year.
1949: A bill passed by the British Parliament for the union of Canada and Newfoundland is given royal assent. Eight days later, Newfoundland became Canada's 10th province.
1983: The first artificial-heart transplant patient dies. Barney Clark, a 61-year-old dentist, lived with the Jarvik-7 implant for 112 days at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. | | | (With files from CBC News, The Canadian Press, The Associated Press and Reuters) | | | | |  | CBC NEWS APP | The most convenient way to get your news
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