Why Interpol is taking notice of Canadian car thefts

Plus, big shifts in Toronto real estate and Canadians' attitudes toward Ukraine [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on Canada’s ongoing explosion in vehicle thefts, Toronto real estate is turning into a buyers’ market and a worrying shift in Canadians’ attitudes toward the Ukraine war. DON’T MISS Susan Kao/Toronto Star Photo Illustration crime [How Canada’s explosion in auto theft is a fuelling a global trade in weapons and drugs]( Canada’s booming auto theft problem has placed the country in Interpol’s crosshairs. A recent conference by the international policing agency branded Canada as one of the top contributors to a global black market vehicle trade that helps fund international terrorism, drug and human trafficking, arms dealing and more, Peter Edwards reports. Experts laid much of the blame on what they called outdated theft-prevention regulations from Transport Canada. Today, modern technologies like key fobs and remote starts are ubiquitous — allowing experienced thieves to jack your ride in seconds. [Here’s what you need to know.]( - By the numbers: One organization tracking the statistics found vehicle thefts in Toronto shot up 44.8 per cent in the last year, compared to increases of more than 50 per cent in Quebec, 18.3 per cent in Alberta and 34.5 per cent in Atlantic Canada. - What we know: Modern thieves can steal your key fob’s signature from outside your home. [Take a closer look at the methods they employ — and how you can foil them](. Lance McMillan/The Star real estate [Toronto real estate has officially shifted to a buyers’ market. Is a price drop on the horizon?]( For the first time in over a decade, new listings are flooding Toronto’s housing market — but buyers aren’t biting. As many prospective homeowners are either unable to qualify for a mortgage or are waiting for interest rates to cool, those who are shopping for homes find themselves able to make conditional offers, request home inspections or pull out if they don’t get the price they want, Clarrie Feinstein reports. Experts say that an oversaturated market with few buyers may eventually force prices down, according to supply and demand, with one saying, “There’s no longer the fear of missing out.” [Here’s what this could mean for you](. - By the numbers: A surge in September real estate listings brought Canada’s sales-to-new-listings ratio to 35.8 per cent — [a level unseen since the 2008 global financial crisis]( - Meanwhile: A decline in interest from buyers is partly responsible for a slowdown in new home construction in the nation, [with fewer homes being built now than during the COVID-19 lockdowns](. It’s anticipated to only get worse, experts say. Canadian Press/Nathan Denette ukraine [There’s been a worrying shift in some Canadians’ feelings about the war in Ukraine]( As cracks begin to show in international backing for Ukraine, and as some U.S. factions hover between wanting to cut off American aid and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin outright, both Liberals and Conservatives tell the Star they’ve begun to see a concerning shift in Canadians’ discourse online. Others report receiving a growing number of emails questioning the $9 billion Canada pledged to support Ukraine since 2022. [As the war wears on, will Canada remain united in its support?]( - More: Liberals and Conservatives tell the Star they see this shift being influenced by Russian disinformation campaigns — [especially in the wake of an SS veteran invited to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address before Parliament]( — but also the shifting tides in American discourse. - Go deeper: U.S. President Joe Biden joined leaders from Canada, Europe and Japan to reassure Ukraine their support remains united on Tuesday, [after Congress cut billions of dollars in aid to Kyiv](. WHAT ELSE [Canada’s top grocers have yet to reveal their plan to lower food prices]( ahead of Justin Trudeau’s Thanksgiving deadline. Incoming Manitoba premier Wab Kinew is described as “Obama-esque.” [Here’s what his victory means for the rest of Canada](. “The exact same problem as the Greenbelt.” [Doug Ford is being hammered over past changes to municipal boundaries](. More small businesses are turning to high interest loans, [with some even using credit cards to stay afloat](. Accused terrorist Nathanial Veltman [wrote a racist manifesto and researched the New Zealand killer, court hears](. This woman reported Peter Nygard to Toronto police in 1998, [but dropped her sex assault complaint because she was “afraid for my life.”]( A Toronto talent agent has been arrested after [allegedly defrauding more than 60 performers of $600,000](. [WestJet is temporarily suspending flights]( between Toronto and Montreal, and from Toronto to LaGuardia. Alarms are being raised as TTC’s [Bloor-Danforth subway trains near the end of the line](. Did a mistyped email address [cost this man his Canadian dream]( Pumpkins, fairs and Drake: [Here’s what to do in Toronto over the Thanksgiving long weekend](. Deep Left Field Daily: [Berrios pulled, Vladdy picked, Jays done](. POV Toronto Star File Photo [Antisemitism is getting worse — but Canadians are indifferent. What’s going on?]( CLOSE-UP Bruce Kluckhohn/AP Photo MINNEAPOLIS: The Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reacts after being picked off second base during the fifth inning of Game 2. The Minneapolis Twins crushed the Jays with a 2-0 win Wednesday, [ending Toronto’s postseason with a first round sweep](. 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_200944). 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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