World Headlines: Inside DoFo's Tuesday night debate and dash

First Up

By Manuela Vega

Good morning. Here’s the latest on the first Ontario leaders’ debate, a Canadian musician’s sexual assault trial, and why some recent homebuyers risk losing their deposit — or worse.

DON’T MISS

Steve Russell/The Star

ontario election

Rivals focused on Doug Ford’s COVID response in the first leaders’ debate

Ontario’s party leaders took to the debate stage in North Bay Tuesday and pounced on the premier’s pandemic performance. Opposition leaders accused Doug Ford of ignoring science when reopening the economy last spring and not doing enough to protect those in long-term care (the brief moment carding was OK’d and playgrounds closed also garnered special mention). The Liberal and NDP leaders said they would hold a public inquiry into Ontario’s COVID-19 response, while Ford maintained his government did relatively well. He was the only leader not to scrum with reporters after the debate. Here’s more on the first showdown ahead of the June 2 election.

Miss something? Ontario party leaders debated highways, housing affordability and mental health access in northern communities.
Martin Regg Cohn’s take: Doug Ford had a bad day at the leaders debate. Lucky for him, his rivals let him off easy.
Interactive: Who will win the Ontario election? Check the latest poll results here.
Watch for: Monday’s leaders’ debate in Toronto will be televised.

Canadian Press/Cole Burston

courts

A woman accusing Hedley’s Jacob Hoggard of sexual assault testified he was like a “psychopath”

Warning: graphic content. The second complainant in a sexual assault case against the Canadian pop singer took the stand Tuesday. The woman, now in her late 20s, said Hoggard repeatedly raped her in 2016 and choked her to the point of her fearing for her life. “His eyes were absolutely terrifying,” she said. Hoggard has pleaded not guilty to sexual touching of a person under the age of 16 and two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm. He admitted to having a “sexual encounter” with each complainant, one of whom was a 16-year-old fan at the time. Here is more on the latest testimony.

ICYMI: The first complainant testified that Hoggard raped her, turning from a “person who makes you believe this fairy tale about love… to this monster of a human who has no compassion and no empathy.” His lawyer argued she “made up” the claim.

R.J. Johnston/The Star

real estate

Bought a house when the market was hot and regret it now? You’re not alone

As the real estate market begins to cool in the face of increased interest rates, many recent buyers are feeling regret over their timing, buying when they probably had fewer choices and padded price tags. But the stakes are higher than that for some; those who bought early, but have yet to close, are now rushing to collect the funds needed to meet their mortgages as appraisals come back tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars short. Here’s what they stand to lose.

Go deeper: How much money do you need to buy a home in Toronto? A six-figure income, plus hundreds of thousands saved. And it’s still more than you’d think.
Watch for: The number of construction workers on strike has more than doubled — delaying some projects by months.
Interactive: How have prices changed in your neighbourhood over the last decade? Use our tool to find out.

Get a front-row seat this provincial election. As the Ontario election heats up, you need This Week in Politics, featuring exclusive analysis from Queen's Park bureau chief Robert Benzie and columnist Susan Delacourt. Sign up here, and you'll start receiving their insight on what just happened, what it means — and what's coming next.

WHAT ELSE

This is the inside story of Justin Trudeau’s secret trip to Ukraine.

Al Jazeera blames Israeli forces for the killing of a reporter in the occupied West Bank.

Conservative leadership hopefuls will hit the debate stage tonight. Here’s what to watch for.

Loblaw faces pressure from activist investors and BMO over its alleged ties to suppliers in China’s Uyghur region.

Filipino-Canadians are concerned about the Marcos family’s return to power.

We’re paying a lot more for groceries. Calling it out is the least Ottawa can do.

A dangerous driver got house arrest for a crash that killed a Brampton mom and left her sons with permanent injuries.

TTC station mainstay Gateway Newstands went into creditor protection after getting slammed by the pandemic.

MPP Paul Miller filed a $1.3-million lawsuit against the NDP over his ouster from the party.

Plans for a pricey restaurant at Casa Loma raise questions about the landmark’s oversight.

The comeback Leafs are a win away from the second round after a wakeup call from Jason Spezza.

The Michelin Guide is here, but it comes with baggage for Toronto’s food scene.

ICYMI

Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star

Here’s why, despite high praise from students and staff, this teacher can’t get a licence

PREVIOUSLY...

Mike Slaughter/The Star

MAY 11, 1980: A polar bear cub napped after a bottle feeding. Two cubs were taken in by the Toronto Zoo after being orphaned when a hunter shot their mother in the Northwest Territories. Inuit children named the cubs Sanikiluaq and Pisitik after an Inuit hunter and the Inuit word for hero.

Thanks for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca. I’ll see you back here tomorrow.

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