Good morning. The leader of the India-based Bishnoi gang and his alleged North American lieutenant have been charged in connection with the killing of Canadian Sikh separatist activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. More on that below, along with Carney’s Senate appointments and the end of the World Cup in Canada.
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U.S. law enforcement officials announced the charges in Los Angeles yesterday.David Swanson/Reuters
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Charges against India’s Bishnoi gang
The arrests: Authorities in Canada, the United States and Europe have arrested and charged dozens of alleged members of India-based transnational crime syndicates, some of which U.S. officials said had played key roles in the 2023 slaying of Canadian Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In total, 37 defendants have been charged, including three arrested in Canada.
The allegations: A U.S. indictment alleges that Indian criminal gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi and his North American deputy Satinderjeet Singh “ordered the assassination” of Nijjar in Surrey, B.C. The document states that Bishnoi provided four unnamed co-conspirators with a photograph of Nijjar and multiple addresses.
The operation: The arrests resulted from a sweeping, multiyear U.S. federal investigation known as “Operation Hard Ball,” which probed Indian crime organizations engaged in racketeering, killings, shootings, extortion, drug trafficking and other crimes around the world.
The geopolitics: The murder of Nijjar, who was gunned down in a Sikh temple parking lot, led to a major diplomatic rift with India. Then-prime minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi of having played a role in the killing, while India denied any involvement. The indictment is silent on that grander theory.
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Conservative MP Richard Martel plans to resign from caucus after Carney appointed him to the Senate.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Carney’s Senate appointments
The latest: In his first Senate appointments, Prime Minister Mark Carney named a Quebec Conservative, a veteran Liberal strategist and two others to fill vacancies. He also announced that Ottawa would be officially eliminating “non-partisanship” as one of the criteria for selecting candidates.
The appointees: Quebec Conservative MP Richard Martel is quitting his caucus and will be appointed to the Senate to sit as an independent. Carney also appointed Tom Pitfield, a Liberal operative who served as Carney’s principal secretary; New Brunswick physician Rodney Ouellette; and Manitoba’s Geeta Tucker, a corporate executive. Martel’s departure from the Tory caucus puts more pressure on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has lost five MPs in the past year.
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Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage announced his resignation as MP yesterday.Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Nigel Farage steps down as a U.K. MP
The latest: Nigel Farage, Leader of Britain’s populist Reform UK party, said he would resign as the MP for Clacton-on-Sea and run in a by-election. “I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions,” he said in a video statement.
Those actions: Farage has been under investigation by parliamentary officials over a £5-million gift he received from British billionaire investor Christopher Harborne in 2024. A recent Sunday Times report said Farage also received support from businessman George Cottrell, a long-time ally who was convicted of fraud in the U.S. Newly elected MPs must disclose any gifts or benefits they receive in the 12 months before taking office; Farage argues he followed the rules to the letter.
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Prime Minister Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney, arrive for the NATO Summit in Turkey.Muhammed Abdullah Kurtar/The Canadian Press
New support for defence bank
The latest: Nine countries have now announced their support for a new Canada-led multinational defence bank called the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank. Albania, Belgium, Greece, Latvia, Turkey and Ukraine are all backing the effort, joining Canada, Luxembourg and Romania.
What’s next: Canada has been chosen as the host country, meaning the bank’s headquarters will be here. The DSRB would provide long-term, low-cost financing for defence projects in member countries. Though Carney has been heavily campaigning for the institution in meetings with world leaders, major powers such as Germany and Britain have not agreed to back the bank so far.
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Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard in Toronto yesterday.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Kyle Lowry calls it quits
End of an era: Kyle Lowry signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Toronto Raptors to announce his retirement from the NBA after 20 seasons. The symbolic gesture let him end his career as a Raptor.
One more day: Lowry led the Raptors to their first and only championship in 2019. “I always said that I would retire a Toronto Raptor, and that was everything,” he said yesterday. “This place is, I call it home, I mean it through and through.”
Programming note
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The Take
There is little question Canada is more of a soccer nation today than it was a month ago.
It turns out the World Cup is just what the country needed, Gary Mason writes.
The Shot
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Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal against Egypt.BRETT DAVIS/Reuters
Argentina’s World Cup soccer team scored twice in the last 11 minutes for a dramatic comeback victory against Egypt. Read more about yesterday’s 3-2 quarter-finals win.
The Wrap
What else we’re following
At home: B.C. plans to pursue legal action against OpenAI for its role in the Tumbler Ridge shooting.
Abroad: U.S. President Donald Trump said today at the NATO summit that the deal signed with Iran to end the conflict was “over.” Yesterday, the U.S. launched new strikes against Iran after merchant ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trade: Canada’s trade surplus hit a four-year high in May, as the war in the Middle East pushed up the prices of oil and other commodities.
Deep disappointment: South Korea’s President vowed to support the country’s defence industry after Hanwha lost out on a Canadian submarine contract.
Deeper exploration: The first images of the wreck of the ship that carried explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton on his last voyage have been captured on the ocean floor.
Final whistle: Canada’s World Cup games are over. What’s left behind?