India and Canada are in a diplomatic crisis.

A Tale of Two Countries

The Story

India and Canada are in a diplomatic crisis.

What is this about?

Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In June, someone assassinated the Canadian citizen — and Sikh separatist leader — in Surrey, British Columbia. Nijjar reportedly moved to Canada in the '90s. Decades later, India placed him on the country's terrorism list for allegedly plotting violent attacks and inciting riots in India. Earlier this week, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau accused India's government agents of playing a role. Trudeau hasn't shared any evidence tying Nijjar’s death to India. But on Monday, Canada expelled a senior member of India's intel agency.

How's India’s government taking it?

Not well. Yesterday, India responded by expelling a Canadian diplomat of its own. India called Trudeau’s allegations “absurd and motivated.” India has claimed before that Canada is harboring Sikh terrorists. A State Dept official has said they’re “quite concerned about the allegations” and think it’s “important there is a full and open investigation” into what happened to Nijjar. One expert said it’ll be tough for Canada and India to rebuild a relationship moving forward. Australia has said it’s “deeply concerned” over the allegations and the UK government said it’s in close contact with its Canadian counterparts.

theSkimm

Canada and India have found themselves in the middle of a dispute over Khalistan — the Sikh independence movement banned in India but present in Canada. It’s a level of diplomatic tension that could threaten to put other democracies (looking at you, US) in an awkward position, just as they’re trying to woo India away from China.

What else is keeping world leaders busy…

The UN General Assembly. Yesterday, President Biden spoke before world leaders and emphasized the importance of standing with Ukraine. As he put it: “we must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.” Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia’s aggression won’t stop at Ukraine’s borders and could spread elsewhere. Countries in South America, Asia, and Africa are also reportedly criticizing the West for putting all of their attention on Ukraine, a European country, and ignoring their massive crises.

Who’s swiping far left…

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO). The Republican has officially dumped the Beetlejuicer. Over the weekend, Boebert was seen attending “Beetlejuice” the musical with a date. The problem: video surveillance confirmed she was vaping, singing loudly, and that the two were groping each other. After they were asked to leave, Boebert pleaded guilty to “laughing and singing too loud.” When the footage went viral, she apologized for getting “maybe overtly animated.” But that’s not all: it turns out the man she had been publicly beetlejuicing was reportedly the owner of a gay-friendly nightclub. Not ideal for the lawmaker’s far-right brand. Now, Boebert says “all future date nights have been canceled” and that she “learned to check party affiliations before you go on a date.” Too bad — they seemed so fondle of each other.

Why everyone hit ‘add to cart’...

The Instacart IPO. Yesterday, the company made its stock market debut with shares opening at $42. Instacart initially set shares at $30 a pop, but the company saw a 40% hike. The opening price put the company’s market valuation at about $11 billion. While that’s still a lot of zeroes, the company was valued at $39 billion in 2021. There were only 71 IPOs last year amid recession fears, reportedly the lowest since 2009. Analysts and experts are hoping for an IPO resurgence this year.

What makes us want to bailar…

The 2023 Latin Grammys nominations.

Who debuted a new family portrait…

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky.

Who's getting ready for their premiere...

The Beckhams.