Air quality in Toronto among worst in the world Monday, as Environment Canada issues heat warning

Parts of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are under an air quality warning on Monday alongside an ongoing heat warning in the region, Environment Canada says.  Smoke from forest fires over northern Ontario is expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility, the federal weather agency says.  Poor air quality may continue throughout the…

Majority of people arrested in U.S. immigration raids have no criminal record, data shows

U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to deport “the worst of the worst,” yet the majority of people currently detained by immigration agents have no criminal convictions, according to government data regarding ongoing detentions. As well, relatively few have been convicted of high-level crimes — a stark contrast to the chilling nightmare Trump describes to support his border…

Flames tear through Massachusetts assisted-living facility, killing 9 and trapping residents

Flames roared through an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts, killing nine people and trapping residents inside, including some who leaned out of windows and screamed for help, authorities said Monday. At least 30 people were hurt. Firefighters responded to the Gabriel House facility in Fall River, about 80 kilometres south of Boston, at about 9:50 p.m. ET…

About 1/3 of Canadians are obese, and researchers saw a steeper increase during the pandemic

About one-third of Canadians have become obese — with more weight gain happening during the pandemic, according to a new study.  The research, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) Monday, found that 32.7 per cent of Canadians (10.6 million people) were obese in 2023 — an increase of about eight percentage points since…

Police identify 17-year-old as suspect in killing of 26-year-old woman in downtown Hamilton

Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of a teenager suspected in the fatal shooting of Belinda Sarkodie in Hamilton’s downtown core. In a news release on Sunday evening, Hamilton said they’re looking for Mackale Lavoie, 17. The warrant for his arrest was issued under a second-degree murder charge and two counts of attempted murder. Police said…

Who hacked Elmo? Sesame Street character posts ‘disgusting’ antisemitic messages

Elmo, the furry Sesame Street character so universally beloved he recently went viral simply for asking people how they were doing, has been hacked. Sesame Workshop, which makes the children’s show, described the string of antisemitic, racist messages posted to Elmo’s X account on Sunday as “disgusting.” The posts have since been removed, but widely circulated…

U.S. helicopter maker settles with families of 6 Canadian military members killed in crash

An American helicopter manufacturer has reached a confidential settlement with the families of six Canadian military members killed in a helicopter crash off the coast of Greece five years ago. The families sued Sikorsky in 2023 after a CH-148 Cyclone flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force crashed into the Ionian Sea at full speed in April…

Canadian singer Matthew Good says ‘big political correction’ needed before he’ll tour U.S. again

Canadian rocker Matthew Good has cut upcoming U.S. shows from his summer tour, saying he can’t support government policies and political divisions south of the border and that he’s unlikely to perform in the country again until political tides turn.  Good, 54, announced the cancellations in a Facebook post on Friday morning, saying he’s willing to “risk…