Brenda Fricker, the first Irish actress to win an Oscar, for ‘My Left Foot,’ dies at 81

#Breaking Donald Trump threatens to raise tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke

Andy Burnham was officially declared leader of Britain’s governing Labour Party on Friday, promising to bring hope to the British people and purpose to the floundering government as he cleared his final hurdle to take office as prime minister next week.

#Breaking: Judge grants Frank Stronach stunning post-conviction mistrial. Civil lawyer’s claims ‘entirely different’ from sex assault complainant’s trial testimony

Willowdale Progressive Conservative MPP Stan Cho has resigned as Premier Doug Ford’s minister of tourism, culture and gaming after being forced to repay $16,203 in Toronto hotel expenses. Robert Benzie, the Star's Queen’s Park Bureau Chief has the story.

Live chat: Canada's World Cup run has been historic. But what’s next for the team? Ask our sports writers starting 12 pm E.T. ⚽

#Breaking: Tourism Minister Stan Cho quits cabinet over Toronto hotel expense claims

Live chat: Ask us your wildfire safety questions From mask effectiveness to long-term health risks, Star science reporter Kevin Jiang and family physician Dr. Samantha Green are taking your wildfire smoke questions live in the comments Friday at 11 am E.T. Read more:

Orange hues dominated the sky and ash rained down on Toronto for the second day in a row, as wildfires continued to spread and rage in northern Ontario. Critics claim the province has lagged in its funding and preparedness for fires that have only gotten worse with climate change. Read more:

Star Exclusive: A judge has ordered that the public pick up a convicted sex offender’s $50,000 legal tab due to delayed disclosure of records by Toronto police and the “deliberately uncooperative” detective in charge of the case.

Experts are urging people to stay indoors and avoid physical exertion outside if possible, as smoke from wildfires in northwestern Ontario continues to make Toronto’s air quality among the worst of the world’s major cities.

Canada won’t share toll revenues from the Gordie Howe International Bridge with the United States until the project’s debts are repaid, Prime Minister Mark Carney said. “It’s not splitting the tolls at the bridge. It is an agreement for 15 years to split net revenues,” Carney said.

A furious Premier Doug Ford said it was “totally unacceptable” for his Progressive Conservative ministers and MPPs from the GTA to expense tens of thousands of dollars on Toronto hotels Read more:

Plans to upgrade the Port of Vancouver have been referred to Canada’s Major Projects Office for possible fast-tracking. Read more:

#Breaking: Mark Carney named a defence company in London, Ont., a strategic partner while awarding the firm a “nearly” $2-billion contract to build new armoured vehicles for the Canadian Army. New from @aballinga.bsky.social:

The Trump administration is hosting a high-level global meeting on combating “political terrorism” in Washington — a move experts have described as a politically-motivated crackdown on left-wing movements. Canada is one of more than 60 countries attending. Just in from @markramzy.bsky.social:

Wildfire smoke giving you trouble? #ICYMI, using nothing more than two air filters, a portable fan, some duct tape and cardboard, you can assemble a makeshift purifier in less than 30 minutes.

Star Investigation: The former top Markham planning official who was allegedly also working as a paid consultant for a developer breached the city’s requirements for declaring conflict of interest, the City of Markham says.

Just because the immigration minister has the power to set/change priorities via "ministerial instructions," it doesn't necessarily mean it justifies resulting delays in your immigration application processing, says new Fed Court mandamus decision. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Don't forget your respirator if you're going outside — Toronto currently has the second-worst air quality on the planet. Temperatures are also expected to reach a high of 29 and the UV index will be at nine, which is very high, according to Environment Canada. Follow here for live updates:

Good Morning Toronto! If you though the smoke from the wild fires in Northern Ontario would blow over by now,..., sorry! Sunrise over the Beaches shows the air quality will be just as bad today. #TheBigSmoke #airquality #Toronto

Defending champion Argentina will take on Spain on Sunday for the World Cup final after beating England 2-1.

The federal government is pausing new invitations for Canadians to apply for permanent residence for parents and grandparents until at least the end of 2026.

Toronto has taken on an orangey hue as it grapples with a double-whammy of intense heat and wildfire smoke from hundreds of raging forest fires in northwestern Ontario. Follow for the latest.

We’re asking Torontonians what they’d do if they were mayor. Ahmad El Sarraff would install bidets in public washrooms, establish a night economy and create more third spaces. 🚽🌆🫂 What would you do? Tell us: [email protected] Read more: trib.al/BYz3LsP

#Breaking: Pickering teen who murdered retired kindergarten teacher gets 10-year maximum youth sentence

The Bank of Canada holds key interest rate at 2.25%

Toronto is top of the pack for the worst air quality in the world this morning as the city grapples with a double-whammy of intense heat and wildfire smoke from hundreds of raging forest fires in northern Ontario.

Star #exclusive: On June 25, 2024, a team of Toronto police officers drove to a Whitby neighbourhood with a narrow mandate: arrest Trayvon Palmer “if the right circumstances presented.” What followed was the antithesis of the safe, controlled takedown police are taught to execute.

More than 4,000 WestJet flight attendants are expected to vote in favour of a strike mandate that could allow members to legally walk off the job as early as Aug. 2, two experts told the Star.

One last one for tonight from Vegas, on the Kawhi Saga and no soon resolution seemingly in light www.thestar.com/sports/rapto...

The Writers Guild of America became the latest group to challenge Paramount’s $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, filing a lawsuit that seeks to block the merger on the grounds it would cause “specific harm” to movie and TV writers working across the U.S.

Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford says the police were "tone deaf" in calling Toronto a safe city in the wake of the deadly Salsa on St. Clair shooting over the weekend.

Spain advances to World Cup final with 2-0 win over France. It will face either defending champion Argentina or England on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

It might feel like the hottest day ever, but believe it or not, Toronto has seen hotter. In July 1936, the city recorded three consecutive days of 40.6 degrees — the hottest temperature Toronto has ever seen. It softened pavement, drove thousands of people to the lake and left at least 225 dead.

As Toronto stares down another scorching week, some experts are warning about the dangers of prolonged heat exposure indoors — even if it’s just a couple degrees above room temperature.

Cheering for France in the World Cup? This vibey west-end French restaurant serves a magnifique burger 🍔✨

We’re asking Torontonians what they would do if they were mayor. Dr. Andrea Gelinas, a local dentist, would give residents free oral hygiene products and tax deductions for flossing daily. 🦷🪥 What would you do? Tell us at [email protected]. Read more: trib.al/1FFl4WZ

The 15-year-old boy set to be sentenced in the murder of a Pickering woman said he was “deeply sorry” for the harm he caused in an Oshawa courtroom on Tuesday. The youth, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in April.

After registering her candidacy at the Mississauga elections office on Tuesday morning, Bonnie Crombie has officially joined the mayoral race against incumbent Carolyn Parrish.

I'll be hopping in the comment section of this story at noon today to answer readers' questions about Bradford's campaign and the state of the mayor's race. Post a comment at the bottom of the story if there's something you'd like me to address. www.thestar.com/news/gta/bra...

Many strategies for staying cool during a #HeatWave can make things worse, experts say. Here's what not to do when the temperature climbs. ☀️ More info here: trib.al/THKuxLa

Karen Andrews, a lawyer with the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, suspects hundreds of thousands of renters in Ontario are paying above-guideline increases, or AGIs. “Many landlords don’t get to taking them off,” she said, because tenants don’t know they are meant to be temporary. #onpoli

They contacted people over the internet & an Afghan TV program in the U.S. for help locate their mother & baby brother. "Then we got a message that people had seen them in Denmark...It’s beyond a miracle that we got to find each other again." www.thestar.com/news/gta/smu...

Dr. Samantha Green, a Toronto family physician who researches heat, says mandated air conditioning in daycares is "urgently" needed. “We know extremely hot days are expected to triple in Toronto in the coming decades. We need to protect our most vulnerable. That includes children.” #onpoli

After multiple delays, the $6.4 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge has a new opening date — and this time, it appears to be sticking. #cdnpoli

Environment Canada issued a yellow warning for heat in Toronto today, predicting a high of 37 C that could feel closer to 45 with humidity. UV levels are also expected to be “very high.” Here's what you need to know:

The sense of Leonard to the Raptors is when rather than if but until it's done, it's not done. Summer League tidbits are here www.thestar.com/sports/rapto...

Weigh in on Canada’s run at the World Cup. Share your congratulations on what they’ve accomplished and stories of following the team to the bitter end. Post your message for the team in the comments section of this story. We’ll feature some of your messages!

How seriously should once and perhaps future Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie take Premier Doug Ford’s threat that he would “send an army” to help incumbent Carolyn Parrish defeat her? If history is any indication, not very, writes Robert Benzie.