MEXICO CITY (AP) — The largest World Cup in tournament history kicked off Thursday with co-host Mexico taking on South Africa in the opening match.

Amid escalating protests and social tensions in Mexico’s capital, more than 80,000 fans made their way to Mexico City Stadium — better known as Azteca Stadium. It got a much-needed facelift ahead of the 48-team tournament that Mexico is co-hosting alongside the United States and Canada.

The iconic venue will be the first

Four people have been arrested, including two 17-year-olds, in connection to a stabbing at Woodbine Beach last Friday.

Emergency crews were called to the east-end beach, located south of Lake Shore Boulevard East and west of Woodbine Avenue, just before 9 p.m. for reports of a fight.

Investigators say two victims were approached by a group of several suspects at Woodbine Beach. Then, a verbal and physical altercation allegedly occurred between the victims and suspects.

Police say one of the suspects

OTTAWA — Global activists for gender and sexual minorities are urging Canada to double its aid spending for LGBTQ+ people abroad, while a gay Liberal MP urges advocates not to lose hope in the face of a global backlash.

“We’re not going away as Canadians on the world stage. We will continue to be allies, friends with communities around the world that need support, that need friendship, that need money, that need encouragement,” said MP Rob Oliphant.

The Toronto MP, who is parliamentary secretary to

The Ford government says the cost to build a new parking garage at the redeveloped Ontario Place will be less than $200 million.

The province points out that designing and building the five-story structure will cost $198 million, which is 15 per cent of the $1.3 billion figure cited in the Auditor General’s 2024 report .

Auditor General Shelley Spence concluded that it would cost more for the government to build a new Ontario Science Centre at Ontario Place than it

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney’s quest to strengthen Canada’s ties with Europe continues this week as he takes off for his ninth visit to the continent since being sworn into office a little more than 15 months ago.

Carney will begin the six-day trip in Paris with a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, then continue on to Ireland for meetings with Micheál Martin, the Taoiseach of Ireland, and President Catherine Connolly.

He will end the trip in the French Alps with the annual G

TORONTO — Ontario is naming and shaming two ticket reseller sites the government alleges broke its new ticket sales rules.

The government has added SeatGeek and StubHub to its consumer beware list and said it has given the companies compliance orders, though it has not said which rules the companies are alleged to have broken.

New ticket sales rules took effect this year, including a ban on re-selling tickets above their original face value.

Both companies say they have been making good-faith efforts to comply with the law and have been

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney took part in a video call involving Group of Seven countries and China today to address global economic imbalances.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Carney took part in the meeting led by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The government of France says priorities for the G7 Leaders’ Summit next week will include reducing global inequalities and warned industrial overcapacity, underinvestment, excessive debt and a drop in international solidarity are threatening the global economy.

Recent reports by the International Monetary Fund and France’

On Feb. 24, 2022, Russian troops marched across the Ukrainian border — the beginning of an invasion experts had been warning of for some time. It was believed the embattled nation would fall within months. But four years later, Ukrainians continue to defy the odds. One of their key weapons: drones, which they use as devastating weapons of modern warfare. And while a fifth of the nation remains under Russian occupation, the Russian army hasn’t managed to advance any further. It’