Toronto’s cherry blossoms are surging toward peak bloom, with High Park’s Sakura trees now in Stage 5 of development — the final step before the canopy bursts fully open.

As of April 27, the High Park Nature Centre reports that fluffy white petals are beginning to show, and some blossoms have already started to open. Peak bloom is expected on Friday, May 1, when at least 70 per cent of blossoms are open.

Late April to May 1:

• Blossoms continue opening rapidly as temperatures climb

TOKYO (AP) — If there’s one country guaranteed to clean up at the , it’s Japan.

Literally.

Scenes of Japanese fans sweeping stadiums and picking up trash after a match first drew public attention in France in 1998 — Japan’s first appearance in the World Cup.

The tradition has continued every four years. It happened at the in 2022, and it’s certain to continue when Japan opens play in June with group games in Arlington, Texas, and

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Police in Greece on Tuesday arrested an 89-year-old man who allegedly opened fire with a shotgun in a social security office and a courthouse in central Athens, wounding at least four people.

Law enforcement authorities said the suspect was arrested near the city of Patra, some 210 kilometers (130 miles) west of the Greek capital.

The gunman initially opened fire at the social security office, wounding an employee, police said. Police officers who arrived at

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia has proposed taxing digital giants , Google and TikTok a proportion of their revenue to pay for news reporters.

The government released draft legislation Tuesday it intends to introduce to Parliament by July 2 that would create a financial incentive for the social media companies to strike deals with news organizations to pay for journalism.

The platforms’ criticisms included that the proposal was a “digital services tax” that misunderstood the evolving advertising industry and would fail to deliver a sustainable news sector.

Australian Prime Minister said

Some parents who have already limited their kids’ access to social media say a proposed government ban would make their efforts to protect their children far more effective.

They say their kids face peer pressure to join the platforms, and even have access to computers at school where they can access the sites without their parents knowing.

Demand is mounting for the federal government to act quickly to prevent kids under 16 from using social media, with advocates pointing to a New Mexico court ruling that found Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Liberals are “good fiscal managers” — and he’ll have the chance to prove it when the federal government tables its spring economic update Tuesday afternoon.

The federal government typically tables mid-year updates between annual budgets to revise its economic and fiscal projections. These updates can include new spending and are sometimes referred to as “mini-budgets.”

The Liberals’ fall budget — the first under Carney’s leadership — projected a deficit of $78.3 billion

WIENER NEUSTADT, Austria (AP) — A man accused of accused of pledging and plotting to attack one of superstar singer nearly two years ago pleaded guilty as his trial began on Tuesday, Austria media reported.

The plot was thwarted, but Austrian authorities still canceled Swift’s three performances in August 2024. The singer’s fans, known as , who had flown to Austria from across the globe to attend a performance of her record-setting Eras Tour were devastated, but into a citywide trading post

WASHINGTON (AP) — will embrace some of Washington’s most formal ceremonial trappings on Tuesday as he between the United Kingdom and the United States that is so strong it can withstand the political turmoil of the moment.

He will become the first British monarch to address the since his mother, , in 1991. Her speech highlighted the shared history of both countries and the importance of their democratic values, themes Charles will likely reinforce on Tuesday.

Such addresses are an opportunity afforded to only the most prominent world