New Music Friday comes a couple of days after an awkwardly falling Canada Day and on the eve of America’s 250th birthday. How did the calendar have an effect on this week’s release schedule?  Oh, and Madonna is sucking up a lot of oxygen this week with her first album since 2019. Let’s see how all this shook out.

Singles

1. A Perfect Circle, Starless (Frontside)

Tool may work at a geological pace, but Maynard James Keenan keeps busy in the meantime. Between tending to his Arizona vineyard, he’s also always working with his band Puscifer. And now, he and Billy Howerdell are back with a new A Perfect Circle project. They say that this is a “new dawn for the band.” What could that mean? I guess we’ll find out when a new album arrives, whenever that is.

2. Airbourne, Kid in a Candy Store (Spinefarm)

Anyone who knows the Australian music scene knows about Airbourne, one of the closest spiritual successor you’ll find anyway. Their sixth album, a self-titled record, will be out on August 26. And you gotta love the description: “Keeping the beating heart of hard rock’s glorious good-time legacy alive and loud, one foot slammed on the pedal, the other on AI’s throat with a big Aussie grin!”

3. Ballyhoo!, Bad Summer (Right Coast)

Summer’s supposed to be awesome, right? Well, not always. Bad Summer is a “beach rock” (their term) from Maryland who have been a going concern for the last twenty years, playing everything parties to the Vans Warped Tour. Their tenth album–self-titled-was produced by John Feldman of Goldfinger, who has also worked with Blink-182 and Avril Lavigne. Is that a little Rainbow in the riff?

4. Dinosaur Jr., Several Got Away (Jagjaguwar)

J Mascis is still making records with the same fervor he did back in the 80s and early 90s. There have to be two or three generations of Dino Jr. fans by now. A new album, There Near will be here on August 28. Nice home movie video, too.

5. Thea May, Twenty Seven (Ishkodé Records/Universal Music Canada)

A reference to the “27 Club,” that group of musicians who died when they were twenty-seven years old. Sort of. Thea’s best friend Digby passes away and this song is about the time when went out for a drive and she dropped Digby off at home for the last time. A final car ride song, then.

6. Yard Act, New Beginnings (Republic Records)

Coming from Leeds, Yard Act is a four-piece who are about ready with their third album, You’re Gonna Need a Little Music, which is due on July 17. If you ask me, this single sounds a little Canadian. Can’t you image Sam Roberts or Sloan doing something like this?

Albums

1. The All-American Rejects, Sandbox (Slick Shoes)

Hang on. Has it been 14 years since the last All-American Rejects album? It has? There was no break-up, no hiatus, no hideous accident that prevented anyone from recording. They just didn’t get around to recording because they were so busy touring. Nice to have them back. The video is…suggestive odd ways.

2. Deep Purple, SPLAT! (earMusic)

Yes, THAT Deep Purple, est. 1968. And despite their years, Ian Paice (an original member), Roger Glover, and Ian Gillian–all members of the glory years back in the 70s–are still with the group. Are they ever going to retire? Everyone in the band says, “NO! Absolutely not.” This is their 24th album.

3. Mary in the Junkyard, Role Model Hermit (AMF Records)

I adore bands that dare to be adventurous vocals. London trio Mary in the Junkyard showed me that they’re among that group within 30 seconds of the single, New Muscles. If you like what Wet Leg has been selling, you’ll find something to love here.

 

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

We’ve all seen TV shows featuring surgeons performing delicate procedures while music is playing in the operating room. Music keeps things calm, keeps the pace up, and helps everyone to stay awake during those long procedures. But what kind of music is best for this kind of work?

In June 2026, Spotify surveyed about 700 surgeons and healthcare pros in over 50 countries about their operating room playlist preferences. In addition to discovering that 90% of surgeons like music whilst they operate and 89% of them preferred playlists over listening to albums, they came up with a ranking of genre favourites. Rock finished in first place, followed closely by pop. Then came classical, jazz and hip hop. If you’re an anesthesiologist, though, there’s a 59% chance you prefer pop.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

KELOWNA – The B.C. Lions have done a lot of things right, but it’s what they’ve done wrong that has resulted in them starting the CFL season 0-3.

Take their 41-33 loss to the Calgary Stampeders last weekend.

A fumble on a kickoff return late in the second quarter resulted in the Stampeders scoring two touchdowns in just over a minute for a 10-point halftime lead. The Lions also gave up a 90-yard punt return in the fourth quarter.

B.C. head coach and offensive coordinator Buck Pierce knows the Lions have to reduce the mistakes to end their losing skid when they face the 3-0 Edmonton Elks Saturday in Kelowna, B.C.

“We need to clean up some things,” Pierce said after his team practised this week at Kelowna Secondary School. “We’ve had a lot of self-inflicted mistakes and execution errors. Those get you beat.

“You can do a lot of things well, but you have those three or four plays a game that you can’t have.”

With BC Place Stadium being used for the FIFA World Cup, the game will be played at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, which drew over 19,000 fans against Calgary.

The Lions haven’t started a season 0-3 since 2019.

The consequences of a poor start first took their toll on Sunday when special teams coordinator Cory McDiarmid was fired. Pierce said the Lions special teams will be coached by committee against Edmonton.

“When you look at special teams, we have guys on staff that have done those type of things in the past,” he said. “We have a veteran group.

“We’re going to lean on each other.”

The Lions have been moving the ball. Their average of 447 net yards per game is fourth in the league and they are second overall with 83 first downs.

Quarterback Nathan Rourke, last year’s Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian, threw for 462 yards against Calgary for the sixth 400-plus yard game of his career. On the season, he’s thrown for 1,083 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Rourke has never lost four consecutive games in his CFL career.

A problem for the Lions is poor field position to open drives. On average, teams this season have started on their own 38-yard line. For B.C., it’s been their own 32, the poorest by any club in the last 10 seasons. That six-yard difference adds up to 210 extra yards to cover.

The Lions are sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 29 points a game. B.C.’s rushing game is eighth in the league at 70 yards a game, with running back James Butler averaging just 3.9 yards per carry.

The Lions defence has also struggled, giving up a league-high 37.7 points per game. B.C. is tied for last with Ottawa with just three sacks, and hasn’t forced a turnover all year.

“We know we haven’t played our best football this season yet,” said linebacker Darnell Sankey, who the Lions signed as a free agent in the off-season. “We understand we’re a great team. We’ve just got to come together and just have fun.”

Injuries have taken their toll on defence. Defensive lineman Levi Bell, linebacker Ben Hladik and defensive back T. J. Lee are all questionable for Saturday.

But Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo knows the statistics don’t matter once the game starts.

“They’ve had a lot of injuries on the defensive side, especially in the back end,” said Fajardo, who has 764 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception this year. “It’s a lot of shuffling.

“They’re a formidable opponent. We are going to have our hands full with a really good team.”

The Elks are off to their best start since going 7-0 in 2017. Edmonton is seventh in points scored (28 per game) but the defence has allowed a league-low 22.7 points a game.

All three of Edmonton’s wins have been decided in the final three minutes. Two of the games have been by four points or less.

“It’s a testament to the character we have in this locker room,” said Fajardo. “It goes to show the perseverance of this team. We know we’re never out of it.”

The Lions have history on their side. They have won 12 of their last 13 against Edmonton. BC won all three games last year by a combined score of 100-52.

Pierce believes the team can still turn things around.

“We’re focusing on where we can improve,” he said. “We’re a resilient group. At some point through the course of the season, you go through stretches like this.

“We’ve seen improvement in some areas. The guys are understanding more and more each week what winning needs to look like.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A fishing trip ended with a $40-million Lotto Max jackpot for a Quebec couple after they checked their ticket upon returning home.

Mylène Bourgeois and Joseph Gosselin-Rompre said they discovered they had won the prize only after Joseph checked the ticket using the lottery app on the Sunday after their trip.

“It’s only when I came back home on the Sunday that I verified the ticket via the application on the phone. I couldn’t believe it,” Gosselin-Rompre told Global News. “I closed the application, did it again and it showed again that we won.”

He said he then showed the result to his wife, but the couple still struggled to believe it until they had the ticket validated at a convenience store.

“She validated the ticket, she was like, ‘Oh wow,’ and my daughter asked if she could have a slush,” Gosselin-Rompre said with a laugh.

“I told her, ‘You can have whatever you want.'”

The couple, who are in their 40s and live in Quebec’s Montérégie region, said they and their three children are still trying to process the win.

They said they are considering buying a larger home and possibly a boat in the future, but plan to take their time before making major purchases.

“Nothing in a rush. We don’t want to rush it,” Gosselin-Rompre said. “We want to think about it, take our decisions and that’s how it’s gonna go.”

The couple said their children’s wish lists are modest, with one hoping for a new PlayStation 5 and another asking for a bedroom makeover.

 

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Follow along with Susan Hay and Chef Mark McEwan as he pairs fresh Ontario strawberries with burrata cheese and endive.

Ingredients

2 heads white endive, wash and separate leaves
1 1/2 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced in small triangles
2 tbsp grated baguette (coarse!). Lightly fried in a small amount of olive oil until toasted and golden. Remove and place on paper towel, lightly salt and set aside.
1 pc burrata, cut in half, cut side up
1 tbsp chopped chives
Fresh tarragon

For the dressing
2 oz olive oil
1 oz white wine vinegar
1sp lemon juice
1/3 tsp Dijon Mustard
Salt / pepper
Small pinch sugar

Instructions
Place endives in a bowl and lightly dress. Place a nest of endive in the centre of the plate. Place Burrata cut side up in centre of endive. Place strawberries scattered over the top. Drizzle with remaining dressing and cut herbs, and a clean drizzle of olive oil around the salad. Lightly salt and serve.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

West Kelowna, B.C. city council has unanimously voted to formally oppose BC Hydro’s proposal to build overhead transmission lines as part of a project to add a second power source to the city, urging the utility to instead install the lines underground.

“We’ve been advocating really since we incorporated in 2007 for redundant power. It’s extremely important,” said West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom. “But we do not want overhead lines.”

The decision comes as concerns continue to grow among residents, businesses and local helicopter operators over the potential impact of transmission towers, which could reach up to 100 feet tall and run through the community as BC Hydro considers various routes.

“There are helicopter operations that are saying if that happens then that impacts our aerodrome, we can no longer function,” Coun. Rick de Jong said  at the last council meeting on June 23.

The issue has drawn renewed attention following last month’s fast-moving wildfire in Kalamoir Regional Park, where local helicopter companies played a role in firefighting efforts.

“I was close to that Kalamoir Park fire, too close for comfort, and we watched the helicopters come in and out of Valhalla and Wildcat and Alpine,” said Justin Pasutto, a West Kelowna resident who opposes overhead lines.

City officials say they’ve heard from several helicopter operators who are worried the proposed transmission lines could interfere with their operations.

In a statement to Global News, Alpine Helicopters said it has recently had “some constructive discussions with BC Hydro lately and they understand our concerns.”

Opposition to the project extends beyond aviation.  Many residents have expressed concerns that overhead lines would have lasting impacts on the community.

Now, after months of debate, city council has officially made its position known with a unanimous vote to send a letter to both BC Hydro and the BC Utilities Commission.

“From our point of view, these transmission lines, if they’re above ground…the concern is that we’re going to have these lines within our community for generations to come,” Milsom said.

“It’s not the Okanagan lifestyle or way of life by having these 100-foot lines running through our community.”

Milson said the intention of the letter is to make BC Hydro aware it is against the overhead transmission line option as well as to urge it to pursue the more expensive underground alternative.

Pasutto is among the residents applauding the city for listening to their concerns.

“This is not the city of West Kelowna that it was 17 years ago when this project was originally brought onto everybody’s focus,” Pasutto said. “They are listening to this and they want this done right.”

BC Hydro said burying the transmission lines would cost roughly 10 times more than building them overhead.

In an email to Global News, the company added, “Underground construction is more complex, takes longer to complete, requires coordination with other buried utilities and typically causes greater traffic disruptions and ground disturbance during construction.

“Underground lines can also be more difficult to relocate to accommodate future development, and outages can take longer to locate and repair.”

Some are so opposed to the overhead lines, they would rather continue relying on single power source than accept overhead transmission lines.

“The scar that it will leave on this community for years to come is irreversible,” said city councillor Garrett Millsap.

“I’m fine to be hooking up a generator at my house if they can’t figure out how to put power lines underground.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

CALGARY – Calgary Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. lived up to his “Big Play V.A.” nickname Thursday.

The Stampeders quarterback tied a franchise record for touchdown passes in a single game with six and rushed for another in a 58-36 win over the visiting Toronto Argonauts to win the “Stampede Bowl” a second straight year.

The 33-year-old Adams, in his second season with the Stampeders, completed 80 per cent of his passes for 405 yards and has yet to give up an interception this season.

Adams joined four other Stampeders for the record for touchdown passes in a single game: Peter Liske (1967), Doug Flutie (1994), Jeff Garcia (1995), and current Stampeders coach and general manager Dave Dickenson (2000).

Adams was more concerned about winning an offensive track meet with the Argonauts than breaking a passing record. The two teams combined for 25 points in the last two minutes of the first half.

“I was just trying to just score more points because I know they got a great quarterback over there, Chad Kelly, man, he’s going to throw it deep, and he’s going to give his guys some opportunities as well, so I kept telling the offence, ‘hey guys, we’ve got to score. We’ve just got to score every time,'” Adams said.

Calgary’s 58 points in a single game were the highest since 56 were scored against Edmonton on Sept. 10, 2022, and tied for the fifth-most in any Stampeder game.

Both the Stampeders and Argonauts had little prep time for Thursday’s game after road wins last week. Calgary beat the B.C. Lions in Kelowna just five days earlier.

“It felt good out there even though it was a short week,” Adams said. “I thought the coaches put together a great game plan. I thought we played as a team tonight. We played together as one fist, as Dave would say.”

The “Stampede Bowl” was introduced last year in homage to the annual Calgary Stampede that starts Friday and dates back to 1912. A trophy resembling a horse’s head was hoisted by the hosts again after they beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last year.

Adams threw a pair of touchdown passes to both Jalen Philpot and Dejon Brissett. Tevin Jones and Clark Barnes each caught one, and Quincy Jones scored a rushing touchdown for Calgary (2-2).

Jude McAtamney kicked eight points in front of an announced crowd of 19,100 at McMahon Stadium.

Defence was an uphill battle for both teams, but defensive back Zy Alexander intercepted Kelly twice. Calgary cashed both turnovers for touchdowns.

Alexander, who started the season on Calgary’s practice roster, has three interceptions in his first two CFL games. His first on Kelly on Thursday was a one-handed grab.

“I saw what he could do in training camp, and I just told him, ‘You keep working. You’re going to be on that field. You’re too good of a player not to be on the field,'” Adams said.

Kelly went 22-for-33 in passing for 294 yards, three touchdown passes and two interceptions. He was replaced late in the fourth quarter by Nick Arbuckle, who threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Coxie.

Calgary outscored Toronto 21-11 in the second quarter, but the Argonauts stayed in the game by scoring 18 points in the second half.

“We had back-to-back scoring drives and kept cutting the lead,” Kelly said. “Look, it’s not easy. It’s not easy in the CFL. You’re going to play against good players, good teams, good coaches.

“They played a lot of the same coverage all night, and I’ve got to be better with my eyes.”

Makai Polk had two touchdown catches, Damonte Coxie and David Ungerer III each had one, Kelly rushed for a major, and Lirim Hajrullahu kicked a field goal from 52 yards for Toronto (2-2).

Adams’ 22-yard rushing touchdown and Alexander’s second pick to set up another score in the fourth quarter put distance on the Argonauts. Adams’ sixth touchdown throw was an 11-yarder to Brissett.

“What he’s doing is playing winning football, and you can see our receivers really started stepping up,” Dickenson said. “I thought we looked fast and we broke a lot of tackles for him too, but a great game for Vernon.”

UP NEXT

The Argonauts visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday in the fifth of seven straight road games to start their season. The Stampeders are in Montreal on Saturday to face the Alouettes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

The victim of a violent stranger assault at Kits Beach says she is concerned the suspect has already been released from custody.

Sila Tekin and her partner Misha Kleider were walking on the beach by the volleyball courts on Sunday afternoon when a man attacked her from behind, striking her in the head with a baseball bat-sized piece of wood.

“I apparently was hit from behind on the head,” Tekin said.

“My memory kind of cuts there and the next thing I remember is this kind of murky place where I was and I kind of, I could feel my partner was there, but I was kind of in and out of, I think, consciousness pretty much and then I remember waking up to the police officers at the hospital.”

Kleider said he heard yelling, he turned and then saw a man with a piece of wood hoisted over his head.

“And he brought it down on her skull,” he said.

When he tried to do it again, Kleider said he jumped in between the man and Tekin, who was clutching her head.

“She is down on her knees in pain,” he said. “He goes to swing again to finish the job. I jump between him. So then he is about to swing at me, and thinks better of it, and then backs off.”

Kleider said he turned his attention to Tekin and other people rushed to help and she was taken to the hospital.

“She’s in and out of consciousness the whole time,” he said. “I’m thinking that she’s going to die, because she literally suffered an overhead swing as hard as this guy could muster, right to the skull, with a log the size of a baseball bat. So I’m thinking that she’s dying.”

Kleider added that he thought those were his partner’s last moments.

A witness followed the suspect for a few blocks and 48-year-old Carlos Caldera Duarte was arrested near the Burrard Street Bridge.

Police recommended he be detained and the Crown also sought to keep him in custody for an overnight fitness assessment, but a judge released him on Tuesday.

“I was bewildered that this person who clearly almost killed me, is a maniac, is out, let out into the public without even figuring out what’s wrong with him,” Tekin said.

Kleider agreed, saying the decision to let him out was concerning.

“The assault unprovoked on the beach from behind by a guy with a club to her skull is obviously egregious, but equally disturbing to me is the response of the justice system,” he said.

“The failure, this guy, within less than two days, he’s back out after smashing her head in with a bat.”

Const. Darren Wong, with the Vancouver police, said they were frustrated to hear the news that Duarte was released.

He has no criminal record in B.C., but he is known to the police, who recommended he be detained.

But it is ultimately up to the courts to make that decision.

“They weigh in with their own risk assessment to decide: does this person pose a risk to the public?” Wong said. “In this case, we believe that he did.”

The Crown sought to keep Duarte in custody for an overnight fitness assessment, but it was denied.

He could not be reached at his Downtown Eastside address on Thursday.

His release conditions include staying away from Kits Beach, reporting to forensic psychiatric services and taking all medications prescribed.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A popular Summerland, B.C., thrift store has built a new enclosed donation area after volunteers say growing safety concerns in the back alley were beginning to affect donations and volunteer safety.

The new steel structure allows volunteers to sort donations behind a secure barrier while separating them from the alley.

The Summerland Health Auxiliary Thrift Shop relies entirely on donations and volunteers, but maintenance volunteer Kurt Evans says conditions behind the store have changed over the years.

“They would break the lock on our donations bin and scatter it all over the place,” Evans said. “It’s getting to the point where our volunteers are getting frightened to start their shift.”

Evans says some donors have also decided against leaving donations.

“I’ve heard donors say they don’t know if they would donate anymore because of the risk to come to the back alley,” he said.

Despite those concerns, the thrift store continues to attract shoppers from across the Okanagan.

“We are in town to specifically go to that thrift store,” said Maranda Sipes of Ontario.

“You run around and try to get what you can. The prices are really great and it’s one of the best thrift stores in the region,” added Scott Akin from Summerland.

The enclosed donation area was paid for by the thrift shop in hopes of creating a safer space for volunteers and protecting donated items.

While volunteers say the new structure offers peace of mind, the shop still needs more people to lend a hand.

The Summerland Health Auxiliary Thrift Shop is actively recruiting volunteers to help ensure the long-standing community staple can continue serving residents for years to come.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Montreal police are asking for the public’s help to identify a suspect believed to be connected with four alleged sexual assaults that took place in the city’s public transit system in the spring of 2025 and 2026.

The SPVM said Thursday the incidents allegedly occurred at the Peel, Honoré-Beaugrand and Saint-Michel metro stations, as well as aboard the STM’s 33 bus route.

Police allege the suspect would sit or stand near victims while they were riding the bus or metro and discreetly touch their thighs or buttocks. In one of the alleged incidents in 2026, investigators say the suspect also followed a minor.

The suspect is described as a man in his 30s with a medium complexion, about 1.8 metres tall, with black hair and a black beard.

Police say he was seen wearing a dark toque, a red backpack, a beige or dark blue jacket, a black hooded sweatshirt, jeans and ochre-coloured shoes.

Montreal police released four images of the suspect and are asking anyone with information to contact 911, their local police station or Info-Crime Montréal anonymously.

Rewards of up to $5,000 may be offered for information leading to an arrest, subject to certain conditions.

Investigators are also seeking additional possible victims or anyone who knows someone who may have been victimized. They are asked to contact 911 or the Montreal police sexual assault unit directly, or file a report at any local police station.

Police say the investigation suggests there may be multiple victims, prompting the deployment of Quebec’s coordinated investigative structure for serial crimes, led by the Sûreté du Québec, to help identify offences committed by serial predators and facilitate arrests.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.