The evenings are quite long now, which makes sitting outside, listening to tunes, all the nicer. Perhaps something on this week’s New Music Friday list that will make things even better.

Singles

1. Almost Monday, No More Regrets (Hollywood Records)

San Diego quartet Almost Monday has been rising through the ranks this year with four non-album singles that are obviously building toward a fourth album (release date and title still TBA). If you’re in Toronto, you’ll have a chance to see them on June 22 with Young the Giant and Cold War Kids.

2. Billy Idol, John Wayne (Dark Horse/BMG)

This is the latest single from Billy’s 2025 album, Dream Into It. That’s Alison Mosshart from The Kills/The Dead Weather helping him out on this one. The first time the two collaborated on this track in 2023 when Billy played that weird (but cool) show at the Hoover Dam.

3. Jane’s Party, Rest of Our Lives (JP Productions)

I’ve been following Jane’s Party (est. London, Ontario) for years, hoping that they’d finally break through to a wider audience. They might do it with this one, a double single (the other track is entitled Relic) that was originally written for Can-Am, the off-road vehicle company. That description alone should give you an idea what things sound like. The group is also continuing an important partnership with Community Music Schools of Toronto.

4. Mastodon, Your Ghost Again (Loma Visa/Concord)

If you guessed that this song has something to do with the death of ex-member Brent Hinds in a motorcycle crash, you’d be correct. The track was written and recorded during the time the band was grieving Brent along with the passing of drummer Brann Dailor’s mother.

5. Pussy Riot, Candy Dopamine ft. Avenged Sevenfold (Independent)

Pussy Riot is probably the world’s most fearless punk band as they continue to spit on Vladimir Putin despite the constant threat exile, imprisonment, and of course, defenestration, a Putin favourite. You do NOT mess with leader Nadya Tolokonnikova. A new album entitled CYKA will be here on June 12. Big Pharma is on notice with this track.

6. Prince, Stone (Legacy Recordings)

It is said that Prince left behind so much music that there’s enough for a new album a year for the next century. Another compilation of previously unreleased songs entitled Timeless will be here August 28. It will be the first archival release sing 2021’s Welcome 2 America. Most of the music dates back to some sessions in the spring of 2010.

7. Weezer + Wednesday, We Might As Well be Strangers (Universal)

What was Weezer teasing on social media this week? A new record that will be forever known as the “gold” album. It comes with a very Led Zeppelin-esque featuring four mysterious symbols, one for each member of the band. Weezer’s 20th (!!!) album will be out August 21. And beware: The mystery/backstory around this album isn’t over yet.

Albums

1. Death Cab for Cutie, I Built You a Tower (ANTI-Epitaph)

The band’s 11th album arrived today (their first after 22 years with Atlantic Records) and comes with a new single that’s “about trying to convince everyone around you and most importantly, yourself, that you are okay when you definitely are not.” Then again, all DCfC albums are full of these kinds of feels, aren’t they?

2. Evanescence, Sanctuary (BMG Rights Management)

Amy Lee will not be rushed. This is just the sixth Evanescence album in 23 years. Things started taking shape during an Australian tour in 2023 when she and the band were despondent over what Donald Trump was doing to the United States. A lot of rage got channeled into these songs.

3. Modest Mouse, An Eraser and a Maze (Glacial Pace Recordings/Virgin Music Group)

What was supposed to be an Isaac Brock solo album turned into a full-fledged Modest Mouse record, making it their first release in five years and eighth overall. The record was made at Leon Russell’s legendary Church Studio in Tulsa. It’s also the first MM album since founding drummer Jeremiah Green died in 2022. His spot has been taken by newcomer Damon Coax while Simon O’Connor (guitarist) and Keith Karman (keyboards) have also joined up.

 

 

 

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

We hear plenty of stories about hackers getting into computer systems and devices—viruses, man-in-the-middle attacks, DDos storms, malware, ransomware and the like. But would you believe the first electronic hack happened in 1903? Guglielmo Marconi, the father of modern radio, had come up with the concept of point-to-point wireless radio transmissions.

“By tuning a transmitter to a specific frequency,” he said, “you can securely reach another party who has tuned to exactly the same frequency.”

This greatly annoyed telegraph companies, who didn’t want to be put out of business. One of these telegraph operators, a guy named Nevil Maskelyne, heard about a demonstration Marconi was giving. Using his own transmitter, he hacked into Marconi’s test broadcast, spelling out the word “rats” over and over in Morse code. Then he keyed in a rude limerick that began “There was a young fellow from Italy, who diddled the public quite prettily.”

I guess this makes Maskelyne the first-ever black hat hacker.

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

Halton police say it has delivered a “major blow” to auto theft networks after four men, including two from Quebec, were arrested in separate probes.

The networks were made up of both “Project Joker” and “Project Disconnect,” police said in a news release Thursday. Both groups were believed to be behind a “significant” number of vehicle thefts throughout Halton and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

Project Joker was initiated in April after the theft of a Lexus SUV from the Bronte GO Station parking lot. Investigators identified two suspects they allege are members of a Quebec-based crime group.

During the investigation, officers allege the suspects were seen stealing and attempting to steal vehicles in Oakville and Mississauga. Two Montreal men were later arrested on May 22.

One accused was also wanted by Peel Regional Police, Toronto police, York Regional Police and the Sûreté du Québec in connection with roughly 40 charges, police said. The other accused was on probation for auto theft convictions and had multiple release orders in Quebec for auto theft-related charges.

Both men have been charged with multiple counts of theft of a motor vehicle, possession of property obtained by crime and failure to comply with an undertaking, as well as one count of possession of break and enter instruments. One of the accused is also facing a charge of disguise with intent.

Police said more charges are likely as the two men are allegedly connected to further vehicle thefts throughout the GTHA.

“The fact that these individuals are allegedly linked to more than 100 vehicle thefts, while already facing numerous criminal charges and subject to release orders, should be concerning to everyone,” Halton police Chief Stephen Tanner said in the release. “Auto theft is not a victimless property crime. It is driven by organized criminal networks that profit at the expense of our communities and undermine public safety.”

Three stolen vehicles were recovered throughout the investigation.

Project Disconnect is tied to vehicle thefts from hotel parking lots in Oakville, police said. Since Jan. 1, officers have investigated 28 thefts or attempted thefts at hotels.

On May 27, officers responded to a report of two suspects attempting to steal a vehicle from a hotel parking lot. Despite their attempt to flee, officers arrested two suspects on the scene.

The duo face 26 charges, including theft of a motor vehicle, assault, dangerous operation, possession of an automobile master key and possession of a counterfeit mark.

One of the accused was wanted on a Canada Border Services Agency warrant and was in Canada on a student visa, police said.

Police recovered the stolen vehicle and an onboard diagnostics reader, which it said is used to reprogram vehicles, blank keys and break-and-enter tools.

Investigators believe the accused are responsible for several additional auto thefts.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding either investigation is asked to contact Halton police.

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

The war in Iran is adding almost $650 in extra fuel costs this year for the average Ontario household, according to the province’s financial watchdog.

A new report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario modelled the extra cost of oil after United States President Donald Trump began a military campaign in the Middle East.

Global oil markets have been surging ever since shipping traffic was virtually halted in the Strait of Hormuz when the conflict began at the end of February.

The report said oil had increased from roughly US$65 per barrel at the start of the conflict to around US$105 in May. The increase is leading to higher prices at the pump in Ontario and across the world.

The FAO calculated that, as a direct result of the war, the average Ontario household is paying an extra $650 in fuel costs throughout 2026.

That figure does not include potentially higher prices on things like groceries as a result of higher costs to transport goods by land and air to stores.

“To the extent that businesses pass on higher fuel costs to consumers, the additional fuel-related costs would be higher for households,” the FAO wrote.

One expert said he expects Ontario’s gas prices to stay high and unpredictable as long as conflict in the Middle East continues.

“It’s really been just a continued, multiple months of volatility from March after the U.S. attacked Iran to what we’re experiencing today,” Patrick De Haan, head of patrolum analysis with GasBuddy, said.

“As long as the Strait of Hormuz continues to be closed, it’ll continue to be a volatile time dictated by any developments between those two parties.”

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

A recently released study by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) is casting doubt on the longstanding belief that calcium and vitamin D intake can help prevent bone fractures and falls.

The review and meta-analysis spanned from 2014 to February 2025, analyzing data from 69 trials across a combined 153,902 participants, 87 per cent of whom were living in communities and 73 per cent of whom were not considered to be at high risk of fractures or falls.

“Based on absolute risk reductions and thresholds considered clinically meaningful, this review found little to no benefits from use of calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation on the prevention of fractures and falls,” the research concluded.

“Apart from exercise and drug treatments for osteoporosis, few interventions with moderate or high certainty evidence have been consistently shown to reduce the risk of fractures,” the researchers wrote.

Olivier Massé, a pharmacist with CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montréal and one of the authors of the study, said that these results were expected.

“Our findings actually align with a growing body of evidence over the last decade that has cast doubt on the usefulness of routine supplementation in adults,” he said in an emailed statement to Global News.

“There are still many valid indications for taking calcium and vitamin D, such as taking osteoporosis medication, long-term corticosteroids, certain bone or endocrine diseases, following bariatric surgery, and so on.”

Massé also stressed that the results of the study are not to encourage people not to take their calcium and vitamin D supplements, “but rather that individuals taking them should consult their health-care professional to see if continuing them is still necessary.”

David Goltzman, a professor of medicine and physiology at McGill University, said that the bottom line of the study’s findings is that “if you’re already vitamin D sufficient, you don’t need more vitamin D and calcium.”

“If we don’t have a sufficient amount of vitamin D, we won’t absorb calcium, and so you won’t have it for your bones. But if you’re already vitamin D sufficient, you don’t need more vitamin D and you probably don’t need more calcium,” he said.

However, Goltzman said the majority of the population doesn’t know if they are vitamin D sufficient due to these levels not being checked on a routine basis.

Goltzman also said that the weather and seasonal changes can also play a role in people being vitamin D sufficient.

“During the winter months, there is less exposure to sun, and the vitamin D levels may go down and then they go up again in the summer months, where there’s more sun,” he said.

“That doesn’t mean everybody in Canada is vitamin D deficient in the winter, just means the levels will fluctuate and some will, in fact, go down.”

Both Massé and the study highlight that “future trials may evaluate interventions other than calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures and falls.”

“Potential areas of investigation include dietary strategies, drug review, educational or behavioural approaches, multi-component interventions, and digital tools for fall prevention.”

Massé also stated that “many promising interventions are still understudied.”

Goltzman recommends maintaining regular exercise and ensuring that foods being consumed are rich in vitamin D and calcium to increase those levels.

“Once they have a diagnosis or they’ve had a fracture, then, you know, everything changes.”

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

A Mount Everest Sherpa guide was found crawling back to base camp a week after he went missing and was safely reunited with his family, who were uncertain if he would return.

Dawa Sherpa, 52, was last seen May 29 at a spot called Yellow Band above Camp 3 at 7,200 metres (23,622 feet). Base camp is at 5,300 metres (17,388 feet), but he failed to reach it even though his client did, The Associated Press reported.

The pair were among the last on the mountain as the climbing season drew to a close and their route down was dismantled.

Dawa was spotted by a cleaning crew on Thursday morning, crawling down the snow-capped slopes close to the Khumbu Icefall, just above base camp, Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions, which co-ordinated the search, told the AP.

The crew transported him to safety and provided food and water. Dawa was flown by rescue helicopter to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, where his wife and daughter, who had already begun funeral rituals, were waiting for him.

“We first heard that he was still alive on the local news and from a person we know who called with the news that … he is being brought down,” his wife, Damu Sherpa, said.

Despite Dawa having been missing since last week, a search-and-rescue team was delayed in deploying. When helicopters were finally sent to find him, Dawa was nowhere to be seen. His family had given up hope and were on the second day of a days-long funeral ritual when news of his rescue reached them.

“When we first heard about it (the rescue), we could not be sure if that person was indeed our father,” his daughter Mendo Lhamu said. “So, to be certain, we asked for photos to be sent and then only we were sure and very happy.”

The team that spotted Dawa was part of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which is responsible for placing the ladders and ropes at the start of each climbing season and then removing the equipment and cleaning up after its closure.

Dawa comes from the town of Okhaldhunga, south of Everest, and is employed by a small Kathmandu-based company called Himalayan Traverse. He was guiding a Polish climber when he went missing.

His survival has been widely hailed by the Sherpa community as extraordinary.

“This is nothing short of a miracle surviving so many days on the mountains facing such harsh condition,” Ang Tshering Sherpa, a leading figure in the community, told the AP.

“Sherpas are built tough growing up in the mountains,” Ang Tshering added. “If there was someone else in his place, they might not have survived.”

Members of the Sherpa community were mostly yak herders and traders living deep within the Himalayas until Nepal opened its borders in the 1950s; their stamina and familiarity with the mountains quickly made them sought-after guides and porters.

The storied history of Sherpas in the region, which dates back tens of thousands of years, has also made them renowned mountaineers with exceptional resilience to hypoxia, according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, eventually allowing them to dominate the Himalayan climbing business.

More than 1,000 climbers and their guides scaled Everest this May, which was the busiest climbing season ever on the world’s highest mountain. It began late because of a massive ice block on the route just above the base camp that took about two weeks to clear.

In October, more than 300 climbers became stranded on the world’s highest peak amid freak blizzards that trapped them at elevations above 4,900 metres (16,000 feet).

In April, some Everest guides were accused of taking part in an alleged USD$20 million insurance scam involving fake rescues and fraudulent hospital admissions to claim insurance money.

— with files from The Associated Press

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

If you are going to a FIFA World Cup match this summer, be aware of a recent policy change by FIFA that is drawing some backlash.

Ticketholders recently received an update saying reusable water bottles will not be permitted at any stadium, including BC Place.

The facility previously allowed empty plastic water bottles to be filled at water fountains.

At a press conference in May, BC Place general manager Chris May said that for repeat visitors to the facility, it’s important to note that FIFA World Cup 26 policies differ in several ways from our standard event policies.

“There’s also differences to the prohibited items list,” May said.

“For instance, only empty, transparent soft-sided water bottles up to one litre are permitted inside.”

However, in a statement on Thursday, a spokesperson for FIFA said that “FIFA is committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers, and staff. FIFA made the decision to prohibit bottles to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees.

“Outside bottles are already prohibited at several of these venues for safety considerations, and FIFA is applying this consideration across its tournament stadiums.

“FIFA works closely with each Host City Committee and local authorities on heat mitigation factors for fans travelling to the stadium, which can include resources such as misting stations, fans, hydration stations, cooling tents, and more around the stadium footprint.

“Inside the stadium footprint, pricing for water bottles for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will remain consistent with other events held at each stadium.”

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

More than half of drivers pulled over and drug tested in Winnipeg in the first quarter of 2026 were under the influence, a new report states.

The data comes despite a campaign running at the same time aimed at reducing impaired driving, a report prepared ahead of the Winnipeg Police Board’s June meeting states. It said the Winnipeg police’s traffic division recorded the data between January and March.

Officers were taking part in an “enforcement project focused on the detection of drug-impaired drivers” at the time, the report states, while external advertisements sharing information on the risks of driving while under the influence were being published.

However, of the 112 people pulled over and subjected to drug screening during that time frame, 63 per cent tested positive for drug-impaired driving, the report states.

“The number is certainly a huge concern for the Winnipeg Police Service,” Const. Alex Peterson said.

“(By) continuously having this conversation, we are hoping that the messages gets across to drivers (of) all ages in Winnipeg and beyond, that when it comes to impaired driving – especially, in this case, drug impaired driving – it is a concern, and it’s a growing concern.”

Peterson added he believes a large part of the issue is drivers impaired by cannabis.

“Obviously, cannabis being legal for a few years now, and the number of stores, dispensaries keep growing (and) has been growing over the last few years. I believe people get somewhat comfortable with the idea of consuming this product. It is legal, but they may be forgetting that it has the ability to impair individuals, especially when it comes to driving,” he said.

In total, 249 intoxicated offences were laid in the first quarter of 2026 across the city.

Seventy-four offences were said to be drug-related and 175 were alcohol related.

Expanded police enforcement is underway as police hope to see numbers drop, the officer said.

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

After 14 years on the job, Green Party of New Brunswick Leader David Coon announced Thursday he will step down once a new leader is chosen.

The decision, he said, comes as he approaches his 70th  birthday, while noting that the party is “in great shape.”

“I want to make sure that the new leader has a runway of two years or so to introduce themselves to New Brunswickers and to prepare for the election in 2028, because it’s going to be an important one,” he said during a media availability.

Coon played ‘a historic role’ in Green representation

Coon was elected in 2014 as the first Green MLA in the province.

The party, which is separate from the national Green Party of Canada, garnered 51,558 votes in the most recent 2024 provincial election and is currently represented by two MLAs — Coon and deputy leader Megan Mitton.

Federal Green Leader Elizabeth May said in an interview that Coon has been pivotal in Green representation in the country.

“David Coon has played for sure, forever, a historic role in the growth of Greens across Canada and the breakthrough win in New Brunswick,” she said.

Coon will remain as an MLA and is open to running again in the next election.

“I think with a new leader, we’ll move to a new level of support in the province. A new leader who can generate a new level of excitement with new perspectives, new ideas, and I’m convinced that we’ll see the party support grow significantly in the province,” he said.

“It’s time for a change, to freshen things up,” he added.

Future leadership to be decided

In a release, the party said it will make an announcement on a leadership convention in the coming weeks. Mitton said she’ll think about running.

“Today is about David,” said Mitton in a scrum after the announcement. “I’m not going to make any announcements or anything today, but what I do want to talk about is the contributions that David has made — he’s changed New Brunswick politics forever.”

This comes while the federal Green Party’s Fredericton-Oromocto riding association remains de-listed on Elections Canada’s website more than a year after the party said an “error” caused it to be involuntarily de-listed.

But both Coon and May are optimistic about the future of Green representation in New Brunswick.

“David Coon has set a very high bar and big shoes to fill for the next leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick,” May said.

 

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

Peace River North independent MLA Jordan Kealy says he was arrested and released on Wednesday and charged with sexual assault.

He tells Global News the allegation involves a former family friend — an adult — and occurred in 2024 in the Peace region.

He declined to give further details but says he is innocent and will fight the charge.

“I want my constituents to know that I’ve done nothing wrong,” Kealy told Global News over the phone.

“I’m completely innocent … I’ll prove that in court. And I’ll continue to do my job as an MLA to help my constituents. And, and once … this is proven in court that I’m innocent, I’ll continue to do this. I’ll continue to … do my job and I’ll, I’ll stay doing my job.”

Kealy said he has no plans to take a leave of absence.

Kealy added he has told new BC Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay that he’ll remain an independent while the case unfolds in court.

Kealy was elected as a BC Conservative in 2024, but left the party the following year after fellow MLA Dallas Brodie was ejected from caucus.

There was speculation he’d return to the party after appearing on stage at this past weekend’s convention after Findlay was selected leader.

Kealy is the second former BC Conservative facing a criminal charge:

In March, Richmond MLA Hon Chan was removed from caucus after being charged with assault, assault by choking and uttering threats.

As for Kealy, his first court appearance is scheduled for July 6 in Fort St. John.

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