Ghana’s government says it’s planning legal action over Canada’s decision to deny the visa application of a member of its national soccer team awaiting a rape trial in London.

Midfielder Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to the allegations, which date back to when he played for the English club Arsenal in 2025.

In a statement released on social media Saturday, Ghana says the decision by Canadian immigration authorities is “extremely unfair,” and Partey should be presumed innocent ahead of his trial.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says it makes its decisions on a case-by-case basis and that hosting major events does not change its laws.

Partey was scheduled to travel with his team to Toronto from its base camp in Smithfield, Rhode Island, for its opening match against Panama on June 17.

Ghana says it is looking at all diplomatic, legal and administrative avenues.

Partey is scheduled to stand trial in November or later.

— With files from the Associated Press

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Mark Carney and MPs from other political parties came together to raise the Pride flag on Parliament Hill.

But an advocacy group that helps LGBTQ refugees come to Canada and the U.S says the federal government’s new border law is putting people at risk of being sent back to countries where they face persecution.

Devon Matthews, Rainbow Railroad’s chief program officer, said her organization is concerned about its working relationship with Ottawa as the federal government reduces the number of refugees it admits and cuts the organization’s funding.

She said it’s also alarmed by a new law requiring that refugee claims be made within a year of the claimant’s first arrival in Canada.

“It has nothing to do with the reasons why someone may have waited or why someone doesn’t meet the one-year bar,” Matthews told The Canadian Press.

“It actually is purely just a technical eligibility requirement that doesn’t serve to actually give the opportunity for the person to speak to the intricacies of why they may have had to wait.”

A former Middle Eastern international student who lived as an openly gay man in Canada is among those left in limbo by the new law.

The former student told The Canadian Press he filed a refugee claim after photos of his time here in Canada were discovered once he returned home, putting his safety at risk.

But he said that because he studied in Canada for two-and-a-half years starting in 2022, he has been told his refugee claim is ineligible under the new border law, C-12.

The Canadian Press has agreed not to name him or his home country due to risks facing his family members still there.

“I was supporting the LGBTQ community and I was in a lot of events and some stories from social media that leaked out in my society back there,” he said.

“So some incidents and … some pictures had fallen into bad people’s hands and they threatened to inform the police and to beat me up. So it happened more than once, and when the last time happened I felt that I can’t live like that and I will be living in fear.”

Several Middle Eastern countries have morality laws that punish LGBTQ people with prison terms. The refugee claimant said his family would also face social and economic repercussions because of his orientation.

“When you get discovered as a LGBTQ person, that’s it, that’s the end of your life. You can’t work, you can be arrested in your home,” he said. “And of course, the scandal for the family, because it’s not something that’s accepted.

“So I ran because if that happened, I would spend my life in jail. Or even if they didn’t put me in jail for a long time, that’s it for my career, that’s it for my life.”

He said his refugee claim was proceeding smoothly and had been approved for file review — a less intensive examination for low-risk refugee claims.

But when C-12 passed earlier this year, he became one of roughly 30,000 people who received letters saying their refugee claim may no longer be eligible because they first entered Canada more than a year before making their claim.

The one-year rule applies to refugee claims made on or after June 3, 2025 and retroactively to first arrivals on or after June 24, 2020.

While refugee claims filed by people in this situation will not be sent to the Immigration and Refugee Board for review, they are still eligible for a pre-removal risk assessment, or PRRA. The PRRA has a historically low approval rate because it tends to be the primary appeal avenue for rejected claims at the IRB.

The PRRA process is primarily paper-based but interviews can be requested if an officer needs more information.

Immigration Minister Lena Diab told a Senate committee hearing in February that when it’s clear people should be able to stay in Canada based on documented evidence, “they get a ‘yes’ right away.”

The government has said it introduced the one-year rule in part because some people were making asylum claims in order to stay in Canada after their temporary visas expired.

Diab told the Senate committee that 37 per cent of refugee claims made between June 3, 2025 and Oct. 31, 2025 — roughly 19,000 documents — would be deemed ineligible under the one-year rule.

Suzy Newing, the Middle Eastern former student’s lawyer, said her client’s ineligibility is being challenged in court on constitutional grounds arguing that he has a right to an oral hearing — which is not guaranteed in the PRRA process — and anti-discrimination provisions.

She said there are a variety of reasons why an LGBTQ+ person might not make a refugee claim within a year of first arriving in Canada.

“For example, perhaps they came to Canada before recognizing or expressing or coming to terms with their sexual orientation, and then they start to express that here. That might not necessarily happen within one year of coming to Canada,” Newing said.

“They might have known (their orientation) all along, but managed to hide it in their country of origin. And then the one-year bar essentially forces the timing for when they would come out to their family members, because that’s often when the risk materializes … when individuals would come out to their family members when they’re here in Canada.”

Many Federal Court challenges of refugee claims being deemed ineligible under the new law have been referred to file review, so a judge is expected to rule broadly on the constitutionality of the one-year rule.

The Middle Eastern refugee claimant will now have to wait for either a PRRA or a court decision to learn whether he will be allowed to remain in Canada.

He said that even if he is allowed to stay, his trust in Canada has been shaken.

“Now I feel like I’ve been attacked by everyone, by the government, by the Canadian people and they just want people to leave,” he said.

“Kicking those people out, you are killing them because they are not returning back to live happily and fine and everything. You are pushing them back to their deaths.”

Matthews said Rainbow Railroad saw its largest-ever number of requests for help in 2025 — more than 20,000, a 51 per cent increase over 2024. She said the organization is on track to receive even more pleas for help this year.

Matthews said Rainbow Railroad is considering increasing its political activism in response.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Momentum for a deal to end the Iran war appeared to grow Saturday as key mediator Pakistan said an agreement was closer than “ever before” and U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to discuss demining the Strait of Hormuz during next week’s Group of Seven summit.

Separately, Iran’s state-run television said funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in the war’s opening attack, will take place in July.

A senior U.S. official, who briefed journalists on condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House, said Trump planned to meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit that starts Monday with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to discuss efforts to wind down the war.

Britain and France, both G7 members, have expressed interest in assisting with demining the waterway once the conflict is paused. The official said both have military vessels at sea that could participate.

It was not immediately clear how many mines are in the strait that Iran has effectively controlled since shortly after the war began, virtually shutting down oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. The U.S. has blockaded Iranian ports in response. A tenuous ceasefire has been in place since April 7.

Pakistan says a deal to end the war is imminent

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a deal aimed at ending the war was expected to be finalized within 24 hours. Pakistan was preparing for the electronic signing of the agreement, to be followed by technical-level talks next week.

Sharif also told his Qatari counterpart “a peace deal was ready for signatures by the relevant parties very shortly,” a separate statement said.

The senior U.S. official noted Sharif’s upbeat comments. The U.S. believes what’s on the table for Iran is a “very strong deal,” the official said, but declined to speculate on when it could be signed.

Iran signaled optimism but indicated more time was needed.

“Although it will not happen tomorrow, the possibility that it could take place in the coming days cannot be ruled out,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a statement carried by state TV. He later said “the likelihood of finalizing the memorandum of understanding in the coming days is high.”

Baghaei added that the Islamabad memorandum under discussion was focused on ending the war and “at this stage, it has been decided that there will be no discussion of the nuclear issue.”

Iran’s nuclear program and highly enriched uranium have long been at the center of tensions with the U.S. and Israel and an international source of concern.

Three regional officials said Friday, on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations, they expected a signing ceremony in the coming days after officials in Washington and Tehran approve the agreement.

The apparent breakthrough came after Iran exchanged fire with the U.S. and Israel earlier in the week, threatening to rupture the ceasefire and push the Middle East back into full-scale war.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X on Friday that an agreement “has never been closer.” Trump, who has asserted multiple times in recent weeks the countries were on the cusp of a deal, shared Araghchi’s post on social media.

Trump on Thursday claimed significant progress in negotiations, hours after he threatened to seize Iran’s oil industry.

Khamenei to be buried at the holiest of Shiite shrines

The funeral, burial and farewell events for Khamenei will take place between July 4 and 9 during Muharram, a traditional period of mourning in the Shiite Muslim calendar.

Khamenei is succeeded by his son, Mojtaba, who is considered less compromising and has not been seen publicly since the war began.

The funeral ceremonies are expected to begin in Tehran. The procession will move to Qom, a stronghold of many senior Shiite clerics, and then to Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace. He’ll be buried there at the Imam Reza Shrine, considered the holiest place among Shiite devotees.

Khamenei remolded the Islamic Republic after taking the reins following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. Khomeini was the fiery, charismatic ideologue who led the overthrow of the shah and installed rule by Shiite Muslim clerics.

Khamenei ruled far longer than Khomeini. He greatly expanded the Shiite clerical class and built the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into the most important body underpinning his rule. The Guard became a military and business behemoth, the country’s most elite force and head of its ballistic missile arsenal.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

As the selections started to unfold at the first in-person OHL Priority Selection since 2000, the Beaulieu family began to wonder if Ryan Beaulieu might land with the team that his dad won the Memorial Cup with in 2005.

At pick number 14, they found out.

Knights general manager Mark Hunter stepped to the podium in Kingston, Ont., and made defenceman Ryan Beaulieu London’s first selection in 2026.

“By the eighth or ninth pick I started to wonder if it might happen,” Ryan admitted. ” I started to think about how great it would be to be able to stay at home and play for Mark and Dale Hunter and follow in my dad’s footsteps.”

Josh Beaulieu was the Knights second round pick in 2003 and later a fifth round selection of the Philadelphia Flyers.

“I’m a big believer in everything happening for a reason,” said Josh. “We’re very grateful and now a new journey begins for him and for our family and we’re very excited.”

Josh Beaulieu is also one of a handful of London Knights players to have scored five goals in a single game.

“That’s his favourite story,” Ryan said, laughing. “Me and my dad have a great relationship. He has the experience and he knows what it takes to play for the Knights.”

Ryan spent this past season playing for one of Josh’s Team of the Century teammates in Danny Syvret with the U16 AAA London Jr. Knights. He was one of the top defenders in the Alliance and was named to the All OHL Cup team after helping the Jr. Knights to the final four of the top U16 tournament.

Ryan was incredibly complimentary of what Syret was able to pass on to him.

“He knows the game, he knows what I need to do and he passed that along to all of us.”

A back-to-back Alliance champion who says he models his game after Drew Doughty of the L.A. Kings, Ryan is taking the next step in his career with the help and support of people in his life who know what it means to wear the London Knights uniform.

The last time Mark Hunter made a first round pick in the same way he was calling the name Rick Nash.

 

 

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

The Curator independently decides what topics and products we feature. When you purchase an item through our links, we may earn a commission. Promotions and products are subject to availability and retailer terms.

Whether your sidekick is a shaggy golden retriever or a curious tabby with a flair for sunbathing, keeping your pet cool when the temperatures soar is no small feat. With blazing sidewalks, sweltering car rides, and heatwaves that just won’t quit, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed trying to protect your furry friend. Luckily, we’ve found everything you need from brands like Ren’s Pets, Canada Pooch, Nature’s Miracle and more. Read on for simple, smart ways to keep your pets chill all summer long – no ice bath require.

 

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Keep your pup cool on long walks or playtime with this refreshing bandana that activates ice beads when soaked in cold water, delivering instant, long-lasting cooling relief while staying lightweight, breathable, and comfortable for everyday summer adventures.[/product_listing]

 

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With a 2L capacity and easy-to-clean parts, this cat fountain keeps your kitty happily hydrated for days – no constant refills needed.[/product_listing]

 

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Crumps’ Naturals Mini Trainers Freeze Dried Beef Liver – $8.99

Nature’s Miracle Advanced Stain and Odour Eliminator – $11.99

Aquarium Hideaway Rock Cave – $12.99

 

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

Fertility rates have been declining for decades, but the drop has accelerated sharply over the past 20 years, and researchers are still trying to fully explain why.

Now, new research suggests a device that has come to define modern life may be playing a role: the iPhone.

The smartphone, first released in 2007, coincides with a turning point in birth trends in the United States and elsewhere. That timing prompted U.S. economist Caitlin Myers of Middlebury College in Vermont to investigate whether the two could be connected.

“It’s a fascinating question. Why are births plummeting?” Myers said in an interview. “In the United States, births have fallen by almost a quarter since 2007.”

Her research looks at whether increased screen time and the shift toward digital interaction may be reducing in-person contact, indirectly leading to fewer pregnancies.

To test the idea, Myers analyzed birth rates across U.S. counties in the early years after the iPhone’s release. At the time, the device was only available through AT&T, meaning some regions had access while others did not.

By comparing those areas and controlling for factors such as income, education and contraceptive policy, she found birth rates dropped more quickly in places where the iPhone was available.

“We observed that births fell much faster in the places where you could get an iPhone,” Myers said.

The theory is simple: more time spent online could mean less time spent together in person. “It’s hard to get pregnant when you’re not in person with somebody,” she told Global News.

Fertility rates are now well below replacement levels in many countries. In the United States, the rate sits at roughly 1.6 children per woman. In Canada, it is even lower, at about 1.25.

And the trend is not limited to wealthy nations. Declining birth rates are being recorded around the world.

Still, experts caution that smartphones are unlikely to be the sole or even primary cause.

The 2000s brought a number of major social and economic shifts that are widely believed to be contributing to the so-called “baby bust.” These include the global financial crisis, rising housing costs, higher levels of education and broader access to contraception.

Celia Chandler, a writer who documents her experience being “childless by choice,” says it may be a stretch to draw a direct line between technology and people deciding not to have children.

“I do think it might be a bit of a stretch to say that technology is preventing people from having children,” she said.

Chandler argues one of the most important changes in recent decades is that more people, particularly women, feel empowered to choose whether or not to become a parent.

“I feel very fortunate that I was born at a time when I had a choice,” she said.

Researchers acknowledge that the iPhone itself is unlikely to explain such a complex global trend on its own, but say it may be part of a broader shift in how people connect, form relationships and structure their lives.

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

A B.C. man who served time in prison for randomly stabbing a tourist in downtown Vancouver four years ago has now been charged with manslaughter in the stabbing of another man last year.

David Richard Morin, 32, has been charged in connection with the death of 54-year-old Michael Smadu.

On Sept. 3, 2025, Vancouver police were called to a home near East 6th Avenue and Fraser Street just before 1 a.m. for a man who had been stabbed.

Despite attempts by first responders to save his life, Smadu died before he could be taken to hospital.

In 2022, Morin randomly stabbed a Mexican tourist inside a downtown Vancouver Tim Hortons.

The victim, a 25-year-old man, was waiting in line at the coffee shop when a man approached from behind and “repeatedly stabbed him” in the back and shoulder before fleeing the store.

Morin pleaded guilty in June 2022 to aggravated assault and was sentenced to three years in jail.

“This person is the poster child for everything that’s wrong with our criminal justice system,” Vancouver city councillor Peter Meiszner said.

Morin was released from prison in June 2024 and was rearrested that October after breaching conditions of his statutory release.

Vancouver police issued a public warning when Morin was released due to his “significant risk to the community and his high risk of re-offending.”

In November 2024, police issued another warning about Morin as he was again living in a halfway house in the city.

On Jan. 16, 2025, he was declared unlawfully at large in Vancouver and was sentenced to 20 days in jail that May for escaping lawful custody or being unlawfully at large.

In December, Morin committed a robbery in Surrey and a theft two weeks later.

On March 12, he was sentenced for those crimes, receiving 132 days in jail for robbery, followed by two years’ probation

Morin was arrested while serving that time.

“It’s just outrageous; we need criminal justice reform now,” Meiszner said.

Morin’s criminal history in B.C. dates back to 2012 in Williams Lake.

In 2017, he threatened a woman with a hatchet and sexually assaulted her in Prince George.

Former prosecutor Rob Dhanu said that Crown could seek to have Morin incarcerated indefinitely as a dangerous offender, following any future convictions.

“This is your classic dangerous offender type case… escalating conduct,” he said.

“It’s serious, there’s breaches of court orders and there’s no indication that there’s been an ability to control this behaviour in the past and the question is, can it be controlled in the future.”

Morin was set to be released in the coming days when his robbery sentence expires, but will remain in custody on the manslaughter charge.

He is expected to appear in court on July 3.

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

The man who was behind the wheel in a deadly 2024 impaired driving crash in Surrey will not serve any further time in jail.

Michael Gordon Bovencamp, who turns 46 this year, was handed a probation, a driving ban and a fine for the crash that killed a 33-year-old man, who was a husband and father.

On Oct. 5, 2024, Surrey RCMP officers were called to a report of a fatal motor vehicle incident near 144 Street and Hyland Drive at 4:30 p.m.

The driver of a Ford F350 was travelling northbound on 144 Street when they crossed into oncoming traffic, police said.

Two pedestrians were hit. One of them, 33-year-old Saraj Singh, died on the scene.

The other suffered serious injuries.

For Singh’s family, the loss has been life-changing.

He and his wife, Nardeep Kaur, had just recently moved to Canada from India with their son, hoping for a better future.

In a statement, Kaur described Singh as gentle, hardworking and loving.

“His death was sudden, violent, and completely preventable, and it destroyed the life we had built together. Every day since has felt like a struggle to breathe,” she said.

Court heard Bovencamp admitted to consuming cannabis the morning of the collision, but blood tests later showed his THC levels were just below the legal driving limit with no indication he was driving intoxicated.

Bovencamp likely suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel.

On Friday, Bovencamp pleaded guilty to a lesser charge under the Motor Vehicle Act.

He’s been handed a $1,500 fine, 18 months’ probation and a one-year driving ban.

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

A move proposed by Calgary’s mayor to introduce a municipal lobbyist registry amid an RCMP investigation into allegations of corruption has been endorsed by the province, according to a government spokesperson.

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas revealed Thursday he has been working with others on council to bring forward a motion to establish a registry of lobbyists at city hall.

“Transparency and accountability are core priorities for the Government of Alberta,” a spokesperson for the Municipal Affairs Ministry said in a statement to Global News. “The City of Calgary is free to advance its own lobbying registry independently.”

The move comes amid an ongoing RCMP investigation into allegations that money was offered in exchange for a council vote during a public meeting last summer.

According to an affidavit from the lead investigator, the probe centres around allegations of municipal corruption, obstruction of justice and fabricating evidence.

The affidavit claims a development consultant allegedly “had been offering campaign donations that exceeded the maximum allowed to councillors, in exchange for them tabling a reconsideration motion,” after a land-use application in Bankview was defeated in a 6-6 tie during a July 2025 council meeting.

None of the allegations have been proven in court and no charges have been laid.

Farkas — who has refused to comment on the case — said the situation has raised questions about how influence is exercised at city hall.

“When you have legitimate partners of the City of Calgary lobbying council, there’s nothing nefarious about that,” Farkas told Global News. “But actually having a legitimate process by which they can declare their interest and the public can understand what that interest is and how it may have influenced a decision, I think that makes things better for everybody.”

Bradley Lafortune with Public Interest Alberta said he agrees with Farkas, and that a “simple” process like a lobbyist registry could help with transparency and public trust at the municipal level.

According to Lafortune, questions and concerns over influence are important considering the matters that are handled at city hall.

“When we look at development and lands and bylaws and zoning, it’s a huge question about who has influence and how they’re how they’re applying it at city hall, he said.

“It’s a little bit cliche, but sunlight is always the best disinfectant. And so it can be as simple as a public registry with public reporting that is publicly accessible.”

Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness, who has been critical of the move before the RCMP concludes its investigation, describes the influence on council as “a pressure cooker.”

“We have our voters and our constituents that have expectations and an approach to a problem that we’re trying to solve at council, and you’ll have industry and you’ll have other councillors,” she told Global News. “It’s constantly working in that pressure cooker of influence.”

Wyness said city councillors have been disclosing who they meet with in their offices, and added the registry is redundant.

How city councillors talk about the investigation “doesn’t help” public trust in city hall, Wyness said, calling it a “self-inflicted bruise.”

Ward 14 Coun Landon Johnston said there are gaps in accountability measures, with council being forced to “police ourselves” due to a lack of a code of conduct for municipally elected officials.

Earlier this year, the Government of Alberta said it would be introducing a universal code of conduct for municipalities by the end of the year.

Johnston said he is open to the framework proposed by Farkas, but isn’t convinced it’ll come with a solution.

“No amount of framework or legislation is going to stop corruption,” he said. “It’ll still happen on personal devices and behind closed doors.”

Other groups, like Democracy Watch, pointed to campaign finance rules in Calgary and Alberta.

Alberta residents can donate $5,000 in the aggregate to all council candidates, as well as school board trustee candidates and locally registered political parties.

Corporations, trade unions and employee organizations can also contribute $5,000 in the aggregate.

“Calgary essentially has a political donation system that allows for legalized bribery,” Democracy Watch co-founder Duff Conacher told Global News.

“An average voter can’t afford that; it violates the democratic principle of one person, one vote, because the donation limit is so high.”

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

Two Montreal police officers working in the Montreal‑North borough have been suspended following allegations of discriminatory and racist behaviour toward members of the public, police Chief Fady Dagher said Friday evening.

Dagher said 14 other officers from Station 39 have been reassigned to duties that do not involve contact with the public in connection with the case.

The two suspended officers are under investigation by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions for possible Criminal Code offences.

Dagher said the investigation began in March after information was brought forward by members of the Montreal police service.

Earlier Friday, La Presse and Radio‑Canada reported officers allegedly cut the hair of racialized individuals and kept it as “trophies.” Dagher confirmed during a news conference that those claims are among the allegations.

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada was notified Friday of the incident and put out a statement on social media.

“I immediately contacted the minister of public security. We agreed to work together to accelerate the rollout of body cameras within the SPVM. Any form of racial profiling or violence is unacceptable,” she said in a statement.

In an update Saturday morning, Martinez Ferrada acknowledged the anger and concern the allegations have sparked, particularly among racialized communities.

“I want to speak directly to the citizens and residents of Montréal-Nord and also to anyone who has felt targeted, watched, profiled and unheard,” she told reporters.

“To those who have come forward and felt that their concerns were not taken seriously, to those who feel that nothing ever changed, I hear you.”

Martinez Ferrada said the allegations have raised legitimate questions about trust between police and the communities they serve.

“The concerns, the anger and the questions raised by these allegations are entirely legitimate,” she said.

“The relationship and trust between our institutions and the community are … very fragile. And in some cases, that trust sometimes has also been broken.”

Martinez Ferrada also urged residents to allow the investigation to proceed while promising answers.

“I want to assure people that I will ask all the tough questions.”

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