Four people are dead and two others are in hospital following a single-vehicle collision early Saturday morning south of Guelph, Ont.

Wellington OPP, fire and paramedic services responded to reports of the collision on Watson Road South between Maltby Road East and Wellington Road 34 shortly after 1:30 a.m. Saturday.

Details of the collision are sparse but police said six people were inside the vehicle at the time.

Four people were pronounced dead at the scene and the other two were transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said.

As the investigation continues, Watson Road South remains closed.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An aging NASA telescope is barely clinging to space after a failed rescue effort left it tottering lower and lower.

The U.S. Space Force predicts the Swift Observatory will come crashing down on or around Friday.

Most of the 1 1/2-ton telescope is expected to burn up in the atmosphere. But a handful of pieces made of denser-than-lead tungsten and some mirror parts could survive reentry, according to NASA’s Brad Cenko, the mission’s chief scientist.

Any surviving wreckage will most likely plunge into the ocean. But swaths of Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America are within the reentry zone. The Space Force is tracking the telescope’s dwindling path.

Its cosmic cremation has the Swift team mourning yet full of gratitude for the observations the telescope made during its 22 years in orbit. Swift blasted off on Nov. 20, 2004, to search for some of the biggest explosions in the universe: gamma ray bursts and supernovas.

“We’ve known this day would come since before Swift was launched. At least in low-Earth orbit, what goes up must come down. And that end is catastrophic,” said Pennsylvania State University’s John Nousek, an astronomer who led the control team.

Intense solar activity over the past few years dragged Swift down faster than usual. NASA hired Katalyst Space a year ago to mount a rush rescue. But the company’s three-armed robot named Link ran into trouble after launching in July and got no closer than 7 miles to 9 miles (12 kilometers to 15 kilometers) to the telescope. Link plunged back to Earth in September.

Swift resumed observations once the rescue attempt was called off, discovering even more gamma ray bursts and other ultrahigh-energy events. But by late October, the telescope was too low to remain steady for observations, and its systems were shut down.

Its final tally: more than 2,000 gamma ray bursts and 1,400 exploding stars, not to mention a slew of comets, asteroids and star-shredding black holes. The telescope’s superpower was its ability to swivel swiftly — thus its name — toward erupting celestial events.

NASA considered Swift a first responder for the Hubble and Webb space telescopes and others that would follow its alerts and provide deeper investigations. Scientists are still figuring out how to fill the gap.

“Our fervent hope is that the lessons learned by the successes of Swift can be applied to new generations of space missions to accelerate our discoveries about the universe,” Nousek said in an email.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

CHERNIHIV REGION, Ukraine (AP) — Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky crossed into Ukrainian-held territory Saturday in a major rescue operation carried out under the most significant truce since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine 4 1/2 years ago.

Evacuees, who traveled by bus and plane through Russia and Belarus, stepped off buses at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border where they reunited with family members, some wrapped in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags. Volunteers with hand-drawn welcome signs handed out coffee to the weary travelers.

One evacuee, Tetiana Leonidivna, 71, thanked the Ukrainian soldiers who helped her escape.

“We love them, we love them,” she said through tears. “We know that they are protecting us. And a deep bow to them, and a deep bow to their parents, for having such children. I am proud, I am simply proud.”

The ceasefire in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region began early Tuesday and is expected to continue through Sunday evening. The White House has said U.S. first lady Melania Trump helped to broker the localized deal, while Pope Leo XIV also pressed Russian and Ukrainian leaders to allow aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.

Relatives and volunteers with the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and World Central Kitchen welcomed the evacuees as they arrived at the border, ready to provide aid and food, including for their pets.

Holding a cigarette between shaking fingers, 48-year-old Ivan Yevhenovych described his last few months in Oleshky.

“It was very difficult. There were a lot of drones; it was hard to move around the streets,” he said. “Since spring, there hasn’t really been any staple food left. People had a little bit of their own reserves. We are thrifty people.”

He said people were being killed by landmines or drone strikes every day.

An estimated 2,000 people were still living in Oleshky when the temporary truce took hold. They were offered the choice of being evacuated to Ukrainian- or Russian-held territory, or remaining in the city with replenished food and medical supplies.

“Many people stayed behind and didn’t want to leave,” Yevhenovych said. “Some for their houses, some for their animals.”

Ukrainian authorities, seeking to protect those who remained and safeguard future humanitarian missions, have not said how many residents evacuated Oleshky and have restricted details of their route.

Melania Trump posted on social media Friday that the humanitarian convoy could safely evacuate more than 750 people.

Liza Paliy, 19, waited at the border for her father, whom she last saw more than 2 1/2 years earlier when she fled the occupied city with her mother and sister.

“We thought at that time that it would be a month, two maximum, and we would return, but unfortunately, two years have already passed,” she said.

Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, hailed the success of the humanitarian mission.

“This is an extremely important moment. Behind us are difficult negotiations, agreements, preparations, and an enormous amount of work. But most importantly, the people who waited so long to be rescued are finally safe,” he said in an online post.

Lubinets said evacuees ranged in age from just over a year old to 94, and they brought pets, including dogs, cats, a parrot and a raccoon. He said he hoped the Oleshky truce can be replicated elsewhere.

“This experience could form the basis of a new mechanism for responding to the most difficult humanitarian crises — one that always puts people, their safety, and their right to life at its center,” he said.

Some Oleshky evacuees who chose to move to Russian-occupied territory have been taken to a temporary shelter in Simferopol, said Yana Lantratova, Russia’s human rights commissioner. The city is in Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

“After everything they have endured and a long journey, it is essential for these people to rest, recover, and feel cared for. However, support should not be limited to just a roof over their heads and a hot meal,” she said in a social media post.

“There are many challenges ahead: replacing lost documents, medical treatment, arranging long-term housing, and reconnecting with family members. My office will assist in addressing these issues.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday welcomed U.S. approval of Ukraine’s purchase of 500 PAC-3 Patriot interceptors but urged partners to also supply weapons from existing stocks, saying the newly authorized U.S. weapons could take years to arrive.

“Right now, the Russians are attacking our energy infrastructure every single day. In just these past two weeks of October, there have already been more than 30 Russian strikes on critical parts of our power grid,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

The Trump administration said Friday that it had approved a proposed $2.1 billion sale of Patriot air defense interceptors, after Kyiv had accused the Pentagon of delaying deliveries of the vital munition needed to stop Russian ballistic missiles.

The State Department said 500 Patriot missiles would be purchased for Ukraine with donations from Canada, Germany and Norway through a U.S. program and that no American funds were involved.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone attack killed a 30-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man in Russia’s western Bryansk region, local Gov. Yegor Kovalchuk said Saturday. Five others were wounded, he said.

Local officials also reported Ukrainian drone attacks in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan. Russian media outlets said there was a fire in the region’s capital, Ufa, home to several oil refineries.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday its forces had shot down 433 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Zelenskyy said Moscow launched drone attacks on energy and railway infrastructure across Ukraine overnight, leaving 280,000 households in Dnipro and Kyiv regions without power.

The attacks targeted combined heat and power plants in Kyiv and Sumy regions, four electricity substations and a gas distribution facility in the Dnipro region and railway infrastructure in Dnipro and Kharkiv, he said, adding that repair crews were working to restore power.

Zelenskyy urged partners to impose further sanctions on Russia and provide new support packages to Ukraine.

“The world sees Russia targeting civilian infrastructure every day. Everyone who does not want to see this Russian escalation spread further into Europe must help Ukraine,” he said in an online post.
___
Associated Press journalists Dan Bashakov in Chernihiv Region, Ukraine; Susie Blann in Kyiv; and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Montreal police say an 18-year-old cyclist was fatally struck by a driver who fled the scene before emergency crews arrived.

Quebec’s police watchdog says the vehicle was reportedly being pursued by an unmarked provincial police patrol car just before the deadly hit-and-run.

The agency says early reports suggest police saw the vehicle committing a “possible violation” of road safety laws and tried to stop the driver, who fled and hit the cyclist.

Police say the collision occurred shortly before noon on Friday at the intersection of Henri-Bourassa Boulevard and Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal’s Ahuntsic neighbourhood.

The cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.

The province’s police investigations bureau, which probes incidents involving officers, has launched an investigation.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

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.

As temperatures start to drop and windows stay closed more often, it’s a good time to think about the air circulating inside your home. Dust, pet dander, cooking odours and seasonal allergens can build up indoors, making air quality an important part of creating a comfortable home environment. That’s where air purifiers come in. Many modern models use HEPA filtration to capture small airborne particles, while features like CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) can help you understand how quickly a purifier filters air in a room.

Instead of letting everyday particles and odours circulate through your space, an air purifier can continuously filter the air and help keep your home feeling fresher. Many trusted brands—from Coway, Shark, Dyson and more—offer models designed for everything from bedrooms and home offices to larger living spaces.

Before choosing one, it helps to know what features matter most. Here are a few key things to look for when buying an air purifier:

• Filtration system: Look for True HEPA filters that can capture very small particles like dust, pollen and pet dander.
• CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate): A higher CADR generally means the purifier can clean air more quickly. Look for a rating that suits the size of your room.
• Room size coverage: Make sure the purifier is rated for the square footage of the room where you plan to use it.
• Noise level: Quieter models are ideal for bedrooms, nurseries or offices.
• Air changes per hour (ACH): Higher air circulation means the purifier can filter the room’s air more frequently.
• Filter replacement & maintenance: Check how often filters need replacing and the cost of replacements.
• Energy efficiency: Energy-efficient models can run continuously without significantly increasing electricity use.
• Extra features: Options like smart controls, air quality sensors and sleep modes can add convenience.

With the right air purifier for your space, you can help reduce everyday airborne particles, odours and allergens while keeping your indoor air feeling fresher and cleaner.

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The Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max is a quiet yet powerful air purifier designed for medium rooms like bedrooms or living spaces. It runs at just 23–50 dB, making it whisper-quiet on low settings while still cleaning up to about 1,858 sq ft of air in an hour using HEPASilent filtration that captures 99.97% of particles down to 0.1 microns, including dust, smoke, pollen, and pet dander. It uses a replaceable HEPA and activated carbon filter (not reusable) that typically lasts 6–9 months, making it a great option for allergy sufferers, pet owners, or anyone who wants a quiet purifier for everyday air quality.[/product_listing]

 

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Ideal for bedrooms, nurseries, dorms, or home offices, this compact purifier delivers powerful air cleaning in a small package. The Shark NeverChange Compact Pro uses HEPA-Exceeding NanoSeal filtration to capture 99.98% of particles, including dust, pet dander, smoke, odours, and other airborne pollutants. With real-time air quality monitoring and a long-lasting filter that helps reduce replacement costs, it’s a great choice for anyone who wants cleaner air with minimal maintenance in smaller spaces.[/product_listing]

 

 

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The Coway Airmega 150 is built for large rooms and quietly cleans up to 1,035 sq ft in an hour with its HEPA, carbon, and washable pre-filters. The replaceable HEPA and carbon filters capture 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns, while the pre-filter is reusable, making maintenance simple. This makes it a strong choice for open‑concept living areas, large bedrooms, or family rooms where you want consistent airflow and cleaner air throughout.[/product_listing]

 

Best all-in-one air treatment system (purifier + humidifier + fan)

If you’re looking for one that does it all, the Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool PH03 combines air purification, humidification, and cooling in a single sleek unit. Its HEPA and activated carbon filters capture 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns, including smoke, pollen, and gases, while the humidifier uses UV light to keep moisture hygienic. It’s perfect for bedrooms, living areas, or spaces affected by wildfire smoke where you want cleaner air and comfortable humidity.[/product_listing]

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Looking for clean air without spending a fortune? The Levoit Core Mini-P quietly tackles dust, pet dander, smoke, and odours in spaces up to 255 sq ft, making it perfect for bedrooms, offices, or small apartments. Lightweight, compact, and easy to use with replaceable filters, it’s a tiny powerhouse that proves you don’t need to break the bank to breathe easier.[/product_listing]

 

Best smart air monitor

The Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor helps users better understand and manage their indoor environment by tracking five key air quality factors: particulate matter (PM2.5), VOCs, carbon monoxide (CO), humidity, and temperature. It provides real-time air quality insights, alerts, and Alexa-enabled smart home automation, allowing users to identify potential air quality concerns and take action by connecting with compatible devices such as air purifiers, fans, and dehumidifiers.[/product_listing]

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2 Pack 311i Max Replacement Filter – $55.79

Levoit Humidifier – $44.98

Shark® Rocket Cordless Upright Stick Vacuum Cleaner – $179.99

Airthings Wave Radon – $169.99

Bamboo Charcoal Bags Odour Absorber – Air Purifying For Closet Fridge Car Home – $5.39

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

Prime Minister Mark Carney has laid out a timeline that would see Canada sign an agreement on a new partnership with the European Union in the next seven months, if all goes well.

Carney said Friday that Ottawa and Brussels are working toward the “deepest possible partnership short of accession” that would see Canada become “the European Union’s first associate member.”

He said in the coming months, the two sides will meet to “determine the full substance, scale and scope of this new form of membership.”

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, championed the idea of associate membership in Strasbourg, France, last month. On Friday, she said she believes in building a partnership with Canada that “comes closer to membership than anything we’ve done before.”

Even though top EU officials are enthusiastic about closer ties with Canada, the talks won’t necessarily be a walk in the park. The European Union is far from politically united on the idea.

Achim Hurrelmann, co-director of the Centre for European Studies at Carleton University, said it could prove difficult to negotiate that status, especially in the short term.

“I’m not sure if a status with that name can be established for Canada any time soon,” he said.

“It seems that von der Leyen and Carney have decided to just press ahead with the use of this term and use the momentum that’s there on both sides for Canada-EU relations to make this a reality. But in the EU, that often can be quite difficult because once all of the member states get involved — we saw that in negotiating the summit declaration — then the entity is able to move only very slowly.”

Carney and EU officials met for a summit in Montreal on Thursday and Friday, where they agreed on a joint statement promoting what they called a “Canada-EU Alliance for the Future.”

The joint statement commits the two sides to working to “define by the 2027 EU-Canada Summit the concept of an ever-closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself.”

The 27-member bloc ultimately opted against including the term “associate member” in the joint statement. The phrase has seen some pushback from countries like Germany, which see it as a stepping-stone to permanent membership for countries like Ukraine.

EU debates are always complicated matters. In the coming months, major European countries will go to the polls for elections that could shake up the nature of those talks.

Spain’s general election is set for Nov. 29 and the French presidential elections go ahead in April. Poland will also go to the polls next year for parliamentary elections on Nov. 11.

Hurrelmann said the main challenge remains a lack of clarity on the term “associate membership” in Europe. He noted the language used by Canadian officials this week has been the “strongest embrace of associate membership” he’s seen by the Canadian side.

“It’s very clear that even if it’s associate membership … that it’s not just some kind of occasional political agreement, but something quite fundamental,” he said. “So I think the member states definitely will insist on their right to be heard on that.”

Carney said Friday he will meet with the EU presidents periodically to track progress, and Canada’s federal cabinet will meet in March with European cabinets in Canada.

The prime minister will then attend the European Council meetings in June, where the aim is to conclude negotiations. EU members would have to approve the resulting agreement, which would be put to a vote in the House of Commons as well.

Carney has said he’s not married to the term “associate member” and is more concerned about the outcomes from closer economic and defence ties.

“There is a case for an enhanced partnership status,” said Hurrelmann. “Maybe finding a different label will eventually do the trick, but that remains to be seen.”

The joint statement signed Friday calls for more industrial collaboration and supply chain integration and cites various joint projects. There are plans to create a new Canada-EU business council.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Canada and the European Union will in the coming months take their first steps toward a new transatlantic data cable and study how to increase liquefied natural gas exports to the European market.

— With files from Dylan Robertson

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Toronto police have identified one of three suspects in a violent home invasion that took place Thursday in the city’s affluent Bridle Path neighbourhood.

In an update Saturday morning, Insp. Kristy Smith said police have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for 23-year-old Daijohn Richards.

Police were first called to a home on Hyde Park Circle, near Bayview and Lawrence avenues, around 3:45 a.m. Oct. 29.

Three masked men allegedly forced their way into the home and eventually confronted the family inside, police said. The men were armed with handguns and one had a hammer.

Four people were inside the home at the time: a man, his wife and their two adult children.

All four people were taken to hospital. Three of the victims were shot and two were struck in the head with a hammer, police said.

In an update Saturday, Smith said some have since been released from hospital.

Smith confirmed Richards also took himself to the hospital later that same day with a gunshot wound in the right shoulder.

“We believe that he was accidentally shot by one of the other suspects involved in this home invasion,” she said.

Richards is wanted on four counts of discharge of a firearm with intent to wound, four counts of robbery with a firearm, three counts of aggravated assault, break and enter, possession of a prohibited device and disguise with intent.

Smith said police believe the other two suspects to be in their 20s.

Police said they do not think the incident was targeted.

“We talk about affluence and people wanting things and entering into an area of affluence where there are things that are sought after is what we believe the motive to be at this time,” Smith said.

In a statement released Friday afternoon, David Morton, CEO of Toronto-based real estate company MAC Group, said three of his family members were recovering in hospital following the attack.

“What should have been the safety and security of our own home became a terrifying and life-threatening experience,” Morton wrote.

He said the family is focused on recovery but it becoming more and more concerned with increasing violence associated with home invasions in Toronto.

“No family should ever have to experience this. People should be able to sleep peacefully in their homes without fear of armed individuals breaking in and threatening their lives,” he wrote.

All four victims are expected to survive though police said two have life-altering injuries.

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

The Nova Scotia government and a union representing more than 5,000 school support workers have reached a tentative deal ahead of a Monday deadline.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the tentative deal follows 10 months of bargaining and addresses the concerns members raised.

It had filed a strike notice Friday, committing its members to walking off the job on Monday unless an agreement was reached, expressing dissatisfaction with a government wage offer.

The union represents educational program assistants, teaching assistants, early childhood educators, librarians, bus drivers, janitors, cafeteria workers and others.

Details of the agreement are set to be presented to workers in the coming days.

Premier Tim Houston says school operations and programs across the province will go ahead as usual next week.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

What appeared to be a neck-and-neck race between two top contenders for the mayor’s seat helped draw more people to the polls in Toronto, leading to the city’s highest turnout in more than a decade, some experts say.

Nearly one million people in the city cast a ballot in this week’s municipal election, and unofficial results collected by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario show 46 per cent of those eligible to vote in Toronto did so.

Meanwhile, the average turnout across the province was around 36 per cent, according to the association’s data.

Some political scientists say a competitive race, increased civic engagement, a stronger political culture and greater media coverage all contributed to the higher turnout in Toronto.

The top driver for Toronto’s increased voter participation was the apparent close contest between mayoral front-runners Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford, as well as tight races for council positions in several wards, said Cristine de Clercy, a political scientist who teaches at Trent University.

“It attracted attention, and it seems to me an important effect that that contest, which seemed to become closer as the campaign wore on … certainly had a large effect on turnout.”

Polls placing the two so close, including one that put Bradford ahead just days before the election, motivated voters and campaign volunteers because they felt their efforts and votes could make a difference, she said.

“So that certainly got some other people out to the polls who normally might not have voted if they thought either the incumbent was going to win in a landslide, or her opponent was going to win a landslide,” she said.

Community organizations also played an important role in getting people to vote in Toronto during this municipal election cycle, she said.

While the competitive race between Chow and Bradford was the main draw, Myer Siemiatycki, a professor emeritus of politics and public administration at Toronto Metropolitan University, said that alone couldn’t explain why Toronto’s turnout eclipsed that of other municipalities with hard-fought elections.

In nearby Mississauga, where both the incumbent Carolyn Parrish and her predecessor Bonnie Crombie lost a close three-way race to Alvin Tedjo, 34 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots. While that represents a 12-point surge from 2022, it’s still significantly lower than in Toronto, Siemiatycki said.

“I think the difference in Toronto is number one, there’s a much stronger political culture of participation in the city than in Mississauga,” which many still consider a suburb, he said. “Generally, central cities have a stronger history and pattern of political participation than suburban areas do.”

Robust media coverage in Toronto, along with a wide range of issues that people cared about, such as bike lanes, school nutrition programs and traffic gridlock, could also have fuelled higher turnout, he said.

Chow’s army of volunteers also made a difference, he said.

“She has a lot of very dedicated supporters who, on election day, canvass and knock on doors and encourage people to go out and vote, and that certainly played out to drive up the vote,” he said.

Meanwhile, the declining media landscape in smaller communities has created an information gap, Siemiatycki said.

“Whereas in Toronto, of course, there’s such a rich and multifaceted, diverse media ecosystem, there’s just a lot more information, a lot of reminders and focus on the municipal election race,” he said.

Despite being higher than the rest of the province, the turnout in Toronto is “still too low and is a problem and we need to think about how to increase it,” he added.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s data show more than four million Ontarians voted across the province, including Toronto, where the city said 989,990 ballots were cast. Chow secured victory with 532,201 certified votes compared to Bradford’s 404,013.

In London, Ont., where the incumbent Josh Morgan was re-elected, the turnout was 31 per cent, an increase of around six percentage points from 2022. Morgan got over 45 per cent of the total votes, while his closest competitor received a little over 26 per cent.

Cameron D. Anderson, a professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario, said the city’s voter turnout has historically been behind Toronto’s, but the lack of tough opposition for Morgan further dampened participation.

“Generally speaking … it was assumed that he would win again,” Anderson said. “Whereas in Chow’s case, there was a sense that, oh no, look, the challenger is getting really, really close and maybe could beat her,” which increases the motivation to vote, he said.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario said unofficial results show that voter turnout varied considerably across municipalities with populations of over 100,000.

Chatham-Kent and Greater Sudbury, for example, were at 41 per cent while Kitchener had the lowest turnout at 22 per cent.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Federal officials say they’ve spotted a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale entangled in gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says a surveillance flight spotted the whale on Oct. 21 between New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula, P.E.I. and Quebec’s Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

The department says the entanglement in the Bradelle Bank region wasn’t spotted until scientists and experts reviewed footage this week.

If the whale is located again, officials plan to tag the gear with a satellite tracker and try to disentangle the animal.

The department says it has not been able to identify the whale or the type of gear it’s caught in.

The entire North Atlantic right whale population is estimated at just 384 animals.

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