Toronto’s CN Tower ‘freezes’ over as Drake rolls out new album ‘Iceman’

Drake bathed Toronto's iconic CN Tower in an icy blue glow late Thursday to promote his new album "Iceman."

The 553-metre landmark appeared encased in ice, washed in a projection as part of a livestream leading up to the album's release at midnight.

A track from the project played over drone footage of the tower, featuring Drake reflecting on the past few years following a high-profile feud with Kendrick Lamar.

On the song, the Toronto-born rapper shares that his father, Dennis Graham, has been diagnosed with cancer. 

First steps of new dance competition taken at popular downtown program

While the walls come down on Portage Place, a little engine of creativity still churns on the beleaguered mall’s first floor.

Shakira and Burna Boy release official 2026 FIFA World Cup Anthem, ‘Dai Dai’

NEW YORK (AP) — As the song demands: “Let's go!”

The Colombian superstar Shakira and Afrobeats icon Burna Boy have teamed up for “Dai Dai,” the official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

It's a mesh of their musical landscapes: Afrobeats and Latin rhythms, an undeniably global, multilingual pop track. In one verse, they name a number of the world's most famous soccer players and countries competing in this year's World Cup: “Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia,” Shakira cheers. “Mexico, Japan, Korea, Netherlands.”

After the first chorus, Shakira and Burna Boy take turns tackling their own verses, singing back and forth, before joining in a duet.

The Eurovision final lineup is confirmed after 5 more countries are sent packing

VIENNA (AP) — The lineup for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest has been decided, with five more countries sent home after the second semifinal on Thursday.

Fifteen countries battled for 10 of the 25 spots in Saturday's finale of the pan-continental pop competition, with the results decided by votes from national juries and viewers around the world.

Those heading for the final include Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund with the sultry “Før Vi Går Hjem” (“Before We Go Home”), Australian star Delta Goodrem with power ballad “Eclipse” and Bulgarian singer Dara with the catchy “Bangaranga.”

Singers Daniel Žižka from Czechia, Leléka from Ukraine, Alis from Albania, Aidan from Malta, Antigoni from Cyprus, Alexandra Căpitănescu from Romania and Jonas Lovv from Norway also qualified. Performers from Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Armenia, Switzerland and Latvia were eliminated.

Tories question CBC funding of spoof-style Indigenous show on residential schools

OTTAWA - Conservatives are questioning why CBC is funding a spoof program that used false pretences to lure high-profile people accused of downplaying the damage caused by residential schools into sitting for interviews.

Several current and former Conservative politicians have gone on social media to denounce the production “Northland Tales." The show is being produced for CBC and APTN.

The show is described by the Indigenous Screen Office — which works to increase Indigenous media representation using federal funding — as a satire program meant to “flip the script” on modern and historical injustices against Indigenous Peoples.

Frances Widdowson, who has described herself as a “known controversial figure” and has publicly questioned the history of residential schools and unmarked graves of children at the site of a former school in Kamloops, described her interview for the show in a video posted to social media this week.

Antipoverty advocate Global Citizen hopes the World Cup halftime show drives money for education

NEW YORK (AP) — The antipoverty nonprofit Global Citizen is no stranger to big stages. The advocacy group rallied more than 60,000 festivalgoers at its Central Park concert last year around issues of rainforest protection and energy access.

But Global Citizen is preparing for its most ambitious production yet: the first-ever FIFA World Cup halftime show on July 19, curated with help from Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin. Super Bowl-style performances — uncommon in soccer — will feature Madonna, Shakira and BTS. Also Thursday, Shakira released the official World Cup song “Dai Dai” featuring Afrobeats giant Burna Boy.

Organizers aim to direct the tournament's billions of projected viewers worldwide toward a humanitarian initiative launched alongside soccer's international governing body. Leveraging what Global Citizen founder Hugh Evans called the “complementary” unifying powers of soccer and music, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund aims to raise $100 million for grassroots groups providing underserved children with access to education and sports.

“I hope that on the world’s biggest stage, finally, the importance of investing in education steals the show,” Shakira told the Global Citizen NOW summit in New York on Thursday. Later, she told The Associated Press in an interview that she wanted to help the “many children who are being left behind.”

After the Kendrick Lamar beef, can Drake come back with ‘Iceman’?

NEW YORK (AP) — Drake has returned as the “Iceman.” And the stakes couldn't be higher.

His ninth studio album — and his first since his extravagant loss in a very public feud with Kendrick Lamar — arrives Friday.

The beef between two of hip-hop’s biggest stars erupted in the spring of 2024, with the pair trading a series of vitriolic tracks that culminated with Lamar’s release of “Not Like Us.” The hit song was a direct attack on Drake, spurring Drake’s defamation lawsuit against their shared label that was dismissed. Drake’s appeal of the dismissal is pending, but in hip-hop spaces, Lamar’s victory over Drake is undisputed.

The Canadian rapper is at a crossroads. He's still one of the most popular artists on the planet, and a successful entrepreneur with businesses spanning music, fashion, sports, online gambling and beyond. But he hasn't had a smash single in a few years.

Review by legislative committee finds 2024 B.C. election was fair and accurate

VICTORIA - A review by legislators on the 2024 British Columbia provincial election has found that the vote was "administered fairly, accurately and transparently," although the group has issued 48 recommendations on improvements.

The joint special committee on democratic and electoral reform released its report Thursday recommending the streamlining of election administration as well as improving public awareness of election processes.

New Democrat Jennifer Blatherwick chaired the special committee and says in a statement that the group is confident in the integrity of B.C.'s elections and the work of Elections BC, while it recognizes the need to "counter misinformation and disinformation about how elections are conducted."

Conservative member Ward Stamer, the committee's deputy chair, says the recommendations are needed to uphold the accessibility of B.C.'s voting model, while maintaining election integrity.

Harvey Weinstein back in court after feeling ill as jury deliberates in his rape retrial

NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein returned to court and jurors resumed deliberating in his rape retrial Thursday, a day after the former movie tycoon reported chest pains while in the courthouse.

Weinstein, who's 74 and has a history of heart trouble and other health woes, looked pale but alert as he was brought into court in the wheelchair he has used for years. He said he felt “good, fine.”

The ex-studio boss was in a courthouse holding area Wednesday when jurors, after a few hours of deliberating, sent a note asking to rehear some of accuser Jessica Mann ’s testimony and to review a lengthy prosecution timeline of emails and other evidence.

After defense lawyers, prosecutors and Judge Curtis Farber convened in court to decide how to respond, Weinstein attorney Marc Agnifilo said court officers had told him Weinstein was experiencing chest pains.

Princess of Wales’ Italy visit highlights progressive preschool approach that shuns standardization

REGGIO EMILIA, Italy (AP) — The Princess of Wales’ visit to Italy has put the spotlight on an Italian early childhood educational model that helped revolutionize how toddlers learn in school.

The Reggio Approach, used in public daycare centers and preschools in the northern city of Reggio Emilia, values a child’s inherent curiosity and potential, with teachers acting as facilitators, not instructors, and parents and the surrounding community actively involved. And Princess Catherine, who has made early development her signature cause, is spending two days seeing it up close.

“I love that you put children and childhood at the heart of the community, and I’m really fascinated to learn more about it,” she said as she arrived at one of the town’s preschools on Wednesday.

Reggio partially grew out of the Montessori philosophy and both Italian approaches have spread around the world, standing as counterpoints to models in places like the U.S. and Britain that emphasize standardization and testing for children so young they haven’t begun to read.

Kelsey Plum joins Prime’s WNBA broadcasts, bringing an active star’s voice to the studio

Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum is joining Amazon Prime Video's WNBA broadcasts as a player contributor, making appearances in studio throughout the season.

“Kelsey’s had a standout career in the WNBA and is a dynamic presence in women’s basketball,” said Amina Hussein, head of on-air talent and development for Prime Video Sports. “We’re building something special with WNBA on Prime, and her contributions to our broadcast as a current league veteran will add to our goal of delivering fans an authentic, player-driven experience.”

Plum, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft, will help highlight key storylines around the league and provide insight. Prime studios are in Los Angeles.

“I’m excited to join Prime Video this WNBA season, as the league has never been more valuable in terms of media deals and viewership. There’s so much talent and momentum around the league, and I look forward to bringing fans a current player’s perspective while highlighting the personalities and storylines that make the game so special.”

Fact File: Misleading claims about hantavirus shared online amid cruise ship outbreak

As Canadians connected to an outbreak of hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship isolate in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, rumours and misinformation about the virus are spreading online. Here's a look at some of the claims.

THE CLAIM 

The assertion that hantavirus is a side-effect of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine appeared on TikTok, Facebook and X.

Those making the claim shared a screenshot of a page from a Pfizer safety report, which supposedly listed hantavirus as one of the known side-effects of its COVID-19 vaccine.

Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Chaka Khan and Vince Gill enter National Recording Registry

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Albums and songs from Taylor Swift,Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and The Go-Go’s are joining America’s audio canon.

The new inductees into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress include Swift’s blockbuster 2014 pop album “1989,” Beyoncé’s era-defining 2008 anthem “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Khan’s genre-blending hit “I Feel for You,” Vince Gill’s emotional ballad “Go Rest High on That Mountain” and The Go-Go’s groundbreaking debut album “Beauty and the Beat.”

They were among the 25 recordings entering the archive in the class of 2026, acting Librarian of Congress Robert Newlen announced Thursday. The selections were chosen for their “cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”

“Music and recorded sound are essential, wonderful parts of our daily lives and our national heritage,” Newlen said in a statement. “The National Recording Registry works to preserve our national playlist for generations to come.”

A Vienna cafe offers a welcome for Israel supporters as tensions brew at the Eurovision Song Contest

VIENNA (AP) — Vienna's famed coffeehouses have embraced the Eurovision Song Contest. They have also been touched by tensions over Israel’s inclusion in the sequin-drenched pop music competition.

When officials announced a list of “Eurofan Cafes" — Vienna coffee shops offering food and music from competing countries — Israel was initially left out.

MQ Kantine, a modern café in the city’s arty museums quarter, offered to step in. Now it has falafel, bagels with lox and kosher wine on the menu, a string of small Israeli flags hanging from the ceiling — and a police officer outside the door.

Security is tight across Vienna during the international music contest, whose “United by Music” slogan rings sightly hollow this year. Five countries are boycotting because Israel is taking part. Pro-Palestinian activists are planning a protest concert — one of several Eurovision alternatives across Europe — and an anti-Israel march before Saturday’s grand final.