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It may appear that U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to hit many Canadian products with new tariffs of 50 per cent came out of the blue, but there are clear signs of what’s driving the tactic.

Monday’s announcement comes as the U.S. pushes for significant changes to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), changes that would lock any Canadian trade concessions into the text of a trade deal.

The Trump administration wants to wipe out as much of Canada’s leverage in those CUSMA talks as possible.

Some of that leverage comes from eight Canadian provinces banning the import and distribution of U.S. alcohol products — one of the trade irritants the White House said triggered the new 50 per cent tariff.

The U.S. escalation is a big deal but is not unexpected, says Brian Clow, who advised former prime minister Justin Trudeau on Canada-U.S. relations.

“It’s not a surprise to the people in government and people who’ve been watching this closely because they’ve known for a while that the U.S. may turn up the heat on us,” Clow told CBC’s Power & Politics on Monday.

Government should ‘react calmly’

While Trump announced the new tariffs in presidential proclamations he issued on Monday, they aren’t scheduled to take effect until Aug. 19.

That dangles a carrot to Prime Minister Mark Carney, suggesting Canada could escape the stick of the new tariffs if the government simply capitulates to the U.S. on its demands within the month.

Clow warns the government against responding rashly to the threat.

“They have 30 days, so they should take that time, react calmly, not rush into any quick judgments or decisions here and think about their next steps,” he said.

The alcohol boycott has had a visible impact on the U.S. industry. According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, it has resulted in a $360 million US drop in wine exports to Canada in 2025 from the previous year, along with a $150 million US drop in spirit exports.

But retaliation for that boycott is just one of three ostensible reasons U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer gave for the new tariff threat.

“Canada has taken U.S. alcohol products off Canadian shelves, given better market access to dairy products from the European Union, and has put a cap on U.S. vehicle exports to Canada from companies reshoring to the United States,” Greer said in a statement. 

The tariffs would apply to nearly $20 billion US worth of Canadian goods, according to Greer’s office. That’s roughly five per cent of the value of Canada’s exports to the U.S. in 2025.

Milk, wine, whisky… and wigs

The U.S. has listed nearly 500 product categories impacted by the new tariffs, some of which clearly relate directly to trade irritants with the Canadian dairy sector and the provincial alcohol boycotts.

Canadian milk products, wine and whisky are all targets for the 50 per cent duty.

But dozens of products seem chosen at random, with no clear link to the stated trade barriers. Circular saw blades, candles, envelopes, hammers, Christmas decorations, synthetic wigs and plastic cups are among the items that face the 50 per cent tariff.

Some appear to make the list for their status as quintessentially Canadian, including hockey equipment and down jackets.

The list of products facing tariffs to “offset Canadian discrimination against the commerce of the United States with respect to motor vehicles” does not include any motor vehicles or auto parts.

“When a country designs a list like this, they go after where they can inflict maximum pain but also suffer the least amount of damage on their own economy,” said Clow.

Canadian exports of crude oil, potash and critical minerals are explicitly exempted from the tariff. That’s a clear sign that the Trump administration doesn’t want to trigger even more of a price increase at the gas pumps than was caused by the war with Iran, nor does it want to hamper U.S. farmers’ access to fertilizer or the defence industry’s access to military-grade material.

Still, the move would both broaden the scope and increase the size of existing U.S. tariffs on Canadian products.

Currently, the U.S. has a 10 per cent blanket tariff on all goods from Canada.

However, products that comply with the rules of origin in CUSMA are exempt, and that means the vast majority of Canadian exports enter the U.S. tariff-free.

The new tariff would be five times higher and CUSMA-compliant goods would not be exempt.

Never-before-used U.S. law

Trump is imposing the tariffs through a section of a 1930 trade law that has never before been used by a U.S. president.

John Veroneau, senior counsel with Washington, D.C.-based Covington and Burling law firm who also served as a trade official in the George W. Bush administration, says the section was intended to ensure trading partners don’t give some countries preferential tariff rates that put the U.S. at a disadvantage.

“It is ironic, to say the least, to use this authority to impose tariffs to retaliate against tariffs that were imposed in response to actions taken by the U.S.,” Veroneau told Reuters.

Trump has threatened to impose new or increased tariffs on Canadian products several times over the past year, but hasn’t actually followed through.

He threatened unspecified tariffs on Canada last week over smoke from wildfires, 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian-made aircraft in January, a 100 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods if Canada made “a deal with China” that same month, and an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian goods last October in response to a TV ad by the Ontario government.

For those who think Trump will once again chicken out, take note that he issued all those threats on social media or in comments to reporters. This time, he’s formalized the threat in official White House proclamations.

He also announced the new tariff plan one day after appearing alongside Carney at the FIFA World Cup final.

Perhaps the timing is a coincidence, or perhaps Trump and his officials realized that slapping high tariffs on the U.S.’s second-largest trading partner while jointly hosting a soccer tournament watched by billions around the globe would be bad optics.

• Should Canada hold firm on its current trade policies, including the provincial bans on U.S. alcohol, even if the tariffs go ahead? Join the conversation below or click here if you’re on the app.

Opposition MPs are expressing increasing frustration over the lack of details about how a deal between Canada and the U.S. to open a long-awaited major border crossing will work, with several calling on Ottawa to release a copy of the agreement.

Both the Conservatives and the NDP have written to the Liberal government demanding more information about the pact to open the $6.4-billion Gordie Howe International Bridge, which Canada paid for in full.

“Canadians are asking for full transparency regarding the costs of this project and the text of the recent Canada-U.S. agreement,” NDP MP Heather McPherson, the party’s critic for international trade, wrote Monday. “We find it unacceptable that your government has refused to answer questions about this project.”

The Prime Minister’s Office didn’t respond to CBC’s request for comment Monday.

Under the original crossing agreement signed more than a decade ago, Canada was set to recoup the costs using toll revenues and then would split the revenues with the state of Michigan.

Earlier this month, the Canadian government announced that it had struck a fresh deal with the U.S. to open the bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., and Detroit on July 27. The statement said the new pact includes provisions around toll management and investment of some profits into an economic development fund for 15 years. It provided few other details.

Various spokespeople for federal offices declined at the time to answer questions seeking more details.

In the week that followed, Prime Minister Mark Carney offered reporters seemingly contradictory information about the deal, which followed weeks of uncertainty after the bridge’s June opening was delayed.

Carney and Gregor Robertson, the housing and infrastructure minister, initially said the new pact included a plan to split “net profits” from tolls evenly between Canada and the economic development fund — which Carney has said will go toward the U.S. side of the border.

It’s unclear how there would be any profits over the next 15 years to split after debt repayments, which Carney said would come first.

But on Thursday, he said the split would be of “net revenues” after operational costs, such as maintenance and toll booth staffing. He also said the previous crossing agreement remains in place.

The Trump administration has said the split of net revenues will happen before Canada’s debt payments — seemingly contradicting the prime minister’s earlier comments.

“Our share is before interest and principal,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick posted on social media. “This is the Art of the Deal in action.”

The text of the agreement does not include a provision related to Canada’s debt repayment, according to Bloomberg News.

On Friday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wrote to Carney about the differing explanations of the agreement.

“Yesterday, while answering questions about the deal, you made directly contradictory statements about what you’ve given away,” Poilievre wrote. “First, you said, ‘It’s not splitting the tolls of the bridge.’ Then you continued, ‘It is an agreement for 15 years to split net revenues.’

“But you just said you would not be splitting the tolls, so which is it? Are the Americans getting a cut or not?”

Poilievre also questioned Carney’s descriptions of when and how Canada’s debt would be repaid.

The NDP’s letter, sent to Robertson and Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, criticized the government’s refusal to explain how the bridge’s net profits will be calculated, “especially given reports that Canada and the Windsor community may receive fewer benefits from this project than our U.S. counterparts.

“Moreover, Canadians are learning more details about this agreement from U.S. sources rather than our own government,” McPherson continued. “Canadians paid for this bridge and deserve to know the details.”

A man stabbed and injured two tourists Tuesday morning near the ancient Acropolis in Athens, Greece’s top tourist attraction, police said.

The assailant attacked a man and a woman, both Greek Americans, with a knife near the entrance of the Acropolis Museum, which lies at the foot of the Acropolis hill. The woman suffered light injuries to the leg, while the man was more seriously hurt, with wounds to the arm, police said.

The attacker was detained, while the two victims were transported to hospital by ambulance, authorities said. The identity of the attacker was not immediately clear, but police said he appeared to have been suffering from psychological problems.

Violent street attacks are rare in Greece. In April, authorities arrested an 89-year-old man who allegedly opened fire with a shotgun in a social security office and a courthouse in central Athens, wounding at least four people, reportedly over social security grievances.

The Acropolis hill hosts the nearly 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple as well as other monuments, and attracts millions of tourists annually, with about 4.6 million people visiting the site last year.

The Canadian government has signed on as the first observer in the U.K., Italy and Japan’s program to build the next generation of stealth fighter jets by 2035. 

The commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force told CBC News that observer status means that Canada can now take part in classified talks and assess what role it could play in the Global Combat Air Programme.

Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet also sounded confident that Canada could become a full partner later and eventually buy these jets.

“I think it is very feasible to imagine a world where Canada contributes and then ultimately would employ this aircraft in the future,” Speiser-Blanchet said in an exclusive interview. 

Defence Minister David McGuinty said the government is taking the process “step-by-step” and would not commit now to purchasing the aircraft under development. 

The move to join the three-nation program is part of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s strategy to diversify Canada’s military purchases and partnerships to become less reliant on the U.S., which on Monday imposed 50 per cent tariffs on a wide range of Canadian exports. Four members of Carney’s cabinet were at the U.K.’s Farnborough International Airshow trying to make deals when the news broke.

McGuinty made the announcement in London with the U.K.’s new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and their Italian and Japanese counterparts. The U.K.’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, welcomed Canada to the program in a statement.

“While Canada won’t have a decision-making role, the move gives them privileged access to the programme and paves the way for discussions on Canada’s future participation and contribution,” the U.K.’s ministry of defence said in a press release.

The announcement comes more than a year into Canada’s review of whether it will go ahead with procuring a full fleet of American fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets or move to a mixed fleet to include Sweden’s Saab Gripen-E fighters built in Canada. The government launched the review in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s annexation threats and tariffs pummeling some Canadian industries. 

The government has been slow to procure the F-35s and is set to receive its first four in October.

But one reason the government is already looking into the sixth-generation fighter jets while still procuring the fifth generation is because the technology is moving so quickly. 

Technology advancing fast

China and Russia say they’ve already figured out how to detect fifth-generation fighter jets. Sixth-generation fighters are expected to have superior stealth technology, carry more weapons and operate more seamlessly with crewed and uncrewed systems, including drones.

A pilot in the cockpit could direct drones alongside the fighter jet more efficiently in both offensive and defensive roles. 

McGuinty called it a “breakthrough” that Canada can get in early on this cutting-edge research.

Canada will be looking at whether Canadian industry can help build the aircraft. But Speiser-Blanchet said Canada could also play a role in testing platforms in the Arctic to make sure they work seamlessly.

Taking part in this international program will not replace the purchase of the fifth-generation aircraft, McGuinty said. Instead, it is a way to set Canada up for the future, similar to running a sports franchise, he said. 

“You’re beginning to scout for and look for talent from 15- to 16-year-old players before they are at an age where they can recruit to your team,” he told CBC News. 

Jets could complement existing fleet

Speiser-Blanchet said if Canada became a full partner and bought the sixth-generation jets, they could extend or complement the fifth-generation fighter fleet. 

“Personally, I do think that would be a good step for Canada because we will want to be part of the allied efforts, working with our partners to be relevant and able to address those future threats,” she said. 

She says the sixth generation of fighter jets will advance existing technology and use artificial intelligence, with an eye to being able to better control the skies and gain an advantage over adversaries.

“It’s taking it even further in terms of stealth technology — which is about remaining, undetected and then being able to operate in the airspace with more freedom to manoeuvre,” said Spieser-Blanchet. 

The U.S. is working on its own sixth-generation stealth fighter jet, the F-47, which Trump has said will be the “most lethal aircraft ever built” and that nothing else would compare. But it is unclear whether the Americans will make the jets available to their closest allies.

Asked if Canada’s move could upset the U.S., British defence expert Trevor Taylor at the Royal United Services Institute said it might.

“It’s possible that it would upset some prominent figures in the United States, but I don’t think it would surprise many people in the U.S. because of what’s happened the last few months,” said Taylor, who is the institute’s Director of the Defence, Industries & Society Programme. 

Interoperable with U.S. fighter jets

McGuinty said he does not think the U.S. will be upset because it wants NATO partners to take on more initiative and work together.

“I think the United States will be pleased to see that there are additional efforts going on right now,” McGuinty said. 

Speiser-Blanchet said it will be “very important” that the fighter jets are interoperable with U.S. aircraft because they need to share data and work together.

BAE Systems in the U.K. is the country’s lead systems integrator for the Global Combat Air Programme. The company displayed a prototype of the jet at the Farnborough International Airshow this week and told CBC News the fighter jet will be interoperable with earlier and future generations of fighter jets in the U.S. and Europe. 

“That’s a key part of the program,” said Jonny Morton, BAE’s future combat air system director for capability, partnerships and security.  “It’s about our fourth-, fifth- and sixth-year platforms being integrated together to give us that advantage against adversaries.”

He said threats from adversaries are growing quickly and the fighter jet is focused on what those threats could look like in 10 to 20 years and how to respond. 

“It will be survivable in a way that we’ve not seen today,” Morton said.

Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will fight extradition to the United Kingdom, where the brothers are accused of rape and sex trafficking, their lawyer said on Monday.

The Tates appeared in federal court on Monday for the first time since their arrest on Saturday and are being held in federal detention. In the coming weeks, a U.S. district judge will consider whether they meet the conditions for extradition.

U.S. Magistrate Lauren Louis set another hearing for July 27.

In court documents unsealed on Monday, U.S. prosecutors described allegations from the United Kingdom against the brothers involving three victims. One woman accused Tristan Tate of rape and assault during a long-term relationship with him beginning in 2012, including when she was unconscious, reporting him to U.K. authorities multiple times.

Two other women — one who met Andrew Tate through a webcam business and another through a dating app — also accused him of rape and assault in 2014 and 2015.

The brothers, through their social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny, are among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities.

Normally photographed in tailored suits and fitted shirts, they wore tan jail uniforms and handcuffs during Monday’s brief hearing. Neither brother said a word.

Their attorney, Joseph McBride, insisted they should remain in the U.S.

“We are of course objecting to extradition because Andrew and Tristan are innocent,” McBride said after the hearing. “They’ve never done nothing wrong. They shouldn’t be extradited for crimes they did not commit.”

Lawyer raises vague political accusation

McBride also suggested the attempt to have them extradited was politically motivated.

He said the Tates’ case “had a lot to do with” former British prime minister Keir Starmer’s decision to step down, without providing any details, and said it was no coincidence that the brothers were arrested after meeting “friends in Washington, D.C.”

“We went to see our Congress people in D.C. and now we’re getting arrested. This feels political,” McBride said. He didn’t specify who the pair met with or what was discussed.

Prosecutors in Britain said the new charges relate to four new victims and were brought after authorities received evidence from Bedfordshire Police in southeastern England. The allegations, spanning 2010 to 2017, include rape, assault, trafficking and offences relating to “indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.”

McBride said none of the latest accusers have been identified, adding “we’d like to know who’s accused Andrew and Tristan of what.”

The brothers are already charged with rape, bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain relating to three other alleged victims in the U.K. between 2012 and 2015.

Their lawyer said in a statement on Saturday that he believed the arrests were “greenlighted by a low-level functionary” at the Justice Department without input from leadership. The Justice Department told The Associated Press that the arrests were approved by leadership of its Criminal Division.

The new allegations are the latest in a long-running international legal saga involving the Tates that has spanned the U.S., Britain and Romania. The brothers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

The dual U.S. and British citizens moved to Romania in 2016. They were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations and the Romanian case hasn’t gone forward because of legal and procedural problems.

Last year, they were allowed to leave Romania and flew to Florida.

Trump supporters

The former professional kickboxers have millions of followers on social media and are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump.

Andrew Tate, 39, first became known a decade ago when he was a contestant on the U.K. reality television show Big Brother. He was booted from the show when a video appeared to show him assaulting a woman.

He has amassed more than 10 million followers on X but has been banned from other platforms for violating hate speech guidelines, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. He has made widely condemned comments, such as saying women who are sexually assaulted should bear some responsibility for the attacks and sharing graphic descriptions of how he might attack women.

The Tate brothers have consistently denied allegations of abuse and human trafficking, claiming their violent and misogynistic statements have been taken out of context or were intended as jokes.

Wheelchair basketball player Kady Dandeneau and lawn bowler Ryan Bester will lead Canada’s delegation at the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland on Thursday.

Dandeneau, a two-time Paralympian who won Commonwealth Games 3×3 gold in 2022, will carry the Canadian flag, while Bester, one of the most decorated bowlers in Canadian history, will carry the baton into the iconic Hydro arena.

Coverage begins on Thursday, starting with the pre-ceremony show at 2:30 p.m. ET, hosted by CBC Sports’ Andi Petrillo and Paralympic cycling medallist Nathan Clement. CBC Gem, CBCSports.ca and CBC will then have live coverage of the opening ceremony at 3 p.m. ET.

Commonwealth Sport Canada invited each participating national sport organization to nominate candidates. The nominees were evaluated based on their athletic achievement and degree of participation, leadership qualities, and community service and contributions to sport, the announcement said.

The process sought athletes who embody the values of the Commonwealth Sport movement —  humanity, equality and destiny — while serving as exceptional ambassadors. 

“Kady and Ryan were selected not only because of their outstanding athletic achievements, but because of the leadership, character and service they have demonstrated throughout their careers,” said Erica Wiebe, Team Canada’s chef de mission for the Commonwealth Games. 

“Kady has become a powerful advocate for inclusive sport and an inspiring leader within the Para sport community, while Ryan has represented Canada with distinction and humility for more than two decades on the international stage. 

“Together, they embody the values of Team Canada and the Commonwealth movement, and we are proud to have them lead our team into the opening ceremony.”

Dandeneau 2020 athlete of the year

Dandeneau, from Pender Island, B.C., represented Canada at the Tokyo and Paris Paralympic Games and was named Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s female athlete of the year in 2020. The 36-year-old’s long list of accomplishments also includes MVP honours at last year’s 3×3 Open world championships and gold and silver medals at the Parapan American Games in 2019 and 2022, respectively. She’s also a Wheelchair Basketball Canada Hall of Famer.  

Dandeneau currently serves on the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation Players’ Commission, helping shape the future of the sport globally. She is an advocate for inclusive sport and a mentor to young athletes

“Carrying the Canadian flag into the opening ceremony is an honour that is difficult to put into words,” Dandeneau said. “To represent Team Canada and the entire Canadian sport community in this way is incredibly special. I hope this moment inspires young athletes, especially those in adaptive sport, to believe that they belong and that anything is possible. I am proud to carry the flag for all Canadians and to share this experience with Ryan and the entire Team Canada family.”

Bester in 7th Commonwealth Games

Glasgow will mark the seventh Commonwealth Games appearance for Bester, a two-time silver medallist at the event. The Hanover, Ont., native has more than two decades of experience representing Canada, earning 18 medals across the Commonwealth Games, world championships and Asia Pacific Championships — including four gold. He captured the men’s singles world title in 2023.

For the first time, every country and territory will receive a baton, which Bester will feature at the opening ceremony. Every nation will also customize and decorate the baton that represent their culture.  

Bester was a member of the inaugural World Bowls Hall of Fame class in 2025, in recognition of his remarkable international career and lasting contribution to the sport. Like Dandeneau, Bester has earned a reputation as an exceptional competitor, mentor and ambassador for Canadian sport.

“The Commonwealth Games have played an important role in my life and career, so to be named Team Canada’s baton-bearer for the opening ceremony is truly humbling,” Bester said. “Representing Canada at a seventh Commonwealth Games is already incredibly meaningful, and to help lead our team into the stadium alongside Kady is something I will never forget.

“I am honoured to represent my teammates and Canadians from coast to coast to coast on this special occasion.”

The Commonwealth Games will take place from Thursday to Sunday, Aug. 2, featuring 10 sports and six Para sports. Team Canada will compete under the theme “Mighty, Together”, celebrating the power of sport to unite communities and inspire excellence.

“A sincere congratulations and thank you to Kady Dandeneau and Ryan Bester for proudly leading our athletes and carrying the Maple Leaf onto the world stage at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games,” said Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State for Sport. “With their leadership, dedication and commitment, they will be exceptional ambassadors for Team Canada, inspiring Canadians from coast to coast to coast.”

Leading Team Canada in Glasgow will be Wiebe, an Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion wrestler whose own Commonwealth journey began in Glasgow in 2014.

Lebanese army troops began deploying in the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh on Tuesday after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, a senior Lebanese security official said, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan.

The plan foresees Lebanese army troops confiscating weapons from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah group in parts of southern Lebanon and phased withdrawals of Israeli troops. The Israeli military said on Monday that the plan has begun. It had no immediate comment on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s handover of territory is the first test of the plan, which Lebanon hopes will enable it to restore control over a strip of land about 10 kilometres deep into the country that remains occupied by Israeli troops.

Dozens of villages have been razed in that area and public infrastructure has been destroyed, including hospitals, power stations and water pumps. Tens of thousands of Lebanese who call the area home have been unable to return.

The latest round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel began at the start of March, two days after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Hezbollah said its actions were in support of Tehran.

The Lebanese army renewed a call for residents not to enter Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh until the security situation stabilizes and to follow instructions from deployed military units for their own safety.

Extensive damage left behind

A senior Lebanese military official told Reuters that army units were sweeping the town for unexploded ordnance, but that much work remained before it could be declared safe for residents.

“Army engineering teams have entered Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, and we are waiting for further instructions,” the town’s mayor, Abed Ezzeddin, said. “We will inform residents once the area is confirmed to be safe and under the army’s control.”

Ezzeddin described the destruction as extremely extensive, saying more than half the town had been destroyed and that the remaining homes had suffered severe damage, leaving the village uninhabitable.

He questioned whether residents could return safely while Israeli forces remained in neighbouring Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh, which he said was closely connected to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh and only a five-minute walk away.

“How can I be sure that I can enter Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh safely?” Ezzeddin said. “How can I think of settling there when the Israelis are right next to me in Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh?”

The framework agreement, which does not include Hezbollah, was signed on June 26. The U.S. State Department previously said the framework establishes a process for dismantling Hezbollah and for Lebanon to regain territory that was taken by Israeli forces as they battled the militant group.

Israeli officials have voiced skepticism about Lebanon’s ability to disarm Hezbollah but Israel sees the deal reached last month as a vital step towards building peace with Lebanon in the long run.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was due later on Tuesday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.

One of the Toronto police officers charged in the sweeping police corruption and organized crime investigation dubbed Project South pleaded guilty to two charges Tuesday morning. 

Derek McCormick, 57, entered a guilty plea and was convicted of breach of trust and one count of theft under $5,000 in Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto.

Justice Jonathan Bliss gave the now-retired constable a 10-month conditional sentence, which includes five months of house arrest and five months of a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew. There will be exceptions for circumstances such as medical emergencies and counselling sessions.

McCormick was also ordered not to consume alcohol or any other prescribed substances without a prescription.

“Your actions tarnished your reputation and the reputation of all honest, hard-working Toronto police officers,” Bliss told McCormick while delivering his sentence.

“You sit before me with your policing career appropriately at an end … I doubt very much you expected your career would end in such disgrace and dishonour.”

Bliss noted several mitigating factors in McCormick’s case, which he said made a conditional sentence appropriate and not contrary to the public interest. Those included McCormick taking responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty and seeking treatment for an addiction to painkillers.

“Mr. McCormick is filled with remorse and shame for letting himself and others around him down,” said the judge.

If McCormick were to breach the conditions of his sentence, he could be forced to serve out the rest of it in jail.

Four other charges McCormick was facing — three more counts of theft under $5,000 and one count of obstruction of justice — were withdrawn.

The Crown and defence proposed a joint submission for sentencing, which Bliss accepted.

According to an agreed statement of facts, McCormick’s theft and breach of trust guilty pleas concern the former constable stealing a cellphone that was turned in to him at the front desk of 52 division.

McCormick stole the phone for Toronto police Const. Timothy Barnhardt, who had asked McCormick to get him burner phones, the statement said.

Officer had painkiller addiction, Crown says

Crown prosecutor Vlatko Karadzic said McCormick had a painkiller addiction, was suffering from PTSD at the time of his crimes and had been buying Percocet pills from Barnhardt. Between August and December 2025, Barnhardt sold those painkillers to McCormick at least 10 times, providing him with hundreds of pills, according to the agreed statement of facts.

Barnhardt is also charged in Project South and has been described as the “genesis” of the investigation. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.

Karadzic told the court there is no evidence McCormick knew how the phone he provided was used.

“He’s best described as a peripheral player in this project,” Karadzic said of the officer in his sentencing submissions.

McCormick was suspended without pay from Toronto police in May.

He retired from Toronto police at the beginning of July after 28 years with the service, according to his lawyer, Gary Clewley.

Scope of probe grew

Project South began in June 2025 when York Regional Police thwarted an alleged plot to kill a senior corrections officer at Toronto South Detention Centre. 

While investigating that alleged conspiracy, York police discovered that Barnhardt had allegedly shared confidential information about a senior correctional officer with a civilian. Police have then accused the civilian of providing that information to others charged in the alleged murder plot. 

From there, the scope of the probe grew to include other alleged police corruption tied to organized crime. 

The other six current police officers and a retired constable charged in Project South are expected to make their first appearance in Superior Court of Justice on Wednesday, where prosecutors are proceeding with their cases by direct indictment.

That means the cases will skip a preliminary inquiry, typically used in criminal cases to determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to proceed with a trial, and head directly to trial.

The Crown has narrowed the scope of charges they’ll prosecute against some of those officers and a few of the civilians headed to Superior Court in their indictments. 

Supporters of India’s youth-led Cockroach movement said Tuesday they will continue their protest in New Delhi, refusing to leave their sit-in site a day after police used tear gas and batons to disperse thousands of them as they tried to march toward parliament.

Hundreds of protesters remained camped at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site, under heavy police presence, saying they would stay until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns over alleged failures in India’s examination system.

“We are going to continue our protest,” said Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

Monday’s confrontation between protesters and police has become one of the most significant moments in the CJP’s two-month campaign, which began as a satirical protest but quickly evolved into a nationwide, youth-led movement focused on exam leaks, unemployment and government accountability.

Video of police beating protesters with batons and dragging demonstrators away spread quickly on social media, fuelling public outrage.

Some footage showed young protesters crying and pleading with officers not to hit them, while others captured a defiant scene of youths standing their ground and enduring baton strikes.

Delhi Police said nearly 180 people were injured, including 118 security personnel and 60 protesters.

Sona Bisht, a 20-year-old student who was part of the protest, said the confrontation with police had strengthened her resolve.

“If the government thinks that doing this with Gen Z, they can stop us, then that won’t happen. We are here talking about education, talking about securing our future,” she said.

After nearly a month of silence, the government made its first apparent move to engage with the protesters Monday, when a senior minister held talks with movement representatives. The outreach failed to ease tensions, with leaders saying they wanted action rather than assurances, including Pradhan’s resignation, examination reforms and compensation for families of students who died by suicide after alleged exam irregularities.

Dipke accused authorities of breaking their word, saying police resorted to a baton charge after protesters were invited for talks.

Rights group Amnesty International said in a statement late Monday that the police action showed “how peaceful dissent is being suppressed in India.”

“The role of the authorities is to protect and facilitate peaceful protests, not to suppress them. The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is recognized under international human rights law and the Indian constitution,” it said.

The movement, drawing students, professionals and families, marks a rare public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in its third term, reviving criticism over its handling of dissent and its use of force to respond to protests. It gained momentum over the weekend after prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose three-week hunger strike has become a symbol of the protests, was forcibly taken to a hospital by police.

Rabina Kashyap, a 26-year-old working professional, said she joined the protest on Tuesday after seeing police use tear gas and baton charges against students.

“I have nothing to do with this protest,” she said. “But this is India, this is my country, and these are my people. So I will stand by them.”

Toronto’s mayor is introducing a motion to ban surveillance pricing for groceries and other essentials, a practice where businesses adjust what they charge customers based on their personal data.

“No one should have a different price based on who you are,” Chow said at a news conference before Tuesday’s executive committee meeting at city hall. “That’s just not fair.”

Chow moved to direct city staff to look for all possible ways Toronto can “ban and regulate surveillance pricing that increases prices on groceries, including those sold online and delivered within the city,” and report back next year.

“We will fight the rising costs of groceries and protect Torontonians from being gouged by corporate giants looking to maximize their profit on the backs of regular people,” she said, adding that many Torontonians are already struggling to afford the cost of living.

Coun. Alejandra Bravo, who seconded Chow’s motion, said using consumer data to maximize the profit companies can extract from each individual customer is “predatory pricing.”

Premier against ban, says free market keeps costs low

Other levels of government have recently considered the issue, including Manitoba, which is currently looking at making “personalized algorithmic pricing” an unfair business practice.

Conversely, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said earlier this year that he was against banning algorithmic personalized pricing, saying he believes in a free-market, capitalist society, and competition is the best way to keep prices low.

An Ontario NDP motion to ban surveillance pricing was voted down in April, shortly after Ford’s comments.

The federal NDP introduced a similarly unsuccessful motion this spring to ban the practice online and in retail stores.

Weeks later, the initial draft of the federal AI strategy, though light on details, said Canada will strengthen privacy laws to ensure “personal information is not used inappropriately, including for surveillance pricing.”