Ronnie Wood says Toronto helped start him up.

Nearly 50 years after the Rolling Stones slipped into the El Mocambo under the pseudonym the Cockroaches, the guitarist still considers those legendary 1977 club gigs his “initiation” into the band.

Having recently joined the Stones, he recalls falling sick around that period and going to bed, only for guitarist Keith Richards and frontman Mick Jagger to raid his hotel room.

“Mick and Keith unscrewed the screws on my door, took the door off its hinges and stole all my champagne,” the 79-year-old Wood says on a virtual call from London.

“They went, ‘Oh, bless you, Ronnie. You really are ill. We’ll have to drink your champagne for you.’ So that’s how they treated me.”

Now, as the Stones prepare to drop their 25th studio album “Foreign Tongues” on July 10, the axeman says the famed British rockers are trying to tap into the loose, ragged spirit that defined those early years.

“Or as I call it, ‘more solos,’ because I’m playing up a storm,” says Wood.

“I said, ‘Mick, I want more solos. He said, ‘Ronnie, you’ve got a solo on every bloody song!'”

The band released the scrappy single “Rough and Twisted” earlier this year as a limited vinyl under the Cockroaches, reviving a moniker they used for secret club appearances in the 1970s.

“That started in Canada,” Wood notes.

“The Cockroaches and the El Mocambo was a great initiation time for me. Great fun.”

The two March 1977 shows became the stuff of rock legend. Fans packed into the 300-capacity club expecting an obscure opening act for Canadian band April Wine, only to discover they were actually watching the Rolling Stones.

The surrounding drama added to the lore. During the trip, Richards and then-partner Anita Pallenberg were arrested and charged with heroin possession after an RCMP raid on their room at Toronto’s Harbour Castle Hotel.

“You throw in the odd bust on Keith and Anita, and oh my God, that was a heavy time in that hotel. There was a lot going on,” recalls Wood.

Richards was released on bail and eventually avoided serving time on the condition he perform a concert for the blind and continue addiction treatment.

Asked whether the controversy affected the band’s performances, Wood laughs.

“No, it only spiced it up. It made it better.”

NEW ALBUM TACKLES THE TIMES — AND TIME’S PASSAGE

Wood says “Foreign Tongues” crackles with some of that same combustible energy, intent on keeping the party going.

After their Grammy-winning 2023 effort “Hackney Diamonds” — their first original album in two decades — Wood notes the band wanted to ride the wave of momentum with producer Andrew Watt.

“We’ve got that energy back and that drive,” he says, adding the band pumped out albums every couple years in the “old days.”

The result is a cranked-up, riff-slinging set that feels both conscious of the times and mindful of time’s passage.

Jagger takes a shot at “mad mogul Mr. Musk” on the otherwise lascivious dance number “Mr. Charm,” while lamenting the United States’ fraying ideals on country swinger “Ringing Hollow” — “Lady Liberty don’t look so good when she’s wearing a frown,” he sings.

“Back in Your Life,” meanwhile, is a lighter-raising ballad about friends lost. Wood says he channelled his grief over the late Brian Wilson and Sly Stone, who died within days of each other last year, while recording the song’s soaring guitar solo.

“I’ve lost a lot of good friends lately, as well as famous people,” he says.

“I am blessed to still be here myself. It makes me realize that being a survivor is mind-blowing, really. And you don’t know how long it’s going to last.”

He slumps his head, pretending to croak, then bursts into laughter.

“We feel lucky because most people have got bits falling off, bits dropping off of their body.”

The album features one of the final recording sessions by late Stones drummer Charlie Watts, who died in 2021 but appears on the track “Hit Me in the Head.”

Another tribute arrives on “You Know I’m No Good,” a harmonica-laced cover of the Amy Winehouse hit.

Wood was close with the late British soul singer, who died of alcohol poisoning in 2011, and remembers being called on more than once by her band to coax her out of her hotel room and onto the stage.

“She was always like, ‘Oh, what am I gonna do?’ And I’d say, ‘Everyone knows you’ve got vodka in your water bottle. Come on, just make yourself available to do the show tonight,’” he says.

“But she was her own worst enemy…. The drugs always get in the way.”

KEEPING THE STONES ROLLING

After surviving decades of rock-star excess, Wood says he has a renewed outlook.

“I’m 16 years clean and serene, man. And life is new for me now. I’ve got two little lovely girls, Gracie and Alice,” he says of 10-year-old twin daughters with his wife, Sally.

“They’re bringing a new life to me and Sally. It’s great.”

Wood says he’s also helped the Stones survive themselves. During some of the band’s roughest years, particularly in the 1980s, he found himself mediating between Jagger and Richards when tensions threatened to split the group.

“There have been a few historic moments over the years where they’ve nearly separated for good,” he says. “I’ve said, ‘That can’t happen. You’ve got to stay together. I’m going to put you on the phone with each other.”

He says Jagger and Richards are now “closer than ever.”

“It’s taken a lot of years and a lot of hard work.”

More than six decades after starting up, the Stones apparently have no plans to stop. While there isn’t a tour slated for 2026, Wood says the band is eyeing the road.

“We really want to promote the album. We want a tour. We just love to play.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2026.

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press

TORONTO — An Ontario judge is expected to deliver her ruling today in the sexual assault trial of billionaire businessman Frank Stronach.

Stronach, who is 93, pleaded not guilty to 12 charges stemming from alleged incidents that took place decades ago involving seven complainants.

The trial started in February, and by the time arguments wrapped up in April, prosecutors had withdrawn one charge and agreed Stronach should be found not guilty on four more.

The judge overseeing the case, Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy, then said she couldn’t convict the businessman based on the evidence of one of the remaining complainants, whose account she found unreliable.

That leaves Stronach with five charges related to three complainants.

One of the three women was a former employee at Rooney’s, the popular restaurant and nightlife complex Stronach owned, while the other two said they first encountered him at the venue.

None of the complainants can be identified under a standard publication ban.

The former employee said she agreed to meet Stronach for dinner one evening in the early 1980s after reaching out to him for information on her termination from Rooney’s.


Over dinner at a restaurant, Stronach felt like a “fatherly mentor,” but the woman said she felt uncomfortable when he asked her to come see his nearby condo afterward.

She felt her heart pounding almost immediately after going into the unit, she testified. When she insisted on leaving, Stronach helped her put on her coat, groping her in the process, she said. The woman said he ran his hands up and down her body, touching her breasts and hips.

The woman left, and days or weeks later she received a call offering her a job interview at Magna International, the company Stronach founded in the 1950s, she said. She ended up working at the company for several years but didn’t work directly with Stronach, she said.

Another complainant said she was a regular at Rooney’s and had seen Stronach there frequently. One night in 1977, they had a lobster dinner at the restaurant then Stronach invited her to see his apartment, she said.

Once inside the apartment, Stronach disappeared for a few minutes, then the woman felt a push that put her over the arm of an armchair, she said. Stronach lifted up her skirt and she could feel his erect penis against her underwear like he was trying to penetrate them, she said.

The woman said she eventually freed herself by standing up, then took her coat and purse and left. She didn’t recall anyone speaking.

The final complainant said she met Stronach at Rooney’s in 1982 or 1983 and she was flattered when he asked her out to dinner.

After dessert, he asked her to come to his apartment, which was in a building attached to the hotel where they’d eaten, she said. After they walked in, Stronach took her straight to the living room couch and they talked a bit, she said.

When he tried to kiss her, the woman said she “rebuffed” him and clarified that she wasn’t there for that. Stronach got up, took her by the hand and led her to a small room with a cot, she said.

The woman said she tried to think of ways to manage the situation and figured she could go home if she gave him a few “smooches.”

Stronach dragged her on top of him on the cot and kissed her again, and she “half-heartedly” participated, she said. She tried to prevent him from pushing her knee-length dress up, but Stronach had her pinned, she said.

He eventually ripped her pantyhose and penetrated her, she said, adding she felt paralyzed and “let him do what he wanted to do.”

Stronach’s defence team argued his accusers lied and changed parts of their narratives over time, including on the stand, and urged the judge to find them neither credible nor reliable as witnesses.

The former employee introduced new “significant” details to her account during trial, including that Stronach had helped her with her coat, defence lawyer Leora Shemesh argued in her final submissions. It’s also hard to understand why the woman would take a job at Stronach’s company if she had felt trapped and afraid in his apartment, the lawyer argued.

The complainant who alleged Stronach tried to penetrate her on a chair was combative during cross-examination and lied that she had not seen any other complainants’ accounts, Shemesh argued. Her entire story is “unbelievable,” and some details didn’t emerge until a meeting with prosecutors weeks before trial, the defence lawyer said.

The final complainant was not honest about why she accompanied Stronach to his condo after dinner or why she agreed to go to the bedroom with him, Shemesh argued, noting the woman had not disclosed that she and Stronach held hands as they left the restaurant. The woman also tried to paint herself as an extremely successful businesswoman when she isn’t, making her a “fraud,” Shemesh said.

The defence also argued the case was “plagued by a negligent and reckless investigation” by police officers acting on “tunnel vision.”

Police previously told the court they were limited in what they could do to investigate the allegations because so much time had passed since the alleged incidents.

Stronach also faces a separate trial on similar charges in Newmarket, Ont., which is now set to take place next May.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2026.

Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press

NEWMARKET — Lawyers for an Ontario man accused of stealing and leaking Texan Republican Party data in 2021 say he has pleaded guilty before a Canadian court.

In a statement released this afternoon, Arash Ghiassi and Riaz Sayani say Aubrey Cottle has “formally accepted his role” in the hacking of the party’s website five years ago.

Ghiassi said in an email that Cottle pleaded guilty in a Newmarket, Ont., courthouse to unauthorized use of a computer, mischief to computer data, and failure to comply with a release order.

U.S. authorities announced the arrest of a man from Oshawa, Ont., in April of last year and said the suspect was facing charges under Canadian law.

At the time, the U.S. Department of Justice alleged Cottle had gained unauthorized access to “deface and download a backup of Texas Republican Party’s server” and made the data, which included personal information, available online for downloading.

The department further alleged Cottle claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on social media and a search of his electronic devices showed he was in possession of the stolen data.

Cottle’s legal team says their client has also been charged by the U.S. federal prosecutors over the same incident.

“As mater of fairness, that charge should now be withdrawn. No one should be prosecuted or punished twice for the same conduct,” they said.

“In the event of an extradition request, Canada should do the right thing and refuse to extradite Mr. Cottle,” they said, calling on Ottawa to “protect the integrity” of Canada’s legal system.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.

The Canadian Press

OSHAWA — Police say a falling tree struck a child in Oshawa, Ont., causing serious injuries.

Durham Region police say emergency crews responded to the area of Oxford Street and Dwight Avenue shortly after noon on Thursday.

They say a child under the age of 12 was without vital signs after being struck by the tree.

Police say the child regained consciousness after receiving medical help.

They say an air ambulance took the child to a Toronto-area hospital in serious condition.

Police say officers are investigating on the scene.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.

The Canadian Press

HAMILTON — Another week, another matchup against a top CFL quarterback for Bo Levi Mitchell.

Mitchell leads the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-1) against B.C. (0-1) on Friday night. Last year, Lions starter Nathan Rourke got the nod ahead of Mitchell for the CFL’s outstanding player award while also being named its top Canadian.

But Mitchell isn’t feeling any extra incentive to outplay Rourke at Hamilton Stadium.

“You look at the quarterback play around the league in the last couple of years, it’s every game,” Mitchell said. “It used to be back in the day it was those rivalries like me and Mike (Reilly) or Ricky (Ray), Anthony (Calvillo), Henry (Burris) but it just seems like every single week there’s a guy that can get out there and get it done.

“I don’t really think too much about topping them. You look at last week, 287 and the other guy had over 400 but we came out on top. Just doing what I can to make sure we win.”

Mitchell, 36, threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns in Hamilton’s 37-27 road win over Winnipeg last week. Bombers starter Zach Collaros had 421 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception.

Rourke, of Victoria, completed 24-of-37 passes for 330 yards in B.C.’s season-opening 31-27 road loss to the defending-champion Saskatchewan Roughriders last week. He also ran for a team-high 59 yards and TD.

Rourke enjoyed a record-setting 2025 campaign, throwing for a career-high 5,290 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also had 564 rushing yards — tops among CFL quarterbacks — and averaged 9.2 yards per carry while scoring 10 TDs.

Rourke’s 5,290 passing yards was a single-season CFL record for Canadian quarterbacks. The 31 TD strikes were second-most by a Canadian behind the legendary Russ Jackson’s 33 in 1969.

But Mitchell will take the same approach Friday that he does each week.

“You always like to get out there and prove yourself against the best, no matter who it is, what position they’re playing,” Mitchell said. “I like to talk myself up and tell myself I’m the best player on the field every single time I step out there.

“That’s how my thought process is. I’m sure there’s 50-60 other guys who think the same thing.”

In last season’s two matchups with B.C., Mitchell threw for 694 yards with six TDs. Rourke had 697 passing yards with two touchdowns but also ran for 62 yards.

B.C. will be short-handed Friday night as receivers Stanley Berryhill III (thigh) and Seven McGee (foot) and Canadian Jevon Cottoy (thigh) are all out. Veteran Keon Hatcher Sr. (102 catches, 1,688 yards, nine TDs last season) is a game-time decision with a thigh ailment.

“No matter what, it’s professional football so you’re going to have guys who’re able to play,” said veteran Hamilton safety Stavros Katsantonis. “Our focus is on what they do really well and stopping that.

“Obviously they have a really good quarterback and we must do our best to contain him, confuse him with looks and keep him from running the football.”

Canadian Justin McInnis led all B.C. receivers against Saskatchewan with eight catches for 129 yards while Hatcher had four receptions for 64 yards. Berryhill (three catches, 46 yards) and Cottoy (four receptions, 51 yards) also made contributions while McGee — the Lions’ top kick returner last year — started but had no catches.

Hamilton is also dealing with injuries. All-star cornerback Jamal Peters (head) won’t play while middle linebacker Wynton McManis (knee) has yet to make his Ticats debut.

American Zamari Walton comes off the practice roster to replace Peters. Canadian Ryan Baker — a University of British Columbia alum — draws a third straight start at middle linebacker.

As Hamilton’s offensive play caller, head coach Scott Milanovich will match wits with Mike Benevides, who’s in his second stint as B. C.’s defensive co-ordinator. Benevides, a three-time Grey Cup champion, also served as Lions head coach (2012-14) as well as an assistant with Calgary (2000-’02), Edmonton (2016-18) and Ottawa (2021-22).

“Bene has been around so long,” said Milanovich. “He has the ability to go to any coverage that has ever been designed and he will.

“So it’s a game you go into with a plan of how we think they’ll play us. If they don’t, then I’m telling the players to just be ready and we’ll adjust.”

Hamilton must also contend with Lions defensive lineman Mathieu Betts, the CFL’s top defensive player last season after posting a league-high 15 sacks. Betts has 12 sacks in his last seven games.

“He’s obviously a great player,” Milanovich said. “They move him around … we’ll have to keep an eye on him.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press

An Ontario Provincial Police constable killed on the job last week was remembered as a loving husband and son and the “glue” in his group of colleagues as fellow officers, family members and dignitaries paid their final respects on Thursday.

A photo of Const. Tarun Bali as a young boy, beaming and saluting, was placed at the front of the packed Mississauga funeral venue as bagpipes rang out and uniformed OPP pallbearers carried his coffin down the aisle.

Beneath the gleeful childhood photo was one of an adult Bali in uniform, the man the police force described as a proud Canadian who served with integrity and dedication.

Before the funeral got underway, police officers lined up in pouring rain for the arrival of the hearse with a large Canadian flag in the backdrop.

Bali, 29, was fatally struck by a vehicle last week in the northern Ontario town of Hearst, as police tried to stop a man who had escaped from a hospital. An 18-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Bali’s wife, Komal Sharma Bali, said she spent hours poring over photos to hold onto memories of a spouse who always “came home with kindness,” despite the weight of his job.

“Tarun was my safe place, my greatest love, my home,” she said. “He was the person I turned to without even thinking, and he somehow made even the heaviest days feel lighter.”

Her voice catching, she told Bali’s fellow officers that they shouldn’t blame themselves for his death as they replay his final moments in their minds.

“Sometimes, as painful as it is to accept, even our very best efforts can’t change the outcome. That’s not your fault,” she said.

“To Tarun… my words fall short of how I feel, but I am so lucky to love you and be loved by you,” she said, pausing for several moments as she fought to maintain her composure.

The late officer’s father said the pain of losing a son is impossible to put into words, but he hoped those listening would come away with a deep respect for police officers.

Ashok Bali said the family came to Canada in 2005, and he worked tirelessly alongside his wife to provide their children with a life of opportunity. Tarun Bali loved helping others and had dreamed of being a police officer since elementary school, his father said, gesturing to the old family photo.

“You were too young to leave us,” he said.

Chief Supt. Karl Thomas, who was Bali’s regional commander, remembered him as “the glue holding the group together during every challenge.”

Thomas said the officer’s service and courage will never be forgotten.

“There are no words that can fully ease your pain,” he said, addressing Bali’s wife and parents. “But please know this: You’re not alone. You are surrounded by a policing family and a broader community that stands with you today and in the days ahead.”

Bali had “a genuine warmth that drew people in,” said Supt. Jon Dumond, recalling the officer’s willingness to work countless hours across 11 detachments in the province and his volunteer work with Peel Region victim services.

Bali had been with the OPP for 2 1/2 years and was assigned to central Ontario’s Dufferin detachment but was on a deployment with the James Bay detachment when he was killed.

Sgt. Jay Moore of the Dufferin detachment said Bali was the first Indian officer to join the team, and fellow officers relied on him to translate when community members who couldn’t communicate in English needed help.

Moore recalled bringing Bali to his family home and holding the officer under his arm “like a son.”

During the service, Hindu priests chanted in Sanskrit and offered final prayers for Bali’s soul, believed to be eternal. A constable also sang O Canada ahead of a moment of silence.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford told mourners that he had a heart-wrenching conversation with Bali’s widow.

Bali’s death is felt across the province, including the Brampton neighbourhood where he grew up and the places where his OPP “family” resides, the premier said.

“We can never properly repay the debt of gratitude that this province owes him,” Ford said.

Dumond said Bali’s death is a reminder of “the profound realities of policing.”

Bali is one of two officers killed on the job in the province this month. Const. Marc Pinizzotto, a Toronto police veteran, was shot dead last week during a raid linked to investigations into multiple shootings, including one at the U.S. Consulate in March.

“The impact of Tarun’s service and life reach far beyond the calls for service that he answered, and he will be remembered for that,” Dumond said.

Bali’s family said they would appreciate donations to the SickKids Foundation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.

Elissa Mendes, The Canadian Press

TORONTO — The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has lifted its flood risk warning after heavy rainfall on Thursday, but is still advising residents to exercise caution around rivers and streams amid high water levels.

Environment Canada had said earlier in the day that a stretch of southern Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area, would see high wind gusts and up to 20 millimetres of rain through the morning.

The conservation authority initially put a flood warning in place, but has since downgraded it to a watershed conditions statement advising residents to be cautious around bodies of water.

It says flooding is not expected in local watersheds, but water levels in rivers and streams can be higher and flow faster than usual throughout the day.

Toronto police said Thursday morning some vehicles were seen stuck in flooding on parts of the Don Valley Parkway, but the flooding is now under control and roads in the area have reopened.

The conservation authority is advising residents to keep away from fast moving water and slippery banks and continue monitoring for pooling in low-lying areas.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.

The Canadian Press

Fellow officers, dignitaries and family members are paying their respects this morning to an Ontario Provincial Police constable killed on the job.

A photo of Const. Tarun Bali as a young boy, beaming and saluting, was placed at the front of the packed Mississauga funeral venue as bagpipes rang out and uniformed OPP pallbearers carried his coffin down the aisle.

Bali was fatally struck by a vehicle last week in the northern Ontario town of Hearst, as police tried to stop a man who had escaped from a hospital.

An 18-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder in the case.

The 29-year-old officer’s funeral service is not open to the general public, but the OPP allowed people to observe the funeral cortege as it travelled west on Highway 407 from Thornhill to the Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre.

The service is being livestreamed on the OPP’s YouTube page.

Bali is one of two officers killed on the job in the province this month. Const. Marc Pinizzotto, a Toronto police veteran, was shot dead last week during a raid linked to investigations into multiple shootings, including one at the U.S. Consulate in March.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.

The Canadian Press

TORONTO — A 19-year-old outstanding suspect in the U.S. consulate shooting in Toronto last March has been arrested, police announced Thursday, as officers continue to investigate a pattern of shootings across the city allegedly orchestrated by gun-for-hire networks.

Police said they were called to the U.S. consulate on University Avenue the morning of March 10 after two suspects allegedly fired multiple shots at the building before driving away in a stolen vehicle.

Surveillance footage later showed the suspects shooting at the building and recording a video of it on their phones, police said. No one inside the consulate was injured.

Police announced Tuesday they had arrested Sheldon Tracey-Stewart, 18, on multiple charges in the shooting. They also said they were searching for Zara Jabbi, 19.

Police said in a press release Thursday that they had arrested Jabbi and he faces charges including attack on the premises of internationally protected persons, possessing a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm and theft of a motor vehicle.

His arrest comes as police continue to investigate dozens of shootings across the Greater Toronto Area allegedly linked to criminal-for-hire networks, and after an officer was killed last week during a related raid.

Const. Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was fatally shot while officers were carrying out a search related to the investigation. Police said it happened at an apartment building in the city’s northwest on Thursday and Pinizzotto later died in hospital.

The man accused of shooting Pinizzotto, 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett, was shot and injured by police and will be charged with first-degree murder, as well as offences related to two other shootings, police said.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said at a press conference Tuesday that “multi-layered” gun-for-hire networks have allegedly recruited young people to carry out crimes.

Similar networks have also targeted synagogues and Jewish schools in the city, and police are working with the RCMP and the FBI to figure out who is orchestrating the shootings, Demkiw said.

“Through encrypted messaging apps, young people are hired to carry out attacks against various targets,” Demkiw said. He added the people behind the networks “want to create a sense of fear” in communities, including the Jewish community.

“In order to get paid, they’re required to film their attacks. Who’s paying for this? This is what we are trying to determine,” he said.

Demkiw said officers recovered two firearms during their operation last week, including a nine-millimetre handgun and a .45-calibre handgun, both of which originated in the United States. Investigators believe that firearms are being “swapped around” within the networks and used in different shootings.

Police said additional arrests and charges are possible as they continue to analyze forensic and ballistic evidence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.

Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press

The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is warning residents of increased flood risk amid heavy rainfall and thunderstorms on Thursday.

Environment Canada says a stretch of southern Ontario including the Greater Toronto Area is expected to see high wind gusts and up to 20 millimetres of rain through the morning.

The conservation authority says all rivers, streams, shorelines and low-lying areas should be considered dangerous due to elevated water levels.

Toronto police say some vehicles were seen stuck in flooding on parts of the Don Valley Parkway early Thursday, and some roads are closed near Evergreen Brick Works.

The conservation authority says residents should check traffic conditions before heading out and limit travel where possible.

It says residents should stay informed of local weather forecasts and rapidly changing conditions near rivers and streams.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.

The Canadian Press