Researchers reported microplastics were found accumulating in human brains, with samples from 2024 showing higher concentrations than samples from 2016 and analyses back to 1997 indicating newer samples had more microplastics.
French President Emmanuel Macron cited U.S. President Donald Trump's '51st state' comments about Canada as an example of the United States turning away from allies; German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier made related remarks about a breakdown of shared values.
Mohamed Abdullah Warsame faces new charges over alleged threats to Montreal transit and Passport Canada, and his lawyer says he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia; the case is currently being negotiated in court.
Russia criticized the U.S. seizure of a tanker it says was sailing under a temporary Russian flag and said the move could raise military and political tensions; the U.S. said the vessel was seized for alleged sanctions violations and any further actions are undetermined.
Pope Leo XIV announced he intends to convene the world’s cardinals annually and asked them to return to Rome for a proposed second session on June 27-28; future gatherings would be planned for three to four days each year.
A judge refused to overturn one of Harvey Weinstein's New York convictions, and Weinstein is weighing a potential guilty plea as a March 3 retrial is scheduled for an unresolved rape charge.
Aila Tuulikki Riikonen died on January 6, 2026, at Health Sciences North after a brief illness; she was 93 and immigrated from Oulu, Finland in 1960.
Byron Jason Evers died on January 6, 2026, at age 51; cremation has taken place and his family will celebrate his life privately.
Cigarettes are appearing more often in celebrity images and social feeds, while Canadian youth smoking rates have continued to decline and health experts say the health risks of cigarettes remain unchanged.
On January 1, 2026, works from 1930 entered the public domain, including Betty Boop; creators can now use her early images and name without permission.
