Year in review: A look at events in September 2024

By The Canadian Press on December 12, 2024.

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he has ripped up the supply and confidence deal his party had with the minority Liberal government. The 2022 agreement had helped prop up Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government. Singh gives remarks during a press conference in Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

A look at news events in September 2024

1 – Israel recovers the bodies of six hostages in Gaza, including an Israeli-American hostage. The family of Hersh Goldberg-Polin says they have confirmed his death, ending a relentless campaign to rescue him that included meetings with world leaders. The 23-year-old Goldberg-Polin was seized by militants at a music festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7, and was last seen with his left hand missing and speaking under duress. The army says the hostages were killed shortly before they could be rescued.

1 – American journalist Linda Deutsch dies at the age of 80 after a fight with pancreatic cancer. She was a correspondent for The Associated Press for nearly 50 years and covered some of the most significant criminal and civil trials in the United States, including the conviction of Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, the prosecution of Charles Manson, O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson and others.

2 – Canadian investigative journalist Stevie Cameron dies at the age of 80. She was known for work that ranges from stories about a prime minister’s involvement in jet purchases to the murders of women on a British Columbia pig farm. Her daughter Amy Cameron confirmed that Stevie died at home in Toronto from Parkinson’s. Among Cameron’s best-known works is an investigation into then-prime minister Brian Mulroney’s involvement in the purchase of new Airbus jets. Cameron was accused of being an informant for the RCMP when they launched their own investigation, but those accusations were later recanted.

2 – A Brazilian Supreme Court panel upholds a decision to block billionaire Elon Musk’s social media platform X countrywide. The move deals a blow to Musk and his supporters, who have sought to reverse the decision by criticizing the judge who first implemented it as an authoritarian censor of political speech. Last week, the court blocked access to the platform after the company failed to name a local legal representative, as required by law. The platform was to remain blocked until it complies with his orders and pays outstanding fines.

2 – A teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy in the hit film “Gidget” dies. James Darren had a long career that included becoming a successful television director behind episodes of well-known series like “Beverly Hills 90210.” But to young movie fans of the late 1950s, he would be best remembered as Moondoggie in “Gidget,” opposite Sandra Dee. His son says the 88-year-old Darren died in his sleep at a Los Angeles hospital.

3 – Ukraine’s president says more than 40 people are dead and more than 200 others injured after Russian ballistic missiles struck an educational facility and nearby hospital in a central-eastern Ukrainian region. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the two missiles hit the city of Poltava in what appears to be one of the deadliest strikes carried out by Russian forces since the war began in February 2022.

4 – Nova Scotia says it will spend $42 million over five years in a partnership with Google Cloud to improve digital health care. The province says three projects are in the works to help improve access to health information using cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

4 – Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he has ripped up the supply and confidence deal his party had with the minority Liberal government. The 2022 agreement has helped prop up Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government. Singh announced today the NDP are pulling out of the deal because of the government’s failure to tackle corporate greed and its inability to stop the Opposition Conservatives, who are surging in the polls.

4 – Newfoundland and Labrador is the first province to sign on to the federal government’s plan for a national school food program. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government signed a deal that will see the province get about $9 million over three years. He says the money will allow the province to expand school food programs to feed more than 4,100 kids.

5 – Ontario’s convenience stores begin selling booze and premixed cocktails amid an expansion of the provincial alcohol market. President of the Ontario Convenience Store Association Kenny Shim says corner stores can expect an increase in foot traffic, making for an exciting time in the middle of a bad economy. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario says 4,200 licences have been issued to convenience stores.

5 – Canadian health officials say they will issue a formal apology for doctors’ roles in harming members of the country’s Indigenous communities. The Canadian Medical Association says it will apologize in a livestreamed ceremony in Victoria on September 18th. The association representing Canadian physicians says the apology is meant to address the medical system’s role in causing harm to Indigenous peoples, “both through action and inaction.”

5 – Via Rail has 30 days to make changes following a train delay that left passengers stranded for 10 hours as they ran out of food, water and working toilets over the Labour Day long weekend. Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez says he told the railway company in a letter that it needs to update its emergency management action plan. He also encouraged Via Rail to work with Transport Canada to institute an updated communications protocol in the same time-frame.

5 – Jeremy Broadhurst, one of Justin Trudeau’s longest advisers, resigns as the Liberal Party of Canada’s national campaign director. It comes a day after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh ended the supply and confidence agreement supporting the Liberals on key votes, a move that has heightened the threat of an early election. Broadhurst cited the toll two decades and five national campaigns have taken on himself and his family as the reason for leaving.

6 – A Pakistani national living in Canada is arrested over an alleged terror plot in New York. The U.S. Department of Justice says the 20-year-old man was part of an alleged Islamic State terror plot to kill Jewish people. Officials say the attack was to take place around the Oct. 7 anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel last year. United States Attorney General Merrick Garland says Muhammad Shahzeb Khan was arrested in Quebec thanks to “quick action” by Canadian law enforcement.

6 – Manitoba Grand Chief Cathy Merrick dies after suddenly collapsing outside the Winnipeg Law Courts building. She had been speaking with reporters about two court cases when she said she felt dizzy and fell to the ground. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says flags at the legislature have been lowered to half-mast.

7 – Nova Scotia’s RCMP commander issues an apology to the public over the force’s history of street checks against Black people in the province. Assistant Commissioner Dennis Daley says the force is sorry for the ways street checks harmed everything from economic opportunities to interactions with family and friends. The practice is now banned in Nova Scotia. It used to involve police randomly stopping citizens to record their personal information and store it electronically.

8 – Canadian paralympic athletes return from Paris with 29 medals, including 10 gold. The closing ceremonies were to happen at Place de la Concorde, with B.C. swimmer Nicholas Bennett and Ottawa canoeist Brianna Hennessy chosen as flag-bearers for Canada. Hennessey says she hopes this year’s Games will change attitudes toward people with disabilities.

8 – Bass guitarist Herbie Flowers, who played with some of the biggest names in the music business, dies at the age of 86. Flowers gave Lou Reed’s 1972 song “Walk on the Wild Side” its recognizable twinned bassline. He also played bass on David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” and Paul McCartney’s “Give My Regards to Broad Street.” Flowers was also a founding member of the pop group Blue Mink before later joining the rock band T-Rex.

9 – Former fashion mogul Peter Nygard is sentenced to 11 years in prison. Nygard’s time behind bars will work out to a little less than seven years, after accounting for time he’s already spent in custody. The 83-year-old was convicted last November on four sexual assaults before the sentencing process was delayed a number of times. The former head of a successful women’s fashion company was accused of sexually assaulting multiple women at his firm’s Toronto headquarters from the 1980s until the mid-2000s. Justice Robert Goldstein called Nygard a “sexual predator” and “a Canadian success story gone very wrong.” Citing her client’s age and poor health, Nygard’s lawyer had argued for a six-year sentence while the Crown sought a sentence of 15 years.

9 – Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert receive six-and-a-half-year prison sentences for their role in a border blockade in Coutts, Alta. They both received almost four years credit for time spent in custody. They were convicted of mischief and possession of a firearm dangerous to the public peace for their roles in the 2022 Canada-U.S. border blockade in protest of COVID-19 rules and vaccine mandates. A jury found them not guilty of conspiracy to murder police officers at the blockade.

9 – Acclaimed actor and voice of Darth Vader James Earl Jones dies at age 93. The pioneering actor who eventually lent his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and “Star Wars” worked deep into his 80s. In his career, he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement, among other awards.

10 – The Russian military kicks off massive naval and air drills in a joint exercise with China. Dubbed “Ocean-24,” the war games involve over 400 warships, submarines and support vessels, more than 120 planes and helicopters and over 90,000 troops. Russian President Vladimir Putin says the drills are the largest carried out by the country in 30 years. He says in the context of growing geopolitical tensions in the world, this show of force is “especially important.”

10 – Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for president of the United States. Swift posted on Instagram her support for the Harris-Walz ticket shortly after the debate ended. She calls Harris a steady-handed, gifted leader and says she believes the U.S. would be better led by “calm and not chaos.” Swift has a dedicated following among young women, who are a key demographic in the November election.

11 – Taylor Swift fans in Saskatchewan set a Guinness World Record. A Taylor Swift friendship bracelet built in Regina measured a record 1,218 metres. Two Regina radio hosts masterminded the scheme after initially musing about ways to bring the global pop superstar back to the province. Swift’s last performance in Saskatchewan was 15 years ago.

12 – A tech billionaire has completed the first private spacewalk high above Earth. Jared Isaacman and his crew waited until their capsule was depressurized before popping open the hatch. The entrepreneur emerged first, joining a small elite group of spacewalkers who until now had included only professional astronauts from a dozen countries. The commercial spacewalk was the main focus of the five-day flight financed by Isaacman and Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, and the culmination of years of development geared toward settling Mars and other planets.

12 – Israel says its military has completed the destruction of Hamas’ brigade in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The military claims to have killed 2,000 militants and destroyed 13 kilometres of underground tunnel routes dug deep under the area. Israel began its operation in Rafah in early May, forcing more than one million Palestinian civilians to flee the city. Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israel’s offensive since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack has killed 40,000 Palestinians in the territory.

12 – British Columbia signs a national pharmacare deal with Ottawa, the first province in Canada to do so. Federal Health Minister Mark Holland says B.C.’s portion of the $1.5 billion national plan is estimated at $195 million. He also says funding could start next April once legislation makes it through the senate. The funding would help the province fund hormone replacement therapy and diabetes expenses.

13 – A Canadian is among 37 people sentenced to death in Congo, accused of participating in an attempted coup. The defendants also include three Americans, a Briton, a Belgian and several Congolese. The coup attempt in May was led by opposition leader Christian Malanga. Some members of the ragtag militia say they were being duped into believing they were working for a volunteer organization.

14 – The head of NATO’s military committee says that Ukraine has the solid legal and military right to strike deep inside Russia to gain combat advantage. Admiral Rob Bauer was speaking at the committee’s annual meeting which was also attended by the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. His comments come as the Biden administration considers allowing Kyiv to do make long-range strikes on Russia using American-made weapons.

15 – A billionaire spacewalker and his crew safely return to Earth after a five-day trip that lifted them higher than anyone has travelled since NASA’s moonwalkers. Their ride, a SpaceX capsule, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, ferrying home tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, two SpaceX engineers and a former U-S Air Force Thunderbird pilot. The group are being credited with the first private spacewalk ““ 740 kilometres above the planet ““ higher than the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope.

15 – Canada’s Eugene and Dan Levy make history as the first father-son duo to host the Emmy Awards, as several Canadians compete for trophies, including D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Martin Short. Hamilton’s Short is up for best comedy actor for his role in “Only Murders in the Building,” while Toronto’s Woon-A-Tai chases the same title for his turn in “Reservation Dogs.” Woon-A-Tai says he welcomes the industry’s attention, but is most moved by recognition from the Indigenous community.

15 – Newly expanded measures mean any senior official who served in the Iranian government over the last 21 years is not allowed to come into Canada. The federal government announced changes to rules that prevents tens of thousands of Iranian officials from entering the country.

15 – A person is arrested after what the FBI call another assassination attempt on former U.S. president Donald Trump. U.S. Secret Service agents opened fire after seeing a person with a firearm near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club in Florida while the former president was playing golf. The suspect drove off in an SUV but was arrested a short time later by police. Trump was the target of a shooting about two months earlier at a rally in Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear.

15 – B.C. plans to introduce facilities that provide involuntary care under the Mental Health Act for people with severe addictions who are mentally ill. B.C. Premier David Eby says the planned facilities across the province would help provide care when people are unable to seek it themselves. Eby said the first one would open at a correctional facility in Maple Ridge in the coming months.

16 – A former Canadian military official is found not guilty by an Ottawa judge in a high-profile sexual assault trial that began in February. Haydn Edmundson was accused of raping a female soldier while they were deployed together in 1991. The former vice-admiral pleaded not guilty and testified that he never had sexual contact with his accuser. Edmunson was one of a series of high-ranking military leaders to be accused of sexual misconduct in 2021.

16 – Canadian Soccer Hall of Famer Colin Jose dies at the age of 88. The soccer historian was a founding member of the Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum, now known as the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame. Jose died Saturday in London, Ont., 39 years to the day after Canada first qualified for the men’s FIFA World Cup in 1985.

16 – Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby signs a two-year contract extension with the team worth an average of US$8.7 million per year. The deal for the Cole Harbour, N.S. native extends through the 2026-27 NHL season. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas commended Crosby for signing a team-friendly deal in an effort to help the Penguins win “both now and in the future.”

17 – Instagram launches more restrictive accounts for teens – and Canadians will be among the first to get their hands on them. The social media company says the new teen accounts will keep underage users from being messaged by people they aren’t following. It will also stop them from being served sensitive content like posts that depict violence or encourage cosmetic procedures. Kids under the age of 16 will only be able to change their teen account settings if they have parental approval.

17 – A Hezbollah official says at least 150 people in Lebanon are injured after hand-held pagers exploded. The pagers carried by Hezbollah members were detonated and the Hezbollah official says it’s believed to be an Israeli attack — a claim that has not been independently verified. Media reports say Iran’s ambassador in Lebanon is among those injured and is in hospital. It comes at a time of heightened tensions between Lebanon and Israel.

17 – Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is indicted on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The indictment details allegations dating to 2008 that he abused, threatened and coerced women for over a decade and presided over a sordid empire of sexual crimes. Authorities arrested him the previous day in Manhattan and federal prosecutors are seeking to have him detained while he awaits trial. Combs has denied many of the allegations against him.

17 – SpaceX is facing US$633,000 in fines for alleged safety violations during two Florida launches last year. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration says Elon Musk’s company used a new control room without approval during a communication satellite launch in June of last year. It also says the company used a new rocket fuel facility to launch another communication satellite a month later.

18 – Sean “Diddy” Combs is ordered held without bail in his federal sex-trafficking case. A U.S. magistrate made the decision the day before after hearing lengthy arguments from prosecutors and the hip-hop mogul’s lawyers. The 54-year-old music producer pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, along with several other charges.

18 – Rogers Communications buys out Bell’s share of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for $4.7 billion. This will double Rogers’ stake, bringing it to 75 per cent ownership of the parent company of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, Argonauts, Marlies and Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC. Rogers already owns the Blue Jays and its Rogers Centre home as well as Sportsnet.

18 – The Bloc Québécois says it will not support a Conservative non-confidence motion aimed at toppling the minority Liberal government. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his non-confidence motion will be debated next week, and his party would likely need support from both the Bloc and NDP to bring down the government. But Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet says he works for Quebec, not the Conservatives. Poilievre’s motion comes after the NDP ended its supply-and-confidence deal with the Liberals.

18 – A group representing Canada’s doctors formally apologizes for harms caused to Indigenous people by medical professionals. The apology came at a ceremony in Victoria attended by representatives from First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. The Canadian Medical Association says it is “deeply ashamed” and “owning its history” of racism, neglect and abuse.

19 – New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs calls for a provincial election on Oct. 21. The 70-year-old Progressive Conservative leader made the announcement after visiting Lieutenant-Governor Brenda Murphy to have the Legislature dissolved. Higgs is seeking a third term in office after leading the province since 2018.

19 – Federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez announces his resignation from cabinet to seek the leadership of the Quebec Liberal party. He’s also stepping down as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Quebec lieutenant, effective immediately. The Quebec Liberals have been without a leader since Dominique Anglade resigned following her defeat in the 2022 provincial election.

19 – A total of 1.49 million people visited the Canadian National Exhibition this year. The CNE says that number surpasses the mark set in 2019 for the over-two-week festival featuring midway rides, exhibitions and unique food offerings in Toronto.

19 – Baseball player Shohei Ohtani is the first player in major league history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a single season. The Japanese star reached the milestone in his 150th game, already the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season in just 126 games. The Los Angeles Dodgers star went deep twice to reach the half-century mark and swiped two bags to get to 51 against the Miami Marlins today, hitting his 50th homer in the seventh inning.

20 – Two Russians set a record for the longest continuous stay on the International Space Station. Russia’s space agency says they broke the old record of 370 days, 21 hours and 22 minutes — which two other Russian astronauts and an American set last year. The agency said the pair on the space station would add several days to their total before they return to Earth.

20 – The mayor of Jasper, Alta. calls a CN Rail relocation devastating for residents. Richard Ireland hopes CN will reconsider its decision to pull operations out of the Rocky Mountain tourist town after announcing it would be transferring operations to Hinton, Alta. come this time next year. Two-hundred workers will be impacted, with the company saying the change will improve efficiency by reducing stops between Edmonton and Blue River, B.C. Ireland says CN’s presence in town is a key part of the community’s identity.

20 – The NHL’s Senators and the National Capital Commission reach an agreement in principle to build a new arena in downtown Ottawa. The commission will sell the Senators 10 acres of land at the LeBreton Flats site for what it calls “fair market value.” The Senators have played at the Canadian Tire Centre in the western suburb of Kanata since 1996.

20 – Canada sets aside $151 million to help eradicate polio worldwide. The funding will help the Global Polio Eradication Initiative provide vaccines to children worldwide, including more than a half-million kids in Gaza. International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen’s office says the cash should help vulnerable populations, like girls in conflict situations where there is limited health-care access. The World Health Organization says the world is on the verge of eradicating polio and has seen a 99 per cent drop in cases since 1988.

21 – One of Hezbollah’s highest-ranking military officials is killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut neighbourhood. Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the strike also killed 10 other Hezbollah operatives. Lebanese authorities reported at least 14 people were killed and dozens more wounded. It was the first such Israeli attack on Lebanon’s capital in months and came shortly after Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets.

21 – Ontario’s public health agency says the province is on track to reach a record number of whooping cough cases this year, the highest in over a decade. Public Health Ontario says there were 1,044 cases reported in 2012, and as of Sept. 9 of this year, there has been 1,016 cases reported. That’s compared to 470 cases last reported in June and the five-year average of 98. Unvaccinated infants, children and older people are the most at risk, and immunization is key to containing outbreaks.

21 – Kathryn Crosby, actor and widow of the legendary Bing Crosby, dies at the age of 90. She appeared in films like “The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad,” “Anatomy of a Murder,” and “Operation Mad Ball,” before she married the famed singer and Oscar-winning actor. A family spokesperson says she died of natural causes at her Northern California home.

21 – Israeli troops storm the West Bank office of the satellite news network Al Jazeera and ordered the bureau to shut down. The raid comes amid a widening campaign targeting the Qatar-funded broadcaster as it covers Israel’s fight against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The move marked the first time Israel has ever shuttered a foreign news outlet operating in the country.

22 – At least 34 people die, and 17 others are injured after an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran. State TV says a methane leak sparked the blast at the mine in Tabas, where 18 people are believed to be trapped. Around 70 people are believed to have been working at the mine some 530 kilometres southeast of Tehran when the explosion happened.

23 – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his first guest appearance on CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in New York. In the Big Apple for UN meetings, Trudeau answered questions about some differences in our two countries, and some of the struggles we share economically and geopolitically. The two also joked about Canadian bacon, Colbert’s unexpected collection Canadian coins and Trudeau’s love of the “Star Wars” films.

23 – Lebanon sees its deadliest day of conflict in 18 years as Israeli airstrikes on the country killed nearly 500 people and injured more than 1,600 others. This comes as the country is still reeling from deadly attacks on communication devices the previous week. The Israeli military warned residents to evacuate target areas of southern and eastern Lebanon today ahead of its widening air campaign against Hezbollah.

24 – The Competition Tribunal finds Cineplex guilty of deceptive marketing practices and slapped the theatre owner with a nearly $39 million fine. That’s after the Competition Bureau brought forward a case alleging Cineplex deceived moviegoers with their $1.50 online booking fee. The bureau alleged the fee constituted “price dripping,” saying some customers weren’t immediately presented with the full price of an online movie ticket. Cineplex had denied the accusations.

24 – U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his final address to the UN General Assembly saying peace is still possible in international conflicts. Biden told presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and other leaders gathered in New York that when the world acts together, “we are stronger than we think.” He also declared the U.S. must not retreat from the world.

25 – Federal MPs vote down a non-confidence motion against the Liberal government as expected by a vote of 211 to 120. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre put forward the motion, but failed to get support from the Bloc Québécois or NDP.

26 – Live Nation announces that a new large open-air music venue is coming to Toronto. The new Rogers Stadium is meant to accommodate mega-artists and will host its first events next June. It’ll be located at Downsview Park in the city’s north end and have a capacity of 50,000.

27 – The Winnipeg Jets sign Bryan Little to a one-day contract to allow the centre to retire with the franchise he spent his entire NHL career with. The Jets say they’ll celebrate Little’s career next month when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Little played 843 games with the Thrashers/Jets franchise — the second-most in club history. He recorded 217 goals and 204 assists over his career.

27 – Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair says she’s retiring at the end of the season. The 41-year-old from B.C. says she’ll finish out the National Women’s Soccer League campaign with the Portland Thorns. Sinclair retired from the women’s national team last year. During her career, she helped Canada win gold at the Tokyo Olympics and bronze at both the 2016 Games in Rio and the 2012 Games in London.

27 – Maggie Smith, the 89-year-old Academy-Award-winning actress, dies in hospital. Actor Helen Mirren tells The Associated Press that Smith was “one of the greatest actresses of the past century, without a doubt.”

28 – A Calgary city councillor’s plea to allow permanent residents to vote in municipal elections is squashed. The decision comes following an emotional debate by mayors and councillors at an annual conference of Alberta municipalities. Currently only Canadian citizens can take part in municipal votes, and those in favour of extending voting rights say permanent residents make significant contributions to their communities and should have a say in who represents them. But the motion on the proposal, long dismissed by Premier Danielle Smith as unconstitutional, failed by 46 votes.

28 – Sarah McLachlan is inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame during a celebration at Toronto’s Massey Hall. McLachlan credited the struggles and isolation of the songwriting process as what also leads to its rewards, saying she’s in the midst of that experience as she readies a new album for next year. The “I Will Remember You” singer-songwriter also says part of the honour was simply sharing the stage with the other major Canadian acts inducted this year, including Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo.

28 – Drake Hogestyn, the actor who played John Black on “Days of Our Lives,” dies at the age of 70 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The actor played the beloved character John Black in more than 4,200 episodes of the popular soap opera. He joined the cast in 1986 and his John became part of a longtime super couple with Marlena Evans, played by Deidre Hall.

29 – Country music superstar and A-list Hollywood actor Kris Kristofferson dies at the age of 88. Kristofferson brought a gritty realism to country music with compositions like “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Help Me Make it Through the Night” and “Me and Bobby McGee.” As an actor, he played the leading man opposite Barbra Streisand and Ellen Burstyn, but also did shootout Westerns and cowboy dramas. A family spokeswoman says he died at his home in Hawaii.

30 – Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game dies at the age of 58 from brain cancer. His family revealed two years ago he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumour. The seven-foot-two centre spent 18 seasons in the NBA playing for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York and the then-New Jersey Nets.

30 – Britain shuts down its last coal-fired power plant, ending 142 years of coal-generated electricity. The U.K. government hails the closure as a milestone on the path to generating all of Britain’s energy from renewable sources by 2030. Coal sparked the Industrial Revolution and London was the home of the world’s first coal-fired electricity plant. Another chapter in Britain’s carbon-burning industrial heritage has also ended as one of the world’s biggest steelworks in Wales closes its last blast furnace.

30 – Baseball legend Pete Rose dies at the age of 83. The longtime Cincinnati Reds player was the career hits leader with 4,256 but never made it into the Hall of Fame. He was banned from Major League Baseball in 1989 after an investigation found he had bet on the sport, including on his own team.

30 – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signs an agreement on child and family services with the Northwest Territories government and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. The $533-million agreement will support Inuit-led child and family services over 10 years. The federal government says it’s the first agreement of its kind and sets a precedent for other Inuit groups to exercise jurisdiction over child and family services.