In the news today: Canada to face South Africa, calls to ban SKS, breastfeeding rates

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …

Canada to face South Africa in knockout stage of World Cup

Canada will face South Africa on Sunday in Los Angeles in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.

South Africa upset South Korea 1-0 in Mexico City on Wednesday to finish second in Group A.

Canada, the runner-up in Group B, advanced to the Round-of-32 for the first time despite a 2-1 loss in Vancouver to Switzerland, which topped the group.

Canada opened the tournament in Toronto with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina, and earned its first-ever World Cup victory in a 6-0 win over Qatar in Vancouver.

—

A person looks out of a window as police respond to a shooting in the Côte-des-Neiges district of Montreal on Monday, June 22, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Gun control group repeats call for end to sales of SKS rifles after Montreal shooting

PolySeSouvient, a prominent gun control advocacy group, is repeating its call for an immediate end to new sales of SKS rifles following this week’s deadly shooting in Montreal.

Police have not identified the type of firearm used to kill Montreal police officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane and civilian bystander Michel Mizrahi this week.

But images circulating online indicate a long gun lying on the ground at the shooting scene appears to be an SKS, a weapon commonly used in Indigenous communities to hunt for food.

Since May 2020, Ottawa has outlawed about 2,500 types of firearms on the basis that they belong only on the battlefield, but not the SKS, which has also been used in police killings and other high-profile shootings in recent years.

—

George Stroumboulopoulos, left, speaks with Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller at the Prime Time screen and media industry conference in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

News, cultural groups want clarity on copyright after Ottawa releases AI strategy

News and cultural industry groups are calling on Ottawa to take a stand on how AI systems use copyrighted content after its long-awaited national AI strategy failed to address the issue.

They want the federal government to state that it will not introduce an exemption to the law allowing for the use of copyrighted content to train AI platforms.

Paul Deegan, CEO of News Media Canada, says it’s troubling to news publishers that the AI strategy didn’t address copyright.

Marie-Julie Desrochers, executive director of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, says a clear statement from the government would pave the way for the development of a licensing market.

—

Signage marks the Statistics Canada offices in Ottawa on July 21, 2010.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

These economists are worried Canada has a data quality problem

Economists at Desjardins are worried Canada is facing a data quality crisis after a mild economic contraction to start the year caught many forecasters by surprise.

Desjardins says in a new report that revisions to Statistics Canada data have been bigger on average since the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s a problem for those trying to craft policies and forecasts based on reliable economic data.

Deputy chief economist Randall Bartlett says StatCan has had to rely more on projections than hard data, and he’s worried about the future of data collection as Ottawa looks to rein in spending. 

StatCan says it’s normal to see more volatile data during periods of economic upheaval but those fluctuations should smooth out as the agency gets more data over time.

—

A woman nurses her baby in Montreal, on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

N.S. could raise low breastfeeding rate by financially supporting families: experts

Researchers say if Nova Scotia wants to improve its low breastfeeding rates, the province should ensure new parents can afford to take parental leave.

Health Canada data from 2022 says the province’s rate of exclusive breastfeeding for six months is less than 27 per cent, trailing behind the national average of about 38 per cent. 

Kyly Whitfield, from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax, says low-income mothers struggle most to hit this benchmark, likely due to economic pressures that push low-income parents back to work sooner.

Whitfield, as well as Lesley Frank from Acadia University, say the provincial government could support young families by raising its child benefit rates or ramping up support for parental leave. 

A Health Department spokesperson pointed to a public health early-years program that offers free infant-feeding help from nurses who can support issues with latching, milk supply and pumping.

—

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2026.

Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.