In the news today: NATO summit in Turkey, Khamenei funeral, public servants return

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

‘Cost of drama is too high’: NATO leaders meet in Turkey for annual summit

Prime Minister Mark Carney is jetting off to Turkey today for the NATO summit in the capital city of Ankara, where world leaders will seek to avoid diplomatic friction with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Massive hikes to military budgets are expected to feature prominently, as well as divisions over how much of a threat Russia poses and the chaotic foreign policy of the Trump administration.

The Carney government is expected to talk up its efforts to boost defence spending and investment in the defence sector.

The summit has been slimmed down to reduce the chances of friction over U.S. foreign and defence policy breaking out into the open.

—

A truck carrying the coffins of the slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family makes its way through mourners during the funeral procession in Tehran, Iran, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran begins a procession through Tehran for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral

Iran began a procession Monday through its capital, Tehran, for the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin, and those of his family killed Feb. 28 in an airstrike at the start of the war launched by Israel and the United States, sat on board a truck that resembled the ornamental grating that surrounds the shrine of an imam.

The truck crept through crowds of black-clad mourners, who reached out to touch the grating, with some throwing scarves and other items for attendants to brush against the coffin, a common practice in Iran seen as a blessing.

As the funeral has gone on, there’s increasingly been threats from mourners to avenge Khamenei’s death with mourners and the signs they carry calling for the killing of both U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

—

PSAC workers and supporters picket in front of President of the Treasury Board’s office in Ottawa on Friday, April 21, 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Office space scarce as federal public servants return to the office four days a week

Thousands of federal public servants start a new work schedule today that will see them in the office four days a week, though a lack of office space is delaying the return for some departments.

Jeffrey MacDonald, a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, says most department staff will work on-site only three days a week until it secures enough office space.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada says the department is implementing the new rules, but some locations still need more space.

Most public servants were told to work remotely when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, and federal unions have said the government’s back-to-office directives are unfair.

—

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford cook pancakes at the annual Stampede breakfast in Calgary, Alta., Monday, July 7, 2025.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Alberta’s Smith to host Calgary Stampede breakfast after mixed reception at

Danielle Smith will have a bright-and-early start today flipping pancakes at the Premier’s Stampede Breakfast in Calgary.

The annual event at the McDougall Centre typically includes cabinet ministers and caucus members, and the premier’s office said about 4,000 people attended last year.

During the Calgary Stampede on Friday, Smith heard both cheers and jeers while riding shotgun on a horse-drawn wagon that clip-clopped through the city’s downtown.

Smith has enjoyed strong poll support in her term, though those numbers have slipped amid the recent debate on whether Alberta should separate from Canada.

—

The area of Olds, Alta., where Synapse Real Estate Corp. is planning a data centre complex with 1.4 gigawatts of natural gas-fired power generation is shown on Thursday, June 4, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lauren Krugel

When big data comes to a small town: The project riling up citizens in Olds, Alta.

A massive data centre planned for Olds, Alta., has become a flashpoint in the debate around a nascent industry catering to the artificial intelligence boom.

Synapse Real Estate Corporation has proposed a 10-building complex alongside a total of 1.4 gigawatts of natural gas power generation.

But the property is close to busy roads, homes, businesses and hotels, raising concerns about pollution, noise, property value declines and strain on local emergency services.

One resident, Carol Edwards, is a staunch opponent of the plan and says she’s dubious of Synapse’s job creation estimates and suspects the 1,000 jobs that do result won’t be white-collar tech roles but rather more along the lines of security and janitorial positions.

—

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2026.

Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.