All posts tagged: Toronto

Waymo Puts Toronto on the Map for Its Robotaxis

Waymo Puts Toronto on the Map for Its Robotaxis

Published by skeptic

Waymo is bringing its autonomous ride services across the border to Canada for the first time.  The company said in a blog post on Friday that its robotaxis will be available for you to book rides in the app in the Toronto area in 2028. It will start with a limited number of its mainstay Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs, and will add more over time.  But if you’re in Toronto, you can expect to see Waymo cars, driven by humans, in the coming days as the company maps local street networks and acclimates its autonomous technology to traffic patterns and driving conditions. Waymo will test in select Toronto neighborhoods, including Liberty Village, St. Lawrence Market and Yorkdale. It has also built a sixth-generation Waymo Driver autonomous driving system to navigate diverse environments, including the extreme winter weather Toronto faces in the colder months. A Waymo representative did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. The company is also partnering with Toronto-based Element Fleet Management for vehicle maintenance, validation driving and customer service. Waymo …

Prince William’s glittering plans revealed as Prince Edward jets to Toronto

Prince William’s glittering plans revealed as Prince Edward jets to Toronto

Published by Daniella Wilson

© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesPrince William speaks during the Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly panel at the Climate Innovation Forum in 2026 Hello and happy Thursday! Today I’m logged on to bring you the latest royal news. Prince Edward is set to arrive in Toronto for an official visit and overnight we’ve had some exciting news come in for Prince William. The Prince of Wales’ beloved Earthshot Prize awards are set to be streamed on Prime Video for the first time ever. To mark the awards, a celebratory gala for 5,000 guests will be held in Mumbai on 17 November at it will feature actor Rami Malek, former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt and Sonam Kapoor, and Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley. This is a major development for the awards, which are a project close to William’s heart. The Earthshot Prize was launched in 2020 by Prince William and Sir David Attenborough to recognise innovative solutions from people and businesses towards climate change and ecological challenges. Source link

Oscar Best-Picture Predictions After Venice, Telluride, and Toronto

Oscar Best-Picture Predictions After Venice, Telluride, and Toronto

Published by Sam Flores

The trifecta of fall festivals—Venice, Telluride, and Toronto—is over, and now there’s a much clearer picture of which films could be true Oscar contenders this year. While the March 14 Academy Awards are still months away, and much could change between now and then (just ask Emilia Pérez), there are a handful of films that feel like locks for best-picture nominations. The biggest winner of the fall festivals was La Bola Negra, the Spanish-language Netflix drama that won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. That award has strong ties to a best-picture Oscar nomination, with past winners including Hamnet, The Fabelmans, Nomadland, Jojo Rabbit, and Green Book. La Bola Negra, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, also earned strong praise at Telluride (which doesn’t give out awards). Another Cannes holdover, Club Kid, also played well at both festivals. Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine (which won the best-actor award for John Malkovich in Venice) and Jesse Eisenberg’s musical theater dramedy The Debut, which featured a formidable performance by …

Man critically injured, police officer wounded in gunfire near Ontario synagogue on Yom Kippur

Man critically injured, police officer wounded in gunfire near Ontario synagogue on Yom Kippur

Published by Sam Flores

TORONTO (AP) — A police officer and a man were wounded in an exchange of gunfire Sunday near a synagogue in Ontario as members of the Jewish community marked Yom Kippur, authorities said. The man was hospitalized in life-threatening condition. The province’s Special Investigations Unit said the exchange of gunfire happened near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, about 110 miles east of Toronto. Belleville police said the officer encountered the man around 7:10 p.m. and that both were taken to a hospital. Police have not said what led to the shooting or whether the synagogue or Jewish community was targeted. They said there was no risk to public safety and asked people to avoid the area while officers investigated. The Special Investigations Unit, the civilian agency that investigates serious incidents involving police, said it sent investigators to the scene. Belleville police said they would not provide further information while the investigation was underway. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the shooting took place outside the synagogue as people gathered for Yom Kippur. “I’m …

Harry Potter’s new star Johnny Flynn says private schools should be ‘burnt to the ground’

Harry Potter’s new star Johnny Flynn says private schools should be ‘burnt to the ground’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Harry Potter star Johnny Flynn has said that he doesn’t think private schools should exist, stating that they should be “burnt to the ground” after his own “traumatic” experience at boarding school. The British actor, 43, is best known for starring in Channel 4 sitcom Lovesick (formerly known as Scrotal Recall), the 2020 film Emma, and most recently, the Paramount+ crime drama MobLand. He is about to take on the role of Lucius Malfoy in HBO’s forthcoming Harry Potter TV adaptation. In a new interview, Flynn opened up about his childhood – revealing that he was badly bullied while studying at Winchester’s Pilgrims’ School. He attended the boarding school from age seven after securing a choral scholarship. Flynn spoke about his traumatic experience at boarding school in a new interview (Getty) “It was quite traumatic for me,” he told the Radio …

Kawhi Leonard’s Return to Toronto Is Official as Raptors and Clippers Complete Long-Awaited Deal

Kawhi Leonard’s Return to Toronto Is Official as Raptors and Clippers Complete Long-Awaited Deal

Published by Sam Flores

The trade sending Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto is finally complete, with the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers getting league approval on Monday to close the deal that was agreed to earlier this summer. In the end, the deal was the same as what was agreed to 2 1/2 months ago: Leonard returns to the Raptors, with the Clippers getting Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap. “We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto,” Raptors general manager and executive vice president Bobby Webster said. “His impact on our organization, our city, and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we value. We believe his leadership, experience and talent will help us as we continue building toward our next championship.” It’s a huge move for Toronto, which won the 2019 NBA title with Leonard leading the way and is expecting to contend in the Eastern Conference. But the sides put the agreement on hold in early July pending any resolution of …

Liam Neeson sparks dating speculation after holding hands with co-star on the red carpet

Liam Neeson sparks dating speculation after holding hands with co-star on the red carpet

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Liam Neeson was pictured holding hands with his co-star Stella Stocker at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday. The Irish actor was last linked to Baywatch star Pamela Anderson, who confirmed in December last year that the pair “were romantically involved for a short while” after filming The Naked Gun (2025) together. Neeson and English actor Stocker, who star in the upcoming action thriller The Mongoose together, attended the Canadian festival’s premiere of Courteney Cox’s new film Evil Genius. Stocker was seen stroking Neeson’s arm and clasping his hand in footage captured by People. The Independent has contacted Stocker and Neeson’s representatives for comment. The two actors have previously shared the screen in two 2022 films, Memory and Marlowe. Stella Stocker and …

Toronto Film Festival Tribute Awards 2026: Full Winners List

Toronto Film Festival Tribute Awards 2026: Full Winners List

Published by Daniella Wilson

Canadian comedy actor, producer and writer Seth Rogen on Sunday night declared it “ominous” to receive a career achievement award from the Toronto Film Festival at 44 years of age. “Does TIFF know something I don’t know? You got a letter from my doctors?” he questioned while on stage at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. Rogen received a Career Achievement honor at the Tribute Awards at TIFF while in town to tout two movies — Babies, directed by his wife Lauren Miller Rogen, and Tangles, an animated film which Rogen and Miller Rogen produced. Rogen thanked his wife for allowing him to piggy back on her success in bringing her film to TIFF in which he stars alongside Anna Kendrick. “Thank you all, you can go home now,” he finished off. Oscar-winner Helen Mirren was also on hand to receive a Groundbreaker Award as she brings the thriller A Talent For Murder to Toronto for a world premiere. She paid tribute to the late Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem after their recent passing is still in the …

Toronto Purgatory Director Navigates Parents Dark Divorce Comedy

Toronto Purgatory Director Navigates Parents Dark Divorce Comedy

Published by Daniella Wilson

What’s a girl to do when your parents split up and leave your sheltered, suburban home and school life in ruins? That’s the premise for 1980s-set Purgatory, Lindsay Lanzillotta’s debut feature that stars J.K. Simmons, The Bear’s Abby Elliot, John Reynolds and Ruby McGurrin in her first movie role as Beatrice Gravel. McGurrin emerges as the movie’s MVP for playing a scrappy 13-year-old left questioning her family and faith — basically everyone and everything around her — after her mother chooses to take time away from her family to “self-actualize.” That leaves her father, Joe Gravel (John Reynolds), to pick up the pieces of a fractured family as he cares for Beatrice and her sister, Chloe, played by Lauren MacRae. Lanzillotta directed Purgatory from a screenplay by Christine Speer and looked to get into Beatrice’s head as, while naive as a coming-of-age tween, she’s also hyper-aware and traumatized by her disrupted home and school life. “It’s like when feelings are on top of your skin, everyone does feel a little fake around you and doesn’t …

Naomi Watts Cruised Into Toronto via Mulholland Drive

Naomi Watts Cruised Into Toronto via Mulholland Drive

Published by Daniella Wilson

When Naomi Watts arrived at the 26th Toronto International Film Festival 25 years ago to promote Mulholland Drive, she had every reason to relax in expectation of a warm reception for the film. It had already had its world premiere at Cannes, where Lynch was named best director and THR critic Kirk Honeycutt wrote of Watts and co-star Laura Herring: “About two-thirds of the way through, Lynch turns the story upside down with the two actresses playing either different characters or, perhaps, their real personalities. Their two performances are … remarkable — so multi-faceted and contradictory.”  Still, Watts, who played a young actress new to Los Angeles as well as her mysterious doppelgänger, insisted she wasn’t letting the acclaim go to her head during her visit to Toronto. Speaking with the New York Times, she said, “If there are two words that are most overused in Hollywood, they are ‘Get ready.’ I’ve heard that three times now, first after I made Tank Girl in 1995, then after I did some television stuff, and now with Mulholland Drive. Everybody is coming up …