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A lack of programs to certify lifeguards is contributing to the industry-wide shortage seen in Canada, a Toronto city official says. "The key contributor to this issue is a couple years of lack of certification programs, where the industry hasn't been able to really keep up with the development," Aydin Sarrafzadeh, interim director of management services at parks, forestry and recreation for the City of Toronto, told CTV News Channel on Friday. Source

TAPACHULA, Mexico - Some 2,000 migrants, most Venezuelans, walked out of this southern Mexico city early Friday en masse to pressure authorities into allowing them to continue to the United States border at a time attention is focused on immigration. Source

OTTAWA - The Assembly of First Nations says an Ontario court has rejected a bid by National Chief RoseAnne Archibald to overturn her recent suspension. The organization has issued a statement saying an Ontario Superior Court judge declined to take action on Archibald's request for a hearing prior to the start of an annual general meeting next week in Vancouver. Source

ROME - The Vatican said Friday it had finalized the sale of a London property that is the focus of a criminal trial in the Vatican courts, offloading the former Harrods warehouse for 186 million pounds (215 million euros, US$223 million). Source

Thousands of pilgrims started arriving in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia on Friday, among some one million Muslims expected to attend the 2022 hajj pilgrimage season after two years of major disruption caused by the COVID pandemic. Source

SARASOTA, Fla. - A Florida judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit in which the parents of Gabby Petito claim that Brian Laundrie told his parents he had killed her before he returned home alone from their western trip. Source

Thousands took to the streets Friday in Sudan's capital, a day after nine people were killed in demonstrations against the country's ruling generals. The United States and others in the international community condemned the violence in this East African nation, which has been rocked by near-weekly protests since an Oct. Source

One of Toronto’s Canada Day fireworks displays has been cancelled and another has been postponed after a vendor pulled out at the last minute. According to the city, the vendor providing the pyrotechnics for Ashbridges Bay Park, Stan Wadlow Park and Milliken Park informed officials on Thursday they “did not intend to fulfill its contractual obligation to perform fireworks displays. Source

Thousands of people are converging in downtown Ottawa to celebrate Canada's 155th birthday, while police and city officials braced for possible protests against COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions. It's the first in-person Canada Day in Ottawa in three years, after COVID-19 restrictions forced the cancellation of events in 2020 and 2021. Source

Lorraine M. Wright was completely stunned when she got the call recognizing her as a member of the Order of Canada. "I don't drink coffee, but my hands were actually trembling when they told me the news," she toldThe Currentguest host Nahlah Ayed. Source