In the news today: Canadian Syria trial, Hockey player deaths, Super Bowl tinderbox

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

Canadian who says he was tortured in Syria wants court to force Ottawa’s hand

A Canadian man who says he has been tortured in Syria is asking the Federal Court to order Ottawa to decide whether to help bring him home.

The man is one of several Canadians held in prison camps and jails in northeastern Syria run by the Kurdish-led forces, which wrested territory away from the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

A notice of application says the man has been imprisoned since 2019, but has not been charged with a criminal offence and has not been offered any legal process to challenge his detention.

It adds the Canadian government does not allege that “he has ever engaged in or assisted in any criminal or terrorist activities.”

Junior hockey community mourns loss of three players after Alberta vehicle crash

The junior hockey community in Western Canada is in mourning after three players were killed in a southern Alberta vehicle crash on their way to practice.

On social media, the Humboldt Broncos have posted condolences for the Southern Alberta Mustangs hockey team following the deaths of JJ Wright, Cameron Casorso and Caden Fine.

RCMP have said officers were called Monday to the fatal crash between a semi truck and a vehicle in the small town of Stavely, about an hour’s drive south of Calgary, killing two 18-year-olds from B.C. and a 17-year-old from Alabama.

The crash has stirred up memories of April 2018, when a bus carrying the Broncos collided with a semi truck that blew through a stop sign near Tisdale, Sask., killing 16 people and injuring 13.

On Monday, the Calgary Flames and the Toronto Maple Leafs paid tribute to the three players with a moment of silence before puck drop.

Billionaire Frank Stronach’s sexual assault trial set to begin today in Toronto

The Toronto sexual assault trial of Canadian auto parts magnate Frank Stronach is set to begin today before a judge alone.

Stronach faces 12 charges involving seven complainants for alleged incidents dating back as far as the 1970s.

The 93-year-old billionaire, who has denied all allegations against him, initially chose to be tried by a jury but later switched to a judge alone with the consent of the Crown.

Stronach, the founder of car parts manufacturer Magna International, is also set to stand trial in Newmarket, Ont., later this year.

Peel regional police charged him with 18 offences involving 13 complainants in 2024, but the case was split in two later that year.

Stephen Harper’s official portrait to be unveiled today

Former prime minister Stephen Harper’s official portrait is set to be unveiled today, ahead of the 20th anniversary of the election of his first Conservative government.

Harper’s portrait will be presented during a ceremony at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building in downtown Ottawa this afternoon.

The portrait was painted by Canadian artist Phil Richards, who is known for the Diamond Jubilee Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

Harper was sworn in as prime minister in February 2006 and served in the role until November 2015, when he stepped down after his Conservative party was defeated by Justin Trudeau’s Liberals in a federal election.

Football, politics and protest: This year’s Super Bowl comes at a tinderbox moment in the US

The NFL is facing pressure ahead of this year’s Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots to take a more explicit stance against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement.

More than 184,000 people have signed a petition calling on the NFL to denounce the potential presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement ahead of the Sunday game in San Francisco.

Anticipation is also building around how Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican halftime performer, will address the moment after blasting ICE at the Grammys on Sunday, which follows other criticisms directed at President Donald Trump.

Trump has said he doesn’t plan to attend this year’s game, unlike last year, and he has derided Bad Bunny as a “terrible choice.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2026.

The Canadian Press