Latest news with #London-area
New York Post
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Rory McIlroy unveils stunning new hairstyle after weeks of ‘detachment' from turbulent golf stretch
When Rory McIlroy tees off Thursday at the Scottish Open, he'll be doing so with more than just a fresh cut. The reigning Masters champion unveiled a shorter hairstyle Wednesday at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, following a restful few weeks at his new London-area home, where he took 'time to reflect' and 'rekindle [his] excitement' for the sport. 'We came back a few weeks ago and moved into our new home in Wentworth and been since trying to settle in and it's amazing what two weeks of a bit of detachment can do for you, and sitting there being with your own thoughts for a while,' McIlroy said, according to The Telegraph. Advertisement 6 Rory McIlroy ahead of the Genesis Scottish Open on July 9, 2025. Getty Images 6 The golfer unveiled a new hairstyle ahead of the tournament. Getty Images 'Yeah, it's been nice to have this time to reflect and also to rekindle my excitement and enthusiasm for the rest of the year. Obviously we have this week in Scotland and then a massive week next week [for the Open] in Portrush.' Advertisement Since capturing golf's Grand Slam in April, when he celebrated at Augusta National alongside wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy, McIlroy's post-Masters victory lap has been anything but smooth. As the PGA Championship got underway in May, the Northern Irishman found himself at the center of controversy when his top driver was deemed non-conforming, forcing him to make a switch. 6 Rory McIlroy with wife Erica and daughter Poppy after his Masters triumph in April 2025. Getty Images 6 He had a rough showing at the 2025 U.S. Open in June. Getty Images Advertisement He declined to speak with the media, a trend that continued into the first round of the U.S. Open in June. When McIlroy did speak to the media at Oakmont, he offered uninspired remarks about his play. 'I was sort of thinking, 'Do I really want two more days here or not?' So, it makes it easier to play better when you're in that mindset,' said McIlroy, who finished at 7-over par. 6 Rory McIlroy spoke about recharging at home ahead of the Genesis Scottish Open. Getty Images Advertisement During Wednesday's outing at The Renaissance Club, McIlroy was seen greeting fans, signing autographs and smiling at the podium. Being back on his side of the pond has done wonders for his emotional health. 'There's a detachment from the sort of week-in, week-out grind when you get back over here and Justin and I were talking about that,' McIlroy recalled of a conversation he had with his Masters playoff opponent, Englishman Justin Rose. 6 The Genesis Scottish Open gets underway on July 10. Getty Images 'You play PGA Tour golf for the first 25, 30 weeks of the year and you need to completely get away from it — because this world of golf can become all-encompassing. In this last fortnight, I felt like I could detach and sort of hide in a way. I needed that. My game needed that.' McIlroy tied for fourth at the Scottish Open last July. He's set to compete in the fourth and final major of the year next week with The Open at Royal Portrush. Xander Schauffele is the defending Open champion.
Hamilton Spectator
04-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
London-area conservation officials warn: Don't get burned by giant hogweed
With summer around the corner and more people heading outdoors, London-area conservation officials are warning the public to be wary of an invasive plant that poses serious health risks. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority is urging residents to stay vigilant as it ramps up efforts to manage giant hogweed, a toxic plant commonly found along waterways, roadsides and ditches. In a public notice, the agency called it 'one of Ontario's most dangerous invasive species.' Native to southwest Asia and introduced as a garden ornamental, giant hogweed can grow up to five metres tall and is becoming more common across southern and central Ontario. Its caustic sap can cause severe, long-lasting, and sometimes irreversible harm. 'All parts of the plant – stem, roots, leaves, even flowers – hold phototoxic sap,' said Brandon Williamson, the conservation authority's land management coordinator. Severe burns can occur when sap on the skin is exposed to sunlight as UV rays activate harmful compounds. 'If you're one of the unlucky ones who has a severe reaction to hogweed sap . . . you can get extremely severe burns (and) blistering. You can get heavy purple blotching on your skin that can last for years,' Williamson added. Symptoms typically appear within 48 hours and may result in long-term sensitivity to sunlight. Williamson said giant hogweed's clear, watery sap can even cause 'temporary and even permanent blindness' if it comes into contact with the eyes. As of May 20, conservation staff had already logged more than 120 hours treating about 47 hectares of conservation authority-owned property along the Thames River, according to the public notice. The work also helps protect native species, which giant hogweed can easily outcompete. Although the plant is more prevalent in some places – such as in the northern part of the watershed – Williamson said it's hard to say whether the problem is growing. In the Killaly area of northeast London, for example, the presence of hogweed has remained steady over the past 15 years. However, Williamson noted giant hogweed's ability to spread and 'move around' if it isn't managed. 'Because of how giant hogweed distributes its seeds and pops up across the watershed, if one landowner does a lot of work on their property and gets ahead of it, but the adjacent landowners upstream do not, then those seeds will go downstream and start to germinate and populate that area,' he said. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority stated that appropriate personal protective equipment must be worn while managing giant hogweed. bwilliams@ Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
03-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Elgin-Oxford measles cases surge for second straight week
A London-area public health office at the epicentre of a provincewide measles outbreak is reporting its largest weekly surge in cases of the highly infectious disease since it began recording weekly statistics. Southwestern Public Health, the health unit that oversees Oxford and Elgin Counties and St. Thomas, is reporting 65 news measles cases since April 24 as of Thursday. The 65 cases is the largest seven-day increase since the health unit's epidemiology team began tracking weekly case counts on Feb. 27, health officials said. As of Feb. 27, the health unit had recorded 85 measles cases dating back to October 2024 when the outbreak began. During a virtual news conference on Thursday, Ninh Tran, medical officer for Southwestern Public Health, said the past week's measles case count was 'certainly a noticeable rise,' and attributed the cases to a cluster of unvaccinated individuals. 'This sharp rise in cases may be concerning to the community,' Tran said. 'However, the majority of these cases are part of a group of cases we are investigating that are linked to one another.' Tran continued: 'This is good example of how quickly measles can spread in groups where there are unvaccinated individuals. It is not uncommon to have increased number of cases reported after exposures in large households between siblings and other family members.' The increase in measles cases marks the second straight week the disease has spiked after a drop in cases. The health unit had recorded its lowest seven-day count with 15 cases between April 10 and April 17, followed by 28 cases between April 17 and April 24. Southwestern Public Health has updated its recorded measles case count from seven to 15 cases between April 10 and April 17. However, 15 cases remains the lowest seven-day case count since the health unit began tracking weekly figures in February. Thursday's report brings the total measles cases recorded by Southwestern Public Health to 451, accounting for about 35 per cent of the province's 1,243 cases Public Health Ontario was reporting as of April 29. There's a slight discrepancy between Public Health Ontario and Southwestern Public Health because the provincial agency records its data a day earlier. Southwestern Public Health's rate of cases per 100,000 people is 181 while the overall rate in Ontario is 7.9 cases per 100,000 people, Public Health Ontario said in its updated epidemiological report released on Thursday. The province's numbers jumped by 223 cases between April 23 and April 29, Public Health Ontario said in its report. 'The increase in the number of outbreak cases and the geographic spread in recent weeks is due to continued exposures and transmission among individuals who have not been immunized,' the report said. Southwestern, Grand Erie (Brant, Norfolk and Haldimand), Huron Perth and Chatham-Kent account for 71 per cent of Ontario's cases. As of Thursday, Middlesex-London Health Unit has reported 28 cases, officials from the public health office stated, noting most of the cases were 'clusters among unvaccinated individuals.' Tran said about 7.8 per cent of the cases reported by Southwest Public Health have resulted in hospitalization. 'I do want to highlight that measles can result in complications . . . including hospitalizations,' Tran said. Measles symptoms include a red rash, fever, cough, runny nose, upper respiratory symptoms, red eyes and fatigue. Serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, blindness and death are possible.
CBC
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Shock, surprise: London voters react to election results
Social Sharing London-area voters of all political stripes are reacting to federal election results. CBC News spoke with local voters on Tuesday, hours after Prime Minister Mark Carney led the Liberal Party to its fourth straight election win, and after the second-place Conservatives scored a major political upset in London—Fanshawe, a longtime NDP stronghold. The riding, orange for nearly 20 years, was flipped blue on Monday as voters elected Kurt Holman to be the riding's first-ever Conservative MP. Elsewhere, Liberals managed to hold on to London Centre and London West, re-electing Peter Fragiskatos and Arielle Kayabaga. Several voters said they were pleased by the Liberal Party's performance nationally at the ballot box, while others expressed disappointment, saying a change in the governing party was needed. "I thought after 10 years of the Liberals that Canadians were looking for a change," said Ryan Braden, who supported Andrew Lawton, the newly-elected Conservative MP in Elgin—St. Thomas—London South. "Unfortunately, it didn't go the way I voted, but that's fine. Everybody deserves their opinion and their right to vote," Braden said, adding that he hopes Carney will keep his word to build more housing and lower the cost of living. While Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre boosted the Tory vote-share to a generational high, he failed to keep the Liberals from government and from his own seat. "I was pleased with the results," said Tracey Bolzon, who voted for Fragiskatos in London Centre. "I think Mark Carney is the perfect person that we need right now to deal with the issues we have across the border." London—Fanshawe voters react to Mathyssen loss Pete Desando, an NDP supporter in London—Fanshawe, was hoping for different results. "Personally, I think the Liberals have had enough time to do something and look at the mess that we're in," he said. Desando was surprised Lindsay Mathyssen, his riding's two-term NDP incumbent, placed third behind Holman and the Liberal's Najam Naqvi, he said. Mathyssen was elected in 2019, succeeding her mother, Irene, who was elected in 2006. "I was hoping NDP, at least, would still be there to prop us up — the common guy sort of deal." Another NDP supporter in London—Fanshawe, Daniel White, described the NDP's loss there as "a shocker" and speculated it was "payback for Singh getting tight with Trudeau." "I voted NDP because of my riding, I knew the Liberals were going to win, but it was a lot closer than I thought." Mathyssen was among at least a dozen NDP incumbents who lost their seats as the party shed support to the Liberals, losing official party status, and leader Jagmeet Singh, who announced early Tuesday that he would step down. In London—Fanshawe, some polls had suggested a possible close race between Mathyssen and Naqvi. Mathyssen told Radio-Canada annexation and tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump caused some supporters to vote strategically for Naqvi instead, allowing the Conservatives to "come up the middle." Rosa Poladian was among those who cast a strategic ballot, saying that she would normally support the NDP, citing the party's work on pharmacare, and Mathyssen and her mother's "excellent" work. She blames a split "progressive vote" for the Conservative win.
Hamilton Spectator
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Elgin-St. Thomas-London South: Ex-radio host Andrew Lawton wins
ST. THOMAS – Controversial Conservative candidate Andrew Lawton was elected MP Tuesday night in a redrawn London-area party stronghold. Polls reported slowly Monday evening, but Lawton never lost his lead over his three opponents in Elgin-St. Thomas-London South – a riding slightly recast and renamed from the former Elgin-Middlesex-London – including Liberal rival David Goodwin. At around 11:10 p.m., applause erupted among about 75 people gathered at an election party at the Columbus Club in St. Thomas amid news the riding had been called for Lawton, a former radio host. Cheers erupted again about five minutes later when Lawton arrived with his wife, a London Free Press employee. Lawton greeted supporters before making his way to the front of the room. 'The people have spoken,' Lawton said. 'This is the honour of a lifetime to be able to serve our riding, to serve our community and to serve our country in the next parliament.' In his speech, Lawton lamented the evening as 'bittersweet,' noting the projected Conservative second-place finish nationwide. Postmedia's decision desk projected Mark Carney's Liberals would form the next government. Lawton commended his opponents, lauding New Democrat Paul Pighin for his advocacy of marginalized communities, People's Party candidate Stephen Campbell for having the 'courage to put his name on a ballot' and Liberal Goodwin for stressing the importance of 'local and community representation in politics.' Goodwin, the only candidate with a real shot to beat Lawton, thanked his volunteers and supporters, acknowledging it was a difficult riding for a Liberal to win. 'I'm very proud of the campaign we ran, and am grateful to our volunteers and supporters,' Goodwin said by email . 'We knew it was an uphill battle, this being a conservative stronghold. It was a great experience.' Lawton continues a legacy of Conservative representation in the area. Before Elgin-St. Thomas-London South was created, Elgin-Middlesex-London was held by Joe Preston, now St. Thomas' mayor, from 2004; Karen Vecchio succeeded Preston in 2015 and retired after a decade in politics.. 'I will fight for this country and you will always have an advocate for freedom as long as I am your member of Parliament,' Lawton told supporters Monday night. Lawton overcame controversy from his past comments to claim victory. It comes seven years after an unsuccessful 2018 for Ontario's Progressive Conservatives in London West. bwilliams@
