What the heck is happening in the U.K.?

Plus, a Toronto cop guilty of misconduct and a deadly ER wait [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on Canada’s U.K. travel advisory, a Toronto police inspector’s misconduct verdict and a family seeking accountability from Brantford General Hospital. DON’T MISS Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images U.K. Riots [Canada upgraded its U.K. travel advisory amid far-right riots]( Ottawa is warning travellers to the U.K. to “exercise a high degree of caution” over the “threat of terrorism” as violent far-right riots escalate across the country, Andy Takagi reports. Cities and towns have been wracked by angry mobs over the past week, ignited by online misinformation over a mass stabbing. [Here’s what to know, whether you’re travelling or just catching up on the situation](. - Background: The riots followed a mass stabbing at a dance class in late July, during which three children were killed. A British-born 17-year-old, Axel Rudakubana, was charged with first-degree murder. Social media users falsely claimed the attacker was a Muslim and an immigrant. - Last night: Police braced themselves for violence at hundreds of locations — [but the streets filled with swells of peaceful, anti-racism counter-protestors instead](. - The Star’s take: The U.K. riots serve as a cautionary tale about the noxious combination of policy failures, misinformation and reckless social media platforms. [It would be naive to think the same lawlessness could never happen here](. Supplied Photo policing [A Toronto cop is guilty of misconduct for interfering in her nephew’s crash]( A high-ranking Toronto police officer has been found guilty on two counts of professional misconduct after racing to the scene of her nephew’s collision — outside her division’s jurisdiction — and involving herself in the investigation. Insp. Joyce Schertzer’s “inability to act objectively influenced the course of this investigation,” the hearing’s 63-page decision read. [Wendy Gillis dives into the policing scandal — and what happens next](. - What happened? Schertzer’s nephew, identified in the decision as “Calvin,” crashed his pickup truck into a light pole in May 2022. The senior cop rushed to the scene and saw that her nephew was sent home soon after — before Traffic Services could administer a breathalyzer or check his licence. - Word from Schertzer: The inspector previously took the stand, saying she involved herself out of sincere concern for Calvin’s wellbeing: [“I was there as ‘Aunt Joyce,’” she testified](. - Now what? Schertzer has not yet been sentenced; a hearing on her penalty will be held later this year. She could face consequences ranging from a reprimand to demotion to dismissal. Cathie Coward/Hamilton Spectator health care [He appeared fine in the ambulance — then came the wait]( When 73-year-old Len King stepped into the ambulance, he could still walk and talk. But after waiting 33 hours in the packed ER of Brantford General Hospital, the senior became so incapacitated he never went home. His wife told Joanna Frketich she “basically watched him die for 52 days” in hospital before he passed away in January 2023. [A year later, his family is still fighting for accountability](. - Wait, what? Initially brought to the hospital for a suspected urinary tract infection, the senior was physically restrained and sedated in the ER — at times with an antipsychotic that should be avoided for patients with Parkinson’s disease, which King had. He waited more than a day for intravenous fluids and antibiotics that had been ordered hours earlier. - Go deeper: Brantford General’s ER was singled out by the Ontario Nurses’ Association over patient care and staffing concerns, eventually leading to an independent assessment in 2023. More than a year later, the hospital’s ambulance off-load times have only gotten worse. WHAT ELSE Thousands more Canadian dentists have signed onto Ottawa’s dental plan. [Here’s why](. Why is Doug Ford asking people not to poop on the beach? [Here’s what you need to know](. [Doug Ford says he’s “happy as punch”]( Kamala Harris picked Tim Walz as her running mate. A loaded gun case got tossed after a [judge found the suspect had been racially profiled](. This Toronto fan flew to Vienna to see Taylor Swift — [now a terror threat has seen three Austria shows cancelled](. A Toronto kidnapping suspect captured by U.S. Marshals [could face the death penalty](. Andre De Grasse failed to reach another final in Paris — [and this one hurts](. Canada’s Alysha Newman won [bronze in Olympic women’s pole vault](. Canada made Olympic history in women’s beach volleyball. [They’ve got a history of their own](. Snoop Dogg and ... the Muffin Man? [Check out the best viral moments from the Paris Olympics](. “Like a second home.” [The cast of “The Umbrella Academy” bid adieu to Toronto ahead of its final season](. As TIFF’s audience gets younger, [the festival has begun consulting with a panel of teens](. POV Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick [Ontario got a decade’s worth of population growth in just three years. We can’t support that without building way more homes.]( CLOSE-UP Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images PARIS: Canada’s Camryn Rogers celebrates her gold medal win in hammer throw under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. [“I think everything that I am is because of my mom,” she tells Bruce Arthur](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_217985). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](