A tragic new record for Toronto

Plus, visitors advised to seek asylum and Scarborough's sick swans [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on a child pleading guilty to murder, why travellers with visitor visas were made to seek asylum and a reminder to leave the city’s wildlife alone. DON’T MISS Jim Rankin/The Star courts [A boy pleaded guilty to Toronto’s youngest-ever murder]( A young boy stood in the prisoner’s box and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for fatally stabbing his cousin last year, when both were just 12 years old, Jacques Gallant reports. The plea makes the now-13-year-old the youngest ever person found guilty of murder in Toronto’s history. “It’s a tragedy for everyone involved,” his lawyer told the Star. [Here’s why we may never know why he did it](. - How it happened: The boy had arrived from overseas and was living with his aunt and uncle and their children in their Scarborough apartment. On the day of the murder, he and his cousin were home alone. [His aunt returned home to find her daughter in the bathtub with multiple stab wounds](. - Then what? The boy was found outside his aunt’s balcony railing. First responders had to restrain the child after helping him off the railing, as he repeatedly screamed, “What did she say?” - What now? He will be sentenced in fall. The maximum youth sentence for second degree murder is seven years, of which no more than four years can be served in custody. Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh immigration [They had valid visas — but were asked to seek asylum or leave]( Pranjal Singh was looking forward to visiting his sister in Canada. But when the 18-year-old from Delhi landed in Montreal, he was forced to file a refugee claim — despite having a valid visa — or leave. Singh is one of several recent visitors who’ve experienced such treatment, immigration lawyers and consultants tell Nicholas Keung. [Take a look at why this might be happening](. - Word from officials: “We are aware of these allegations and want to make it clear that the Canada Border Services Agency does not direct or counsel travellers to make refugee claims,” a spokesperson said. “Having obtained a temporary resident visa (visitor visa) ... does not guarantee the right to enter Canada.” - Context: Refugee claims have skyrocketed since the border reopened after the pandemic, from around 24,000 in 2021 to 60,000 in 2022 and 138,000 in 2023. - Meanwhile: Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board has been overwhelmed by a growing backlog of refugee claims — [an inventory that could take almost four years to clear](. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star wildlife [People fed these swans bread. Now they’ll never return to the wild]( Two baby swans at the Scarborough Bluffs were left unable to fly — and can never return to the wild. Experts suspect they were fed bread and other highly processed food by humans, leading to nutritional deficiencies that caused their wings to deform. “Basically, they’re filling up on McDonald’s and not eating their salad,” a volunteer from the Toronto Wildlife Centre told Mark Colley. [What comes next for these swans?]( - Silver lining: The deformation, known as angel wing, can be treated when caught early. The two Scarborough swans will recover after at least a month of treatment — but by then, they’d have been abandoned by their parents. - Wait, what? With no one to lead them south in migration or teach them the ropes, the babies will never return to the wild — or their parents. - Family history: Their parents, Mango and Charlotte, went viral in a video last spring. But partly due to all that human adoration, [they’ve now lost all five of their babies hatched in June](. WHAT ELSE Canada is demanding an investigation into a [water well destroyed by Israeli troops in Gaza](. [Sweden has reported its first case of the new mpox variant]( recently declared a global health emergency. Doug Ford hints at restricting safe injection sites as [cities say more help for mental health and addiction is needed](. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says [Ukrainian troops have taken full control of the Russian town of Sudzha](. Insurance and business groups are urging Canada’s health minister to [protect employer-paid virtual care](. [Toronto police arrested 32 people in a drugs and firearms investigation]( dubbed “Project Foxxx.” [Property insurers are reporting growing profits]( as Canadian premiums soar. Canada Child Benefit payments will go out next week. [Here’s how much you can expect](. Matthew Perry’s assistant is among five people — including two doctors — [charged in the “Friends” star’s death](. A Disney Plus lawsuit in the U.S. is sparking outrage. [It’s a warning for Canadians, experts say](. Here’s why the stakes are so high for [European soccer’s most Canadian season](. Here’s why a [plan to expand Billy Bishop Island airport is sparking concern](. POV J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo [This is the real reason Donald Trump is obsessed with the size of his crowds.]( CLOSE-UP Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images EDINBURGH: Kirsty Paterson, the “sad oompa loompa” who rose to viral stardom after featuring in a disastrous Willy Wonka-themed children’s experience in Glasgow last year, is playing herself in a new musical parody of the event, “Willy’s Candy Spectacular” in Edinburgh. [Here’s a refresher on the infamous “experience” that inspired the show](. Before I go, yesterday’s First Up erroneously announced that the Canadian National Exhibition returned “today” meaning yesterday, when in fact it begins today — as in today. So consider going out to the Ex today (not yesterday).  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_511). Andrew will 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](