A raging truck fire closed Highway 427 for a brief period early Monday morning. The road has since been cleared. The tractor-trailer fire occurred Rexdale Boulevard.

More than seven million people have watched the YouTube replay of Laura Bretan’s audition for America’s Got Talent.  The 13-year-old opera singer is both an extraordinary personality and an astonishing talent. Her voice stunned the judges — all of team — with its strength, beauty and clarity. On this one audition Laura was awarded the so-called Golden Buzzer for the current season of AGT. This isn’t her first time on TV. Laura appeared on Romania’s Got Talent, where before her performance she spoke fluently with the judges. She is Romanian but was born in the U.S. On the show, Laura says her grandfather wanted her to perform in Romania so she did. The moment she opened her mouth to sing, the judges stood in silence, in disbelief. The audience was moved to tears. After the performance, the judges walk on the stage to hug and kiss Laura — who was also moved to tears.

Marco Estrada held things together Sunday night to give the Blue Jays a 5-4 win over the Red Sox in Boston. Estrada took a no-hitter into the eighth inning for the third time in a year before it was broken up by Chris Young’s home run with one out, but it wasn’t enough to put the Sox ahead. CBC 

Leaside has won the 2016 Troy May Memorial Tournament organized by Baseball Oshawa. Nice going guys.

@BaseballOshawa Your 2016 Troy May Memorial Tournament Finalists (Clarington) & Champions (Leaside) #Congratulations pic.twitter.com/HOuzwOQgMD

— 2005 Legionaires 15U Elite (@2005Legionaires) June 5, 2016

Bobby Curtola is dead. The one-time pop-star of the early 60s died at the age of 73 at his home in Nova Scotia. He was born in Thunder Bay.  Bobby Curtola is best remembered for international hit singles Fortune Teller and Aladdin. Below is Curtola singing Fortune Teller at Club Seven 44 on Mt. Pleasant Rd. just about one year ago.

Welcome to Elgieville (top) where three homes, still to be finished, now sit on the lot which held the original Thomas Elgie homestead. The City has given it the address 262 Bessborough. The pioneer home remains in the centre of the two new ones. It has been a year (centre) since it was moved onto a foundation which approximates the original location where the settler family huddled in good weather and bad. Bottom, a 1950s photo of the Elgie home with one of two additions it had over the years. Both additions were demolished to restore the look of the original.

The tone for this year’s correspondents night in Ottawa was set by hero-turned-diplomat Kevin Vickers who asked people to take their seats by cracking: “I hope everybody that’s standing realizes what happened to the last guy that pissed me off,” Vickers said, referring to his tackling of an Irish protester at a ceremony commemorating British war dead in Dublin last month. CBC

Canada's new brand of political communication on stage at last night's Press Gallery Dinner. Sophie steals the show https://t.co/tyi4965Xrs

— Caroline Kealey (@carolinekealey) June 5, 2016

Lots of laughs, no f-bombs at annual Ottawa press gallery dinner. #cdnpoli https://t.co/wD6gWOrwA9

— Globalnews.ca (@globalnews) June 5, 2016

'It's OK, the bad man's gone away,' Rona Ambrose says of Harper at press gallery dinner: https://t.co/WZjmjONk15 pic.twitter.com/F0w1AKaiMm

— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) June 5, 2016

The European Union is contemplating a “pilot scheme” of free money for everyone. But this weekend nearly 80 percent of Swiss voters opposed such a giveaway. A referendum to introduce a guaranteed basic income for everyone living in the wealthy country was preceded by what is being called an uneasy debate about the future of work at a time of increasing automation. Supporters had said introducing a monthly income of 2,500 Swiss francs ($2,563) per adult and 625 francs per child under 18 no matter how much they work would promote human dignity and public service. Opponents said it would weaken the economy and perhaps bankrupt the country.

Mac and Cheese loving foodies flocked to the second annual Mac and Cheese Festival at Ontario Place West Island Saturday and Friday. The free event is a celebration of starch and yummy cheese which continues Sunday with 75 vendors. Forty of those are backed by Toronto’s top chefs and food entrepreneurs. It is expected that this year’s festival will be three times bigger than last year’s, with close to 100,000 thousand people attending throughout the weekend. It is also cleaner and better organized. Mac and Jeez Festival leaves Liberty Village filthy 

Herb crusted blue cheese Mac and cheese at Toronto Mac and Cheese Festival! pic.twitter.com/UnDZbzoRjq

— JUNK FOOD JEFF (@JunkFoodJeff) June 4, 2016

Bacon wrapped mac and cheese stuffed manicotti at Toronto Mac and Cheese Festival! pic.twitter.com/29NWn3MgIY

— JUNK FOOD JEFF (@JunkFoodJeff) June 4, 2016

Bombay street food Mac and Cheese at Toronto Mac and Cheese Festival! pic.twitter.com/d5DSDUPAov

— JUNK FOOD JEFF (@JunkFoodJeff) June 4, 2016

So here is happy Victoria engaged in her honest work at Laird and Esandar Drives outside Leaside Village on Saturday. Go Victoria.

Muhammad Ali has died at the age of 74 after being treated for respiratory problems earlier this week. His children were at his bedside in Phoenix. A funeral will be held in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. This is a very good summary of his life with wonderful video voiced by Bonny Ghosh of the Associated Press.

A giant panda cub has been born at a zoo in Belgium, an event so rare it is being described a “true miracle”. The healthy male cub was born at a wildlife park outside Brussels to six-year-old Hao Hao and her mate Xing Hui, both on loan from China. The cub, which is hairless, blind and weighs just 171g (6oz), is yet to be named. There are only 1,864 giant pandas worldwide, and about 300 live in zoos to protect the species. BBC