Global National

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan to probe foreign interference in Canada's democratic process is under fire from the opposition. The criticism over appointing a special rapporteur, the persistent demands for a public inquiry, and the ongoing push for further transparency into alleged meddling. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Qin Gang are warning the U.S. to change course with its recent decisions on international matters to avoid inevitable "conflict and confrontation." What's been causing the global superpowers' conflict to escalate. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is on a two-day visit to Canada, with support for Ukraine's war against Russia being a major theme of her talks with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. How von der Leyen praised Canada's contributions to Ukraine. In 2019, Sarnia-Lambton Children's Aid Society stopped using group homes for kids and youth in care and hasn't used one ever since. It's the only children's aid society to do so and sustain it. What it's focusing on instead to keep kids with their families. And with the Taliban banning women and girls in Afghanistan from going to school, we'll look at how Canadians are trying to help these female students keep learning.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is appointing an independent, special rapporteur to decide whether it's necessary to call a public inquiry to investigate foreign interference in Canada's democratic process. It's one of the steps he says the government will take to probe claims of meddling. Why opposition leaders are unhappy with the announcement and why the Liberal government says it's taking these steps. A for-profit group home operator that was at the centre of a Global News investigation in the fall of 2022 is now facing a $60 million proposed class-action lawsuit. The suit alleges children were mistreated while living in homes that were supposed to offer care and support. It's now been one month since devastating earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, killing about 52,000 people. How survivors in Syria are coping, as the civil war and geopolitics prevent relief aid from reaching those in need. The Taliban's oppressive rule has meant women and girls in Afghanistan have had their rights vanish. They are now banned from going to university and working in aid agencies. Global's Touria Izri and Shogofa Danish speak with one Afghan woman who used to help others, and now desperately needs help herself. Also, scare in the air: What caused smoke in the cabin during a Southwest Airlines flight. Plus: practicing patience. How thousands of Californians are waiting to be rescued from the snow. And packaging design ditched: why Toblerone needs to lose the mountain it mimics.

The deaths of three German tourists killed in an avalanche while taking part in a heli-ski tour in the B.C. Interior are adding to the province's deadliest avalanche season in recent memory. Heather Yourex-West explains how the latest tragedy is triggering questions about whether backcountry tour operators do enough to keep their guests safe. The biggest storm of the season is set to slam Ontario and Quebec. The flights already grounded, and the flurry of travel warnings. Nobel Peace Prize winner and pro-democracy activist Ales Bialiastski has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Minsk, igniting outrage around the world. How he's long been a thorn in the side of Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, and how Bialiastski's incarceration is a rallying cry for opponents of the country's authoritarian government. And a South Carolina court has sentenced disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh to life in prison for murdering his wife and youngest son, ending one of the most publicized criminal cases in recent history. The evidence which sealed his fate.

CSIS director David Vigneault has testified on Parliament Hill about foreign meddling, calling the Chinese Communist Party the “principal threat” to Canada's democratic institutions. What Vigneault was asked about, how he responded, and David Akin explains why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is resisting the growing pressure to call an inquiry, and how the opposition parties disagree over what an inquiry would look like. An avalanche near Panorama Mountain Resort in British Columbia has killed three German nationals, adding to the worst avalanche season Western Canada has seen in decades. How communities in two countries are now in mourning. In England, a public inquiry has found national security and counterterrorism officials failed to act on key information which may have prevented the May 2017 bombing at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, which killed 22 people. The details on the findings, and the lessons learned. Another American retailer has decided to close its Canadian operations. Why and when Nordstrom will be shutting down. Plus, doctors without planetary borders: how the rise of space tourism is raising legal questions about aerospace medicine. And ancient discovery: the first glimpse of a secret chamber inside one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The NDP is set to put forward a motion, which the Conservatives are expected to support, calling for a full public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canada's democratic process. The mounting pressure on the Trudeau government to provide transparency into alleged meddling, how top civil servants evaluated Canada's response to possible interference in the 2021 federal election, and that panel's recommendations. A Toronto man named Daniel Langdon, 31, has been hit with 96 criminal charges after a sexual abuse investigation involving children, some as young as seven years old. How Langdon allegedly lured children through multiple social media platforms, what he was previously convicted of, and what critics say are the drawbacks to the national sex offender registry. A passenger train has crashed into a cargo train in Greece, killing more than 40 people. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says "human error" is largely to blame for the trains being on the same track. What passengers witnessed, and the scenes of devastation from one of Greece's worst accidents. Plus, more questions than answers: what a new U.S. intelligence report reveals about why Canadian and American diplomats experienced the mysterious illness known as Havana syndrome. And fresh faces with a familiar challenge: Canada Soccer looks to tackle problems both on and off the field.

Calls are growing for greater transparency about the nature of the threat from foreign interference in Canada's democratic process. The newest report from senior public servants about foreign meddling, the pressure the federal government is facing, how Australia's security chief is defining the threat, and his calls for foreign interference to be taken seriously. Security concerns have swirled around TikTok for some time now. With Ottawa and some provinces banning the popular app from government-issued devices, two political leaders are now logging off the platform after using it to try to win younger voters. Millie Burgess became Ontario's first Black teacher in 1957. Now at age 99, she's being recognized for her trailblazing career as part of Black History Month. Mike Drolet speaks with Burgess about how she educated and inspired generations of students. And our tribute to a Global National original: Ross Lord, who's served as the Atlantic correspondent since the newscast's inception, has retired after 39 years in journalism. Dawna Friesen looks back on Lord's lengthy career, a sliver of the stories he's covered, and hears how he's reflecting on decades of storytelling, which included storm-chasing, disasters, wars, and holding politicians to account.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is standing by Liberal MP Han Dong, who sources have told Global News is a witting affiliate in a Chinese government interference network. Dong rejects the allegations, calling them inaccurate and irresponsible. What Trudeau had to say about the claims, as calls grow for a public inquiry into accusations of foreign meddling. Almost seven years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, a festering dispute over trade rules for Northern Ireland appears to have been finally resolved. What the agreement means, and why it matters. Powerful storms have pummelled various parts of the U.S., from heavy snowfall in California to a record-breaking number of tornadoes in Oklahoma. The devastation caused by the wild weather gripping millions of Americans. Plus, bowing to public pressure: Nick Bontis is stepping down as president of Canada Soccer after a bitter labour dispute. And as part of a NASA experiment, a group of Ottawa elementary school students wanted to see what would happen if an EpiPen was sent to space. Would the device that treats potentially fatal allergies still work? How the findings not only surprised and impressed career scientists but also have real implications for the health and safety of astronauts.

Intelligence sources tell Global News that investigators have been tracking Ontario Liberal MP Han Dong since the summer of 2019, and say he is one of 11 Toronto-area riding candidates believed to be supported by the Chinese government in the lead up to the 2019 Canadian federal election. How Dong is allegedly affiliated in China's election interference networks, how the Prime Minister's Office is responding to the claims, and why the Chinese Communist Party may have had its eye on the Ontario MP. The world is marking one year of heartache after Russia unleashed its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, upending tens of millions of people's lives. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's emotional message about a “year of invincibility,” and the resilience of the people standing defiantly against the Kremlin. Meanwhile, China has revealed its 'peace plan' for ending Russia's ware. Why Western countries are skeptical of the proposal, and the concerns of Beijing's tightening alliance with Moscow. And snow way: see the unusually cold weather blanketing California, and the fears of what else is in the forecast.

Fears are growing China could supply Russia with weapons to bolster its faltering invasion of Ukraine, as Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares to unveil his own “peace plan,” signalling his government's stance on the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plea to meet with Xi, and NATO's warning to Beijing. The horrific death toll from a year of Russia's war has sadly made funerals and burials a daily ritual, testing the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people. Jeff Semple reports from Lviv with the story of one of the many soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the grief of loved ones left behind. A record number of people died from police-related incidents in Canada in 2022, according to researchers from the Tracking (In)Justice data and transparency project. The study also found persistent racial disparities. How calls for policing reform were amplified following the May 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but in Canada, the situation only worsened. Plus, Google is blocking content from certain news sites for some Canadians, in what the tech titan calls a “test run” of its response to Bill C-18, also known as the Online News Act. The reaction to Google's move, how much money is at stake, and how long the test could last.

As tensions between NATO countries and Russia rise over the war in Ukraine, Beijing and Moscow are pledging to deepen their diplomatic ties. What the West fears could happen next, what U.S. President Joe Biden is promising, and what NATO members neighbouring Russia want from the U.S. Plus, Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, weighs in about the implications of Beijing and Moscow's pact. After a year of war, Ukraine's military is looking far and wide to replenish its supply of parts and equipment. How a B.C. woman is lending a helping hand from her own kitchen. Two Nova Scotia brothers, whose sister was killed by the catastrophic earthquakes in Turkey, say the Canadian embassy in Turkey let them down in their greatest time of need. The help they say they didn't receive, and which country ended up providing much-needed assistance. Frigid conditions are putting millions of Canadians and Americans under winter weather alerts. The dangerous conditions in several major cities, and which provinces will be hit next with a mix of bitterly cold Arctic air and moist tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico. And, the changing face of boarding your flight: how Air Canada is navigating into the future with a new pilot project.