Touria Izri

Touria Izri

CBSA warns ‘industry pressure’ slowing action on tranquillizers in fentanyl

Canadian border officials are concerned that “industry pressure” is slowing efforts to stop powerful animal tranquillizers from moving through the illegal drug supply. Criminal organizations are increasingly mixing veterinary sedatives like xylazine, also known as “tranq” or “zombie drug,” into fentanyl to prolong the opioids’ effects and increase value. But drug users often don’t know they’re taking these tranquillizers, which...

Touria Izri

How Canada’s election may have left ‘gaps’ in U.S. travel advice

Newly-released documents show Global Affairs Canada knew it was facing criticism from Canadians days into the federal election over a “lack of information” on travel advice to the United States after the Trump administration launched a border crackdown, including enhanced security at ports of entry. But with Canada in a caretaker government at the time, bureaucrats weighed the potential “sensitivities”...

Touria Izri

More Canadians want to join the military, but current members keep leaving

Interest has spiked in the Canadian military, with recruitment levels hitting their highest point in a decade. But as more people walk in the door, thousands of enrolled members are deciding to walk out.

Touria Izri

Canadian military surpasses 2025 recruitment goal, hits 10-year high

Nearly 7,000 people joined Canada’s military over the last year, exceeding the Canadian Armed Forces’ recruitment goal and marking a 10-year high in enrollment. More recruits are enlisting at a time of heightened focus on Canadian sovereignty, and as Prime Minister Mark Carney vows to rebuild the military and reduce reliance on the United States

Touria Izri

Canadian military’s new recruitment tool faces rollout problems

The Canadian military has launched a new online recruitment portal to try to modernize the application process and address a personnel crisis. But technical glitches emerged during the launch, prompting concerns that frustrated applicants may be discouraged from joining at a time when the ranks are short more than 14,000 troops and U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened Canadian sovereignty.

Touria Izri

Liberal MP celebrates ‘rollercoaster’ win, flipping Quebec seat by one vote

A 24-year-old Quebecer is celebrating one of the closest victories in the history of federal politics after flipping a Bloc Québécois seat to Liberal by an incredibly narrow margin. “It’s been a rollercoaster. From winning to not winning, and then winning again,” said Tatiana Auguste, the new member of Parliament for Terrebonne, Que., northeast of Montreal.

Touria Izri

Liberal MP celebrates 'rollercoaster' win, flipping Quebec seat by one vote

After a razor-thin victory, Tatiana Auguste says she and the Liberals represented a 'breath of fresh air' in Terrebonne, where the Bloc Quebecois had been in power for a decade.

Touria Izri, Marc-André Cossette

Foreign student asylum claims hit record high in 2024, set to grow in 2025

International students filed a record 20,245 asylum claims last year, with 2025 on track to surpass that number, according to federal immigration data obtained by Global News. The claims are rising, even as Ottawa cuts the number of study permits it issues, with Prime Minister Mark Carney pledging like his predecessor Justin Trudeau to return Canadian immigration to “sustainable levels.”

Touria Izri

Poilievre makes final push to fortify the West as eastern support in flux

In the final days of the federal campaign, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is trying to reassure his western base that the period he refers to as the “lost Liberal decade” is coming to an end. “This election comes down to one word, and that is change,” said Poilievre in Saskatoon, Sask., at his final scheduled news conference of the campaign...

Touria Izri

‘I’m hoping the polls are wrong’: Conservatives in GTA fear Liberal win

David Aldersey says he has never been to a political rally before but felt compelled to show up at a Conservative event in the Greater Toronto Area because of what he says is at stake. “I’ve been a small-c conservative, but I’ve just seen 10 years of bad decisions,” he said. “The Liberal party parachuted in Mark Carney and it’s...

Touria Izri

Inside the NDP’s struggling campaign as party faces possible collapse

The bus is orange. The seats are carpeted. And the battle cry for the partisans on board is borrowed from the late Jack Layton: “Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.” Layton led the NDP to its best-ever election result in 2011, when the party won 100 seats and, for the first and only time, became the official...

Touria Izri

Canada wanted to ‘cooperate’ on illegal immigration. Trump chose tariffs

Newly released documents show that in the days following the U.S. election, Canada favoured “cooperation” with the second Trump administration on “common challenges” related to illegal immigration before the U.S. threatened sweeping tariffs. But following his victory, it appeared U.S. President Donald Trump had little interest in collaboration, choosing instead to publicly attack the U.S.’s closest ally and threaten its...

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Joly says Europeans thought Trump’s annexation threat was a ‘joke’

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly gave a closing news conference at the G7 summit she hosted in Charlevoix, Que., Friday, saying her European Union counterparts initially thought U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to Canadian sovereignty were a “joke.”

Touria Izri

Trudeau is ‘radioactive,’ says NDP MP as party caucus retreat begins

New Democrats are gathering in Montreal for a strategy session before the return of Parliament next week and after distancing themselves from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose name one NDP MP described as “radioactive.” Last week, the NDP scrapped their supply and confidence agreement propping up the Liberal minority government.

Touria Izri

Mexico visa-free travel a ‘bilateral irritant’ for Canada-U.S. relations

The Liberal government’s decision to lift the visa requirement for Mexican nationals became a “bilateral irritant” with the Biden administration, as the number of migrants on both sides of the border spiked, newly released documents show. Immigration Minister Marc Miller reinstated visas for Mexican citizens on Feb. 29, 2024 to slow what he called “exponential growth” in asylum claims straining...

Touria Izri

7 in 10 Canadians say they feel the country is ‘broken’: Ipsos poll

Canada Day is around the corner, but many Canadians are not necessarily in a mood to celebrate the state of the country, a new poll suggests. Ipsos polling done exclusively for Global News shows 70 per cent of Canadians agree that “Canada is broken,” a charge Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre repeatedly makes.

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Despite Toronto-St. Paul’s loss, Freeland says Trudeau should stay as leader

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says she still has faith in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership, after the party lost what was once considered one of the safest Liberal seats in the country. “The prime minister is committed to leading us into the next election and he has our support,” said Freeland at a news conference, following the Liberals’ stunning...

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Support for Trudeau nears ‘rock bottom’ as 68% want him to step down: Ipsos

As the House of Commons prepares to break for the summer, a majority of Canadians say Justin Trudeau should no longer be prime minister when MPs return in the fall, a new poll suggests. Ipsos polling done exclusively for Global News shows 68 per cent of Canadians want Trudeau to step down. The desire for him to call it quits...

Touria Izri

Interference inquiry to ‘shed light’ on allegations parliamentarians colluded

The public inquiry into foreign interference will probe explosive allegations parliamentarians are “wittingly” helping foreign governments and demonstrated behaviour that one federal leader said could be described as “dumb, unethical” or “foolish.” “The Commission takes note of the government’s decision to resort to the process of an independent commission of inquiry to shed light on the facts,” said the inquiry...

Touria Izri

So far, ‘deflection,’ no answers on politician collusion allegations: experts

A former RCMP superintendent says the Liberal government is passing the buck by insisting it’s up to Canada’s national police force to decide what to do about parliamentarians accused of helping foreign states. “This, in my view, is total deflection,” Garry Clement told Mercedes Stephenson in an interview with The West Block. “The laws are not there right now.”...

Touria Izri, Alex Boutilier

Can alleged parliamentarian colluders face consequences? CSIS chief weighs in

Canada’s spy chief says that political leaders could take steps to make sure parliamentarians accused of cooperating with foreign governments face consequences, even if they don’t face criminal prosecution. David Vigneault, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), suggested to a parliamentary committee Thursday that party leaders could disallow any of their MPs suspected of collusion from running...

Alex Boutilier, Touria Izri

RCMP ‘aware’ of intelligence related to foreign interference and parliamentarians

Canada’s national police force says it is “aware” of a “broad” range of intelligence looking into parliamentarians allegedly working with foreign governments. The RCMP’s statement comes two days after a stunning report by the federal national security committee of parliamentarians alleging sitting federal politicians have “wittingly” participated in foreign interference operations.

Touria Izri

No answers on if parliamentarians allegedly aiding foreign states can run again

There are no clear answers on whether federal politicians accused of “wittingly” colluding with foreign states could run in the next election. A stunning report by the federal national security committee of parliamentarians Monday revealed that multiple federal politicians allegedly knowingly participated in foreign interference schemes over the last five years. That’s spurring concerns about whether those individuals should be...

Touria Izri

Via Rail paid $11 million in bonuses amid travel delays and losses

Via Rail handed out millions of dollars in bonuses to executives and employees, amid frequent travel delays, ongoing financial troubles, and increased government subsidies, newly released documents show. A report this month from the Crown Corporation found 40 per cent of its trains were late in 2023, while its operating losses increased year-over-year.

Touria Izri

CSC told staff not to inform public about Luka Magnotta transfer: docs

Three days before murderer Luka Magnotta was transferred from a maximum to medium security prison, Correctional Service Canada instructed staff not to tell the public about the move, newly released documents show. The decision to transfer one of Canada’s most notorious killers back in the summer of 2022 would not come to light for nearly two years.

Touria Izri

U.K. takes aim at allies like Canada, wants higher NATO targets

Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron is urging the U.K.’s allies, including Canada, to spend more on their militaries, warning the West needs a “harder edge for a tougher world.” The current NATO target for defence spending is two per cent of GDP. Cameron wants it raised to 2.5 per cent. Canada routinely misses the current benchmark, a

Touria Izri

Joly says Israeli Rafah invasion would be ‘unacceptable,’ urges ceasefire

As Israeli forces seize control of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, Mélanie Joly, is warning the offensive could have dire consequences in an already “catastrophic” situation. “An invasion of Rafah, which would endanger the lives of women and children and innocent civilians, is completely unacceptable,” Joly said on her way into a cabinet...

Alex Boutilier, Touria Izri

Some 2019 candidates ‘appeared willing’ to engage with foreign interference: Hogue inquiry

A handful of candidates in Canada’s 2019 federal election “appeared willing” to go along with foreign interference schemes, a federal public inquiry has found. Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue’s preliminary report, released Friday, concluded that while hostile states attempted to covertly influence the 2019 and 2021 general elections, those efforts did not change which party took power.

Mackenzie Gray, Touria Izri

Ottawa to propose new asylum rules to allow for faster deportations

The Liberal government is proposing to make changes to Canada’s asylum claim system which could speed up the deportation process for rejected applicants from the country. The proposed amendments were quietly announced two weeks ago in the 2024 federal budget and come as Canada deals with a record number of asylum seekers.

Touria Izri

Is the ‘Seinfeld theory’ coming for Justin Trudeau’s political future?

The Trudeau government released its 2024 budget with a promise to bring “fairness for every generation” by pledging billions on housing and introducing a new capital gains tax on the wealthy, as part of its strategy to win back younger voters. But former Liberal deputy prime minister John Manley doubts the major spending geared at a millennial and Gen Z...

Touria Izri

Trudeau briefed on alleged interference in Dong’s riding before 2019 election: document

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received briefings about foreign interference allegations related to former Liberal MP Han Dong’s riding before the 2019 election, a new document shows. It was submitted to Canada’s inquiry into foreign election interference Monday evening.

Alex Boutilier, Touria Izri

New foreign interference documents raise questions about ‘special rapporteur’ report

New intelligence documents published by the federal foreign interference inquiry raise questions about the conclusions of former Governor General David Johnston’s probe into the issue. Johnston, whom Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed a “special rapporteur” on foreign interference, ruled out calling a public inquiry last May.

Touria Izri

Trudeau not saying if Han Dong will return to Liberal caucus after testimony

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not say whether he would allow former Liberal MP Han Dong back into caucus, after Dong testified at Canada’s inquiry into foreign election interference that he wants back into the party. “Obviously these are ongoing conversations that we need to take seriously, and we are,” said Trudeau at a housing announcement in Toronto Wednesday.

Touria Izri

Housing asylum seekers at Niagara hotels cost Canada more than $100 million

Newly released figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada show the federal government spent more than $100 million housing asylum seekers at hotels in Niagara Falls over the last year. Nearly 5,000 asylum seekers were sent to hotels in the tourist city between Feb. 1, 2023, and Feb. 1, 2024, according to the immigration department. Most were from Nigeria, Venezuela, Kenya, Turkey, and Colombia.

Touria Izri

Luka Magnotta transfer was flagged twice to then-minister’s office: CSC

A year before the transfer of serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison in Quebec ignited a political firestorm, then-public safety minister Marco Mendicino’s office had been informed about plans for a similar move of another high-profile killer — Luka Magnotta — to the same institution. “Advanced notification was provided to the Minister of Public Safety’s office...

Touria Izri, Alex Boutilier

Inside the 72 hours while Canada debated grounding the Boeing MAX-8

Just hours before then-transportation minister Marc Garneau announced the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX-8 jets in March 2019, staff at his department prepared three very different speeches. They outlined three different scenarios: restricting the aircraft from Canadian airspace, as many countries already had, declaring the MAX-8 safe to fly, as the Americans did, or allowing the aircraft to operate “only...

Touria Izri

Poilievre vows no MAID mental illness expansion if he wins next election

The Liberals have delayed expanding medical assistance in dying for mental illness until after the next election. But if Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wins, he says he will scrap the plan altogether. “We will revoke (an expansion) entirely,” Poilievre said at a news conference Thursday in Vancouver after the Trudeau government punted the move until 2027.

Touria Izri

Iran’s growing influence may be missed as inquiry begins, experts warn

The highly anticipated public inquiry into foreign election interference is set to begin Monday, examining how countries like China, Russia and India may have tried to meddle in Canadian democracy. But some national security experts warn Iran’s growing influence may be missed, despite how far the regime has “spread its tentacles” in Canada. “Any country on which we have substantive...