Politics

Oman mediated indirect talks in Muscat between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear program, and Iran's foreign minister described the meetings as "a very good start"; the sessions focused on finding a way to hold future negotiations. The U.S. delegation had no immediate comment and the next steps are undetermined at this time.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he will not call a public inquiry into delays and cost overruns on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which is scheduled to begin a soft launch this Sunday after years of construction.

Toronto’s 19-kilometre Eglinton Crosstown LRT is set to begin service Sunday after 15 years of construction and six years past its original target date; officials say service will roll out in phases over the next six months.

A Truth Social post by President Trump included a brief AI-generated clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys, and the clip prompted widespread criticism; the post remains online.

Vice President JD Vance attended a team figure skating session at the Milan Olympics and afterward held about an hour-long meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said there will be no public inquiry into the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which was reported to take about 15 years and cost roughly $13 billion; the line is opening with phased, reduced service.

Public statements by U.S. officials about acquiring Greenland have reignited calls from Inuit leaders for an independent Kalaallit Nunaat, and activists point to Greenland’s history of Danish colonization and recent moves toward self-governance.

Donald Trump shared an AI-edited video that placed Barack and Michelle Obama onto ape bodies and included footage tied to debunked 2020 election claims, prompting public condemnation from civil-rights groups and several elected officials.

Federal lawyers told a Virginia judge that the U.S. had already arranged to reunite the Afghan girl with relatives and that a Marine could not lawfully adopt her, while released court records show multiple U.S. employees assisted the Marine and his family; the Virginia Supreme Court has not yet issued a ruling.

Calgary is fast-tracking a parallel steel pipe replacement after two ruptures, and a city councillor says the planned tie-in may not remove a single point of failure.

A suicide bomber struck the Khadija Al-Kubra Shiite mosque near Islamabad during Friday prayers, officials said, killing 31 people and wounding at least 169.

Canada is set to open a diplomatic mission in Nuuk, Greenland, and the article highlights shared issues such as climate change and Inuit culture.

The Globe editorial says criticism of the courts does not make them fragile and notes Alberta's three chief justices issued a statement after Premier Danielle Smith's podcast comments on bail and judicial appointments.

Oman hosted separate meetings between Iranian and U.S. officials intended to prepare for renewed diplomatic and technical negotiations on Iran's nuclear program; neither side issued a readout and subsequent developments are unclear.

Italy has deployed thousands of security personnel for the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics and the government approved a decree allowing police to detain suspected agitators for up to 12 hours, a move criticised by opposition lawmakers.

A St. Boniface Hospital nurse told CBC he does not plan to vote to declare the facility 'grey listed' while the hospital has increased parkade security and offered a staff safety app after a November incident; the Manitoba Nurses Union has announced a vote but has not set a date.

An opinion piece argues that recent U.S. tariffs, trade actions and public statements from the Trump administration have strained Canada–U.S. relations and that Canada should not be held responsible for those measures.

A provincial regulatory change now allows cost recovery for electricity projects during construction, and Ontario Power Generation has filed a rate application to begin recouping interest on Darlington SMR and Pickering refurbishment costs; that application is before the Ontario Energy Board.

York Region police have charged eight current or former Toronto officers and 19 civilians in Project South, with allegations including bribery, drug trafficking and misuse of police data; Toronto Police chief Myron Demkiw has asked the province’s inspector general to conduct a full, independent investigation.

Retired Gen. Wayne Eyre and former prime minister Stephen Harper publicly raised the idea of Canada possessing nuclear weapons; the defence minister dismissed the prospect and Canada remains a party to the Non‑Proliferation Treaty.

The New START treaty between the United States and Russia is set to expire, removing formal caps on deployed strategic nuclear warheads; Russia has offered a one-year continuation if the U.S. agrees, and Washington has not committed.

Architect Buse Ceren Gul has uncovered the ruins of St. Paul's Church in Antakya and is working with the World Monuments Fund on reconstruction planning, but on-site rebuilding is paused pending additional funding.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced reinstated incentives for electric-vehicle buyers and formally ended the previous EV sales mandate, while also proposing new tailpipe emissions rules and investments in a national charging network.

Irwin Cotler warned that abolishing Canada's antisemitism envoy could make Jewish Canadians less safe, and the federal government announced it will replace the envoy posts with an advisory council on rights, equality and inclusion.

Congo's president visited Washington as U.S. officials pursued access to the country's copper and cobalt, and Glencore announced a preliminary agreement to sell 40% of its Congolese copper and cobalt assets to the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium, a group that includes U.S. government partners.

RCMP say a 20-year-old woman was taken from a Pimicikamak Cree Nation home and a dangerous-person alert was issued for a 39-year-old man; search efforts are ongoing. Undetermined at this time.

A Treasury Board message directs executives to work on-site five days a week from May 4 and requires other core public servants to be in the office four days a week beginning July 6.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has directed federal public servants to work in person four days a week beginning July 6, with senior executives returning five days a week starting May 4. The Treasury Board sent the plan to department heads and said it will engage bargaining agents, while unions have criticised the move.

Doly Begum, the Ontario NDP's deputy leader, has left the provincial party to run as a federal Liberal and will seek the Scarborough Southwest seat in a federal byelection.

Israel's ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza, imposed after Oct. 7, 2023, remains in effect while a Foreign Press Association petition is pending; after a Jan. 26 hearing the High Court gave the state until the end of March to file an update.