National News

The federal government has signed an agreement in principle with Saskatchewan to invest nearly $6 billion into the province's health-care system over the next 10 years. 

"This agreement in principle with the federal government is a positive step that will accelerate and enhance work already underway," Saskatchewan Health Minister Paul Merriman said in a news release Wednesday.

Some members of Parliament want to see Google in the hot seat over the tech company's move to temporarily block news access to some of its Canadian users.

The House of Commons heritage committee is meeting today and members are expected to discuss whether to summon leadership from Google to testify. 

Last week Google confirmed to The Canadian Press that it was limiting news access on its search engine to less than four per cent of its Canadian users. 

Alberta has become the seventh province to sign an agreement in principle with Ottawa on health-care funding.

The federal government said in a news release Monday that more than $24 billion is to be invested in Alberta's health-care system over the next 10 years.

Canada is imposing more sanctions against Iran for what it describes as gross violations of human rights. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly announced twelve senior Iranian government and law enforcement officials are being sanctioned for participating in "gross and systematic human rights violations," including through repressing demonstrations in the western part of the country.

The listed individuals will have their Canadian assets frozen and be barred from entering the country. 

Alberta is scheduled to introduce its budget Tuesday — the last before a spring provincial election — with political observers wondering what the province will do with all its billions of extra petrodollars.

“Any budget that’s leading into an election is always one that contains quite a few goodies,” said University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe.

“Combine that with a government with significantly higher resource royalties than planned, and you have a lot of scope for big announcements."

The federal government says in a news release that it has signed an agreement in principle with Manitoba to invest more than $6.7 billion in the province's health-care system over 10 years. 

That includes more than $1.2 billion for a new bilateral agreement focusing on shared health-care priorities.

It also includes $72 million in an immediate, one-time top up to the Canada Health Transfer paid to Manitoba to address urgent needs, especially in pediatric hospitals and emergency rooms and for long surgical wait times. 

Canada's Ambassador to Ukraine said she woke up with a sense of apprehension about what the day would bring, as the country marked the start of its second year of war since the Russian invasion. 

For most Ukrainians Larisa Galadza has spoken to, the anniversary of the invasion is not a day for reflection, as they're still living it day to day, she said. 

"There is no space for reflection," Galadza said, sitting in a boardroom in the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv on Friday.

"I find that for myself as well."

Oleh His marches with pride and purpose in rain-soaked mud through row upon row of large white polyethylene bags, each stamped with a Canadian logo and filled to bursting with this year's harvest of grain.

The 24-year-old grain farmer with a slight build, fair hair and braces is also a volunteer with the Ukrainian military. He splits his time between running the family farm and sourcing money and supplies for the front.

When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, His knew right away he would have a problem.

The Canada Revenue Agency kicked off its tax season this week by urging Canadians to file their taxes on time — and reminding them that they may be owed money.

The filing deadline of April 30 falls on a Sunday this year, so Canadians have until May 1 to finish filing their taxes. But a looming strike for CRA workers may be on the horizon.

Here's a look at what you need to know, and at some of the new benefits you may qualify for this year. 

It's faster to file taxes online

Ukraine wants Canada to lend its expertise — and donate crucial railway parts — to keep its embattled passenger and cargo rail system running as landmines and missile strikes threaten to stall the country's lifeline.

The rail system is vital to the war effort, and has been since the first days of the invasion that began one year ago this week.

Millions of people used trains to escape occupied cities and flee to neighbouring countries. Thousands of wounded soldiers and civilians were also transported by rail to hospitals in safer parts of the country.