Four-time champion Italy hosts Northern Ireland in the standout semifinal of the World Cup playoffs in Europe on Thursday.
The Azzurri are under pressure to avoid failing to qualify for soccer’s biggest event for a third consecutive time after being eliminated by Sweden in 2017 and North Macedonia in 2022.
The winner of Italy and Northern Ireland, and the winner of Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina will face off in the qualifying finals Tuesday. The victor will play Canada at Toronto Stadium on June 12.
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In all, 16 teams are competing for four spots at the World Cup in North America.
Eight one-off semifinals are followed by four finals next week. The winners of the finals secure qualification.
Path A: Italy vs. Northern Ireland, Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Path B: Ukraine vs. Sweden, Poland vs. Albania.
Path C: Turkey vs. Romania, Slovakia vs. Kosovo.
Path D: Denmark vs. North Macedonia, Czech Republic vs. Ireland
The chief executive of Air Canada is apologizing for not being able to express himself adequately in French in a video message of condolence he released after the deadly plane crash in New York on Sunday.
Michael Rousseau has been criticized for the four-minute video posted online that only included two French words — “bonjour” and “merci.”
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Prime Minister Mark Carney said the decision to release the video message only in English showed a “lack of judgment and lack of compassion.”
Rousseau has also been summoned to testify at the House of Commons official languages committee.
The Air Canada chief executive says he is “deeply saddened” that his inability to speak French has diverted attention from the deep grievance of the families of the pilots killed in the crash.
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He apologized that despite many lessons over several years he is still unable to express himself adequately in French, but added he is continuing his efforts to improve.
The Ford government will table its budget on Thursday afternoon, a financial blueprint expected to be printed with its fair share of red ink as the finance minister tells Ontarians to prepare for “tougher times” ahead.
The annual financial plan will outline the government’s expectations for economic growth and debt, as well as offer insights into the cost of its policies, the housing market and how Crown corporations like the LCBO are managing.
In a few brief comments as he bought the tie he will wear to present the budget, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy acknowledged his plan comes as people struggle.
“It’s tough times for people,” he said. “People are hurting, the cost of everything is very high. That’s why we’ve been focused on affordability, putting more money back into people’s pockets.”
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Bethlenfalvy’s comments echoed those he made earlier this month in a speech revealing the date of the budget.
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“The world has changed, and Ontario must be ready for what change may bring, even if that means being prepared for tougher times,” he said during that event.
“As a government, we cannot eliminate uncertainty, but we can mitigate risks with a responsible, balanced fiscal approach that supports public services and infrastructure while maintaining flexibility.”
In that speech, he twice mentioned delivering government programs “efficiently and sustainably,” words that are sometimes used by politicians to signal belt tightening.
The province’s deficit, in the most recent fiscal update earlier this year, stood at $13.4 billion. Bethlenfalvy has been silent on whether the path to balance remains the same as his plan in last year’s budget to get into the black in 2027-28.
As it normally does in the run-up to the budget, the government has already pre-announced several major policies.
A one-year cut to the sales tax on all new homes was unveiled Wednesday, while a cap on the resale price of tickets to concerts and sports games will also be included in the document.
There’s also going to be $325 million for primary care in a budget that will be passed through legislation that also clamps down on transparency rules.
The budget will be tabled in the house around 4 p.m.
Starting the week of April 6th until June, the University Bridge in Saskatoon will be closed for work on the city’s bus rapid transit plan.
The start date was a little confusing as contractors accidentally put up construction signs saying the work will start on the 31st of March. The city is apologizing and confirms construction starts the week of the 6th, if weather permits.
The bridge won’t be completely closed the whole summer, allowing for some flow of traffic once upgrades are done to the College Drive and Clarence Avenue intersection. There will be alternating traffic on the bridge during construction, but officials don’t know the timeline of when we will see that quite yet.
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“So, they will then be working on one set of lanes… say they are working on the north side first, then there will be two-way traffic, one lane in each direction on the south set of lanes. Then when those north lanes are completed, we will flip them back over,” said Terry Schmidt, general manager of Saskatoon’s Transportation and Construction.
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Emergency vehicles will have a lane open to them during construction to access the hospital.
This is only the first phase of the College Drive Rapid Bus construction as they will be doing work between Cumberland Avenue and Hospital Drive throughout the year.
Watch above for more on the impacts of the University Bridge closure.
The crash at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, in which two Air Canada pilots died, has brought up questions of safety protocols and workloads for air traffic controllers.
NAV Canada, which operates the country’s civil air navigation system, has processes in place to mitigate risk.
On Wednesday, the organization said it is short an estimated 200 air traffic controllers and is working on building its capacity.
Following the deadly crash, pilots have told Global News that the protocols, including those at Vancouver International Airport (YVR), are not always followed in practice.
“It’s certainly the case that positions are occasionally combined in air traffic controller towers,” Capt. Tim Perry, president of the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), said.
“And that’s the experience of any pilot who has flown into YVR and in fact, many other airports across the country. But I also want to emphasize that that’s not necessarily an unsafe practice. There are protocols and procedures for combining positions within an air traffic control tower. However, we … are in favour in general of robust staffing and we have raised it as an issue.”
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Officially, the duties of aircraft arrivals, departures and ground movements are split between people in the YVR tower. However, combining positions does happen.
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Perry said that it is pilots’ experience in Canada that combining positions and air traffic control towers does occur in Canada and it happens more than they would like to see.
Canadian TSB investigators join U.S. counterparts at scene of LaGuardia Airport crash
The cause of the crash at New York’s LaGuardia Airport is still under investigation.
On Tuesday, officials from the National Transportation Safety Board said two people were working in the tower at the time of the collision, including the local controller and the controller in charge.
However, it is not known how many people were working in the tower at the time and staffing levels would be part of the overall investigation into what happened.
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Perry said they have every confidence in the investigation process and that it will lead to robust recommendations that will make aviation safer.
“We have raised the issues of staffing levels at air traffic control units alongside our professional colleagues, who are air traffic controllers themselves, but it is a practice we’d like to see mitigated,” Perry said.
“I want to be clear that when positions are combined inside an air traffic controller, inside an air traffic control tower, there are protocols put in place to maintain the safety of Canadians and we want those protocols followed. And we should always be looking to evolve and enhance any protocols as needed.”
ALPA represents 13,500 members across Canada and Perry said all the members are mourning the loss of the two pilots who died at LaGuardia.
“A lot of us have operated those flights and anytime anything like this happens, it’s very close to home and it’s deeply felt by our members,” he said.
A business owner in Edmonton’s northwest is voicing his frustration after dealing with the same drainage problem for decades. He says temporary solutions offered by EPCOR are no longer working.
Outside Central Auto and Truck Parts, a massive pool of water has formed — an issue the owner, Nick Spina, says he’s tired of dealing with.
“Coming up in June, I got a $130,000 tax bill and I got to put up with that,” Spina said.
The intersection in front of his business at 170th Street and 129th Avenue fills with water as the spring melt begins, and it has for the past 30 years, creating problems for staff and customers.
“My guys can’t go to the mailbox, they can’t park on the street. Customers are probably scared to turn in here cause they can’t see where the road is. In the morning when it’s ice, you can’t see, it’s one big glare,” he said.
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The pooling of water at the intersection near Central Auto and Truck Parts in Edmonton.
Global News / Submitted
Spina says last week, a car drove through the water without knowing how deep it was. The car died. Two vehicles are also stuck in the frozen pool. Spina has been in contact with the City of Edmonton and EPCOR, but says it’s hard to get a solution.
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“This year, they’re passing the buck. Phone the city, the city puts through EPCOR, EPCOR says it’s the city’s fault, city’s responsibility, and EPCOR says vice versa,” Spina said.
On Tuesday morning, EPCOR was working on the pooling.
In a statement to Global News, EPCOR says several factors make this area uniquely challenging.
“Including how 170 Street aligns with the railway tracks and where private and public land intersects with the existing stormwater management infrastructure. At this time, we also know a blocked culvert on private property is contributing to higher volumes of water in this area,” read the statement.
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“We have also assembled a team who is actively reviewing longer term design solutions to improve the flow of water in the future.”
Spina says he’s not confident in a solution.
“Nothing’s gonna happen. We’ve seen the same thing for the last 30 years, they go out there. They play with it a little bit, put some barricades up and leave them there. They leave them and wait for the water to go down by itself. Sometimes it could take a month or two, depending on the weather,” he said.
The pooling of water at the intersection near Central Auto and Truck Parts in Edmonton.
The family of Mila Barberi marked her birthday earlier this month around the same time police revealed the man wanted for her murder had been arrested in Mexico after nine years on the run.
“She just spent her eighth heavenly birthday. She passed away nine years ago,” said Mila’s father, Alessio Barberi. “It’s just resurfacing. Everything is coming back again.”
Hamilton police say Daniel Tomassetti was taken into custody in August 2025, and efforts are underway to extradite him to Canada.
“I never thought I’d see the day. I didn’t think this was going to happen,” said Mila’s mother, Elvira Barberi.
Tomassetti was the subject of a Canada-wide arrest warrant in connection with the murders of innocent bystander Mila Barberi and Ontario mob boss Angelo Musitano and the attempted murder of Barberi’s boyfriend, Saverio Serrano.
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Barberi, a veterinary technician, was shot outside an SUV in Vaughan on March 14, 2017 while waiting to pick up her boyfriend, Saverio Serrano, the son of a convicted trafficker.
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Barberi was not the intended target of the shooting.
Police say the BOLO Program and Global TV’s Crime Beat and Crime Beat: Most Wanted played a role in the eventual arrest of Tomassetti.
In an interview with Global TV in October 2023, Alessio Barberi urged Tomassetti to surrender.
“Daniel, if you ever watch this, come home. I don’t think you have a good life. You must be having a very sore neck watching over your back all the time,” said Barberi, adding “You know what you did.”
Tomassetti is facing two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and three counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
He is the last of three suspects in the killings.
After the shootings, suspected gunman Michael Cudmore fled to Mexico, where he was found dead in June 2020, and Jabril Abdalla pleaded guilty and was convicted of participating in a criminal organization.
“I’m putting it in the back of my mind. I don’t want to think about it until I hear more definite news and then we’ll plan ahead. And I’ll be there like I did with Jabril. I missed only one court date with Jabril. I’m not going to miss a day with Daniel. And I want him to know that I’ll be there looking at him every day for as long as it takes,” said Barberi.
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The family now awaits an update on Tomassetti’s extradition to Canada. The case has been adjourned until April.
“I’ve already asked the detectives that I would like to be at the airport when he arrives. And I was told, ‘no, not a good idea.’ But I would love to be there and look at him in the eyes when he gets off the plane and comes through,” said Barberi.
It’s been nine years since they lost their beloved daughter but the Barberis continue to honour her memory.
For her birthday this month the family gathered and cooked all of her favourite foods.
“She was just so wonderful. She had a beautiful soul. She loved everybody,” said Elvira Barberi.
“My younger daughter, she said it perfectly, she (Mila) was just too good for this world. She was too good in this world. We miss her a lot.”
It’s a series 55 years in the making — the Saskatoon Blades are taking on the Edmonton Oil Kings, a series the WHL hasn’t seen since 1971.
The Oil Kings, third in the conference, stand above the Blades, but the challenge doesn’t deter Blades defenceman Brayden Klimpke.
“People might see us as the underdog, but I don’t think we mind that. Like I said, we have a lot of confidence in that room, and we believe in this group, so I don’t think it really fazes us,” said Klimpke.
With a strong offence, the Oil Kings pose a serious threat to the Blades, scoring an average of nearly one more goal per game than the Blades through the regular season. Having gone up and down through that season, head coach Dan DaSilva stresses the team needs to work on their consistency.
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“We need to be an extremely hard-working team, we do. We need to have everybody pulling the rope, we have to have contributions from everyone,” said DaSilva.
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“When we have good games and win hockey games and beat good teams, it’s when we have everybody going.”
The strong Oil Kings offensive line puts pressure on star goaltender Evan Gardener, who says it’ll be a serious test of their game.
“Yeah, they’re going to be a really good team. We saw it through the regular season: they’re really hard, defensively, and they got some good offensive talent,” said Gardener of the upcoming round.
“Yeah, I mean it’s going to be a real fun series, and a real test for us.”
The Blades this year are one of the youngest teams in the league, with eight rookies on the roster. For team veterans, the pressure is on to build up the young player base and prepare them for the playoff run — a task team captain Tyler Parr takes to heart.
“That’s something I take huge pride in, being good to the young guys, making sure they’re comfortable, making sure they know how we do things here. It’s not an easy league to play in, but it’s a lot of fun,” said Parr.
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The Blades soon hit the road, heading to Edmonton for the first two games of the series on March 27 and 28, before the series returns to Saskatoon on March 31.
The Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner is launching an investigation into sexualized conduct across police workplaces in B.C.
The review will examine how municipal departments prevent, investigate and respond to misconduct, in cases ranging from inappropriate comments to sexual assault.
The Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner (OPCC) says that workplace-related sexualized conduct by police officers is a recurring issue, including situations characterized by significant power imbalances.
It states that incidents may be underreported due to these barriers, which can discourage reporting.
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The investigation will examine policies, training and workplace culture and whether there are effective pathways for reporting.
“I think that it will make a difference in creating a better workplace for police officers all around and restoring public trust that has, in some cases, been damaged over the last several years,” Elenore Sturko, the independent MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale, said.
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“This isn’t something that police themselves should be afraid of. I hope they welcome this.”
OPCC finds VPD misconduct in missing woman’s case
Once the investigation is complete, a report will be delivered to the Director of Policing and Law Enforcement Services (“Director”), municipal police departments, designated units, municipal police boards, and designated boards and it will also be posted on the OPCC website.
A 29-year-old Oshawa, Ont., man has been charged in a Markham hit and run that left a pedestrian seriously injured, with police alleging he later tried to conceal the vehicle.
In an updated release, York Police say the collision happened on Feb. 19 at around 3:41 p.m. near Denison Street and Featherstone Avenue.
Investigators allege the victim was struck and carried on the hood of the vehicle before being found about 50 metres east of the intersection.
She was taken to a trauma centre, where she remains in serious condition.
On March 20, officers arrested Nathan Kumar Persaud, 29, of Oshawa.
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Police say three search warrants were executed at residences in Richmond Hill, Oshawa and Toronto.
Investigators seized the suspect vehicle as well as a quantity of controlled substances.
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Persaud is facing multiple charges, including dangerous operation causing bodily harm, failure to stop after an accident resulting in bodily harm, and drug trafficking-related offences.
Investigators allege the suspect took steps to conceal his identity and repair damage to the vehicle.
Police are appealing to anyone who may have sold parts to the suspect or unknowingly assisted with repairs to come forward.
They are also reminding the public that helping conceal or repair a vehicle to avoid detection may result in charges as an accessory after the fact.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to contact York police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
Ontario hit-and-run driver tries to conceal license plate
