Global National: April 12

The U.S. believes a direct attack on Israel could be just hours away – warning that Iran is preparing to retaliate for an Israeli military strike two weeks ago that killed seven Iranian commanders. Ahead of next week’s federal budget, Ottawa unveiled what Housing Minister Sean Fraser labelled an “ambitious strategy” to tackle Canada’s housing crisis with a 20-page plan. The head of Canada’s spy agency, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), appeared for a second time at the inquiry into foreign interference. And a recently answered written question in parliament reveals that nearly one quarter of federal inmates are receiving treatment for opioid addiction, which creates its own challenges in the prison system. Plus, UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list serves as a guardian of globally cherished traditions, but Canada has not signed onto the 2003 convention and many Indigenous advocates are calling on the federal government for a change. And finally, an Albertan filmmaker was able to catch a glimpse of a famous grizzly bears in the Canadian Rockies emerging from its winter den — and its incredibly close call with a moving train.