Global National: May 19

The Iranian president, a hardliner who was touted as a potential successor to the country’s supreme leader, was returning from neighbouring Azerbaijan when the helicopter carrying him and his foreign minister suffered a hard landing. President Ebrahim Raisi was instrumental in the recent crackdown against protesters demanding freedom for women in Iran, and news of Raisi’s fate remains uncertain as critics of the regime don’t hesitate to mince their words. Plus, a deadly boat collision at a lake near Kingston, Ont., last night left three people in their 20s dead and five others in hospital, rattling the community around Bobs Lake this long weekend. In New Caledonia, French forces have launched a major operation to restore order after violent clashes and civil unrest killed at least six people. And Global News had an up-close look at the work that goes on behind the scenes to protect VIPs in Canada. Finally, vaping is set to get more expensive this summer, thanks to a federal tax increase announced in Canada’s federal budget this year — but will the tax hike be steep enough to prevent future generations from getting hooked?