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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touted his government’s efforts in the federal budget to put the Canadian economy on the path to a "clean future." His government’s fiscal plan includes tax credits for investments in clean electricity, clean-tech manufacturing and hydrogen that together are expected to cost some $55 billion through to the 2034-35 fiscal year. Total tax incentives amount to $83 billion over the same timeframe, when the carbon capture and clean-tech investment credits announced last year are factored in, both of which saw minor boosts this round. Trudeau also denounced China’s military exercises in Taiwan as “problematic” and responded to concerns raised about his appointment of a special rapporteur to investigate foreign interference in Canada's elections. Trudeau said opposition leader Pierre Poilievre's "snarkiness" regarding foreign interference "doesn't do him any credit and doesn't do any credit to the attention needed to confront a serious issue."

Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem and Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers addressed media on Wednesday morning following the central bank's decision on the target for the overnight rate, and the release of its quarterly monetary report. The Bank of Canada left its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Wednesday, in keeping with expectations from economists. "I would say the high-level message is that the outlook for growth has not changed very much. Growth came in a little bit weaker in the fourth quarter than we'd expected. It looks like it's going to be stronger in the first quarter than we expected in January. We're expecting pretty weak growth for the rest of the year, something a little less than one per cent," Macklem said. The decision to keep its key policy rate at 4.5 per cent in its second consecutive meeting comes after a year of rapid rate hikes aimed at taming inflation. The Bank of Canada said in January that it would adopt a pause in its rate increases as long as inflation continued to decline according to its forecast. But, the central bank warned in a statement that it remains prepared to raise interest rates again “if needed” to bring inflation back down to its two per cent target. In a separate monetary policy report released alongside the rate decision Wednesday, the Bank of Canada said its forecast for inflation to cool to around three per cent by the middle of this year.

Toronto police say 173 guns were seized in both Canada and the U.S. as part of a cross-border firearms trafficking investigation. As part of a year-long investigation, Project Moneypenny saw a large number of firearms seized, 42 people arrested, and 422 criminal charges laid. Illegal narcotics such as fentanyl, carfentanil and cocaine as well as cash were also seized, police said. Toronto’s Deputy Police Chief Robert Johnson said of the guns seized, 87 of them were handguns wrapped in bubble wrap “to avoid damage to the firearms” and then wrapped in holiday paper in an “attempt to avoid detection by border security.” The guns were then placed in suitcases at the back of a Chicago vehicle being driven by a resident from Arizona and were destined for Canada, Johnson said.

Speaking to journalists in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the U.S. will continue to investigate the recent purported leak of classified documents until the source of them is found. Austin said that though he could not address the reports of unauthorized disclosure of classified Pentagon materials on Ukraine war with detail while an investigation is ongoing, he said that the government takes the leak “very seriously.” Separately, the chief of Australia's Defence Force Angus Campbell also said on Tuesday that the possible U.S. intelligence leak was a “serious” incident, adding that "anything that undermines the security, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region… is of interest to Australia.” Three U.S. officials have said national security agencies are reviewing how they share their most sensitive secrets inside the government and tackling the diplomatic fallout from the release of dozens of confidential documents.

WARNING: Video contains content that may be disturbing for viewers. Discretion is advised. At a press conference on Tuesday, the Louisville Metro Police Department released dramatic bodycam video of officers responding to a Monday bank shooting where five people were killed. An officer killed the gunman after a tense stand-off. The bodycam video shows the tense moments between police officers and the shooter, Connor Sturgeon. It begins with a video from officer Nickolas Wilt, who drives up to the scene with his training officer, identified as Cory “CJ” Galloway. Wilt, police say, was shot in the head as he ran toward the gunshots police were facing as they arrived. Wilt’s camera shows him following Galloway up the outside steps to the bank, his service pistol in his two hands, and the video cuts off before he is shot. Monday’s mass shooting was the 15th in the U.S. this year, which is the most during the first 100 days of a calendar year since 2009, when 16 incidents had occurred by April 10, according to a mass killings database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

Leaked Pentagon documents with classified details on the war in Ukraine allege that pro-Russian hackers successfully gained access to a Canadian natural gas company. Eric Sorensen reports on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's reassurances, the embarrassment for the U.S. over the leak, what happened to Trudeau's website as Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyal visited Ottawa, and Canada's fresh pledge of military aid to Ukraine. A delegation of Canadian MPs from all major parties is in Taiwan, in a gesture of solidarity amid rising tensions with China. Taiwan sees itself as an independent state, while China views it as a breakaway province. Jeff Semple reports from Taipai on the focus of the Canadians' visit, which is being paid for by Taiwan. A Calgary man named Richard Robert Mantha, 59, is facing a long list of charges related to the sexual assault, drugging, and kidnapping of multiple sex workers. Heather Yourex-West explains how the charges result from an investigation at a rural Alberta property, the eerie parallels to the case of serial killer Robert “Willy” Pickton, and the continued calls for laws to better protect the rights of sex workers. With many people feeling the pinch of rising inflation, some have decided they can no longer care for their furry friends. Brittany Rosen explains where some abandoned pets are ending up, and the advice to pet owners who've fallen on hard times. Plus, Tupperware turbulence: the major problems for a kitchen mainstay. And pain in the ash: Redmond Shannon looks at how Russia's Shiveluch volcano is creating disruptions and even entertainment for neighbouring residents.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen criticized China on Tuesday for its three days of military drills, which saw aircraft and naval carriers practice various simulations of precision attacks and a blockade around the independent island nation. "This is not a responsible attitude for a major country in the region," Tsai said in an address to the country. The drills began after Tsai returned to the country from a visit abroad, which saw her meet U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, marking the first meeting by a Taiwan leader with a top U.S. official on American soil in decades. Beijing, which considers Taiwan as part of China, had resoundingly criticized the move by Tsai and had warned the U.S. not to allow her to meet with McCarthy or other officials. Taiwanese residents expressed their concerns about avoiding war, though appeared unfazed by the drills. While those in Shanghai expressed mixed opinions on the drills, with some feeling new leadership in Taiwan that "promotes peace and development" in the Taiwan Strait could mean an end to the drills. Others, however, felt China should "not be too ruthless" to "compatriots." European Union and other nations' leaders also expressed their concerns over the drills, with Japan's defence minister calling the actions "intimidating training."

A Calgary man named Richard Robert Mantha, 59, is facing a long list of charges related to the sexual assault, drugging, and kidnapping of multiple sex workers. Heather Yourex-West explains how the charges result from an investigation at a rural Chestermere, Alberta property, the eerie parallels to the case of serial killer Robert “Willy” Pickton, and the continued calls for laws to better protect the rights of sex workers.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented on Tuesday about the resignation of the CEO and board of the Trudeau Foundation, criticizing what he called "toxicity" and "political polarization" in the country, but said he was certain the organization would be able to continue its work in the years to come. A statement said the resignations had come after the "political climate" surrounding a donation the organization had received in 2016 put "a great deal of pressure" on its management and volunteer board of directors.

America’s Gun Problem: When Will US Bite The ‘Bullet’? | A 25-year-old bank employee in the United States went on a rampage. He took an assault-rifle to work and killed five of his colleagues. The police gunned him down later. But when will Washington act to curb this menace?

Former United States President Donald Trump took a jibe at Joe Biden's administration and said that the country is going to hell. He was addressing a public gathering in Florida on April 05. Addressing supporters from his Mar-a-Lago property, Trump mentioned the Hunter Biden's laptop scandal saying, "The FBI and Department of Justice in collusion with Twitter and Facebook in order not to say anything bad about the Hunter Biden laptop from hell, which exposes the Biden family as criminals and which, according to the pollsters would have made a 17 point difference in the election result, we needed a lot less than that, 16.9, it would have been in our favour because our country is going to hell."