In the news today: Iran, Carney and Modi, Canada submarine proposals

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Carney meets with Indian PM Modi in New Delhi, touts energy partnership

Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today, before the two announced a series of agreements, including a strategic energy partnership

The meetings–first a bilateral with respective delegations, and then a 35-minute one-on-one–ran long, leading to the cancellation of lunch meeting with additional staff, and for a joint announcement to be delayed.

The meetings were happening as the Globe and Mail reported Sunday evening about the role Indian consular staff allegedly played in the murder of a Canadian Sikh activist three years ago.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an advocate for an independent Sikh homeland and president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, was killed in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023.

The Globe and Mail cited two anonymous sources who said consular staff in Vancouver were involved by providing information to help with the killing.

A news release suggested Carney had raised the issue of foreign interference, noting Carney had “underscored that Canada will continue to take measures to combat transnational repression.”

War widens in Mideast and Saudi Arabia shuts down key oil refinery after attack

Saudi Aramco temporarily shut down its Ras Tanura oil refinery near Dammam on Monday after it was targeted by Iranian drones.

Saudi state television reported the decision, citing what it described as an “official source.” It added there were no casualties from the fire and its decision was a precautionary one.

The refinery has a capacity over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.

This comes as Iran and Iranian-backed militias fired missiles at Israel and Arab states, apparently hitting the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait, while Israel and the United States pounded targets in Iran as the war expanded on Monday with statements of defiance and increasing casualties.

At least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said, and more than 130 cities across the country having come under attack. Eleven people have been killed in Israel, according to authorities there.

Submarine companies reach deadline to submit proposals as Canada decides on new fleet

The competition to build the Canadian navy’s next fleet of submarines is heading into a new phase with Monday’s deadline for both finalists to submit their final proposals to the federal government.

Canada is planning to buy a fleet of up to 12 conventionally powered submarines with the hope of having the vessels in the water by 2032.

The multibillion-dollar procurement is happening at an accelerated pace as the Royal Canadian Navy’s aging Victoria-class submarines are set to retire in the next decade.

The two bids are from South Korea’s Hanwha Oceans and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, or TKMS, in a bid that includes Germany and Norway.

Stephen Fuhr, the secretary of state for defence procurement, said in February that Ottawa will likely announce a winner this year.

Saskatchewan legislative session returns with deficit budget looming

Saskatchewan politicians are set to return to the legislature today for the spring sitting.

Premier Scott Moe has said his Saskatchewan Party government plans to introduce a deficit budget later this month.

Moe has said the red ink is a result of revenue problems caused by trade and market uncertainty.

He has said revenue shortfalls stem from China’s previous tariffs on Canadian canola products, which have now mostly been removed.

The Opposition NDP says it will push the government to improve deteriorating conditions in hospitals and schools and urge more action to reduce crime.

More men seeking gambling help in Ontario: study


The rate of young men contacting Ontario’s mental-health helpline for gambling-related problems has increased by more than 300 per cent after the province allowed private online gambling, a new study suggests.

Researchers behind the study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday say the findings represent a need for stronger harm-reduction measures and more access to treatment.

The study analyzed the number of contacts to ConnexOntario, the province’s free 24-hour mental health and addictions helpline, for gambling-related concerns from January 2012 to September 2025.

It noted an increase after January 2015, when the government launched the gambling platform PlayOLG, as well as after the province expanded private online gambling in April 2022.

Over the 13-year period researchers looked at, ConnexOntario was contacted more than 745,700 times, and 37,000 of those contacts were gambling-related.

It found that among males aged 15 to 24, the mean monthly rate of gambling-related contacts to the helpline per million people rose by 317 per cent, and by 108 per cent for men aged 25 to 44.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2026.

The Canadian Press