Global National: Feb. 2, 2024 | NHL players on leave and facing sex assault charges still being paid

In tonight’s top story: For the first time since five current and former NHL players who were part of Canada’s winning 2018 World Junior hockey team were charged with sexual assault, the NHL commissioner has weighed in. The players are preparing to appear in court on Monday and their lawyers say they deny any wrongdoing and they will all plead not guilty. The five men are on leave but have not been suspended by the NHL and the league’s commissioner confirmed they are still receiving pay. Gary Bettman says he needs the judicial process to play out before the league takes action. Eric Sorensen has more. The U.S. has now launched airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias all in response to the deadly drone attack that killed three soldiers at a U.S. military base in Jordan last weekend. Friday’s strikes targeted dozens of sites used by the militias in both Syria and Iraq after the Biden administration warned there would be retaliation. Reggie Cecchini has the latest. Calls for transparency within Canada’s intelligence community are growing following a Global News report that found CSIS had urged the Liberal government to do more to fight foreign interference. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government has taken action, but questions are being raised as to why they didn’t act sooner. Abigail Bimman reports. Canada’s foreign affairs minister is in Kyiv to launch a new campaign aimed at returning thousands of Ukrainian children deported by Russia’s military. It is Mélanie Joly’s fourth trip to the conflict zone since the start of the full-scale invasion. She says Canada’s support for Ukraine’s independent future is unwavering. Crystal Goomansingh has more on the surprise visit as the war approaches the two-year mark. The Trudeau government’s new two-year cap on international students could pose a big financial hit for post-secondary institutions. International students are a significant source of funding for colleges and universities and that’s often prompted enticing recruitment efforts to attract them to this country. But they often mask the difficult realities they must face once they get here. Mike Drolet explains. There’s something about an ancient shipwreck that captures the imagination and the mysterious appearance of a wooden vessel possibly from the 19th century on Newfoundland and Labrador’s southwest coast is playing on everybody’s minds. Experts are digging into the ship and its origins. For more info, please go to Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: Like Global News on Facebook HERE: Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: #GlobalNews