Global National: July 16, 2026 | Ontario requests federal wildfire support as thousands flee homes

Wildfires continue to roar across northwestern Ontario, forcing thousands of people to evacuate several remote communities. Vasilios Bellos is in Thunder Bay covering the out-of-control fire situation and the ongoing firefighting efforts. Plenty is still unknown about the agreement Canada reached with the U.S. to open the Gordie Howe International Bridge, but some details are starting to emerge. Mackenzie Gray explains what's been revealed and how Prime Minister Mark Carney is justifying the deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is facing strong pushback for firing Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister. Redmond Shannon explains why Fedorov was popular with the public, how Zelenskyy is defending the decision and the challenge of balancing competing priorities in an escalating war. Plus, Argentina's Lionel Messi and Spain's Lamine Yamal will play against each other for the first time at the 2026 World Cup final, but the two already crossed paths 19 years prior in an incredibly unlikely way. Mike Armstrong looks at how the soccer stars met when Yamal was just a baby. For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc Follow Global News on X HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt Follow Global News on TikTok HERE: https://www.tiktok.com/@globalnews.ca?lang=en #GlobalNews