World Report - August 29: Friday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: August 29, 2025

EU defence ministers discuss Ukraine support a day after huge Russian attack in Kyiv.Israeli military begins offensive in Gaza City; bodies of 2 Israeli hostages recovered. Thailand court removes the prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from power.US President Donald Trump revokes security protection for former Vice-President Kamala Harris. Canadian small businesses brace for end of US "de minimis" duty-free exemption. Diageo tells more than 150 workers who help make Crown Royal Canadian Whisky they're losing their jobs. "The Handmaid's Tale" among more than 200 books to be pulled from Edmonton public schools. New Orleans marks 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. 

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That's betterhelp.com slash Canada World. This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report. Good morning. I'm Catherine Cullen. European Union defense ministers are gathering in Denmark to discuss support for Ukraine. A meeting comes after a major Russian attack on Kiev yesterday. The barrage of drones and missiles killed at least 23 people with more still unaccounted for. Julia Chapman reports.

emergency responders in Kyiv continue to search the rubble for survivors. The city was hit by one of its worst attacks of the war, triggering outrage across Europe. Kaya Kalas is the European Union's foreign affairs representative. These attacks show that Putin is just mocking any kind of these efforts that are made. Russia says it was targeting military sites, but a residential building bore the brunt of the attack. EU officials are working to put more pressure on Moscow. That could include placing secondary sanctions on Russia's trading partners. Radik Sikorsky is Poland's foreign minister.

An invader only stops fighting when he thinks he cannot win. And Putin still thinks he can win. But Europe can't end the war alone. Donald Trump has favoured dialogue over weaponry, so far without any impact on the ground. He was not happy about this news, but he was also not surprised. That was Trump's spokesperson Caroline Levitt. The White House has now announced an $825 million sale of arms,

including missiles that can reach a distance of 450 kilometers. It's thought to be the first offer of new weapons to Ukraine under Donald Trump's administration. Ukrainian officials are in New York today for talks with Trump's team about possible security guarantees. Julia Chapman, CBC News, London. Israel's military says Gaza City is now a dangerous combat zone. From across the border in southern Israel, you can hear the blasts and see the smoke rising over Gaza. The IDF says it is now operating with great force in the outskirts of Gaza City, and the tactical pause that allowed some food into the famine hit city is now over.

A statement from Israeli Prime Minister's office says, the bodies of two hostages have been recovered. One has been identified as the body of Elon Weiss from Kibbutz-Berry. The other has not been publicly identified. Thailand's former prime minister is defending herself after being booted from leadership today. Pesosung Sinawat was removed from office by the constitutional court. It also dissolved her cabinet.

Sinawat speaks to the media after her dismissal saying she was, was only trying to safeguard the country's interests. The court ruled she violated constitutional rules on ethics during a June phone call with the senior Cambodian leader who then leaked the call. The conversation was about easing border tensions, but Zinawatt was accused of speaking too freely about Thai national security and criticizing one of her own generals. Her dismissal is a major blow to her family's political dynasty.

Her father, Taksin, was prime minister between 2001 and 2006. Donald Trump has revoked secret service protection for former U.S. President Kamala Harris. Former VPs typically received government protection for just six months after leaving office, but Harris's coverage was reportedly extended by Joe Biden before he vacated the Oval Office in January. The White House gave no explanation for the revocation. It comes as Harris is about to embark on a book tour for her memoir about her unsuccessful presidential run. It's to be released next month. Canadian businesses are facing another hit from U.S. tariffs.

The Trump administration is terminating the de minimis exemption. It allows packages worth up to $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free. That ends today. As Paula Duhajik reports, Canadian companies are figuring out how to adjust to the change. Taking a market where you are growing and turning it off is not my favorite thing to do in the world. Christy Sumer is founder and CEO of the Toronto-based clothing country. company encircled. She says U.S. customers represent about 35% of her revenue, but as of this week, she's cut off shipping to the U.S. altogether. Since there is just a lot of uncertainty around

what that is even going to look like, how it's going to be a process, and how much it's even going to cost. It hits mom and pop shops disproportionately. John Boscario is a trade lawyer with the firm McCarthy Taitro. And many of them who have relied on these low-value shipments to the United States as part of their bread and butter for survival are being hit by this and, you know, possibly may have to go out of business because of this. Boscariel says he'll be watching to see if de minimis comes up during trade negotiations between the two countries. Paula Duhatchek, CBC News, Toronto.

More than 150 workers near Windsor, Ontario are wondering, are U.S. tariffs the reason they're losing their jobs. The company that makes Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey says it is moving some boss. volume to be closer to U.S. consumers, but it did not explicitly say tariffs had anything to do with the decision. As Kathleen Saylor's reports, the news is a blow to workers. I can guarantee you there's a lot of tears coming out of that plant. Diageo, owner of iconic Canadian brand Crown Royal, announcing it'll close its Amherstburg, Ontario bottling plant in February. At least 160 unionized workers stand to lose their jobs.

John Degnolo is president with Unifor Local 200. Shock and devastation. This is something that you never want to hear. The members there are going, what are we going to do? Dagnolo is no stranger to tough news this year. Local 200 also represents Ford engine plants in the Windsor area. Workers there are also on edge amid a trade war with the United States. The company says it will maintain its distilling and bottling facilities in Gimley, Manitoba, and Valleyfield, Quebec. Degnolo says leaders at all levels need to work together to keep the Ontario plant, where it is. it is. We have to make sure we fight like hell to make sure that we can keep that plan in that site. Dan Jemis is the president of Amherstberg's Chamber of Commerce. Now they're

going to be focused on saving money between now and February. And so there's no doubt that all the small businesses in town will feel the effect. The company says it will support workers throughout the closure process. The union says it's determined to fight it. Kathleen Sailor's CBC News, Windsor. More than 200 books are marked for removal from library shelves in Edmonton's public schools. CBC News has obtained a document revealing some of the titles. They include The Handmaid's Tale, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and the perks of being a wallflower.

The books have all been identified as containing explicit sexual content. The chair of the Edmonton Public School Board says this move is in response to an order from Alberta's Ministry of Education, and the school board is opposed to the new government policy. New Orleans is marking the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. It was on this day in 2005, the storm made landfall along the Louisiana coast. Nearly 1,800 people were killed. The damage mounted to hundreds of billions of dollars.

As Steve Futterman reports, Katrina's mark on the city lingers to this day. Oh, my gosh, here we are. It remains one of the worst and deadliest natural disasters ever to hit the U.S. It's unbelievable how many, how many palms are just underwater. 20 years ago, Katrina's rain, storm surge, and eventual levee breaks left 80% of New Orleans underwater. Thousands were trapped, and as the water kept rising, there were desperate 911 calls. So I'm going to die. The water is steady rising in the attic, ma'am.

It was historic. Hurricane Katrina is now a category five hurricane. This week, many are reliving the terrifying moments. Five o'clock that morning, we heard a big boom sound. 70-year-old Arkhala Sutton lived in the lower ninth ward, the area hardest hit. I was praying and crying and praying and crying. While most of New Orleans, like the French Quarter and the Central Business District, has recovered, other parts, largely in poor, economically deprived areas, never did.

There are houses that still have not been rebuilt. You've got schools that never opened that has been destroyed because of Katrina. Much of the blame for the destruction has focused on the flawed design of the city's levees and floodwall systems. Billions have been spent to rebuild them. Twenty years ago, President George W. Bush spoke to the nation. This recovery will take years. For those who live through it, it's something they will never forget. I lost everything but my life.

Fudderman for CBC News, Los Angeles. The second line is a beloved New Orleans tradition. Its roots come from African-American jazz funerals where there is a brass band parade trailed by dancing friends and bystanders. Every year, a second line is staged to mark the anniversary of Katrina, and today, thousands of people are expected to march.

Local artists say it's a way to help neighbors heal and unite the community. That's the latest national and international news from World Report. I'm Catherine Cullen. This is CBC News.