World Report - December 5: Friday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: December 5, 2025

Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump are expected to meet briefly today on the sidelines of FIFA World Cup draw.For the third month in row, Canada has added jobs to the economy; 54,000 in November.Netflix to buy Warner Bros film and streaming businesses for $72 billion.Pentagon announces it has killed four men in another boat strike in Pacific.Russian president Vladimir Putin begins state visit to India. Cauldron for Milan Cortina Winter Olympics lit at Italy’s presidential palace with 2 months to go.

Hey Canada. It's me, Gavin Crawford, host of Because News. Each week, I put comedians on the spot with a pop quiz about the headlines. This week, we're talking about the monster of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's own making, Wayne Gretzky's incredible pronunciation skills, and the one kind of Christmas toy experts are all calling dangerous. Miguel Revis, Emma Hunter, and Gene Yune are here, so laugh along as we try to make sense of the headlines. Follow Because News on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for free. This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report. Good morning, I'm John Northcott. Today in Washington, there will be the draw for the opening round of this summer's FIFA World Cup. Soccer fans will be watching closely to see how the 48 teams will be matched up. And political watchers will also be paying careful attention to see what happens on the sidelines. between Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump.

They are expected to meet briefly today. So let's bring in Janice McGregor from our Parliamentary Bureau. Janice, what kind of expectations are there being set by the Prime Minister's office ahead of this admittedly short meeting? John, this event is going to be stacked with celebrities. It's a big FIFA commercial, really, for a global audience. Mark Carney can't walk into a venue that's going to be decked out with giant gold soccer balls and think Donald Trump's going to somehow lean in on softwood lumber.

The prime minister's office yesterday was out lowering expectations, saying this encounter's going to be brief. Carney isn't going to the White House, but it will be the second time the two leaders have lined up fur-friendly in the aftermath of the president's blow up over those Ronald Reagan ads that the Ontario government ran during the World Series. Trump still hasn't followed through on his threat to slap more tariffs on Canada and retaliation.

Negotiators still aren't back. at the table. But across town today, it's going to be the third day of hearings as a parade of business stakeholders weigh in on the future of the three-way North American trade relationship, with the vast majority of them so far telling Trump's trade representative this deal could be improved, but it needs to continue. Canada's former chief negotiator, Steve Rahul, was among them yesterday, and this was his advice. We need to be patient. Now is not a time when we're going to get a very good deal out of the U.S., but I think conditions will improve over time. Anxieties may be running high at home, but if you read the room in Washington today, pretty

clear the focus is going to be on TV ratings, not tariff rate quotas. So a three-way trade agreement and a three-way World Cup hosting, Mark Carney, supposed to meet with the Mexican president today. What are you watching for there? The minister in charge of Canada's negotiations, Dominic LeBaldon, he's been in Mexico this week, laying track towards a big trade mission set for February and meeting with his counterpart at a time when they're both strategizing for the scheduled review of their shared trade deal next July 1st, which, funnily enough, just happens to fall smack in the middle

of a certain high-profile footy tournament. Janice McGregor in Ottawa, thanks, Janice. You're welcome. Today's World Cup festivities are held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., included on the agenda will be the awarding of FIFA's first ever Global Peace Prize, and the recipient, expected to be Donald Trump. For the third month in a row, Canada has added jobs to the economy. Statistics Canada has just released its November employment report showing a gain of 54,000 jobs.

Now, that's drawing the unemployment rate down to 6.5% from 6.9 in October. CBC's senior business correspondent, Peter Armstrong, has more. This is much higher than pretty much anybody was expecting. Canadian employers have now added 180,000 jobs just since September. That's three straight months of major gains, and it drags the unemployment rate down considerably. It's hard to look at these numbers and not see at least something of an economic rebound. Remember, September's GDP numbers saw the economy return to growth in the third quarter after a major contraction in the spring. But, and it's an important but, these are largely part-time jobs.

they are private sector part-time jobs, but still you'd like to see more full-time jobs added. But especially in the current economic context of a trade war, of diminished business investment under this cloud of uncertainty, a report like this just highlights that resiliency that we've seen throughout this crisis as the economy just keeps finding new ways to adjust. Peter Armstrong, CBC News, Toronto. In other business news, Netflix is acquiring Warner Brothers Discovery, The $72 billion cash and stock deal announced today brings massive film and TV assets,

including HBO Max and D.C. studios under one roof. The move marks a major strategic shift for Netflix, which had previously expressed no interest in owning legacy media networks. Netflix has promised to continue theatrical releases for Warner's films. The massive transaction is expected to close in late 2026. The Pentagon says U.S. forces have carried out another deadly strike on alleged drug smugglers in the Pacific Ocean. For months, the Navy has carried out close to two dozen attacks in international waters,

both in the Pacific and the Caribbean. Dozens of people have been killed. The Trump administration says it's part of the campaign to keep illegal drugs out of the U.S. This latest attack comes in the midst of the congressional concerns about the legality of the strikes. Willie Lowry is in our Washington Bureau. Willie, what more can you tell us about this latest? strike. So it happened in the Eastern Pacific video released by U.S. Southern Command shows a boat speeding through open waters and then suddenly disappearing beneath an inferno. The U.S. military

says Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the strike and that it killed four alleged drug smugglers. It is the 22nd time that the U.S. has carried out such attacks since September. The vast majority of the strikes have occurred in the Caribbean. At least 80s. seven people have been killed so far. So, Willie, the controversy surrounding this ongoing, deadly, unilateral U.S. action is growing, isn't it? Absolutely. The strike occurred on the same day that the commander who oversaw the very first strike on

September 2nd appeared before lawmakers on Capitol Hill. There's growing bipartisan concern over the legality of these strikes. The House and Senate Armed Services Committee looked at video of the first, which showed two strikes, the first blowing up a boat, and then a follow-up hit, killing two people who had survived the initial explosion. Democratic Representative Adam Smith says the video did little to alleviate his concerns. The idea that these two were going to be able to return to the fight, even if you accept all of the questionable legal premises around this mission and around these strikes, it's still very hard to imagine how these two were returning to

any sort of fight in that condition. The White House has defended the strikes and says it's protecting Americans by preventing drugs from entering the country by sea. Willie Lowry, in our Washington Bureau. Thanks, Willie. My pleasure. Trade, defense, and strategic ties are all being discussed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to India. But underlying much of the conversation is the Kremlin's war on Ukraine.

Salima Shivji is more from Mumbai. on the tarmac as Vladimir Putin landed in New Delhi Thursday evening, greeted also with a warm embrace from India's narendra Modi, there personally to welcome Russia's president, a rare gesture from the prime minister meant to underline the close ties between the two leaders. Amidst more ceremony, there was talk of the war in Ukraine, with Modi once again saying India is on the side of peace, and the leaders signed an economic cooperation agreement to expand trade until 2030. Economic cooperation program.

The visit is also steeped in symbolism. For Putin, it's about showing he's not so politically isolated. But this is a diplomatic tightrope for India, trying to balance a long-standing historical alliance with Russia, its biggest defense supplier that dates to the Soviet era, and the South Asian

country's ties to a once-friendly but increasingly volatile Trump administration. Washington imposed punishing tariffs on India in August, blaming it buying sanctioned Russian crude oil financing the war in Ukraine. Putin's saying today he can provide uninterrupted fuel supplies to India. The U.S. is a much bigger market for India than Dilip Sinha is a former Indian diplomat and commentator. We have to ensure that we do nothing with Russia that will give Trump another excuse to put blame on India. So obviously that has to be

at the back of our mind. Still, he says the summit is also a sign that India has other options and won't necessarily buckle under U.S. pressure. Salimashivji, CBC News, Mumbai. The Italian Air Force aerobatic team flies over the presidential palace in Rome. It's where the Olympic flame for Milano Cortina 2026 was lit today, signaling the countdown to the Winter Games is official. The flame now beginning its 12,000-kilometer journey carried by 10,000-1 torch-bearers uniting the country on its way to the opening ceremonies.

And finally. It is Make the Season Kind. The CBC's annual campaign to raise money for food banks Make the Season Kind is taking place across the country today. At a time when statistics show the need this winter is very real, across Canada families are struggling to put food on the table. One in three, relying on food banks in this country, is a child. You can join the campaign by making a simple, powerful donation

with every dollar going directly to your local community food bank. Well, that is the latest national and international news from World Report. I'm John Northcott. This is CBC News.