World Report - February 6: Friday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: February 6, 2026

The Milano-Cortina Winter Games are finally on starting with the opening ceremony. Large delegation of Canadian Inuit in Nuuk, Greenland for opening of new Canadian consulate.High-stakes talks between the U.S. and Iran wrap up in Oman. Pakistan: A suicide blast at a mosque near Islamabad has left at least 31 people dead.Statistics Canada reports the economy shed 25,000 jobs in January — the unemployment rate is at 6.5 per cent.A new federal law would turn Ottawa into a major developer with the power to buy land — though critics say the building plan lacks clear targets.Three Nova Scotia youths face sexual assault charges following alleged hockey hazing incidents — as police warn there may be more victims.Mariah Carey is trading her own hits for a special tribute to the host nation.

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Milano Cortina 20206, Olympic opening ceremony. The Milano Cortina Winter Games are underway with the opening ceremony set to begin in just a few hours. While the full program is a closely guarded secret, the gala will feature a mix of traditional opera and global pop icons. It's a massive celebration of culture before the focus turns to the competition itself. Jennifer Heil, Team Canada's chef de Mision says this country's athletes are ready to take center stage. Canada's Olympic athletes are a rare kind of power.

They unite us and they show the world what Canada looks like under pressure, proud, respectful, relentless. The ceremony begins at 2 p.m. Eastern, kicking off just over two weeks of international competition in northern Italy. Canada's Governor General and Foreign Minister will preside over a flag raising in Nook today, as Canada officially opens a new consulate in Greenland, joining them as a delegation of more than 60 Inuit. And as Olivia Stefanovic reports, they've traveled to Greenland to show solidarity in the face of recent territorial threats from U.S. President, Donald Trump. We want to come together in solidarity with Greenland and to show our support and to say that land is not for sale. The Labrador Sea may separate them, but Susie Ann Kudluck says the bond

between Inuit in Canada and Greenland is stronger than ever. Inuit are unified. We don't see borders. We see each other as one. Kudlick is one of more than 60 Inuit delegates who flew from Montreal to witness the official opening of the Canadian consulate in Newk, Greenland's capital. This is a positive thing that we're trying to do and to show the world that Inuit are united. Inuit are very strong and we are forced to be reckoned with. Admi de la Alacu is an executive vice president with the Machivik Corporation, the Inuit organization that arranged the charter flight for the delegation. A decision made after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to annex Greenland and Canada.

These threats are not going away. And we need to ensure that as Inuit, we stand firm and we stand united in our Arctic sovereignty and our right to self-determination. Trump has backed down from deploying military force against Greenland. But Aliqu and other Inuit delegates say they don't believe the trouble is over. and they want the U.S. to know Inuit everywhere or rising up against it. Olivia Estefanovich, CBC News, nuke. The first round of indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. wraps up in Oman. Iran's top diplomat says the session was a good start, but he says a deep distrust remains a major hurdle. The discussions focused on a framework for future negotiations,

but Tehran says the threat of U.S. military pressure must be. removed for diplomacy to move forward. At least 31 people are dead and many more injured following a suicide attack in Pakistan. A bomber targeted a Shia mosque near Islamabad during busy Friday prayers, leaving the city on high alert as investigators search for those responsible. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast. More evidence this morning that the Canadian economy is still struggling. Statistics Canada has released its report for January showing the economy shed 25,000 jobs. Now that puts the unemployment rate at 6.5%. The CBC's senior business correspondent Peter Armstrong has the details. This breaks a pretty good little run we'd seen in the Canadian

jobs market. Going back to September, Canadian employers added nearly 200,000 jobs. So there was this sense building that we were going to see some sort of a slide back towards something a little bit more approaching normal eventually, especially given all of the uncertainty that comes with the tariffs and the trade war, and we see that here. Look at the manufacturing sector. Another 28,000 jobs lost in that industry as the trade war hits harder and bites deeper. Even the bright spots aren't exactly great news, right? The unemployment rate fell, but it only fell because fewer people were out there looking for a job. Now, we did add more full-time jobs, and that's good. We saw employment rise in business building and other support services, which is also good.

But the overwhelming story here is that the Canadian economy, much as we've seen, that rise since September is continuing to struggle to find its feet as the trade war drags on, and businesses just sort of try to figure out how to manage their way through this. Peter Armstrong, CBC News, Toronto. The federal government is moving to transform itself into a major national developer in a bid to fix the housing crisis. New legislation introduced in Ottawa would give a federal agency the permanent authority to buy land and partner with the private. its sector to get shovels in the ground. It marks a massive shift in how the government builds homes, though some experts warn the plan is still missing specific targets. Rafi Bucci Canyon has more. Canadians elected us with a mandate to build. Housing Minister Gregor Robertson introducing the legislation that will turn build Canada homes into a Crown Corporation. By creating this lean, mission-driven

organization, we are making a generational decision that affordable housing is and must. remain a top priority of the federal government. The legislation would give BCH the power to acquire, sell, or exchange land, as well as team up with private land developers, all in a bit to build more affordable housing, the government says. What's still missing are clear benchmarks, no target, for how many units BCH is supposed to build or the buyers it has in mind. Are we building homes for single individuals or for families in which provinces?

Mike Moffitt is an economist who has briefed liberal governments under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on housing issues in the country. He says without the benchmarks, it will be hard to give BCH a grade down the line. It's a problem for the government itself that five years from now, this program could be a roaring success. And we'd have no idea because they could say, okay, we created X number of homes. We could say, okay, but is that a good thing? Is that a bad thing? There's no context there. The government says the number of. of homes it can deliver will depend on how much private capital it can attract.

Rafi Bajikany on CBC News, Arwa. Three young people in Nova Scotia are facing sexual assault charges following alleged hockey hazing incidents. The RCMP says it has identified at least three victims and investigators believe there could be more. Kayla Hounsel has the latest. It is the latest example of alleged misconduct in Canada's national game. The RCMP says a youth role.

reported being assaulted during a private team gathering in October. Investigators now believe offenses also occurred at other locations. These are serious criminal offenses. Staff Sergeant Mark Rose says the investigation is related to hazing incidents involving a hockey team in the Truro area, around 100 kilometers northeast of Halifax. He says officers have identified at least three victims, and there could be more. We'll listen to them. We'll help them in the criminal justice process if we're,

required, or we'll just get them resources and help. Three youths are facing criminal charges, including sexual assault with a weapon. Hockey Nova Scotia says it also immediately referred the matter to Hockey Canada's independent third party, which was established in 2022 to administer these kind of complaints. Unfortunately, I'm not that surprised. Author Laura Robinson has been researching sexual assault in hockey for decades. She says a significant cultural shift is still needed, but acknowledges work is being done to try to understand why the problem persists.

What has been created is an environment where boys and young men feel that they can come forward now with allegations of very serious assault and sexual assault from their own teams. Hockey Nova Scotia says while the matter is under investigation, the youth hockey team has been suspended. Kayla Hounsel, CBC News, Halifax. Finally, today, the eyes of the world are on Milan's Sancero Stadium for the start of the 2026 Winter Games. While the Parade of Nations is the heart of the ceremony,

it's an American pop icon who's providing the most talked-about musical moment. Maria Carey is the international headliner, but she isn't singing her own chart-toppers. At the request of Italian organizers, Carrie agreed to perform an entire set in Italian, including the legendary classic Volare. It's a move described as a brave tribute to the host country's heritage. She joins Italian legend Andrea Bocelli and Laurel Pocini all under the theme of harmony.

It's a high note start to 16 days of competition. And that is the latest national and international news from World Report. I'm John Oathcott. This is CBC News. For more CBC podcasts, go to CBC.ca.ca.com slash podcasts.