World Report - June 21: Saturday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: June 21, 2025

Israel targets nuclear site in central Iran; kills military commander and nuclear scientist.Russia's President Vladimir Putin says Moscow to seize more of Ukraine's territory.There's mixed reaction among indigenous groups over Ottawa's Big Projects legislation.Canadian businesses urge Carney government to open its doors wider to trade with China.Today is National Indigenous Day with celebrations across Canada.

If you want to hear daily news that doesn't hurt your soul and might even be good for your soul, check out As It Happens. I'm Chris Howden. And I'm Nielke Oksal. Every day we reach people at the center of the most extraordinary stories, like the doctor who restored a patient's eyesight with a tooth. Or a musician in an orchestra that plays instruments made out of vegetables. Take the scenic route through the day's news with As It Happens, and you can find us wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC Podcast. This is World Report. Good morning. I'm Angie Seth. Israeli air defense intercepts Iranian rockets over Tel Aviv as both sides continued their

strikes overnight. Israel claims its warplanes struck another important Iranian nuclear facility. There are also reports three senior Iranian military commanders and a nuclear scientist have been assassinated. Chris Brown has more from Jerusalem. Nine days into this war, and the tempo of the attacks from both sides have notably slowed, with Israel's military chief of staff, Ayel Zemir, warning his country that it could take a prolonged campaign to remove the threat from Iran's nuclear program.

Israel said overnight it attacked a center in Isfahan that manufactures centrifuges for reactors. Iran also unleashed more of its ballistic missile arsenal on Israel, hitting buildings south of Tel Aviv. Also for the first time, a drone launched by Iran hit an Israeli home near the border with Jordan, causing damage but no casualties. On Friday more than 40 people were wounded, some seriously, in Iranian attacks on Haifa. Iranian leaders told European diplomats in Geneva that their nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes and no negotiations over its future can happen as long as Israel's attacks continue. The Iran situation has shifted global attention away from Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, where the daily toll of civilian casualties is much higher.

Palestinian health officials said on Friday alone, 44 people were killed by Israeli fire, 25 of them as they were waiting for aid trucks. Israel's military says militants were among the dead, but it's reviewing what happened. Chris Brown, CBC News, Jerusalem. Meantime Iran's foreign minister is warning the United States not to get directly involved in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying it would be quote, very, very dangerous. Abbas Arachi is in Istanbul for a meeting of Islamic states. The United States has been in this aggression from the beginning. They deny, they keep saying

that they are not evolving, but we have many indications that they have been involved from day one. And now the tweets, interviews by the US president is quite clear that is talking about the US leadership on these questions. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Israel's attacks on Iran are aimed at sabotaging the nuclear talks. He calls the government of Benjamin Netanyahu the biggest obstacle to regional peace. While Russia's President Vladimir Putin shows no signs he is willing to talk peace with Ukraine as Russian troops continue their advance.

Putin is laying claim to more Ukrainian territory. Dominic Volitis has more. Residents in central Kherson survey the damage following a heavy night of Russian shelling. Several apartment buildings were hit in the strikes, including one occupied by an 85-year-old woman who's now recovering in hospital. Russia's Vladimir Putin was in an especially hawkish mood at this year's Economic Forum in St Petersburg. When asked about fresh Russian advances in Ukraine, he issued some of his most aggressive comments in a very long time.

I have said many times that I consider Russian and Ukrainian peoples one people. In that sense, Ukraine is ours, he says. We have an ancient rule where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours. Putin also used the event to warn that his forces could take the Ukrainian city of Sumy as part of a bid to carve out a buffer zone along the border to protect Russian territory. Ukraine, he told his audience, must accept the reality on the ground if peace is to have a chance. But during his nightly video address, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said

Russia had already shown it's not interested in a ceasefire and has no interest in ending the war, while one other senior Ukrainian official dismissed Putin's most recent comments as cynical statements which demonstrate complete disdain for US peace efforts. Dominic Volaitis for CBC News, Riga Latvia. To news here at home, Prime Minister Mark Carney is promising Indigenous people will be partners when it comes to fast-tracking nation-building projects. The government's contentious Bill C-5 passed final reading in the House of Commons last evening. The

legislation is a priority for Carney, who promised to quote, build big, build bold during the election campaign. But even with amendments, there's still mixed feelings from Indigenous groups on moving ahead. Kate Kyle reports. Immediately after Bill C-5 passed, Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed concerns about consulting with Inuit, Métis and First Nations. These projects will be built with Indigenous nations and communities. This is not an aspiration. It is the plan embedded in the bill itself. Trevor Mercury is the Grand Chief of Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta.

He sees opportunity from First Nations being involved in major projects, but there's still great concern about the bill. It leaves a lot of openness that can really harm not only our people but Canada. This legislation effectively bypasses a lot of the protections that were in place from previous legislations. In Nunavut, Inuit leaders are advocating for big projects like the Arctic Security Corridor. Paul Kowasa helped negotiate Nunavut's Land Claims Agreement.

That duty to consult, that is so important. And I can say that under our Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, we already have that guarantee. In Yellowknife, Mark Whitford is helping set up tents for the North Slave Métis Alliance's annual fish fry. He's the president. Whitford says working together is critical. If we're going to be a player in the world stage, and especially with a new infrastructure

that's connected to defense and sovereignty, and we have to move forward. No projects have been selected. Prime Minister Mark Carney did commit to holding summits with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis groups this summer. Kate Kyle, CBC News, Yellowknife. And you can hear more reaction to Bill C-5 on CBC's radio and CBC radios rather, The House with Catherine Cullen. Well some Canadian businesses are urging the Carney government to open its doors wider to trade with China. This comes as Ottawa

is working to reshape its economic policies as well as to diversify trade amidst the trade war with the United States. Lisa Shing has that story. We find doing business in China easier than doing business here in Ontario. Jessica Chester, co-founder of Toronto gin company Laneway Distillers, says she wants to grow her business overseas because there's less red tape. To do that though infrastructure to get goods there has to improve. Her current shipment is delayed by a month. I've spent a huge amount of time building up my clientele, my brand, and to run out of stock is devastating. Chester is one of many business owners that want Canada to do more trade with China.

It's one way to fortify the economy amidst a global trade war, they say. At a recent first ministers meeting in Saskatoon, Prime Minister Mark Carney signalled a fall. The Canadian government is engaging with its Chinese counterparts. In the last few months, China has become the top buyer of Canadian oil. Other Canadian imports have increased too, but there are still challenges to overcome. The Chinese government subsidizes industry significantly. People there aren't buying as much and increasing trade risks the ire of Washington. Liam Daley is a senior economist

with the Conference Board of Canada. There is a diplomatic line to walk there. Given that China has increasing demand for many of the things that Canada produces, there is an economic opportunity. That is, if Canada takes off 100% levies on Chinese-made electric vehicles and China scraps its corresponding counter tariffs on Canadian canola, pork and seafood. Lisa Sheng, CBC News, Toronto. Well today is National Indigenous Peoples' Day and First Nations across Canada are marking the occasion with food, music and community events. People in Yellowknife tell us what the day means to them. I say it's pretty special for us natives because it shows that natives are more appreciated than they were before. I think it's really important

to recognize our Indigenous people and the land that we reside on, especially living in Yellowknife on Dene land. I think everyone should take a moment just to think back on what happened and where we live and the beautiful nature and beautiful people around us. It means everything to us. This is the land. We were born here, so we look after the land. It just means celebrating us, our culture, and our heritage, and all of our elders. Yellowknife will be holding its annual celebration with a fish fry and

stage show later today at a downtown park. National Indigenous Peoples Day has been celebrated as a statutory territorial holiday in the Northwest Territories since 2001 and in Yukon since 2017. And that's the latest national and international news from World Report. I'm Angie Seth. This is CBC News.