World Report - March 26: Thursday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: March 26, 2026

Canada clears NATO's 2% spending target — after years of lagging and a last-minute lift. Air raid sirens sound across Jerusalem as Iranian missiles arrive during a public war of words over peace talks.Former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro is back in a New York court as the new leader tries to stabilize the country.Two men arrested in the Dominican Republic for the fatal shooting of Quebec teenager Tristan Primeau-Poitras.RCMP Commissioner expresses regret about 1970s spy operation targeting Indigenous leaders, exposed this week by CBC News.BC’s police watchdog to investigate officer sexual misconduct within all municipal forces.IOC officially bans transgender women from Olympic female categories.

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For the first time since the 1980s, Canada has hit its NATO defense spending target. 2% of GDP on defense. Prime Minister Mark Carney is on a Royal Canadian Navy vessel this morning, marking the achievement. In 10 months, we have invested over $60 billion in our defense and security. That's the largest year-on-year increase in defense investment in generations. Carney also announced a package of infrastructure and property investments across Atlantic Canada worth $3 billion. It includes new facilities to support naval and air fleets and to expand training and operational capacity.

With more, here's the CBC's Janice McGregor. The Canadian government long insisted that interrelated that intervieged, terms of what it actually contributed militarily, it was punching above its weight. But actually meeting this benchmark took cold hard cash, lots of it. Not only the $80 billion five-year investment in the Carney government's fall budget, but a frantic scramble to actually get enough billions out the door to get this year's defense expenditures up to $63 billion before the fiscal year end next week. And while Mark Carney now has the numbers to say mission accomplished, on the 2% target, the fact is that target has now expired.

In the wake of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to pull out of the NATO alliance and stop protecting countries that don't pull their weight, leaders at last year's NATO summit agreed to a new target of 5%. And that has to be met by 2035. So the milestone the Carney government's marking today is really just the beginning. Janice McGregor, CBC News, Ottawa. NATO may be celebrating its increased spending, U.S. President Donald Trump is not. He's criticizing the alliance for its lack of support regarding

Iran. I want you to remember that we said this. They didn't come to our rescue. Now they all want to help when they're annihilated. The other side is annihilated. They said, we'd love to send ships. They actually made a statement, a couple of them, that we want to get involved when the war's over. No, it's supposed to get involved with the war's beginning or even before it begins. He's also insisting Iran is eager to reach a peace deal, that's despite the sound of war echoing through the streets of the region today. Sasha Petrissik reports. Warnings echoed through Jerusalem and across central and northern Israel this morning

as a barrage of missiles arrive from Iran. Mostly intercepted overhead. A reminder that after almost a month of fighting, this war won't be negotiated away easily. Indeed, publicly, the two sides can't even agree whether they are talking. Though U.S. President Donald Trump insists discussions are going well. And they are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they're afraid to say it because they figure they'll be killed by their own people.

Trump says Iran has agreed to get rid of its nuclear program and other elements of a 15-point U.S. proposal. Indian state TV, Iran's foreign minister taunts Trump, calling the desire for negotiations, a U.S. admission of defeat. Messages are being conveyed by friendly countries, says Abbasarachi. We respond, but that's not dialogue. Iran has reportedly insisted on a stop to fighting before negotiations can start, as well as a demand that its ongoing control of the key straight of hormalienable.

be recognized. A public war of words over talks of peace. Sasha Petrissik, CBC News, Jerusalem. Canada is calling on its G7 allies to help launch a new multilateral defense bank. Foreign Affairs Minister Nita Anand is in France pitching the plan, which aims to provide critical capital to small and medium-sized military firms struggling to find traditional loans. This bank is going to be a pooling method. for capital for these small and medium-sized enterprises in particular.

Anon says the goal is to bridge the gap for startups so that the supply of military equipment can meet global demand. Venezuela's former president is back in a New York court this morning. This is Nicholas Maduro's second appearance since his capture in January when the U.S. military raided his compound in Caracas. He's charged with conspiring to export cocaine to the United States. Nick Harper is following developments from Washington. Nick, this is a pre-trial hearing, so what are we expecting?

Well, John, potentially a lot of dry, perhaps procedural information will have discussions about Maduro's legal defense, how that will be funded, but also looking at the legitimacy of the U.S. prosecution, considering that Nicholas Maduro was captured and then forcibly brought to the United States. But I guess really the big draw here is the fact that Nicholas Maduro will be back in court. So it's a chance to see how he's looking after two and a half months in a Brooklyn jail. But that also means that we're likely to hear from him more pushback. Remember, he argues that as a head of state, he should be immune from prosecution in the US.

The judge could also set a trial date, perhaps for later this year, at today's hearing. Now, Nick, Maduro's lawyer is threatening to quit if he doesn't get paid. What's that all about? That's right, John. This is an extra twist in this already incredibly unusual case. His attorney says that the Venezuelan government should pay his legal fees. But, of course, there are US sanctions on Venezuela, which means that that's not possible. The lawyer would need a special licence from the US government to get payment from Venezuela. So far, that hasn't happened.

And therefore, the legal team is pointing out this irony, I guess. The US has forced Maduro into a US court to face US justice. Maduro argues that the US is now limiting his ability to that justice. therefore violating his constitutional right to defend himself, and therefore he argues limiting his ability to get a fair trial in the U.S. Nick Harper in Washington. Thank you, Nick. You're welcome, John. Alberta is fighting to recoup its money in a pharmaceutical deal gone wrong.

Alberta Health Services says it's owed close to $50 million for medication it never received. The money was paid to a Turkish drug company and an importer in 2022 for children's painkillers. The purchase agreement, as well as any relationships between the government and the supplier, are being investigated by the RCMP and the Auditor General. But opposition leader Nehadenenshi is calling for more than that. I believe we need a public inquiry, and it's because of that word public. You know, the auditor general does have the ability to call witnesses, but it's all done sort of behind the scenes, and we will never know kind of what the draft is or what the testimony was.

A previous report by a retired justice found Premier Danielle Smith's government ordered Alberta Health Services to make the initial medication deal and that AHS did not follow usual contracting procedures. The Commissioner of the RCMP is responding to a CBC Indigenous

investigation. We brought you earlier this week. It exposed widespread secret surveillance of indigenous political groups in the 1970s and revealed respected leaders were spied on. The CBC's Chantal Belrischard has more on how the Mounties are responding. What was going on back then? I can't comment on.

That was RCMP Superintendent D. Stewart on Tuesday, responding to a CBC report about historical spying on indigenous people. But late yesterday, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duem published an online statement, expressing sincere regret, but did not offer an apology. Duem said the force intends to host a meeting with elders and indigenous leaders to listen and discuss the best way forward. Talks would include Canada's public safety. safety minister, Gary and Anne Sangaree.

This has to be done as part of a collaborative process where those who are impacted feel that they're heard and they have the type of resolution that is important to them. Grand Chiefs Stuart Philip is the President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. It was one of many organizations targeted by the RCMP Security Services Native Extremism Program, uncovered by a month's long CBC News investigation. Philip said he is not interested in meeting with the RCMP.

I can't tell you how many times we've done that in the past. And I'm talking about going back 20, 30 years. And those discussions have proven to be empty and meaningless. Philip calls the commissioner's statement a self-serving exercise in damage control. DuM said the force remains committed to building trust. Chantal Bell-Rashard, CBC News. Thank you, Vancouver. And finally, the International Olympic Committee

is banning transgender women from the Olympic Games. New eligibility policy limits female category events to biological females determined by a one-time genetic testing. The move aligns with the U.S. Executive Order from the Trump administration ahead of the 2008 Los Angeles Games.

The committee says the policy protects, quote, the fairness, safety, and integrity of women's sports. That is the latest national and international news from World Report. I'm John Northcott. This is CBC News. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.caps.