World Report - May 18: Monday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: May 18, 2026

A virus-stricken cruise ship enters quarantine in Rotterdam as the W-H-O launches a new study on global pandemic preparedness.The W-H-O declares a global health emergency as a deadly, vaccine-resistant Ebola strain spreads through the D-R-C and Uganda.Donald Trump issues fresh warnings to Iran as escalating tensions drive up global oil and gas prices.Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne calls for allied unity as G7 summits begin in Paris.Secruity funding for the White House ballroom hits a technical snag in the Senate. Experts estimate Ontario is paying up to 20 million dollars a year to store boycotted U-S alcohol.A Spanish court clears pop star Shakira of tax fraud and orders the government to return more than 55 million euros in fines.

Have you ever wondered how clean the seats on the TTC are? I found, like, chicken bones or, like, bed bogs. Or why so many Toronto restaurant bathrooms are in dank basements? Sometimes it's the most sketchy things. Like, when you go down, it's like, what is this? I'm Hayden Waters, a reporter and producer on the podcast, This is Toronto. From breaking down Doug Ford's obsession with the island airport.

We have to bring Jets in. To being inside an iconic Toronto strip club in its final hours. We go beyond the headlines of the day and get to know Toronto and all its big, beautiful, frustrating, warty, fascinating glory. So find and follow us, this is Toronto, wherever you get your podcast. This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report.

Good morning. I'm Ithel Musa. The cruise ship struck by a deadly Hantavirus outbreak has now docked in Rotterdam. A crew of 25 and two medical personnel were on board when it reached the Dutch port. They have all been sent into immediate quarantine. Several passengers who previously disembarked in other locations remain in isolation. The ship's arrival comes as the World Health Organization releases a new study on global pandemic preparedness. Reporter William Denslow is in the Netherlands with the latest. Here in Rotterdam, public health officials say that efforts have been taken to ensure that there will not be a wider spread of this hanta virus.

But the World Health Organization has warned that when it comes to general pandemic preparedness, the same certainly cannot be said. According to this new WHO report, they warn that the world is less prepared than it was a decade ago. What they blame, they blame increased divisions. They say a lack of equality, a major reasons why they feel that the world, isn't taking these threats from pandemic seriously enough. The world is increasingly interconnected, but they say that divisions persist. That is something the WHO urgently urges to be addressed.

William Denslo for CBC News in Rotterdam. To Central Africa now where a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring Uganda has triggered a global health emergency. The crisis comes as international donor support to Africa has been cut in half over the past five years. David Stevenson, with the UN World Food Program, warns that local budget shortfalls put the entire region at risk. This is a local challenge needing leadership on the front lines and we're going to have it and we're going to support it. But this local challenge can go global in an instant. And those are the stakes that we're all aware of pushing a pandemic where,

belongs and ending it. Health officials are especially concerned because this particular strain of Ebola has no approved vaccines or treatments. U.S. President Donald Trump is issuing a new warning to Iran, as negotiations to end the war continue to falter. The worsening conflict is sending shockwaves through global markets and driving gas prices back up. Joining us now with the very latest on these developments is Cameron McIntosh in Jerusalem. Cameron, what exactly has Donald Trump been saying? So if President Trump says the clock is ticking, he made the warning after a call with Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel yesterday, right before Netanyahu convened a security meeting. Now, over the weekend, there have been plenty of reports that the U.S. and Israel have been rearming for another round of strikes on Iran. Today, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson says Iran is focused on ending the war with reports. Pakistan has shown. shared a revised peace proposal from Iran with the U.S. Now, last week, efforts to get a peace deal between Iran and the U.S. failed. The U.S. and Israel want Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. Iran is refusing and is effectively blockading the strait of Hormuz.

About one-fifth of the world's oil supply usually moves through it. Now, Trump says he thinks Iran wants to sign a deal. The U.S. president keeps posting those warnings telling Iran to get moving fast, or there will be nothing left to them. Foreign Minister Anita Anand is in the region. She spoke about the conflict in an interview. What did she have to say? Yes, Anita Anand is in Qatar.

She was just in Amman and will soon be on her way to Europe. The war is a big part of her discussions. In an interview with Al Jazeera, she's suggesting when the war ends, Canada may have a role in managing the Strait of Hormuz. Here's what she told Al Jazeera. Once there's a permanent ceasefire in place, Canada will look to see how it's a war.

it can contribute in terms of demining expertise and cyber capabilities, for example, we have something to offer. Now, when pressed on whether the Canadian government views the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran as defensive, particularly from Israel's perspective, she didn't answer directly, but did say the Canadian government does support efforts to ensure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon. She says it will support any ceasefire talks to reach that aim. That's all. Cameron McIntosh, joining us from Jerusalem.

Thank you. My pleasure. G7 finance ministers are meeting in Paris to address growing tensions over the global economy and international trade imbalances. High on the agenda is the ongoing security crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. Arriving at the summit, finance minister Francois-Philippe-Champin called for a united front among allies. I think we need to show unity, ambition. and I'm very confident in the French presidency to gather our discussions over the next two days. So it's great to be in Paris.

This is the first of several high-stakes meetings scheduled for the ministers this week. Federal funding for a White House ballroom project has hit a major snag. A Senate official has blocked a key portion of the money. The CBC's Willie Lowry joins us now from Washington. Willie, what exactly can you tell us about this development? So this $1 billion is part of a much larger $72 billion reconciliation bill released by the Senate Judiciary Panel and Homeland Security Committee earlier this month in an effort to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

The problem, the Senate parliamentarian who is basically the body's rulekeeper, says the money intended for security associated with the White House ballroom, violates a Senate rule. The Byrd Rule is designed to block items or expenditures from bypassing the Senate's 60-vote threshold. How often does something like this happen? And what is likely to happen now? So it's actually fairly procedural. Republicans have already vowed to push back on social media.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune's Director of Communications said, quote, redraft, refine, resubmit. None of this is abnormal during a budget. bird process. Democrats, meanwhile, celebrated the decision and vowed to keep fighting against the funds. Minority leader Chuck Schumer said, quote, Americans don't want a ballroom, they don't need a ballroom, and they sure as hell should not be forced to pay for one. The CBC's Willie Lowry in Washington. Thank you. My pleasure. Manitoba liquor marts are launching a last chance discount sale starting today to permanently offload the remaining $3.4 million.

worth of U.S. stockpile left over from their own provincial boycott. The move was triggered by trade threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Ontario's boycott of American alcohol is costing that province more than a million dollars a month. The CBC's Colin Butler explains why. If we actually care about this, we're willing to spend $20 million a year to not sell your booze. That's Brock University Operations Professor Michael Armstrong. He thinks Ontario could be paying 20 million a year. to store $80 million worth of American beer, liquor, and wine.

Armstrong settled on that sum using a common logistics rule. You would find it an introductory textbook. It would be around a quarter of the value of the product per year. Ontario loudly pulled American alcohol from store shelves last March. It has said far less about what maintaining it now costs. The Ontario Liquor Board did not return a request for comment. While the costs may be mounting, the boycott has proven remarkably potent. U.S. liquor exports to Canada have plunged 70% from a $221 million market,

and it is clearly irritated officials inside the Trump administration. You want to know the only other time I've seen sort of a ban this effective. University of Tennessee Agricultural Trade Economist Andrew Muhammad cites a peanut butter ban in Europe. If you want to send a message to President Trump boycott American peanut butter. Europe targeted U.S. peanut butter with a 25% percent. percent tariff during the 2018 trade war, and it forced Trump to back off on aluminum and steel. Back in Canada, the bottles remain off the shelves, quietly aging and in some cases, spoiling, as the cost of one of the country's most visible trade protests continues to grow.

Colin Butler, CBC News, London, Ontario. And finally. Shakira's hips don't lie, and according to a Spanish court, neither do her tax returns. The pop superstar has been acquitted in a long-running tax fraud case in Madrid. Government officials couldn't prove she spent enough days in the country to be considered a resident back in 2011. Spain now has to return nearly 95 million Canadian dollars in fines and interest to the singer. And that is the latest national and international news from World Report. I'm Edel Moussa.

This is CBC News.