World Report - November 13: Thursday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: November 13, 2025

Rifles made by BC manufacturer Sterling Cross Defense Systems being used by Sudanese paramilitary group responsible for the massacre of civilians. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to reveal new list of "nation-building" projects. US President Donald Trump signs government funding bill, ending 43-day shutdown. Iranian president warns the capital may have to be evacuated as drought continues.France commemorates 10 years since coordinated terrorist attacks killed 132 people. Victoria becomes first state in Australia to sign a treaty with Indigenous people into law. Experts explain the science of this week's brighter-than-usual dazzling display of northern lights. 

Okay, listen, I love a TV show that discusses the big topics of our time, whether it's AI or political corruption, but the morning show may have taken that concept a little bit too far from plotlines about Russian oligarchs to AI betrayals. The show kind of now feels like more of a superhero spy thriller movie situation than a workplace drama. So this week, I'm going to talk to some of the smartest critics that I know about what the heck is going on. For this episode and more, you can find and follow commotion with me, Alameen Abdu Mahmoud, wherever you get your podcast. This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report. Good morning, I'm John Northcott. Canadian-made weapons are being used by a Sudanese paramilitary group

responsible for the massacres of civilians. Images shared by rapid support forces fighters include rifles bearing the logo of a BC manufacturer. Ethel Moussa has more on this exclusive. of story from CBC's visual investigations team. I was shocked. McGill Professor Khalid Medani says the use of Canadian-made weapons in his home country of Sudan is not only troubling, it's illegal.

Not only does it violate the Export Imports Permits at the Canadian legislation, but also the international law. Photos analyzed by CBC's visual investigations team show members of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary, or RSI. holding rifles with the logo of Sterling Cross Defense Systems, a company based in British Columbia. Sterling Cross says its policies align with that of Global Affairs Canada. It's not clear how their rifles got into Sudan.

But Imadine Badi, with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, says some experts point to the United Arab Emirates. The UAE, according to multiple reports, has been facing allegations of supplying the RSF. Sudan's civil war is being fought between two rival factions, the Sudanese armed forces and the rapid support forces. The RSF's recent capture of North Darfur's capital El-Fashir has left hundreds dead and forced thousands to flee. Shihab Mohamed Ali is with Islamic relief in Port Sudan. He says the situation is catastrophic. The town has been under siege for the last one year and a half. People are starving.

here at home global affairs Canada says if laws were violated with canadian weapons entering Sudan it will ensure those responsible face legal consequences it'll lose the cbc news toronto and to learn more about how we track those weapons you can read the team's full report at cbcnews.ca today we'll learn more about where some of that promised generational investment the carne government outlined in last week's budget is going Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in northern BC to announce the latest projects recommended for fast tracking and support. CBC News has confirmed the list will include a power line running from Prince George to Terrace, BC. Let's bring in Janice McGregor from our Parliamentary Bureau.

Janice, why is this transmission line so important? BC's 450-kilometer North Coast transmission line is a massive hydroelectric project. It's already approved, boosted with $6 billion. and funding from the BC government. Shovels are set to hit the ground as early as next year. But this upgrade to BC's grid is necessary to fuel all the strategic resource development planned for northern BC, the mining of critical minerals,

and specifically the new liquefied natural gas plant expansions, pipelines, and marine terminals to ship that resource to new global markets. Janice, this is the third major project that involves LNG in northern BC. What are environmental groups saying about that? Yeah, because while it's a cleaner fuel resulting in fewer carbon emissions than the dirtier alternatives like coal that it's intended to displace and replace in parts of Asia, it's still a fossil fuel. And seeing any new fossil fuel development prioritized by the federal government's major projects office, well, that's a disappointment to environmentalists like Richard Brooks with Stand Earth.

It's a real slap in the face to be announcing a carbon bomb in the middle of a climate summit. and it makes me a question, what happened to Mark Carney's climate credentials? Well, the Nishka First Nation is a partner in the Cilism's LNG project. Other BC First Nations elders and leaders are more aligned with climate activists, and they do oppose ramping up LNG generally and the specific new pipeline projects that would move through their territory. Janice McGregor in Ottawa. Thanks, Janice. You're welcome.

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is over 43 days, after it began. It's an honor now to sign this incredible bill and get our country working again. Thank you. The U.S. President Donald Trump signs the government spending bill last night. The House of Representatives narrowly voted to approve it days after it had passed the Senate. The disruption caused financial stress for federal workers who went without paychecks and stranded travelers at airports. The bill also triggers the resumption of food aid benefits that were paused at the beginning of November. Authorities in Iran are warning the 10 million residents of Tehran. They may have to leave the capital. The country is experiencing its worst drought in decades, and with taps running dry,

the scramble begins to get drinking water to those who need it most. Anna Cunningham has more. Drinking water from a roadside fountain in Tehran. The authorities are asking people to save water. It's clear that this crisis is very serious, says Fardin Hadavand. He has seen demand rise at the water tank shop where he works. Hopefully it will rain, he says. This is Iran's six year of drought. The capital depends entirely on five dams fed from rivers outside. They are running dry.

Iran's president, Masu Pazeskian, has warned of rationing. And if there is no rain by November 22nd, he says, they must evacuate Tehran. It's drying up. looking at satellite images of Iran from Toronto, Iranian Kavei Madane is alarmed. He is the director of the United Nations University Institute for Water Environment and Health. So far it has been also much drier than usual. No rain happening across the whole country and this is new to Iran. He says this is not just about changes to Iran's climate. The issue of mismanagement is real. A problem like this was not created overnight.

The stakes are high for Iran's clerical rulers. Previous water shortages have sparked violent protests. In a country where the economy is under pressure from international sanctions linked to its disputed nuclear program, rain is desperately needed. But there is hardly any in the forecast. Anna Canningham, CBC News, London. France is marking a grim anniversary today. 10 years after a series of coordinated terrorist attacks.

A day-long commemoration begins at the Stade de France just outside of Paris with the first victim. Manuel Diaz was killed. We're told to turn the page 10 years later, but the absence is immense, says Manuel's daughter, Sophie Diaz, outside the stadium. The ceremony moves to cafe terraces in the 10th and 11th arrondissement,

and then finally the Bata clan concert Hall, where the deadliest attack took place. 132 people were killed and hundreds of others injured on November 13, 2015. Victoria, the first state in Australia, to sign a treaty with indigenous people into law. Advocates are calling it a major step towards reconciliation. The treaty establishes a permanent First Nations representative to provide advice to the state government, and it creates an accountability body that will ensure the government upholds its commitment. commitments. Rubenberg is co-chair of the First People's Assembly of Victoria.

To my mind, we sat there as equals to sign that document. That is fundamentally about what this process has been about, about recognizing our equal status to be able to sit at that table. We will get from this, not just better outcomes for First Peoples, better outcomes for Victoria, better outcomes for Australia. Australia has roughly one million indigenous citizens. They track well below national averages on most socioeconomic measures. The northern lights are gracing Canadian skies over BC, the prairies, the territories, and parts of northern Ontario in Quebec this week. And if you've been lucky enough to catch the nighttime show, you may have noticed it's exceptional this time around. The CBC's Emizzo tells us why.

This is a really good time for it. Scott Young, astronomer with the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg, says the auroras have been brighter than usual. He says the solar cycle might have something to do with it. The energy from the sun that drives the northern lights varies over about an 11-year cycle. And we're kind of at the top of that. So we've been seeing quite a bit of northern lights over the last year or so and probably for the next year. Frank Florian, senior manager of space sciences at the TELUS World of Science in Edmonton, says the recent auroras were uncommonly red.

That has something to do with the particles from the sun, which excite gas molecules in the upper atmosphere, giving off the warm hue. Florian says they were also uncommonly large. The rural oval is further north, but when you get these really strong events, that are rural oval migrates, moves further towards the south. And in fact, this are a rural oval stretched as far down as being able to be seen from Florida and Texas and even some places in Mexico. For those who want to catch a glimpse of the northern lights while they're still big and

bright, Florian recommends visiting rural areas away from light pollution. CBC News, Edmonton. And 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.ca.