World Report - September 13: Saturday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: September 13, 2025

Erika Kirk, widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, speaks publicly for the first time since his death.There are growing concerns in Canada about the threat of political violence.Nepal has sworn in its first female Prime Minister after a week of political turmoil in the country.Ottawa says Arctic Security and Sovereignty are a priority when it comes to reaffirming Canada's strength, but Inuit in Nunavut say that cannot be done without them.An Ontario man is issuing a warning about a rare but real phenomenon called "AI psychosis." Covid-19 cases are rising in Canada.The Federal Court of Appeal has denied a stay to the cull of about 400 ostriches in BC.

Hugh is a rock climber, a white supremacist, a Jewish neo-Nazi, a spam king, a crypto-billionaire, and then someone killed him. It is truly a mystery. It is truly a case of who done it. Dirtbag Climber, the story of the murder and the many lives of Jesse James. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report. Good morning. I'm Angie Seth. The widow of Charlie Kirk is speaking out.

The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry. Erica Kirk gave a statement last night, honoring her late husband and vowing to continue his work. It comes as officials in the United States call for calm in the wake of Kirk's fatal shooting. Reporter Steve Fartiman has more for us from all. Utah. The search is over, but questions still remain. Twenty-two-year-old Tyler Robinson is in jail, being held without bail. The Utah Attorney General says it's not yet been determined if prosecutors will seek the death penalty, which is an option in Utah. There were more vigils held last night, and late yesterday, the widow of Charlie Kirk made her first public statement. The evildoers

responsible for my husband's assassination have no idea what they have done. Erica Kirk said the movement started by her husband will continue. The movement my husband built will not die. It won't. I refuse to let that happen. Many emotions remain quite high. There have been vitriolic debates in public and on social media between supporters and opponents of Charlie Kirk. The governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, yesterday urged people to take a break from social media. The tone he said must calm down. moment. Do we escalate or do we find an off-ramp? It's a choice. It's a choice. And every one of us gets to make that choice. It's still not exactly clear what triggered Tyler Robinson to

allegedly kill Charlie Kirk. In recent years, he became more interested in politics. And in the last few weeks, made comments about Kirk, calling him hateful. Robinson will be formally charged next week. Steve Futterman for CBC News, Orham, Utah. Meantime, the 22-year-old man arrested in relation to Kirk's death remains in custody in Utah. And while there's been no official reason released for the attack, it is being considered to be politically motivated. And that's raising concerns over the escalating political violence across the United States. And as host of CBC's The House, Catherine Cullen, reports there are similar concerns here in Canada. I know that all the political leaders would share my view that this is unfortunately a risk that's out.

out there, and we should do everything we can to mitigate it. Conservative leader, Pierre Pollyev, says he's worried, not just about the broader environment, but specifically for his family. We have had very serious threats to the point where the RCMP decided that it merited protection for my family and I for over a long period of time. Pollyev says they have faced multiple serious threats, and he supports protection for all political leaders who need it, so Canada doesn't face a situation similar to Kirk's killing. Later, I found out just a month or two ago, I had no idea because I was never briefed on these,

but I received the third-most death threats. Former Liberal Cabinet Minister Catherine McKenna has just written a book about her time in politics. She describes instances of harassment and abuse, and even says security once gave her a panic button in her home, but told her it would only reach someone during office hours. McKenna says she believes security services have improved, and she appreciates they have limited resources. She says the political climate could also improve if the public pushes back more. I mean, the number one way is for Canadians to say it's not okay. She argues more regulation of social media would help.

Well, Pollyev says the lesson from Kirk's death is to defend free speech, as long as it doesn't cross the line into harassment. Catherine Cullen, CBC News, Ottawa. To other news, Nepal has sworn in its first female Prime Minister after a week of political turmoil in the country. That's Sushila Karki taking the oath of office. Karki is a former chief justice known for a hardline stance against corruption. Her appointment comes after widespread youth-led protests against the former government

sparked by social media ban that has since been lifted. 51 people were killed during the anti-government protests, more than 1,300, rather, were injured. Karki was the preferred choice of the demonstrators who cite her reputation for honesty and integrity. Here at home, Ottawa says Arctic security and sovereignty are a priority when it comes to reaffirming Canada's strength, but Inuit and Nunavut say that cannot be done without them. The territorial government and the organization that manages Nunavut's land claims agreement have unveiled a new strength. strategy. As Kate Kyle reports, it aims to improve the quality of life for Nunavutmiyut. Optimism and handshakes following the unveiling of Nunavut's Arctic sovereignty and security

strategy in Akhaloit, designed by Inuit, a message to the rest of Canada. Arctic sovereignty in Canada means Inuit security. Jeremy Tungaraluk is the president of Nunavut Tungovic, Inc. For too long, Canada's concept of Arctic sovereignty has been, measured in military assets and industrial potential. But real sovereignty is lived every day by Inuit who called Nunavut home. The strategy focuses on building strong communities like ebbing the housing crisis, improving health care, power, and connectivity.

Inuit leaders have long said you can't defend the North without narrowing Nunavut's huge infrastructure gaps. Nunavut's premier PJ Akiyaguk says that means developing projects that benefit Nunavut and beyond, like Nunavut's Arctic Security Corridor Project. It's among the second wave of nation-building projects under consideration by the federal government. A unified voice is really landing in Ottawa, and so we call on the federal government to put the actual investments in. Lori Adlaut is the NDP member of Parliament for Nunavut. She'll be looking closely at the upcoming federal budget. If a project is approved in Nunavut,

that it also helped to alleviate poverty in Nunavut so that Nunavut are not just the subjects of Arctic security. Nunavut's Premier will drill home that message when he meets with federal ministers on Monday. Kate Kyle's CBC News, Yellowknife. An Ontario man is issuing a warning about a rare but real phenomenon called AI psychosis. Alan Brooks says safeguards need to be established for AI chatbots.

He says a simple question about the number. pie spiraled into a 300-hour-law exchange over three weeks. Brooks says ChatGBT.B.T. tried to convince him that he had created a new way of seeing the world. Terror, paranoia, obsession. I was oscillating between reality and delusion on a regular basis. I wasn't sure to believe it or if I shouldn't believe it. It's messaging and it's gaslighting is so powerful when you're engaged with it, especially when you trust it, right? Brooks is calling for tech companies to provide more protection against AI psychosis. Recent data from Health Canada confirms COVID-19 cases are on the rise.

And while they're well below the levels seen during the pandemic, public health experts say it's a trend that should not be taken lightly. Here's more from Allison Northcott. COVID cases have been ticking up over the past few weeks, says Dr. Lenora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta. It's all kind of going in the same direction, suggesting, that we might end up with kind of that late summer increase, followed by fall, winter surge, although, of course, it remains unpredictable.

Health Canada data show an overall increase in the percentage of positive COVID tests and in the presence of the virus in wastewater. Experts say these levels remain much lower than what was seen during the pandemic. We are currently testing wastewater samples from selected sites across Ontario. Microbiology Professor Lawrence Goodrich says samples screened. in his lab at the University of Guelph can help pinpoint which COVID-19 variants are circulating. Right now, it's one called Stratus

that typically causes mild to moderate illness. But Goodrich says Ontario's cuts to its wastewater surveillance have left experts with less data to work with. What this means is that the information that we have regarding the amount of the virus that causes COVID-19 in the wastewater is not as robust as it was. and we also don't have the same information about the types of variants that continue to emerge. Ontario has said it ended its provincial program to avoid duplicating surveillance done by the federal government.

Goodrich says the monitoring that remains is still valuable and says the COVID vaccine set to be rolled out this fall should be a good match for the latest variant. Alison Northcott, CBC News, Montreal. And finally, a legal delay to the cull of about 400 ostriches, that a farm in British Columbia has been denied. Yesterday, the Federal Court of Appeal blocked an application for a stay to the slaughter. The farm was hit by an outbreak of avian flu that killed 69 ostriches last December, leading the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to order the cull.

It says there are ongoing risks posed by the flock and the conditions they are kept in. But the farmers say the birds are healthy and have acquired herd immunity. That's the latest national and international news from World Report. I'm Angie Seth. This is CBC News.