World Report - September 23: Tuesday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: September 23, 2025

US President Donald Trump questions value of United Nations, accusing it of funding uncontrolled migration in speech at 80th general assembly. Canada's Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree launches gun buyback program, after being caught on tape saying police lack the resources to enforce it. Super Typhoon Regasa is heading toward Hong Kong and mainland China, forcing many to evacuate and stock up on supplies. Some people are questioning a Toronto area school board's decision to ban Every Child Matters flags...CBC News has learned that Marineland, a once popular Ontario amusement park, wants to move its remaining beluga whales out of the country.

This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report. Good morning. I'm Angie Seth. The United Nations is holding its 80th General Assembly. For some world leaders, this is a moment to work together and push for peace. In Gaza, in Ukraine, in Sudan, and around the world. But U.S. President Donald Trump just told the General Assembly he doesn't see the value of the U.N. Trump is not done with his speech just yet.

And the CBC's, Anise Hadari, is watching it all for us in Washington. So, Anise, what has Trump said so far? Donald Trump talking about rejecting the failed approaches of the past, talking about Hamas, rejecting offers of peace with Israel as well, calling some countries recognizing the state of Palestine a reward for terrorists. But he also spent a lot of time talking about what he called uncontrolled migration, saying the U.N. is funding what he called an assault on Western countries and their borders, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on supporting migrants or refugees.

Essentially, Trump seems to not have much time for the very body he's speaking to. What is the purpose of the United Nations? The U.N. is such tremendous potential, but it's not even coming close to living up to that potential. All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never find. follow that letter up. It's empty words and empty words don't solve war. At one point, President Trump also seemed to be complaining about the cost of the United Nations, specifically by highlighting how as a property developer he offered to renovate the headquarters in New York years ago, and he seems unhappy with how the project turned out

without him. Comparing cost overruns in a building he's criticizing to the United Nations as a whole and how it spends money around the world. We also heard the U.N. Secretary General making his case for the importance of the UN. So take us through that. Yes, speaking before President Trump, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, showed a different point of view. International cooperation is not naivety. It is hard-headed pragmatism. No country can stop a pandemic alone. No army can halt rising temperatures. No algorithm can reveal trust once it is broken. In his speech, he also talked about, quote, relentless

human suffering, saying that humanity is in an age of reckless disruption, and he says the principles of the United Nations are under siege. It's Denise Hedari for us in Washington. Thank you. You're welcome. People struggle to get through thigh-high floodwaters and coastal town north of Manila. The Philippines is cleaning up after being battered by Super Typhoon, Ragasa. It is considered to be the strongest tropical typhoon so far this. year and in Hong Kong.

People rush to get what little fresh food is left with many supermarket shelves, now sitting empty. Riga says barreling towards the city and mainland China, most schools and businesses have been closed and hundreds of flights have also been cancelled. Well, it's been more than five years since the federal government banned what it calls assault-style firearms. And today, the Minister of Public Safety will announce the long-awaited details of the associated law, the gun buyback program.

But it comes after Minister Gary Anasangri was caught on tape, saying police don't have the resources to enforce this rule. Janice McGregor is in our Parliamentary Bureau. She joins us now. So Janice, tell us more about this recording. The audio was posted on social media yesterday by a lobbyist for the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights. The quality is not great, but in the conversation with an unknown firearms owner

recorded without the minister's knowledge. Anandis Sangare not only scoops himself on today's announcement, but appears to admit that the government will struggle to enforce its own program. The minister suggests the funds available to compensate gun owners are going to be capped. He admits that the amounts offered for some firearms fall short of their value. He even seems to suggest extraordinarily that he'd personally cover the difference or post-bail for this constituent if he's arrested for not complying. No surprise, opposition leader Pierre Pollyev took some big swings at this in the first round of question period yesterday. The Minister of Public Safety accidentally told the truth. He said that the gun grab is not worth the money, that it will go over budget, but that they're going ahead with the bad policy because it's good politics.

Mr. Speaker, let me reiterate. It's actually a good thing that this conversation was caught on tape. And in fact, it will counter every single claim that this leader of the opposition is. making. Let me be very clear, Mr. Speaker, Canadians want responsible gun control. The potential cost of all this compensation, originally estimated by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, to be in the neighborhood of three quarters of a billion dollars, that's been controversial from the start and also shifted each time the government adjusts what firearms would fall under this ban. So with all of that back and forth, then, and why has it taken

so long to get a buyback program in place? Well, the government has struggled. to define what the Liberals meant when they called certain guns assault weapons. That's been a long saga with manufacturers constantly changing characteristics and names, staying a step ahead, sometimes of federalists and regulations. It's a struggle to figure

out how to confiscate weapons safely. Who's best to do this? Some police, most notably, the OPP in Ontario, have refused to participate. CBC's Janice Regger for us in Ottawa. Thanks, Janice. You're welcome. Students across Canada are getting their orange shirt

it's ready for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It's next Tuesday, but one school board in the greater Toronto area has banned Every Child Matters flags as part of a broader flag policy. And as Sarah McMillan reports, the decision has prompted some families to speak out. It feels like something's missing, something that should be there. When Melanie Cormier would see every child matters flags on display at local Catholic schools, she would feel welcomed. Cormier is the daughter of a residential school survivor and often gives presentations in schools.

I knew that it would be a safe place to tell my story and to tell my family's story. Earlier this year, a major disappointment when elected school board trustees voted on a new policy, which means those flags and First Nations flags can't be flown at schools. I feel like it's erasure. The Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board is one of Ontario's largest boards. It made headlines last year when trustees voted against flying pride flags. In January this year, they updated the policy again. The National Flag of Canada.

Specifying that only the Canadian provincial and school board flags can be displayed. A motion to make an exception for the Every Child Matters flag was also defeated. It was kind of upsetting. Tia Simone graduated from the board in June. She says seeing that orange flag in previous years was significant. Like it gives you a sense of comfort and a sense of inclusion. This school board is one of several that has been temporarily taken over by the province over financial mismanagement concerns. We ask the Ministry of Education repeatedly if its provincially appointed supervisor would override the trustee's flag decision.

The ministry has not answered. Sarah McMillan, CBC News, Toronto. And finally for us, CBC News has learned that Marine Land wants to move its remaining Baluga whales out of the country. The once popular Ontario Amusement Park is asking the federal government for permission to move the mammals after years of controversy over its treatment and use of whales and dolphins. Here's more from CBC's Katie Nicholson. The aquarium features the world's largest acrylic panel. Shymong Ocean Kingdom is one of the world's largest oceanariums.

The Chinese theme park is considering adding belugas from Ontario to its collection. A federal government source familiar with the file confirmed to CBC News, that marine land Canada has applied to the federal government for permits to export its remaining 30 beluga whales. A 2019 act outlawed keeping whales and dolphins in captivity for breeding or entertainment in Canada. Camille Labchuck is the executive director of animal justice. She sees this as a test of that law.

So the government is going to have to grapple with a question of, is it in the interests of these whales to be sent to potentially another aquarium where there could be exploitation all over again, there could be breeding all over again, there could be entertainment shows. It's not as simple just calling up FedEx and say, hey, I've got a shipment for you, overnight, please. Andrew Tritz is the director of marine mammal research

at the University of British Columbia. He says the animals also have to be healthy enough for transport. There will be assessments done, both with blood work, looking at feeding records, to make sure the animal's been feeding consistently, any signs that the animal might be off for any reason. and all those would be red flags. Everyone loves marine land.

Marine land didn't open this season and did not respond to questions. Its future and the future of its remaining belugas and dolphins unclear since its original owners died. But staff continue to care for them. Katie Nicholson, CBC News, Toronto. And that's the latest national and international news from World Report. If you're enjoying the World Report podcast, please follow us and tell a friend

it helps spread the word. I'm Angie Seth. This is CBC News.