Your World Tonight - Australia attack ISIS inspired, EU rolls back EV car mandates, Ontarians use Quebec bottle deposit program, and more

Episode Date: December 16, 2025

They were inspired by ISIS. Authorities in Australia say the father and son behind the mass shooting at a Hanukkah party on Sunday had ISIS material and believed the group's ideology. The attack on the Jewish community killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more.And: European Union eases up on its plan to ban gas powered cars. It has been driving the global environmental push for electric cars, with plans to sell only EVs by 2035.But now, under pressure from car companies and countries, the European Union is shifting gears.Also: Quebec has expanded its bottle deposit program and that’s turned out to be a good thing for some Ontarians. Residents of Ontario — who do not pay a deposit — are returning bottles in Quebec, for a “refund”.Plus: B.C. flooding, Israel blocks Canadian delegation from West Bank, Jamaica rebuilds, and more.

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Tees and Cs apply. This is a CBC podcast. ISIS is created by an evil ideology that has been called out, not just by the Australian government, but globally as well. The Islamic state inspiration behind the deadly Hanukkah attack in Australia, As more details emerge about the horror and the heroic efforts to stop it, investigators say the two gunmen had extremist ties and possibly training before opening fire on innocent people. Welcome to Your World Tonight.

I'm Susan Bonner. It is Tuesday, December 16th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. China currently is racing ahead, and Europe will not be able to catch up with China by investing in the tech. technologies of yesterday. Slowing down the EU's effort to get gas-powered vehicles off the road, Europe's car producers force a rollback on EV targets. They were inspired by ISIS.

Authorities in Australia say the father and son behind the mass shooting at a Hanukkah party on Sunday had ISIS material and believe. believed the group's ideology. The attack on the Jewish community killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more. Sasha Petrissik has the latest. Two days ago, they ran from this speech in panic.

Now Australians are coming back by the thousands. Back to Bondi in remembrance and grief. In tears, Valentina brings a pair of sneakers. from her 10-year-old daughter, Matilda, killed in the attack. What a monster who shot my little girl, she says. It wasn't an accident. It was a bullet. It just was fired on the hill. Another couple is remembered as the first to die after trying to disarm one of the gunmen. And then there was Reuven Morrison, who threw rocks trying to stop bullets.

He went down fighting, protecting the people he loved the most. His daughter, Sheena Guttnick, blames the Australian government. They have betrayed us, and they have so much innocent blood on their hands. Just like to give an update. Our two parallel investigations are ongoing. Meanwhile, Australian police have been investigating the two accused gunmen, 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Navid, says Police Commissioner, Chrissy Barrett. Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State,

allegedly committed by a father and son. Police say they found an improvised explosive and two flags of Islamic State militants in their car. They also trace their movements to the Southern Philippines in November, where experts say they may have spent weeks training with local Islamic militants who have Mid-East experience. Tom Sanderson is a geopolitical risk consultant in Washington who's followed groups in the Philippines. So if these two, the father and son, traveled to the Philippines,

they could have met with veterans of the war in Syria who could offer them bomb-making skills, networks, sniper skills. He says the global Islamic state and local Muslim insurgents in the Philippines have been in decline. But the Gaza war has reignified. their followers' anger. It's motivating. It draws people to join groups to express their response to it, which is often a local expression of violence.

That doesn't mean Australia has become a formal target, but it has proven vulnerable. Sasha Petrissick, CBC News, Toronto. A Canadian delegation to the Middle East was barred from entering the occupied West Bank. Six MPs were on the trip attempting. to meet with Palestinians, but they were turned back at a border crossing in Jordan, and there are conflicting stories about why. Rafi Bujucanian has more. We were really looking forward to entering the West Bank and Jerusalem. Liberal MPs Samir Zubari, one of five Liberal MPs who were planning to be in Israel

this evening with visits to the occupied West Bank in the next two days. Unfortunately, we returned away at the border after a five-hour long wait. The delegation, some 30 Canadians, landed in Jordan on the weekend and were going to enter the West Bank by land through the Israeli-controlled Allenby border crossing before continuing on to Jerusalem. The MPs say they were all turned away despite their special passports and despite informing the Canadian government well in advance of the trip. The unelected members of the delegation were all given forms the sign that listed public security or public safety as reasons they were denied entry. Ikrakhalid, also a liberal MP, says that was not all. I had a very terrible experience. She says she was yelled at by an Israeli officer and pushed by two of them.

CBC has not been able to verify this. Israel's ambassador to Canada, Idomo, it says if that physical confrontation happened, it should not have. I think that's lamentable. It shouldn't happen. But in such extreme tense situations, sometimes people, you know, people, make decisions and do things that are not supposed to do. However, he's defending Israel's decision to reject the delegation. The group is on a private trip, sponsored travel by the Canadian Muslim vote, a registered non-profit in Canada. Israel insists it gets funding from Islamic Relief Canada,

itself an affiliate of Islamic Relief worldwide, which is listed as a terror entity in Israel. This, despite Canadian Muslim vote, getting another delegation of MPs in last January, with no trouble. Moet says the financial links were unclear at the time. At least the terrorist organization is working its way into our society. In a statement, the Canadian Muslim vote calls Israel's accusation a baseless smear and says the government is just trying to stop eyewitnesses from speaking to Palestinians displaced by settler violence in the West Bank. The UN now says more than a thousand Palestinians have been killed on the swath of land in the last two years.

I, for one, rejected that notion that civil societies who's doing humanitarian work on the ground is a security threat. The NDP's Jenny Kwan is the only opposition MP on the delegation. She says she is in disbelief the group got rejected. Prior to embarking on this mission, we of course informed the Canadian government, who in turn told the Israeli government. Canada's foreign affairs minister Anita Anand says she is in contact with the delegation and has expressed Canada's objections regarding the mistreatment of Canadians while attempting to cross.

Rafi Bucanion, CBC News, Jerusalem. There's new information tonight on the case of a Canadian military intelligence operative who's accused of leaking secrets to a foreign entity. CBC News has confirmed the country involved is Ukraine, and the allegations are apparently dividing the Canadian military intelligence community. The CBC's Murray Brewster is following the case. Murray, what is at the heart of this case?

Well, Master Warron Officer Matthew Robar faces eight charges under the National Defense Act and the Security of Information Act, including communicating special operational information to a foreign entity. Now, it was reported earlier today by our colleagues of the Globe and Mail that Ukraine was the country involved. We've confirmed that now, but what we can tell you, in addition, is that these conversations Robar was allegedly involved in started when he was introduced to a representative of Ukraine by a Canadian official in May 24. A second meeting took place in September of last year

in Lithuania. Now, whether these conversations were sanctioned or not by his superiors is up for debate. We have to make it clear. Ukraine doesn't appear to have been spying on Canada. As a country at war uses both official and unofficial channels as it tries to get support and equipment. So how did the entire investigation into this man start? Well, what we can tell you from confidential sources is that the complaint started that combined RCMP and military police investigation. It came from within the military intelligence community. Now, that's significant because Robar's alleged actions may have been out of step

or even across purposes with other activities. And they came before Canada signed an official security cooperation deal. deal with Ukraine, which formalizes intelligence and counterintelligence cooperation. Now, earlier today, I spoke with the Canadian Forces Provo Marshal, who's in charge of military police, Brigadier General Vanessa Hanrahan, and she would only say that the complaint that sparked the year-long investigation originated within the military. She wouldn't be specific about where. Where does this case go from here?

Well, a military prosecutor is now reviewing whether to proceed with all. all or some of the charges. Now, Robar was released from military custody yesterday with conditions, including not being able to talk to members of the intelligence community. Okay, Murray, complicated case. Thank you so much for telling us about it. You're welcome.

Murray Brewster is the senior defense reporter for CBC News. He's in Ottawa. Severe weather turns deadly in the Fraser Valley. Strong winds and rain keep hammering British Columbia. Plus, pumping the brakes on a plan to ban gas-powered vehicles as Europe tries to balance climate goals and Chinese competition. Later, we'll have this story. I'm David Common in Montego Bay,

where the rebuilding continues following the worst hurricane to ever hit Jamaica. We have no tourist season. Most of the hotels are down. So it's really bad. Why Jamaican officials are urging tourists to return, even as mud cake streets and down power lines are being cleared. Coming up on your world tonight. Intense weather in British Columbia is being blamed for the death of a young mother. RCMP say she was struck and killed by a falling tree branch yesterday.

Wind and rain warnings are in place tonight for parts of. of BC's already battered lower mainland. Liam Britton reports. Strewn along a path in a Chilliwack BC Park, a shattered tree trunk, bare branches, and scraps of police tape. We saw about 12 officers there and a tree down, and we were asked to leave the park. Darren Clark was walking nearby yesterday with his dog. It looked like a young family was there, maybe related to the situation. We don't know. Our CMP confirm a falling tree killed a 27-year-old woman on a walk with her two young kids. It's a pretty depressing kind of feel.

Police say severe and unpredictable weather is to blame. High winds and heavy rain have struck BC's Fraser Valley for days. We saw a really sort of vigorous frontal system passing yesterday afternoon. Winds gussed up to 70 kilometers an hour in the area around the time the tree came down, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor. He says rain and even stronger winds may be in store tonight. A rain warning for the area now has been downgraded, but flood warnings remain. In Abbotsford, over 30 properties are still under evacuation orders and over 400 on alert,

despite signs of receding waters in the Fraser Valley. Just over the border to the south in Washington State, a similar scene is unfolding. North of Seattle, officials say a man was found dead inside his submerged car early Tuesday. I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen. We're going to find out. Closer to Seattle, Fonzie Cole was ordered from his home after a second levy failed. We kind of just evacuated everybody, and now we're kind of just seeing what's going to happen from here. This is the second time in four years when devastating floods have gushed across the Pacific Northwest.

University of British Columbia Hydrology Professor Eunice Alila points to climate change, building in floodplains, and especially clear-cut forestry. Most of our landscape is young, regenerated second growth, but that actually does not. have good enough hydrologic functionality to mitigate hydrology and flood risk and drought risk. Across the Fraser Valley, cleanup is ongoing and buildings are being checked for damage

and a memorial is growing in the Chilliwack Park. Bright flowers stand out against the gray sky and muddy river waters next to the splintered wood that claim the life of a young mother. Liam Britton, CBC News, Vancouver. New methane regulations

from Ottawa are giving oil and gas companies a choice. Follow a mitigation strategy set by the government or design your own as long as it meets certain targets. Methane has an enormous climate warming effect on the atmosphere, and the oil and gas industry produces most of it. Environment Minister Julie de Bruzen says Canada's goal is to reduce emissions by 75% by 2030. Today is actually where we put into action regulations that are going to reduce the methane emissions in our country. It is one of the most important things that we can do

and one of the most cost-effective things that we can do. The plan also includes requirements to monitor and capture the methane produced within landfills. Organic waste in garbage dumps accounts for about 17% of the methane produced in Canada. Europe has been driving the global environmental push for electric cars with plans to sell only EVs by 20305. Now, under pressure from car companies and countries, the European Union is shifting gears.

As Annen-Rom reports, it's causing concern there and here that climate policies are reversing. We do recognize the sheer complexity of the challenge. Making all new cars sold electric by 2035 was an ambitious goal. Today, European Climate Commissioner Vupka Hoekstra announcing a policy shift. So in practice, that would mean 90% of vehicles will be electric. For the remaining 10% we allow flexibility.

In other words, you'll still hear gasoline burning cars driving off European lots in a decade. But those emissions will have to be made up through the use of lower carbon steel or sustainable fuels. While not a big change, Lucien Mathew, with European Advocacy Group Transport and Environment, sees a distraction. What Europe risks doing is by clinging to the combustion engine and to a hybrid is investing in these technologies that will be updated. The move follows months of pressure from both member countries with car industries and automakers, struggling with profits and a lack of charging locations for EVs, not to mention

the elephant in the room that's only getting bigger. China currently is racing ahead and Europe will not be able to catch up with China by investing in the technologies of yesterday. But others see this as a necessary tweak to a very lofty target. 100% is always a problematic goal. Gilthal is director of the Electric Vehicle Research Center at the University of California Davis. He applauds this adjustment, but still says electrifying the roads is important to bring

down climate warming emissions. Decarbonizing the light-duty vehicle sector is the closest thing to a silver bullet we have. It's the one policy, the one thing. technology that actually walks, that can make a huge different, that we know how to do it. The insane electric vehicle mandate, it's a quest to end the gasoline-powered car. Europe's proposed lane change isn't the U-turn that the Trump administration is taking on EVs, but it still signals a shift. And Joanna Kiryazas, with Clean Energy Canada, says the federal government needs to consider

what path it will take with its own currently paused EV regulations. Canada has a choice. Do we want to, you know, join the U.S.? in going back to the 1950s and living in this fossil fuel island or do we want to align with the rest of the world where EVs are breaking records and are expected to make up one in four new car sales this year? This proposal will still take a while to work through the EU Parliament. But for now, it's a sign that the climate ambitions of even a few years ago

are crashing against the reality of what it truly takes to get there. On Dram, CBC News, Toronto. In Ontario, most empty bottles and cans are not worth anything. But in the province next door, they can be exchanged for money. So people are making the trip to cash in on changes to Quebec's deposit system. Sarah Levitt explains what's going on and why for now the province can't stop it. Every day the bottle and can return machines at convenience and grocery stores in Grenville, Quebec are hard at work. Consumers popping in containers like aluminum cans and plastic bottles

net 10 cents, 25 cents for larger ones. A provincial deposit system envied by many, but in this town, turns out nearby Ontarians are taking advantage. Employees at the Marche Express have been witnessing it happen. They don't pay a deposit in Ontario, she says, so it's advantageous for them to bring their stuff here. In that province, consumers can get back. back their deposits on alcoholic beverages only.

So buying a Pepsi in Ontario and returning it in Quebec means money gained. Lugging three garbage bags into the IGA, Serge Miron estimates he'll get about $20 in all. He just walked across the bridge from Hawkesbury, Ontario into Grinville, something he says he does about three times a week. I pick up some can and I bring it here to make money. In March, Quebec expanded its deposit system. Cans and soft drinks in plastic bottles were already included, but now so too are other plastic containers.

In the coming years, it'll also incorporate cartons and all glass bottles. The non-profit Consign Action, which manages the system, says, of course, there are growing pains. Jean-François LeFour is a VP there. The way that we identify the containers is through the barcode. Barcode is per country. So I can tell, our system can tell if the container comes from the U.S., it will be rejected. But if it comes from somewhere across Canada, I can't tell the difference.

There's no legislation right now that forbids somebody from another province from getting the deposit in Quebec. But the government says it's looking into it. Consing action doesn't have a clear idea how many come from Ontario, but says there definitely has been an increase of returns in areas near the border. I know that Ontario is exploring a department. deposit return system. Once they get a more solid footing, I expect that we will need to sort of understand, you know, how we can coexist across that border. In Grenville, though, Quebecers don't seem to worry. Good for her. Not a problem? No problem. That's what you get. If you have

their luck to do it, you do it. A hundred and something. That's how much Serge Miron makes a week from his trips, something he says he'll keep doing as long as he can. Sarah Levitt. CBC News, Grenville, Quebec. Canada's major figure skating organization says it will not host national or international level events in Alberta. Skate Canada is pointing to a law that restricts transgender athletes in female-only sport divisions. The organization says the restrictions affect its ability to provide safe and inclusive sport. Alberta's Minister for Sport says it's the opposite. Skate Canada is denying female.

athletes a safe and level playing field. This is Your World Tonight from CBC News. If you want to make sure you stay up to date and never miss one of our episodes, follow us on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. Just find the follow button and lock us in. It's been just over a month since Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica, the largest storm to ever hit the island, causing more than $10 billion in damage.

Now a massive recovery and rebuild effort is underway, and a Canadian contingent is involved. David Kahnman traveled to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Along here and upstairs were patient. Dr. Delroy Frey walks through the Cornwall Regional Hospital's damaged surgical ward. Beds pushed aside, floors mopped clear of the wall, water, the Category 5 hurricane brought in. If your nurses had not got people out, what would have happened?

Casualty would have been high. The emergency room now crammed full of people on oxygen, some with recent amputations and worsening chronic conditions, because many Jamaicans have been marooned in villages by floodwaters and roads that have only just been cleared of fallen trees in thick mud. They had injuries, especially diabetic foot injuries, and they were not able to present early enough. This is Dr. Juliana.

In a tent outside the hospital's ER, Dr. Giuliana Deutsche of Calgary, he's treating a man with a burn on his arm. She's with the registered charity Canadian Medical Assistance Teams. Just going to take the tape off here. The volunteers take on patients who can be treated faster, so Jamaican doctors can focus on the more complex cases. Yeah, and you can feel me touching here and here. Nearby the hospital across hundreds of homes, blue tarps cover missing roofs.

Down by the shoreline, six-meter storm surge flooded out entire neighborhoods. The damage will take years to repair. Jamaicans are approaching that task with resilience. Do you mind if I ask you what he's doing? He is shuffing the wire. We met Carmita Johnston as a neighbor climbed a ladder to reconnect her electric power. You've had no power since the storm. No, no, no.

No light, no power, nothing. Like many Jamaicans, Carmida works in tourism as a housekeeper in a hotel, but it is too damaged to yet reopen. We have no tourist season. Most of the hotels are down. So it's really bad. It's why Jamaican officials are encouraging tourists to return to resorts that are open. And it may seem odd to see cruise ships and beachgoers. relax when there's such destruction nearby.

But for many here, those tourists are imperative. Let us pray, our God and our father. In the Billview Baptist Church, worshipers gather in the basement. And we want to thank you again that we are worshipping under a roof, even though it's not the original sanctuary roof. That original metal roof was sheared off by the hurricane. It'll take at least $100,000 to repair. Pastor Dwayne Madden says the roof will be different.

We're going to be decking it, concrete. That way it's going to be hurricane proof. They come to celebrate together, to overcome, out of ruin, rebirth. David Kahnman, CBC News, Montego Bay, Jamaica. We close tonight in Regina, where the holiday toy drive is in full swing at the North Central Family Center. The organization provides after-school programs, meals, training, and housing support. Right now, the focus is on making sure children in the community have gifts to open, and last week something special came in, courtesy of an anonymous donor.

I love them, they're absolutely beautiful. I wish there was more, like, beautiful. I was like, wow. That's my first thoughts like, wow, those are beautiful. Alina Kirkness says her daughters will love them too. Last Friday, the center received a donation of 10 Barbie dolls with some special accessories, indigenous ribbon skirts and other ceremonial attire, intricately designed with flower patterns and colored ribbons. There's also winter leggings and sweaters. The tiny items of clothing were all handcrafted, then carefully packaged and sealed with the new dolls.

Tamara Worschuk is the center's director. We don't see a lot of handmade gifts where people take the time and, you know, handcraft them themselves, and this was very special. Worshchuk had a feeling there was a backstory behind the dolls. She reached out to the woman who dropped them off. She has made these skirts for several years, and she makes them in honor of her niece, who they lost when she was five. and so she made these in hopes of making other girls happy.

The items can't be mass-produced, but the center's limited supply of ribbon skirt barbies did get a boost after Worstchuk posted about them on Facebook. The story inspired someone else to make her own and donate two more dolls. Thank you for joining us. This has been your world tonight for Tuesday, December 16th. I'm Susan Bonner.

Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to CBC.ca slash podcasts.