Your World Tonight - Canada recognizes Palestinian state, Charlie Kirk memorial, Canola farms lose income, and more

Episode Date: September 21, 2025

Breaking with decades of foreign policy, the governments of Canada, Australia and the U.K. now officially recognize the State of Palestine. Its a co-ordinated move they say will help preserve the possibility of a two-state solution. We'll have extensive coverage of the announcement, and reaction from Israeli's and Palestinians.Also: Massive crowds gathered in Arizona for the memorial of Charlie Kirk. President Donald Trump and members of his administration are among those to pay tribute to the conservative activist, who became a polarizing figure in American politics. And: Canadian canola farmers are having one of their best harvests in years. But with tariffs hampering prices, a strong crop isn't bringing in much income.Plus: Federal budget lookahead, Ontario's empty bottle problem, reusing ocean plastic waste, and more.

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. Hello, I'm Stephanie Scandaris. This is your world tonight.

And it's only when the others is recognized that you can find a culture of peace and a path to peace. Breaking with decades of foreign policy, the governments of Canada, Australia, and the UK, all officially recognize the state of Palestine. A coordinated move that they say will help preserve the possibility of a two-state solution. We will take you to the Middle East for reaction from Israelis and Palestinians. Also on the program, you know how money doesn't grow on trees? Well, turns out it's not growing in canola fields either, despite a large harvest for Canadian canola farmers. The thing that has been paying the bills is barely making any money.

You'll hear what's stopping a big crop from bringing in big cats. Canada has formally recognized the state of Palestine. The move was made alongside the UK and Australia. The first time members of the G7 have made such a decision. It's designed to ostracize Hamas and challenge attempts by the Israeli government to erase the prospect of a Palestinian homeland. But as J.P. Tasker reports, the historic move

is largely symbolic. As the war in Gaza rages on with the number of Palestinians killed rising by the day and dozens of Israeli hostages still in Hamas captivity, Canada is officially recognizing the state of Palestine and ramping up the pressure for a two-state solution. In a statement, Prime Minister Mark Carney's office says this decision, quote,

empowers those who seek peaceful coexistence and the end of Hamas. And it's needed now because the Israeli government is working methodically to prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being established. There are extremists within the Palestinian community. We're also seeing a rise of extremism in Israel in terms of people being willing to accept the existence of the other. And it's only when the other is recognized that you can find a culture of peace and a path to peace.

Canada's ambassador to the UN says this is the first step in establishing a democratic Palestine, a demilitarized state led not by Hamas, but a reformed Palestinian authority. This is not intended in any way, shape, or form to change Canada's support for the existence and the security of the state of Israel. Canada is working in tandem with Australia and the UK, which also recognizes the state of Palestine on Sunday. British Prime Minister Kier Starrmer. We are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution. Palestinians are celebrating the diplomatic breakthrough. Riyadh Mansour speaks for the territory at the United Nations.

These countries are determined to take steps not to allow this tragic situation to continue and to make it the destiny of the Palestinians and the Israeli Jews to continue fighting forever what we need is peace. Hamas already today is rejoicing. Supporters of Hamas and the streets of Canada are very happy. Israel's ambassador to Canada is condemning Carney's decision, telling CBC News it rewards those who carried out the brutal October 7th attack. No one in Israel thinks today that a two-state solution is viable.

So if you sign a paper here in Ottawa or in Australia or wherever, it does not make a change for us. We are not ready for it. We are not ready for a two-state solution. While this Western recognition is a symbolic victory for the Palestinians, it does little to change the reality on the ground. And the Americans, they're strongly opposed to all of it. J.P. Tasker, CBC News, Ottawa.

For reaction to this news from the Middle East, we go now to Sasha Petrasek in Jerusalem. Sasha, let's start with reaction from Palestinians. were in Ramallah in the Occupied West Bank earlier, what did people there tell you? Well, Stephanie, feelings in Ramallah are really swinging between optimism and skepticism. Many Palestinians feel they've heard these sentiments before without the formal recognition, of course. They say they won't provide practical changes. But for others, this brings a little light into two very dark years. And this is what they had to say to me today.

Oh, for sure it does make different, because we need to have two-state solutions. Don't forget, it's our right to have our country. Other than saying words, I think there should be actual actions that is going to first stop the genocide that's going on. Second, actually do some things that are going to prevent the violence that's happening against Palestinians. Now, these people are in the occupied West Bank, where there has been a lot of violence between Palestinians and Israeli settlers over the past two years. years and much military action. Still, though, it's nothing like what Palestinians in Gaza have endured, and thousands are still desperately trying to find a safe space after two years of war. Thousands are trying to figure out where to get food. We asked them what they thought of this

recognition by Western countries as well. They recognize Palestine and they still send weapons to Israel. says one man called Salah Nassar. These countries send drones and they help Israel. They say one thing and they do another, he says. But in the government halls of the Palestinian authority, there is more optimism. This is what the Palestinian foreign minister, Varsan, Agabekhi, and Shaheen had to say. This recognition is certainly not symbolic.

It is a practical, tangible, irreversible step that countries must take. if they are invested in preserving the two-state solution. But I have to tell you, if there's one thing people are happy about, and they actually do seem happy about this, Stephanie, it's that they feel seen, that their predicament has been noticed. And then what's been the reaction from Israel? Well, the Israeli foreign ministry was dismissing this as imaginary text and saying that the recognition just didn't bear any relation to reality.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had much stronger words. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River, he said today. He went on to say that they will keep fighting what they call false propaganda, which would endanger their existence and constitute an absurd reward for terrorism. That's what Netanyahu had to say. There was also a lot of pressure, though, and even tougher words from settler groups and the few high-profile settler leaders, some of whom are in Netanyahu's cabinet. They came out today and insisted that Israel's answer had to be the full annexation of the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu didn't answer whether that is the next step.

He said he was going to have more to say about all of this when he came back from his trip to the United Nations and after a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. Stephanie? Okay, Sasha, appreciate it. Thank you so much. My pleasure. CBC's Sasha Petrissik in Jerusalem. We will have more on the recognition of Palestinian statehood and what that means for a possible two-state solution. CBC's senior international correspondent Margaret Evans is in the occupied West Bank. Her report is coming up later on Your World Tonight.

In the U.S., massive crowds under intense security gathered in Arizona for the memorial of Charlie Kirk. President Donald Trump and members of his administration among those paying tribute to the conservative activist who was shot and killed at a speaking event this month. Kirk's wife, Erica, mentioned the accused shooter to the crowd. That man, that young man, I forgive him. Kirk's supporters say there's a movement growing in his name. Katie Simpson reports from Arizona. The lineups began hours before sunrise, tens of thousands of people all hoping to witness this pivotal moment for America's conservative movement.

I need to mourn Charlie and I wanted to be with a fellow patron. Heavy security made it hard to get to the venue. Traffic backed up about three kilometers in every direction. Supporters, willing to wait, saw plenty of police passing through airport-style screening. But once the doors open, mourners quickly filled the football stadium and overflow hockey arena nearby. Kirk was remembered as a leader in the MAGA movement, a point underscored by those in the audience and the speakers. President Donald Trump, members of his cabinet and his inner circle, including Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller. And to those trying to incite violence against us,

those trying to foment hatred against us, what do you have? You have nothing. You are nothing. Kirk was a polarizing figure, beloved by conservatives. He also drew condemnation from critics, who disagreed with some of his far-right views and the inflammatory language he sometimes used to make his points. Charlie Kirk is a martyr in the true Christian tradition. His friends from the conservative podcasting world, including Benny Johnson, say Kirk's murder is a call to action to live as he did. Get married. Have a million kids and live out your American dream. And by doing that, we can create millions and millions and millions of Charlie Kirk's. And we can save our land. So many of Kirk's support.

say they're drawn to his political work because of the way he intertwined politics and faith. We got the picture of Charlie with in the arms of Jesus where he is. Patty Murphy points to an image of Kirk embracing Jesus, which she glued to a red, white, and blue tinsel wreath she made in his memory. They have no idea what they've done and they just multiplied Charlie exponentially. And I'm grateful that that's happened, but we miss him. Murphy hopes Kirk's assassination will serve as a wake-up call, a motivating force for Americans to embrace the religious beliefs he advocated for, predicting it will be his legacy.

Turning our country back to God. Yes, the American family, let's get married and have kids, lots of them. I want moms to be able to stay home and take care of their kids and not have to pay somebody to take care of and go to a job that you don't want to do. Some of Kirk's supporters have reason for hope. in this moment. They point to the large and influential turnout for this service, and they see this as their time to try to reshape American life to reflect their views. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Glendale, Arizona.

Still ahead, a small BC company is tackling a big ocean problem, cleaning up plastic pollutants and giving them a new purpose. We'll tell you how and take you inside a first-of-its-kind facility. Coming up on your world tonight. Air travelers across Europe are facing a second day of disruptions after a cyber attack affected multiple airports. Dozens of flights were delayed or cancelled on Saturday when a check-in and baggage system was disrupted. Airports in Berlin, Brussels and London's Heathrow were the most affected.

Conditions have now improved at Heathrow and in Berlin. Brussels Airport has asked airlines to cancel half of the over 200 flights scheduled for Monday. The company that owns the check-in software says it's working to resolve the issue. U.S. officials say a deal with China to bring TikTok under American ownership is closer than ever. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt revealed on Saturday the proposed deal would require six Americans to sit on the social media platform's seven-seat board. It would also give the U.S. control over the app's algorithm. Beijing has not confirmed whether it's accepted the deal.

Both parties have until December 16th to finalize details. In this country, with high U.S. tariffs, rising unemployment, and a flat GDP, much is riding on Prime Minister Mark Carney's upcoming federal budget. While liberal officials say the budget will set up the Canadian economy for the future, Opposition conservatives are concerned that massive debt and deficits will have the opposite effect. Philippe-Schanac reports. Canada should be prepared for a generational investment. Federal finance minister Francois-Filippe Champagne says this is the moment when Canada reinvents itself.

In the face of an unreliable trading partner, the economy needs to be retooled and diversified so it's not overly reliant on the United States. It's more like a down payment in the future prosperity. of Canada, and investments like that, which is generational, will require us to borrow it. But when pushed by the CBC's Rosemary Barton, Champagne would not commit to a figure. Just that along with borrowing, there would be a spending reduction. That's going to give confidence to Canadians and the markets that we want to have our operational spending under control.

Canadians elected a slim liberal minority government in April, meaning parties will need to cooperate to pass legislation. Conservative leader Pierre Pauliev would not support what he hasn't seen. Do you have a copy you can give me? I don't. Okay, when you get one, then I'll answer your question. Conservative Party House leader Andrew Shearer hasn't seen it either, but did tell the CBC's Rosemary Barton

he would be holding Prime Minister Mark Carney to his commitment on the deficit. During the campaign, he put in black and white in a written commitment to Canadians that he would cap the deficit at $62 billion. But he said conservatives would back some specific measures. If they take elements of our platform as it relates to tax relief or getting government out of the way of major projects, then we would support that. Don Desjardin is a chief economist at Deloitte Canada. She says businesses are looking for clear signs of a policy pivot. Signalling to Canadian businesses that, hey, things are going to get a little better.

We're going to reduce regulation. We're going to help in terms of building infrastructure so you can actually get your goods to other markets. Whether it's from conservatives, lock, Quebec or NDP, the liberal minority government will need some votes from other parties for its budget to pass. If not, Canada would likely be headed back to the polls. Philip Lyshenock, CBC News, Toronto. Canadian canola farmers are having one of their best harvests in years, but with tariffs, hampering prices, a strong crop might not translate into much profit. Alexander Silberman now on how canola farmers are coping.

Rob Stone is starting up his combine, beginning to harvest a promising canola crop on his family farm near Davidson, Saskatchewan. Mild summer temperatures helped his fields grow abundant with the oil seed, the most in at least five years. It's a nice tidy surprise, I think, to see canola production come through as well as it has this year in spite of the town. But this year's harvest, once ripe with potential profit, is full of disappointment. Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola are continuing to push down prices with a nearly 76% duty on seeds

in addition to tariffs on oil and meal, a move that effectively cuts off access to Canada's second largest export market. Yeah, it can be frustrating when you've got a strong crop. Stone says the drop in canola prices in response to tariffs is hurting his income. And so that really is the difference between profit, break-even, or maybe a loss.

A potential loss, despite canola prices that remain historically high. With rising costs for fertilizer and seed, margins were squeezed before the tariffs. They're in a tight situation. Derek Bruin is an agricultural economist at the University of Manitoba. He says canola futures have dropped about $30 per ton since China announced a tariff on seeds. And the lower price means it could cost more. grow canola than producers are able to sell it for. The thing that has been paying the bills is barely making any money. As farmers try to adapt, Ottawa is stepping in to offer financial relief,

a new $370 million incentive to encourage canola use in biofuel and interest-free loans of up to $500,000. But industry groups say those measures fall short. We want to be prepared for the worst. Rick White is CEO of the Canadian Canola Growers Association. He says producers shouldn't be expected to take on more debt, with no end to the tariffs in sight. This thing drags out. Farmers are going to need to be supported somehow to get them through this. In southern Saskatchewan, Rob Stone's fall harvest is still pushing ahead. He's taking advantage of the loan program.

But Stone says the longer the political turmoil lingers, choosing which crime. crops to grow and seeds to buy is becoming a challenge. Not simple, I get that, but it needs to be fixed. A fix, Stone admits, could take time in a world strife with international trade disruptions. Alexander Silberman, CBC News, Davidson, Saskatchewan. You're listening to Your World Tonight from CBC News. And if you want to make sure you 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. Around the world, millions of pounds of plastics are polluting our oceans. A relatively small BC nonprofit is trying to fix an enormous environmental issue by recycling ocean plastic waste and turning it into sustainable. products. Yasmin Renea takes us inside Canada's first marine plastic recycling facility. This used to be a fishing net. At a warehouse in Richmond, BC, Chloe Dubois stands beside a bag filled with millions of tiny plastic pellets. She's the executive director of Ocean Legacy, a non-profit giving new life to plastic fishing gear, choking oceans and coastlines.

Right now, plastic pollution is one of the biggest challenges facing our time. Abandoned law or discarded fishing gear, also called ghost gear, is considered to be a leading cause of marine animal deaths. We're seeing huge issues in terms of entanglement, an ingestion for marine wildlife, and oftentimes these species are either endemic or already endangered. This is a national problem, and it's not going away. It's why Dubois co-founded Ocean Legacy, which operates Canada's first marine plastic recycling facility.

There, fishing ropes, nets, and other materials are melted, diced into tiny pellets, then molded into new products. And these can be used for just about anything from signage and construction to different paneling. Also patio furniture and flower pots. The facility opened in 2021, and Ocean Legacy estimates it processes as much as 1,000 tons of waste every year. The nonprofit has relied on money from federal and provincial ocean cleanup projects,

but that funding stopped this year. Now Ocean Legacy is bringing in less than 50% of what it needs to sustain operations. It's impacted Ocean Legacy, but also the entire community that's involved in ocean cleanups. The Department of Fisheries and Ocean says it will continue to engage indigenous harvesters, the fishing industry, and other partners and stakeholders on how to prevent and address ghost gear. But some environmentalists say recycling is only scratching the surface. Anthony Marante is with Oceana, Canada, a charity devoted to ocean conservation. The reality is if we don't stop plastic production, if we don't stop wasting so much plastic

and generating so much plastic waste, it's just going to always be cleaning up a mess that we're constantly making. While Ocean Legacy plans to expand operations across the country and hopes to one day open a facility on the East Coast, It says its ultimate goal is to not exist. Yasmil Ganea, CBC News, Richmond, British Columbia. In Ontario, nearly every recycled empty is turned in at the beer store. It handled 1.6 billion alcohol bottles and cans in Ontario just last year. But as the province moves to end the monopoly on beer and wine sales, beer store locations are closing.

As Colin Butler reports, the beer store's old real estate, is finding new life, but no one seems to want to do its old job. Like I said, this is the former beer store retail space. That's Shauna Verslut, showing off an empty beer store in London, Ontario, stripped to the rafters and cinderblock walls. Right now it's an empty shell, but soon it will be transformed into a cafe, dining room, and catering hub. Verslute is expanding because her team's restaurant, Centro,

was recently named one of Canada's top 100, and now it's almost impossible to get a table. We currently don't have a single reservation available for the next 60 days and each night has a wait list of anywhere from 20 to 50, sometimes 100 people. Thanks to the listing, Centro, an intimate 28-seat restaurant is one of the hottest tickets in the city. So her team is moving Kitty Corner into a vacant beer store. The new Lotus and Lime Cafe and much larger Lenoa restaurant will seat up to 120 diners. We are thrilled.

We are beyond excited to say the least. While new tenants are filling the beer store's old real estate, no one seems to want the job that helped define it, handling Ontario's 1.6 billion empty alcohol containers every year. Of the 70 grocers required to accept them now only 14 are actually doing it, and many are threatening to surrender their licenses rather than take on the job. Dirty empties, whether their cans or bottles, just don't belong in a grocery shop. store full stop. Gordon Dean owns five independent grocery stores, four in Ontario, one in

Quebec. He says empties attract vermin and have no place next to fresh baked bread or ready to eat meals. They've also driven up pest control costs. If we've devoted 10% of our footprint in the store to this, and at the end of the day is actually costing us money, are we really going to continue that investment? Industry groups are warning of open revolt. Gary Sands of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocery Stores says if grocers have to take on empties, it might mean an empty future. It's a dog's breakfast, really. I don't know what other way to put it. By 2026, more than

a thousand grocers will be required to take empties under Ontario's Alcohol Expansion Plan. Many say they won't. So while old beer stores are filling with new life, the job they were known for taking back empties is proving harder to replace. Colin Butler, CBC News, London, Ontario. The Toronto Blue Jays are heading to the postseason. The Jays clinched their playoff spot today after beating the Kansas City Royals 8 to 5. Toronto did not make the playoffs last year, but this season the team holds the best record in the American League with 90 wins.

Turning to our top story, the recognition of the state of Palestine by Canada, Australia, and the UK. The coordinated move, Ottawa says, was done in an effort to, quote, preserve the possibility of a two-state solution. But just because more countries recognize a Palestinian state does not mean that solution is on the horizon. CBC's senior international correspondent Margaret Evans has more on that. It's becoming harder to speak. Palestinian herding communities in the hills east of Jerusalem, the ones leading down towards the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. They're being cleared out by Israel, say locals,

either through military orders appropriating land or increasingly violent attacks by hard-line Jewish settlers pushing for formal annexation of land they claim is theirs by God-given right. Israel don't want Palestinian here in the land. Atala Al-Jahlan is the community leader of about 80 Bedouin families living on Jabal-Al-Baba, a hilltop next to the Palestinian town of Al-Aziria and a cross from the Israeli settlement of Malayadumim. They've been given notice that the Israeli military is preparing to act on demolition orders

ahead of plans to expand the settlement. Al Jachlan holds little hope that recognition of a Palestinian state will change the fate of Palestinians living under an occupation now more than half a century old, not without real pressure on Israel, he says, like economic sanctions. Palestinian lawyer Heba Husseini agrees. The only thing that worked in South Africa to change the regime was sanctions. Hussaini was one of the Palestinian negotiators

during the failed Oslo peace talks of the 1990s. She has a troubled daily commute through Israeli military checkpoints from her home in East Jerusalem to her law offices in Ramallah. A minor inconvenience, she says, compared to what else Israel is doing in the occupied territories.

It's a quiet tsunami happening in the West Bank, moving people away from their homes. the armed settlers that have full protection by the Israeli military. They are displacing the Bedouin community. But unlike Atala al-Jachlan, she believes recognition from countries like Canada, France, and the United Kingdom is important. It's a shift and it's a statement that the world is no longer accepting that Israel is undermining the two-state solution. Whether that's enough to revive the idea of two states

without the sanctions Hussein herself says are needed is debatable and time is running out. Young Palestinians in particular are more jaded than the Oslo generation that came closest to achieving it and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to prevent a Palestinian state. Margaret Evans, CBC News in the Occupied West Bank. After 30 sold-out shows, Bad Bunny added one more.

Like the others, a celebration of Puerto Rico and a farewell for now. Last night's final concert, like the first nine of his residency, was only open to Puerto Rico residents. But it was streamed globally on Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Twitter. Which, thousands watching online. All of the shows were a love letter to Bad Bunny's beloved birthplace and a call to fight for its people. The concerts generated an estimated $733 million U.S. dollars for Puerto Rico and were attended by around half a million. He brought different musicians out at every show, thrilling last night's crowd with another hometown hero. Mark Anthony.

Saturday's show held another significance. It was on the eighth anniversary of Hurricane Maria when the island's electric grid was destroyed and an estimated 2,975 people died in the aftermath. Eight years later, there is still anger over how long reconstruction is taking. A U.S. Inspector General Report from this month found the grid is still unstable and inadequate.

Some people in Bad Bunny's crowd wore the number of dead on their t-shirts and flags. Up next, Bad Bunny heads out on a world tour. He's playing Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, and more. Notably, not the U.S. Not Canada, either. So it'll be on Varano Sinti, or a summer without you, bad bunny.

But we can still play a little more from his album of that name. This has been your world tonight. I'm Stephanie Skanderas. Thank you for listening. For me, the Patricia, the Nicol, the Sophia. My first noviour in Kinder-Maria

and my first love, so yeah ma'aliyah, I have a Colombian that me scribe every day and a mexicanna that any I saw via. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.