Your World Tonight - Ceasefire under strain, Liberal caucus questions, dangerous new AI, and more

Episode Date: April 9, 2026

Lebanon is still a major sticking point in the shaky ceasefire between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. And there is little clarity about the Strait of Hormuz. Both the U.S. and Iran have said the passage will reopen. But there’s been very little traffic through the vital shipping route, days into the precarious two-week truce.And: The Federal Liberals are heading into their Montreal convention with one more caucus member. It puts them just one seat away from forming a majority government.But that new caucus member brings her own political baggage, and stirs questions about whether the party will need to adapt its policies.Also: The makers of a next-generation AI model say it's too powerful for the public. Anthropic says its new model could enable widespread hacking and lead to cybersecurity risks. What you should know about Claude Mythos.Plus: Emperor penguins fall victim to the climate crisis, last full day in space for four astronauts on board Artemis II, and more.

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Iran says it does. Canada and others say it's. should. This is your world tonight. I'm Stephanie Skandaris. It's Thursday, April 9th, coming up on 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. Now, if they're going to build the country, if part of that is to be part of the government caucus, yes, you support the values of the Liberal Party. Our mandate and my leadership does not come from dirty backroom deals. It comes from the people of Canada. A tale of two parties and two leaders. For Mark Carney and the federal liberals, these seem to be very good times. But for Pierre Polyev and the conservatives, after another member

defects and questions bubble about his leadership, not so much. There's growing concern over the U.S. Iran ceasefire. Both sides disagree over its scope and implementation. The Strait of Hormuz is a major sticking point. While the deal technically reopens it, shipping in the vital waterway remains stalled. Katie Simpson reports. So we have to be very careful for the safety and security of tankers. The free flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is nowhere close to a reality yet. Iran's deputy foreign minister says ships that want to pass must do so in coordination with Iranian authorities, though the process may take some time.

We are going to provide security for safe passage and it is going to happen after United States, you know, actually withdraw this aggression. Iran promised to lift the blockade as part of the two-week ceasefire deal announced Tuesday. While the numbers can be difficult to track, at least seven ships have passed through since then, including one oil tanker, far short of the roughly 140 vessels that used the route daily before the war. If you get one of those big tankers through, that's two million barrels. A tone of optimism from Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council at the Lerner, White House, who is taking a wait-and-see approach.

I think we're not going to have complete clarity until we finish the negotiations this weekend. We've got the A-team of people going there. Pakistan is hosting high-level peace talks between Iran and the U.S., with Vice President J.D. Vance leading the American delegation. U.S. military assets will remain in the Middle East until a final agreement is reached, according to President Donald Trump. On social media, he warned that if Iran does not comply, then the shoot-in-starts bigger and better and stronger than anyone has ever seen before.

As the diplomatic process ramps up, NATO allies may soon help secure the Strait of Hormuz. And so each country is now looking for what they can do to contribute. NATO Secretary General Mark Brutha defended the security alliance, saying it may have been slow to react since Trump did not give advance warning about American and Israeli plans to strike Iran. I sensed his disappointment. about the fact that he felt that too many allies were not with him. Trump continues to face intense backlash at home.

Allies turn critics say he should be removed from office, including former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green. It's absolute madness. How can any person that is mentally stable call for an entire civilization of people to be murdered? Powerful right-wing influencers are frustrated too. Using their large online platforms to attack Trump over the conflict, since he campaigned on no new wars.

Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. Israel's escalating attacks on Lebanon are also straining the ceasefire. Israel and the U.S. insist Lebanon is not included, but global pressure is growing for that to change. Chris Brown reports. The horror and immensity of Israel's attacks on Lebanon hit home Thursday. At this Beirut Hospital rescue workers brought in bodies and bloods. black bags as other victims were taken away in coffins to be buried.

They're gone. My whole family is gone, said Abd al-Rachman-Mohamed, who lost five family members, including a brother, a sister and a nephew. Israel said its missiles were targeting Iran-aligned Hezbollah militants, but especially in Beirut, the attacks flattened high-density neighborhoods that were full of families. In a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin He said he said a ceasefire with Hezbollah, but in something of a concession, he announced Israeli officials will meet with the Lebanese government, likely next week. He said they'll discuss efforts to disarm Hezbollah and potentially a peace deal. Makram Rabah, with the American University of Beirut, says having direct talks between both governments is very rare.

I think that this is certainly a positive development. It's much better than us being sitting ducks. We have a diplomatic fighting chance, whereas hoping that a military confrontation will bode well for Lebanon is losing wages. Lebanon's government has already officially banned Hezbollah's military activities, but disarming the militants has been extraordinarily difficult. Lebanon's military is weak, its government is divided, and Israel's attacks have made the country even more vulnerable.

In Iran, meanwhile, mourners' carried green, white, and red Iranian flags as they gathered in Tehran to commemorate the 40th day since the assassination of supreme leader Ali Hamenei. Iran's president, Mossoud Puzashkian, warned on social media that Israel's continued attacks will render negotiations meaningless. Formal talks between the U.S. and Iran, hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad, are set to begin Saturday to try to make the fragile ceasefire permanent. Rabat, the Beirut analyst, says despite Iran's tough talk, he believes it's unlikely its military will actually intervene.

The Iranians simply checked out. They don't care. The Iranians will continue to sell us words. A growing number of international voices, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, are demanding the broader ceasefire must include Lebanon. But Israel insists weakening Hezbollah and establishing what it calls a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, is the only way to defend from Hezbollah attacks. Chris Brown, CBC News, London.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also announced a temporary ceasefire to mark Orthodox Easter. He says Russia will stop fighting in Ukraine between Saturday afternoon and the end of day Sunday. The Kremlin says it assumes Ukraine will also honor the ceasefire. Ukraine had proposed a similar break in fighting a few days ago. Coming right up on the road and possibly on the road, The conservative leader Pierre Polyev defends his record at an event in BC,

a day after another member of his party crosses the floor and on the verge of by-elections that could hand the liberals a firm majority. Also, AI company Anthropics says its new model is too powerful, possibly too dangerous to release to the public, and the crew of Artemis gets ready to come back to Earth after a trip around the moon. Later, we'll have this story. They're among the largest and most recognizable of the penguin species,

and now the populations of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica are shrinking, as climate change means less sea ice. You will see larger die-offs, and that, of course, essentially will be all on us, because it's happening on our watch. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has added Emperor Penguins to its red list of endangered species. I'm Philip LeShannock, and I'll have more on what can be done later on your world. world tonight. The federal liberals are heading into their Montreal convention with one more seat

and a new caucus member. Yesterday, Ontario MP, Marilyn Gladu became the latest conservative to cross the floor to the liberals. That puts the liberals just one seat away from a majority government, just days before several by-elections that could tip the scale. But as Tom Perry reports, there are questions about how the party is chasing that goal. Carney arriving to a noisy welcome from liberal delegates at the party's convention in Montreal. The prime minister accompanied by an entourage of cabinet ministers and the newest member of his liberal team, former conservative MP Marilyn Gladu. She has more than two decades of business experience. She's an engineer.

She's an experienced parliamentarian. Earlier at an announcement outside Montreal, Carney faced questions about his new MP, who is known politically as a social conservative. As a candidate for the Conservative Party leadership, Gladu said she would allow MPs to bring forward private members' bills to restrict abortion. She also opposed the government's ban on conversion therapy while insisting she was personally against the practice. I had discussions and colleagues had discussions with Madame Ms. Gladu about those issues. She will vote with the government if there are votes relating to any aspect of that issue, as well as the rights of Canadians to be their whole selves,

to love who they love, and to fully enjoy their rights under the Charters and Rights and Freedoms. Carney says by welcoming Gladu, the Liberals are not rejecting their values. She's embracing theirs. At the Liberal Convention, delegates like Madison Lalonde say they'll wait and see how their newest MP performs. I look forward to seeing what she offers. obviously it's a different opinion than what we've seen in the past, but it's still exciting to see that we have a new member here. It was a similar message from Ontario Liberal MP Mark Gerritson.

This is an opportunity to work with somebody that I haven't seen eye to eye with particularly a lot in the past, but this is an opportunity to start doing that, and I'm looking forward to it. Dan Arnold did polling for the Liberals under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He says Carney could be taking a risk by welcoming Gladu into the fold, but it's a calculated one. You know, accepting Maryland Glad, who maybe makes his issues, management team job a little more difficult

for the next couple of years. But at least, you know, they've got a job for the next couple years in a majority. They don't have to go to an election before then. So I think that's the trade-off he's looking at. Liberals here hoping for that majority on Monday with three by-elections in Ontario and Quebec, hoping to put any questions about their new MP well behind them. Tom Perry, CBC News, Montreal. Conservative leader Pierre Pahliav is lashing out at Mark Carney.

He accuses the Prime Minister of fabricating what he calls a costly majority government. But Pollyev has also been defending his own record as leader. Back in January, that leadership was overwhelmingly endorsed by the party. Now, as Olivia Stefanovic reports, some conservative strategists say the latest floor crossing could weaken his hold on the job. Our mandate and my leadership does not come from dirty, backroom deals, it comes from the people of Canada. Questions about Pierre Polyev's future as conservative leader were supposed to end

after he hintedly passed a review from party brass in January. But now that a fourth conservative MP has crossed the floor, Polyev once again finds himself on the defensive. When a member of parliament goes back on the word that they made to their constituents and switches parties that constituents should be able to petition, to throw them out and have a by-election. It's been a tough week for the Conservative Party. On top of losing MP Maryland Gladu to the liberals,

Pauliev's communications director, Katie Merrifield, resigned. And now two liberal sources tell CBC News, their party is speaking with nine additional MPs about joining government. The issue we're asking is why does the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Carney, why does he need a majority so badly? Greg McLean is the Conservative MP for Calgary Centre. He says he's been approached several times by the Liberals to cross the floor but refuses. It's an open secret in my party.

They've made many requests and I've spoken to liberals. The thing about us, I represented myself in the last election as a conservative in Calgary Center. that's somebody who's going to represent the interests of this riding going forward here, and I will continue to do so. As an MP holding socially conservative views, Gladu was not expected to jump ship to the liberals. It has been incredibly surprising, and I think the problem now is it almost makes it possible that anyone could leave.

Laura Kirkamacki was the Conservatives' Deputy National Campaign Manager during the 2021 federal election. She calls this an untenable, an unprecedented situation. for the party. We are seeing the numbers piling up and I just don't see how people can keep letting this happen. It's really, really concerning. But she says it also presents an opportunity for Polia. To really show some leadership here and for him to show some contrition and take some accountability and hopefully mark a new chapter in terms of stopping our MPs from leaving and keeping the party and caucus together.

Poliev will face his caucus next week for the first time since Gladu's exit. After three by-elections take place that could result in a liberal majority. Olivia Stefanovic, CBC News, Ottawa. The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. U.S. First Lady Melania Trump in a surprise news conference in Washington to combat rumors she ever had a relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Some even suggesting he introduced her to Donald Trump. Rumors of a connection have been online for years.

It's unclear why she went public today. Trump says allegations she was one of his victims or that Epstein introduced her to her husband are false. The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000. at an event Donald and I attended together. At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings. Melania Trump also called on Congress

to give Epstein's accusers a public hearing. 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 podcast. Just find the follow button and lock us in. The four astronauts on board Artemis II are in their last full day in space. They are preparing for a carefully calculated return to Earth tomorrow. Paul Hunter has more on how they're spending the final moments of the historic mission.

Now, somewhere off the coast of California, U.S. Navy ships are getting set for the splashdown late day tomorrow. Their mission to pick up the four Artemis II astronauts after their million-kilometer journey around the moon and back. NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kashatria. There's no question that we'll be anxious. It's impossible to say you don't have irrational fears left, right? But I would tell you I don't have any irrational fears.

We've done the work. Three Americans and Canada's Jeremy Hansen, now in the final hours of their historic trip, having traveled farther from Earth than any humans ever. But re-entering Earth's atmosphere is more than a little dodgy. When the previous uncrewed Artemis mission splashed down in 2022, NASA noticed unexpected damage to its heat shield, meant to block heat that'll reach nearly 3,000 degrees Celsius on re-entry.

NASA has tweaked the trajectory this time and is confident all will be well. Capsule pilot Victor Glover. I've actually been thinking about entry since April 3rd. 2023 when we got assigned to this mission. And one of the first press conferences we were asked, what are we looking forward to? And I said, splash down. And so the crew prepares for whatever comes tomorrow.

Each of them now packed with memories and photos meant to aid future missions as NASA ready's to put astronauts not just around the moon, but on it within a couple of years. For Canada's Hansen, a key memory of his trip, those waiting for him back home. On the personal note, yes, I had some videos from all of my family, my three children, Devin, Ashley and Katelyn, and my wife, Catherine.

And when you're out in deep space by the moon and you are listening to a video they recorded for you before you launch, that's something. But it's the places they've gone, the things they've seen, the far side of the moon that'll stay with them forever. Here's Glover on that. Lifelong memories. I'm going to be thinking about and talking about all of these things for the rest of my life for sure. All of them. Now earthbound and getting closer at record speed. The crew and the capsule will enter the atmosphere at mock 32, 32 times the speed of sound, then spend 13 minutes slowing down to a nice, soft, splashdown home. Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington. Anthropic says it will not release its new AI model to the public, at least not. widely. The company says there are concerns that Claude Mythos could compromise cybersecurity for some of the

world's most powerful corporations. To tell us more is the CBC's senior technology reporter Nora Young. So Nora, what led up to this decision? Well, they've announced basically that Claude Mythos preview was strikingly capable at computer security tasks. In a blog post, they said it could identify and exploit vulnerabilities in, as a quote, every major operating system. system in every major web browser when prompted by a user. So basically, they're saying it could be used to attack the software we all use every day, right? They also announced this thing called Project Glasswing, which is this consortium of prominent tech companies. They're going to use Mythos in their own security efforts. And Anthropic is also going to make it available to around 40 other organizations, but not to the broader public, at least for now. And I have to say this is Anthropics take. We'll have to see what these Project Glasswing companies say once they really get under the hood. of Claude Mythos, because in the past, major AI companies have developed a reputation for overhyping abilities and amping up fears, so a little bit of a grain of salt. Huh.

Okay. So it could be overhyped, but also it could be used to attack the software we use every day. How concerning are we talking about? How worried should I think? Yeah. I mean, it sounds bad. I'll grant you. I mean, I was struck by the fact that Anthropic used engineers to test the model, but they

weren't experts in cybersecurity. So the worry is that it could enable hacking at scale by bad actors. who aren't even experts. AI is already used in both cyber attacks and cyber defense, but the danger is broadly automating cyber attacks changes the game, especially since there are other models by other players being developed as well. What does all of this say about where we're at in the AI race right now? Yeah, I mean, it shows how rapidly things are developing, specifically in coding. AI coding still makes errors, but it's already changed the way many coders work.

And with this new AI model, Anthropic pointed out that just last month, previous model was much better at spotting and fixing vulnerabilities than attacking them. But now that's changed. So is this a Terminator moment where we need to prepare for our AI attacking us? No. I don't even think it means we're necessarily going to see the same kind of progress in other AI domains as we've seen with coding. But it does show us the problem with the lack of regulations and enforceable protocols for what happens when AI systems do something unexpected. Okay, Nora, thank you. My pleasure. Thank you. The CBC's senior technology reporter Nora Young in Toronto.

The Emperor Penguin is regal, beloved, and now close to extinction. Melting sea ice in Antarctica is threatening the population. There was a recent mass drowning of penguin chicks. Scientists say that's a sign of the polar species' dangerous decline. Philip Lyshanach reports. They are among the most recognizable penguin species. Emperor penguins are the world's largest penguins and are now notable for another reason. The International Union for Conservation of Nature added them to its red list of endangered species.

Martin Harper is with BirdLife International, which contributed research. He says climate change has caused an early breakup of sea ice in the Antarctic. So sadly, if the ice is breaking up, it becomes very vulnerable for the colonies and they fall into the sea and they drown. Scientists first noticed the threat a decade ago when springtime satellite imagery showed a decrease of about 10,000 Emperor chicks. Recent studies have shown that almost all the monitored Emperor penguin colonies are now suffering from reproductive failure.

Harper says the sea ice has hit record low levels in the past few years and without this habitat, the birds will not be able to survive. You will see larger die-offs and that of course would be a massive tragedy and essentially it'll be all on us because it's happening on our watch. Tom James is a research scientist with the geological survey of Canada and is on the Canadian Committee on Antarctic Research. He says just like the Canadian Arctic, there's a polar amplification, a more dramatic warming in Antarctica compared to the global average.

So for wildlife on both poles of our planet, reducing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide is even more urgent. We need a sustained commitment over decades, from nations, from the globe, to reduce carbon emissions. Researchers hope there's time to change course. The IUCN predicts the Emperor Penguin population will be half its size by 2080, about 250,000 surviving birds. They're effectively the Antarctic canary in the coal mine.

Philip Turthan is a marine ecologist at the British Antarctic Survey. He worked on the red list analysis. He says it's not just Emperor Penguin. Antarctic first seal populations have plummeted by more than half and are also now at risk of extinction. If we don't take note, then we potentially will lose major parts of the Antarctic ecosystem. But Trithan is optimistic the world community will take action.

Just as in the 1970s, a ban on first seal hunting led to a temporary rebound in their numbers. Philip Ashadok, CBC News, Toronto. Finally, inside. a laboratory at Memorial University, covered by a tarp, constantly misted with water, is something akin to a lead balloon or a pig that can fly. Emeretic is one of 16 students who have shown up every day for months to examine their project. So this is our concrete canoe. It is six meters or 20 feet long. We're expecting it to come in

at 92 kilograms. A concrete canoe. Part of a concrete canoe. Part of a annual challenge for engineering students across Canada. To make this seemingly impossible, possible, takes knowledge of design and materials. They had to create their own concrete mix, one that's light, can float, and is still strong. Humay and Magal was in charge of that. You don't want to be out on the pond, peddling this thing, and it breaks in half. You don't want that to happen. For me, it was like 100 hours of research on this thing.

The canoe can't just float. It has to float with a crew inside for a day of races. Eelan Cunningham is one of the co-captains. It's a bit tough, honestly. It's quite a bit heavier than a normal canoe, so it takes a lot longer to get the momentum up. And then once you have it, there's a few hairpin turns that we have to do.

So just like slowing down the momentum to be able to turn, steering it, it's pretty tricky. It's fun, though. Here's the catch. None of them will know if any of this will work until race day. They aren't allowed to test the canoe until the Nationals. Cunningham and Reddick say, bring it on.

I'm not nervous. I trust our design. I trust all of our team members that put their hard work into it. So I'm just excited to get there and show the competition what we can do. Yes, I'm very confident that the canoe is going to float. So, yes, the canoe will float. There are a couple more weeks left in the curing process. Then they'll paint it, seal it with waterproof cups. then drive it to New Brunswick, the site of this year's competition.

This has been your world tonight for Thursday, April 9th. I'm Stephanie Skendaris. Thank you for being with us. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.ca.