Your World Tonight - Charlie Kirk shot, drone attack over Poland, World Cup tickets, and more

Episode Date: September 10, 2025

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk — founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA — died in hospital after being shot at a speaking event at a Utah college. The 31-year-old was a key ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, and influential in driving youth support for Trump during last year’s election.And: Canada pledges support for Poland after multiple Russian drones violated Polish airspace overnight. Russia says it did not intentionally target Poland. But Poland has activated Article 4 of NATO's treaty, under which alliance members can demand consultations with their allies.Also: The official draw for tickets to next year's FIFA world cup is open. It's the first time the tournament will be played in Canada, and about a million tickets are available in this phase of sales.Plus: Liberal caucus plans fall session of parliament, international condemnation of Israeli Qatar strike, pointing the finger at major carbon emitters, convicted sex offender charged with attacking a toddler, and more.

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It looked like that he got hit. A direct shot. As soon as he was hit, he fell backwards, went to the side. The audience went to their knees. An American political activist shot dead on a university campus. sending crowds of students running in fear and the country shaken by more high-profile violence. Charlie Kirk was a major voice in the mega movement

known for his conservative views and combative debates as well as close ties to Donald Trump. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Wednesday, September 10th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. It is absolutely reckless. Stop the war in Ukraine.

stop violating allied airspace and know that we stand ready, that we are vigilant and that we will defend every inch of NATO territory. In the skies above Poland, a potentially dangerous escalation in the war rattling Eastern Europe. An incursion of NATO airspace

by Russian aircraft, drones swiftly shot down following a rare mobilization of the military alliance. One of the biggest names an American right-wing political circles is dead. 31-year-old Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck during a university speaking event in Utah.

Kirk had a huge following on social media and helped U.S. President Donald Trump connect with young people. Katie Simpson is in our Washington Bureau. Katie, what do we know? Tell us the latest. U.S. President Donald Trump is the one that made the announcement that Charlie Kirk has died, and this is what he posted on truth social, saying the great and even legendary Charlie Kirk is dead.

No one understood or had the heart of the youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. Graphic video circulating online captured the moment he was shot and it shows he was hit by a single bullet in the neck. The conservative activist was speaking from under a tent on the lawn at Utah Valley University. Thousands of people had gathered to see this stop on his American comeback tour. Witnesses say the event was about 20 minutes into it when the shot was fired, sending the crowd running and screaming for cover. Former Utah Congressman Jason Chavetz was there, along with some members of his family.

As soon as I saw Charlie go back, you realized that it was a shot. I've been shooting. I've been around guns enough to know that it was an actual shot. And immediately, you know, I started thinking of our daughter and our son-in-law. And my wife, who wasn't quite in the venue yet. Kirk was rushed to a nearby trauma center by his own personal security team. Now, the former congressman said he didn't see a heavy police presence at this event. There were no security checkpoints, and a suspect is not in custody at this time.

There had been some immediate, there has been immediate condemnation of this shooting across the political spectrum from U.S. President Donald Trump to members of his cabinet, even to prominent Democrats. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, called the attack on Kirk, disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. Katie, how did this young man become so influential in American politics? He was one of the most powerful voices in the MAGA movement. Just 31 years old, he founded what's called Turning Point USA, an ultra-conservative political advocacy group for young people. He was a mega supporter of Donald Trump and gets a lot of credit for bringing more young. young voters, male voters, and first-time voters to Trump. He was a podcaster and had a prolific social media presence, and he was known for his aggressive

debate style. At his events, he would put a microphone in the audience and he would challenge people in the crowd to prove me wrong. And clips of these moments got millions of views. He embraced divisive beliefs, think of almost any culture war issue in the United States, and he was on the far right, things like a return to traditional family and gender roles, women prioritizing home life and having kids over careers. He was a hardliner on immigration, wanted Christianity to have a greater influence over all aspects of life, and was staunchly

against transgender rights. While there has been immediate and again widespread condemnation of this shooting and condemnation of political violence, whatever happens next, this moment, it could spark even more volatility in the already unstable American political climate. Katie Simpson, thank you. Thanks. That's the CBC's Katie Simpson in Washington. Russia says it was a mistake. NATO leaders call it a dangerous provocation

that could push the military alliance closer to a direct confrontation with Moscow. Russian drones flew over Poland last night, an incursion that provoked a rapid response from NATO and warnings for Russia from around the world. Crystal Gamansing report. We are most likely dealing with a large-scale provocation, said Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Polish officials say 19 Russian projectiles, including drones, violated its airspace Tuesday night into Wednesday morning

as a Russian aerial assault on Ukraine crossed into NATO territory. Those deemed a threat were shot down with a help of NATO. Tusk, while addressing Polish members of Parliament, said the engagement overnight was the closest. Poland has been to open conflict since World War II. Russia's defense ministry says it did not plan to attack Poland. Whether it was intentionally or not, it is absolutely reckless. NATO Secretary General Mark Rudah acknowledged Poland's request for consultations under Article 4. That does not trigger a defensive response, but a discussion on next steps.

after an attack. Those in the military alliance warn it will not falter. It's surprising, but yet not surprising. Canada's Minister of National Defense, David McGinty, said multiple parties are gathering information on the violations and said Canadian support for NATO and Poland is steadfast.

These are worrisome, but to a large extent also predictable. John Healy, the UK's Defense Secretary, also offered support. I've asked our UK armed forces to look at options to bolster NATO's air defense over Poland. Given the incursion into Poland, Ukrainian Prime Minister Vlomir Zelensky is calling for the creation of a European air shield. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NATO has bolstered protections along the eastern flank, knowing it was vulnerable to attacks. Russia is really going step by step towards an escalation. Polish professor Monica Seuss says the Russian president will be watching to see how NATO response.

And this is like, you know, the next step of Putin basically trying to see what works with NATO, where the limit actually is. In particular, she says the U.S. needs to understand Russia can't be trusted. U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his media platform, Truth Social, what's with Russia violating Poland's airspace with drones, adding. here we go. Trump said he is willing to apply new sanctions on Moscow, but hasn't detailed what measures he's considering. The head of the European Union Commission said it will go forward with a 19th round of sanctions on Russia. Crystal Gamanscing, CBC News, London. Israel is facing a new wave of backlash after its deadly strike in Qatar. It targeted Hamas leaders

as they gathered for ceasefire talks. Among those condemning the attack today was Canada's foreign minister, Anita Anand, who says Canada is taking a close look at its relationship with Israel. Paul Hunter reports. Demanding an end to Israel's war in Gaza, demonstrators shouted angrily

at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his vehicle made its way through a crowd north of Tel Aviv. Netanyahu, making clear today, nothing has changed in his mind after yesterday's stunning Israeli strike into Qatar, targeting the leadership of Hamas. And I say to Qatar and all nations who harbor terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice, because if you don't, we will. Yesterday's strike, which caught even the United States off guard, left a number of Hamas members dead, though Hamas says its leadership survived.

But the attack has upended attempts at a ceasefire to the nearly two-year war and its reinvigorated pushback against Israel. Europe needs to do more. In Strasbourg, France today, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. We will propose sanctions on the extremist ministers and on violent settlers.

And we will also propose a partial suspension of the Association agreement on trade-related matters. Straight condemnation for the strike into Qatar, meanwhile, continued on a number of other fronts, not least Canada. In answering a question on whether Canada will now also consider sanctions on Israel, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand. We are evaluating the relationship with Israel.

Of course, the attack yesterday on Qatar was one that was unacceptable. Those comments brought headlines worldwide with the apparent suggestion, Canada is set to take a harder stance on Israel. Anan's office later saying she meant that Canada is, quote, constantly monitoring the situation. Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, we'll have not, we reject and continue. condemn Israel's aggressions on Qatar, said Saudi crown prince Muhammad bin Salman,

adding, this attack requires an Arab, Islamic and international response to confront such aggression. We stand with Qatar. This is terror. That's what they call it. Qatar itself speaking out today in an interview with CNN. Qatar's prime minister seemed still in a kind of disbelief Israel would have even done such a thing. We were thinking that we are dealing with civilized people. That's the way we are dealing with others. And the action that he took, it's very, like, I cannot describe it, but it's a barbaric action.

Unacceptable, he said, for the world. Paul Hunter's CBC News, Washington. Protesters and police clashed in cities across France today. Police in Montpellier used water cannons and tear gas to. clear crowds. Demonstrators angry about austerity measures, obstructed highways, set fires, and barred access to some buildings and schools, all part of a massive online movement called Block Everything. Demonstrators say defense policies eat up public funds and should be used for hospitals and schools. French authorities deployed about 80,000 security forces throughout

the country. Nearly 300 protesters were arrested across France. As he meets with the Liberal Caucus in Edmont and Prime Minister Mark Carney is getting set to announce a first batch of major infrastructure projects. And new research is drawing clearer links between fossil fuels and hotter and more frequent heat waves. Later, we'll have this story. It's one of the world's biggest sporting events, and today the first chance to get what's sure to be a hot ticket. It's kind of a little bit hunger games-ish, where it's everybody for themselves and trying to get these tickets to these games, and they're limited.

Next summer, the FIFA World Cup is coming to Canada. I'm Jamie Strashden, Toronto, with the kickoff of tournament ticket sales coming up on Your World Tonight. The Prime Minister sent new signals today about his government's focus when Parliament returns. Mark Carney is in Edmonton with the Liberal Caucus discussing priorities, atop that list, protecting Canada's economy and preserving its natural environment. And the Prime Minister faces pressure to deliver on both.

Olivia Stefanovic explains. So it is my great honor to return to Edmonton. Prime Minister Mark Carney opening the Liberal Caucus retreat in the city where he launched his leadership campaign eight months ago. And that work ahead is to protect our communities, to build big and to empower Canadians. Carney won the liberal leadership race and the federal election by vowing to take on U.S. President Donald Trump and transform the Canadian economy. Now the Prime Minister is under pressure to show results.

We have to continue to be clear with Canadians that this won't always be easy. Carney unveiled a seven-point plan for the fall sitting of Parliament, signaling legislative proposals to make bail law stricter, the launch of a strategy next week to double the pace of housing construction. and the first batch of major energy and infrastructure projects to be announced tomorrow. You have to understand the list is going to be an evergreening list. It's not, oh my gosh, this is it. Nothing else can be added. Kearney is capping off the first day of the Liberal Caucus retreat

with Alberta Premier Daniel Smith, after Radio Canada reported that a new oil pipeline is not part of the federal government's initial major projects. Why would an oil sands company in this environment, knowing that there's an emissions cap, which would result in them curtailing 2.1 million barrels of production, how in the world can they then pledge new barrels to go into a pipeline that would go to a coast where there's a tanker bend?

Smith says she's working with Carney to address those concerns in the hopes of repealing certain federal environmental policies. But the prime minister is facing internal pushback. Backsliding on our commitments around climate. If you read values, it'll be a very odd thing for us to do. Toronto Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine Smith, name-dropping Carney's book, to insist that the government shouldn't slide back on its environmental targets any further, especially after canceling the consumer carbon tax and pushing back electric vehicle mandates.

But it's also an economic imperative. In a nod to those concerns, Carney says the government will release a new climate strategy in the coming weeks. That addressing climate change isn't just a moral duty that we have to. our kids and grandkids. As he faces conflicting demands from within and outside his own party, and possibly even more criticism when he faces conservative leader Pierre Pahliav for the first time in the House of Commons next week. Olivia Svanovich, CBC News, Edmonton. Blistering temperatures, hundreds of heat-related deaths and devastating wildfires. We are experiencing the hottest decade ever recorded. Experts say,

It's driven by climate change. And now new research is getting more specific, blaming the extreme weather on oil, gas and coal companies, and other major carbon emitters. Anan Ram has details. From tourists shuffling wearily under a blazing sun in Greece, to kids dunking themselves in an Iraqi canal, the extreme heat was everywhere this summer,

and Canadians weren't spared. We have six coolers behind us right here, and they're done by 12 o'clock. And for years, scientists gave us the why, climate change. But now new research is pointing to who? Jan Kilkai studies climate extremes at ETH Zurich. We have a scientific gap in the lane between emitters and the extreme events. His new study published in the journal Nature looked at two decades of heat waves, analyzing them against a list of 180 major carbon emitters,

ranging from the former Soviet Union, China's coal industry, to multinational oil and gas companies like Shell, Chevron, BP, and ExxonMobil. Using their total emissions, the study concluded they've all added to the intensity of heat waves and that any one emitter increase the probability of a heat wave happening at all. Even this you represent just a little bit of warming sums up. And when you sum a lot of little contributions, it's become a lot of global warming. We reached out to Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, and the Canadian Consortium Pathways Alliance. They all either declined or didn't comment.

It is an important study that really shows that no one can say, oh, we're just a drop in the ocean. Frederica Otto is a climate scientist at Imperial College London. She sees this work as further connecting climate change to the burning of fossil fuels. They are really detrimental to our lifeliehoods. I think by showing this in different ways, that argument gets much easier to make. Other experts also see this as combating any dismissal of responsibility. Naomi Oreskes is a science historian and climate disinformation expert at Harvard University. Some of these carbon majors say, well, we all use fossil fuels, so we're all responsible.

Well, that's just not true. They certainly own the lion's share of the responsibility. And this paper is a kind of quantitative assessment of how big that lion's share actually is. And how big may end up being more of a legal argument, especially in court cases seeking damages over climate linked disasters. Jessica Wentz is with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. If these cases do ever make it to the point where courts are really seriously considering like how to apportion liability among different fossil fuel companies, then that would certainly be very important for that purpose. For now, experts say the research serves as another link

in a chain of evidence to try and explain these days of scorching heat. Anandram, CBC News, Toronto. The man accused of killing 11 people in the Lapu Lapu Day Festival attack has been declared mentally fit to stand trial. Kaiji Adam Lowe appeared in a Vancouver court this morning. He's accused of driving an SUV through a crowd of people at the street festival on April 26th. In delivering his decision, the judge revealed Lowe is facing an additional 31 charges. The new counts are related to people injured in the ramming attack. A sexual assault case that set off anger in southern Ontario was back in court today.

A convicted sex offender out on probation is now charged with an attack on another young child. The case is attracting attention from top politicians and had hundreds of people swarming the courthouse to demand justice. Thomas Dagla was there. Outside the courthouse in St. Catharines, Bikers revved their engines and demonstrators held up signs, warning of vigilante justice if the accused is led out on bail. And end the revolving door of justice for crimes targeting the most vulnerable Canadians! Some 200 protesters crowded the street. Angry, a convicted sex offender is facing charges again.

This time accused of sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl who's become known here as Little E. I felt helpless when I heard. I get emotional. When I heard what happened to little E? Put these people away, man, forever. The case has come to symbolize the apparent rash of violent crime recently reported in southern Ontario and the perception for many that offenders are being led out too early.

Police in the city of Welland say the sexual assault over the Labor Day weekend sent the toddler to hospital. They soon arrested 25-year-old Daniel Senecaal, a name that brought back painful memories for at least one other family. We're at the court during a sentencing, and once the judge gave the verdict, our thoughts were, is that it? There's nothing else. This man's 12-year-old nephew was sexually assaulted in 2021. Seneca was convicted in that attack, sent to jail, released this past March, and added to the National Sex Offender Registry. The victim's uncle can't be named to protect the identity of his young relative. The man says his family was beside the themselves when they learned Seneca was again accused of sex crimes involving a child.

So it was mostly a shock. We thought that once he went through the whole process and that he was under probation, that he would fill out the probation and we can kind of have a little bit of closure and move on. Above a busy street in Welland, someone installed a noose with Senecaal's name, as if to suggest he'll be lynched if he's let out again. Many locals are demanding other names on the sex offender registry be made public. But UBC law professor Janine Benedet cautions, we have seen in the United States where registries are really publicly available, you know, vigilante action against people who are registered. It sometimes has unintended consequences. On social media, federal conservative leader Pierre Polyev claimed Seneca is asking

to be transferred to a women's prison. CBC News has been unable to verify that claim. For now, Senegal remains in custody and is expected back in court next month. Thomas Dagg, CBC News, well in D'Ontario. Canadian soccer fans are one step closer to experiencing the biggest tournament on the planet. If they're lucky. The official ticket draw is now open for next summer's FIFA World Cup. Games are being held in Canada for the first time. James Strasson has more on the rush to get in on the action.

Former Marseille. Across the ocean, Canada's men's team continues preparations for next summer's World Cup, including two recent wins on European soil. Back in Canada, fans figuring out how to buy tickets to watch Canada, in its third world cup, this time as a co-host alongside the United States in Mexico. I think that this phase is your biggest chance as a fan to get a real face value ticket. Super fans like Azash Sheikh and fans around the world will have their first chance to purchase tickets today. Here's how it works. If you're a visa card holder, you can enter to buy tickets

up until September 19th. Winners will be notified by September 29th and can purchase up to four tickets for as many as 10 matches beginning October 1st. We're really lucky because we know Canada will be in certain games, but I think there's 60-something games in that first round, almost all the rest of them. You don't know who's going to be playing, who's going to be in which group. Games will be played in stadiums in Toronto and Vancouver and in 14 cities across the United States in Mexico. Only the dates of the host country's games are currently known.

Much of the expanded field hasn't yet been decided. A million tickets will be sold as part of this phase. The next phase runs from October to December, with one more after the final schedule is released. Everybody's going to want these, including us. Rob Notenboom, the president of the Voyagers, Canada Soccer's main supporter group, knows it'll be a tough ticket, even for the most ardent fans. It's kind of a little bit hunger games-ish, where it's everybody for themselves and trying to get these tickets to these games, and they're limited. Canada Soccer has a small allotment of tickets for games Canada's playing in, available to Canadian fans through a lottery.

Kevin Blue is the CEO of Canada Soccer. There's much more demand than there will be supply. It's going to introduce a scarcity that I think people really haven't experienced before in Canadian soccer, and we will be doing our best to navigate that. Sheikh, who has been lucky enough to attend multiple World Cup, says for him, no event compares. I'm sure the Olympics is like this too, but from my perspective, just that element of soccer that has that added competitiveness because in the Olympics there is a friendliness around it.

Soccer is supposed to be partisan. It's got that rivalry. FIFA said prices will start at $82 for some group stage games and climb to around $9,000 for the final. Jamie Strash and CBC News, Toronto. Finally tonight, they are small markings making a big impact in the exploration of Mars. NASA says it has found the strongest evidence yet,

that our planetary neighbor may have once harbored life. It's a signature. It's a sort of left-over sign. It's not life itself. In this case, it's kind of the equivalent of seeing like left-over fossils, you know, leftovers from a meal, and that's what we're seeing in this sample. NASA scientist, Nikki Fox,

talking about what's known as the Sapphire Canyon sample. It's an image captured by the Perseverance Rover last July on a reddish rock on the dusty surface of Mars. On the rock are small gravel-sized markings, similar to leopard spots that could have been left there by some kind of organism billions of years ago. It's not the first potential sign of life on the planet. In 30 years of exploration, NASA has found others. The agency shares its findings with scientists, and in most cases, experts find another explanation. But NASA administrator Sean Duffy says that didn't happen here.

a year of review, they've come back and they said, listen, we can't find another explanation. So this very well could be the clearest sign of life that we've ever found on Mars. They may be excited, but they're also cautious and not ruling out a non-biological chemical process being responsible for the markings on the rock. The only way to be sure is to transport it to Earth. Thanks for joining us. This has been your world tonight for Wednesday. September 10th, I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.