Your World Tonight - Cuba fuel shortage affects Canadian travellers, police oversight, child allergies, and more

Episode Date: February 9, 2026

Cuba is sliding deeper into crisis as it is cut off from energy sources due to U.S. sanctions. Now a shortage of aviation fuel is affecting Canadians directly as Air Canada cancels all flights, forcing travellers to scramble to get home.And: Ontario is placing every police service under a microscope, after the province’s largest police force was caught up in a massive corruption case. Several Toronto police officers now face criminal charges. The province’s independent investigation is a move seen by some to try to restore public trust in policing.Also: A new report is giving a better understanding about what drives food allergies in kids. And there’s little a parent can do to prevent their child from developing one.Plus: Olympic drones, Alberta separatism, Epstein files, and more.

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This is a CBC podcast. We're going to another hotel. Hotel is shutting down. A lot of those workers were crying. They lost their livelihood. They're worried for their family. An aviation alert for flights to Cuba and another May Day call from a struggling nation.

Airlines are canceling flights as Cuba runs low on fuel and hope. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Monday, February 9th, before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. It's important to acknowledge the real questions. Incidents like these understandably shake public trust in policing more broadly.

With Toronto officers facing allegations of corruption and links to organized crime, Ontario's government announces an investigation of its own, a review of every police force in the province and an attempt to restore integrity. Already weakened by decades of U.S. U.S. sanctions and even more cut off from a vital source of energy, Cuba is sliding deeper into crisis. Now a shortage of jet fuel is impacting Canadians directly. Air Canada and WestJet are canceling all flights to the country as travelers scramble to get home and Cuba's economy buckles. Nisha Patel has the details.

Hotel shutting down. A little bit of a scramble there. Vicki Volovic is on vacation in Kayakoko. Her hotel there closed due to gas shortages in Cuba, and she was transferred to another resort. A lot of those workers were crying. They're worried for their families. It's heartbreaking. Now Air Canada has canceled all flights

and is flying home 3,000 customers who were on the island. WestJet is also winding down flights to Cuba starting today and plans to resume its schedule starting April 26th. The airlines are offering flexible bookings, or refunds. We're seeing some actual real issues forming. Travel agent McKenzie McMillan said the federal government is warning Canadians to be cautious about traveling to Cuba. Aviation fuel won't be available for the next month after the U.S. cut off fuel shipments from Venezuela, Cuba's main oil supplier. McMillan says it's a disruption for Canadian travelers and Cuba's economy.

They rely so heavily on tourism, especially from Canadians. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month declaring that Cuba was a threat to U.S. national security. Cuba is a failing nation. I think Cuba will not be able to survey. Trump also threatened to slap tariffs on any nation that sends oil to the island, so Mexico has now halted its shipments, instead sending much-needed humanitarian aid. Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel has said that Cuba is willing to engage in talks with the United States, but not under pressure. Robert Hewish, a professor at Dalhousie University, says tourism is essential to getting hard currency into the country's economy.

Cuba is in one of its most desperate crises it's had since the inception of the revolution. Trump's goals in Cuba remain unclear, but American officials have noted on multiple occasions that they would like to see the government change. Ultimately, the stall with any negotiations between Havana and Washington always comes down to democratic elections in the country. Hewish says if there's no resolution, soon, the situation could escalate to martial law. For 10 million Cubans, daily life has become increasingly difficult with rolling blackouts and food shortages. The United Nations says the country is headed for a humanitarian emergency

if its oil needs aren't meant. Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto. Every single one of Ontario's 45 police organizations will go under the microscope. After the province's largest municipal force was caught up in a massive corruption case. Several Toronto officers face criminal charges. Now the provincial government is announcing an independent investigation

with the goal of restoring public trust. Jamie Strasshan has the story. Incidents like these understandably shake public trust in policing. How did it happen and why did it take so long to uncover? Some of the key questions after seven Toronto officers were arrested last week on various corruption charges. It's prompted a province-wide. review of all 45 of Ontario's police forces.

Ontario's Inspector General of Policing, Ryan Tesner, will appoint an external investigator. People most often encounter police at moments of crisis when they are frightened, injured, grieving, or in immediate danger. In those moments, public trust is not abstract. It determines whether people will seek help, whether they will cooperate, tell the truth, and accept protection. The arrest of the Toronto officers on charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, of trust and drug trafficking have rattled the policing community and the public who rely on them.

The investigation will probe five areas, including officer vetting and oversight. This should be an inquisition. UFT law professor Kent Roach says this should be done by someone outside of law enforcement. A current or retired judge, Roach also suggests a more focused investigation. They're going to be looking at every police force in Ontario. If you look at everything, the danger that you're not going to get in depth. Much of the initial fallout has landed at the feet of Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkew, who again today rejected calls for his resignation.

No, I've not. At this point, I will tell you my commitment is to meeting the over 8,000 members of this organization. Demkew insisted change is already happening with focus on the police division where the charged officers worked. As of this morning, I can tell you that there's, Very high-performing staff sergeants and sergeants have been reassigned to 12 division effective immediately. Ian Scott, the former director of the province's special investigation unit, says aside from what any probe uncovers, there must be a deep reckoning around how alleged criminal behavior persisted and flourished.

We had a conspiracy of police officers going on for, gone knows how long, which was never reported. The code of conduct for police is quite definitive on this point. If any member of a police service is aware of misconduct of other police officers, they have a duty to report it. The Toronto Police Association says it has serious concerns about the province-wide investigation, adding it won't allow its 8,500 members to be unfairly treated as collateral damage. Jamie Strasshan, CBC News, Toronto. Coming right up as some Albertan's rally for independence, an online survey suggests a majority would vote no if a referendum were held today.

And it may be something people around the world are waiting to hear more about, but a key figure in the Jeffrey Epstein case chooses the right to remain silent. Later, we'll have this story. What's that in the sky above Olympic competitions? It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a drone? I went like, go away.

It's pretty close to us. whizzing over the heads of athletes while sending jaw-dropping images to TV viewers. I'm Sarah Levitt in Lavinio, Italy. Coming up on Your World tonight, the buzz on the high-flying cameras offering dizzying perspectives at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games. Of all the people connected to Epstein, she may have the answers many are looking for. But Jeffrey Epstein's longtime associate refused to provide them to. to a House Oversight Committee today. As Gileane Maxwell pleaded the fifth,

some lawmakers got their first look at unredacted files. Katie Nicholson has the latest from Washington. As expected, Gailene Maxwell took the fifth and refused to answer any questions. Gilean Maxwell's time before the House Oversight Committee was brief. Committee Chair James Comer had hoped to ask her about crimes. She and Jeffrey Epstein committed and about potential co-conspirators. Instead, her lawyer made another play for his client's freedom.

Her attorney said that she would answer questions if she would granted clemency by the president of Trump. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking and has already been moved to considerably more comfortable lodgings in a low-security Texas prison after meeting with the Deputy Attorney General in July and vouching for President Donald Trump. Today's renewed request for clemency didn't go over well with Democratic representative Suha Subramaniam. She is campaigning over and over again to get that pardon from President Trump. And this president has not ruled it out. And so that is why she's continuing to not cooperate with our investigation. The committee will grill others on their interactions with Epstein this month, notably former president Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. And House Democrats have a wish list of more who have appeared in the last. latest trench of Epstein files, they are eager to depose, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik,

who they say lied about when he stopped communicating with Epstein. Representative Melanie Stansbury. Of course we would like to speak to Secretary Lutnik, and I personally believe that Mr. Lutnik needs to step down immediately. While there was nothing new to be gleaned from Maxwell today marked the first day members of Congress could access the unredacted versions of the last drop of 3 million Epstein files, albeit only by appointment and only inside the walls of the Department of Justice. Representative Thomas Massey, the Republican who pushed for the files to be released among the first to go through the redactions. What I saw that bothered me were the names of at least six men that have been redacted that are likely incriminated by their inclusion in these files.

While lawmakers begin the gargantuan task of reviewing the files, we're standing together. The victims of Jeffrey Epstein renewed their calls for yet more transparency from Pam Bondi's Justice Department. Because this girl deserves the truth. Taking out a Super Bowl ad to remind one of America's largest audiences, there are still 3 million more Epstein files yet to be released. Katie Nicholson, CBC News, Washington. Canada is among dozens of countries expressing concern about the 20-year jail sentence handed to Jimmy Lye, a one-time defender of democracy in Hong Kong.

Lai was jailed six years ago. The prominent publishers' media outlets criticized Beijing's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters after the British handed the former colony back to China. The movement is all but dead, says Chloe Chung, a Hong Kong Democrat who fled the country. I think the whole of Hong Kong is going through the trial with him and the verdict that he is guilty means that if you're saying,

It means that if you speak out against the authorities, if you uphold press freedom, if you uphold democracy in Hong Kong, it's now a crime. Lai is 78 and his supporters say he's effectively been handed a death sentence. Canada is urging China to release Lai on humanitarian grounds. United Nations Secretary General is urging Israel to reverse its move to widen its power in the West Bank. The security cabinet voted yesterday to make it easier for Jewish settlers, to buy land in the West Bank. It also changed rules over how Israel administers and polices the territory. UN spokesperson Stefan Dujarik says the Secretary General is gravely concerned.

The Secretary General warns that the current trajectory on the ground, including this decision, is eroding the prospects for a two-state solution. He reiterates that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem and their associated regime and infrastructure have no legal validity and are in flagrant violation of international law. The Palestinian Authority has called the moves illegal and the Arab countries in the region also condemn them. It can be a frustrating and puzzling experience for parents, but a new report is providing a better understanding

of what causes food allergies in kids. Jennifer Lagrasa breaks down the risks and why in many cases there isn't much a parent can do. And it can get in the way of living your life. When she was two years old, Lucille Frazen was diagnosed with a severe allergy to peanuts, tree, and soy nuts. Touching them puts the teen from Anvil Island, BC, at risk for anaphylaxis. So she carries an epipen.

I used to have very extreme anxiety about it. Now, at 17, she's learned to manage. Every time I eat something new, I have to read the ingredients. When I go to friends' houses, I have to make sure that they don't have any of my allergens present. Looking back, there were some factors that likely increased her risk, like a skin condition called eczema and not being exposed to nuts early on. These risk factors are at the center of new research in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics. This is one of the largest studies in general. Dr. Derek Chu is one of the studies authors.

He's also an allergy researcher at McMaster University in Ontario. His research looked at 190 studies from 19. to 2024. That included 2.8 million participants. Most of food allergy is not driven by just one thing. The study confirmed a lot of what is already known. There are several factors, including a family history, taking antibiotics as a baby, skin conditions like eczema, and not being exposed to certain foods like peanuts at a young age. What's reassuring about these studies that in almost all factors we've looked at,

There's been no major factor that mom or dad has done to make a major influence on risk. But there is something they can control, say experts. Early and often is what we say. That's the motto Dr. Christine McCusker uses on parents about introducing foods to their kids. McCusker is a pediatric allergist at Montreal's Children's Hospital. I can't stress enough that this is important, especially in those children at higher risk. In 2015, Canadian guidelines changed, telling parents they should introduce allergens like nuts to their kids as early as four months of age. McCusker adds that this research also means parents should pay attention to their child's skin and talk to a doctor to treat eczema.

I'm just happy that it's gotten to a place where it is now that it can help other people like me. While this information could have helped Lucille Frazen as a kid, she hopes this new research can keep others from living in fear over what they eat. Jennifer Lagrasa, CBC News, Windsor, Ontario. Alberta separatists have been collecting signatures to prompt a province-wide referendum on independence. With less than three months left until that deadline, a new online survey suggests if Albertans were asked today, fewer than 10% would definitely vote to leave,

and nearly 60% would choose to remain part of Canada. Brian Labby has more. I think most people can sense the security that comes with being part of Canada. I'd rather be a Canadian than just in Albertan, but I don't know, like everything's just gone to heck. In Calgary, reaction to an online survey on Alberta separation, the Angus Reed Institute asked nearly a thousand Albertans last week. If a referendum was held today on Alberta leaving Canada and becoming its own independent country, would they vote to stay or leave Canada? Shuchy Curl is the president of the Angus Reed Institute. One of the biggest takeaways here

is a division between those who would definitely vote to leave versus those who say they're leaning towards leaving. That divide, Kroll says, 8% of respondents say they would definitely vote to leave. 21% say they are leaning toward voting to leave. On the flip side, the survey found 57% of those asked say they would definitely vote to stay with another 8% leaning toward voting to stay. The numbers aren't that different from anything we've seen.

Lisa Young is a professor of political science at the University of Calgary. She says more questions are needed to find out exactly how solid the leaning yes votes are. So you might ask questions like, would you vote against separation if you knew that separation would mean that your taxes would go up, for example. The survey found most people favoring a breakup with Canada also voted for Premier Daniel Smith's United Conservative Party, which made it easier for separatists to trigger. a referendum. In a way, I think it's pretty obvious. The government was inviting this. I think they imagined that it would create leverage in dealing with Ottawa. Jason Kenney, the former Premier of Alberta, says if a separation vote goes ahead,

he says Alberta will suffer what he calls lasting brand damage. I've been at investment conferences in New York and London. When they hear on the former Premier of Alberta, the first question they ask is what the hell is going on with Alberta separation. Mitch Sylvester, one of the organizers pushing for a vote on separation, says what's going on with Alberta is a push to end some long-standing grievances. Alberta doesn't feel like it has a voice. Alberta doesn't have a voice, an actual fact, the way Confederation is set up, and can never have a voice the way Confederation is set up.

Sylvester's group has until May 2nd to gather nearly 178,000 signatures that would trigger a referendum on separation. They're not saying how many signatures they've collected so far. Brian Labby, CBC News, Calgary. 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. Olympic athletes may be pushing their bodies to the limit to secure a medal, but those who are succeeding in Italy are finding out their prizes are a lot more fragile.

Some excited winners have broken their medals while celebrating. It seems the clasps on the neck ribbons are not exactly high performance. Olympic officials say they are aware of the problem and trying to find a fix. There is a certain buzz at these games and it has nothing to do with the athletes, their outfits, or those broken medals. It's coming from some high-flying, high-tech camera work that is impressing some viewers and leaving others, annoyed. Sarah Levitt explains. The sound is hard to miss. The buzz of drone blades spinning.

For those watching the Milano Cortina Olympics, a whole new experience and perspective. A luge athlete takes off down the ice, followed perfectly by a drone, offering jaw-dropping visuals. Unlike regular drones going up and down or. side to side, these are first-person view drones, offering an experience not for the queasy with another downside. The sound. Online, there are mixed reviews. From X, somebody writes, I've had enough of the drone wine now.

And another, you know, you can remove that high-pitched drone squeal from the audio. This is one of the coolest views. But there is also praise for the dynamic shots with TikTok full of examples. Drones have been used in the Olympics since 2014, but not like this. So what do athletes think? At Mughal practice, Canadian freestyle skier Julian Veal says he was in the zone, but then... I went like, go away. It's pretty close to us.

Veal says how the competition is shot is as important to the athletes as it is for the viewers. As Mughal skiers, we would like to see more front-of-view frames so we could see what the judges see because it's easier to differentiate all the competitors, but drone shots are pretty cool. The International Olympic Committee's sports director, Pierre DuCré, says there's a learning curve. It is an evolution, for sure. People are not used to see maybe the shadows on the field of play or to hear the noise. It's different, but the integration of the performance and this seems to us to be something we can absolutely manage.

The team that's doing this. Operating the state-of-the-art drones is no easy task. Just asks CBC's chief drone pilot, Trevor Lyons. These pilots have put in maybe not quite as much time as the athletes are covering, but in the same ballpark. The drones are not pre-programmed instead piloted by an operator wearing a headset using a controller. There will be like a team and a strategy and a logistics,

maybe even a pit crew changing batteries and getting the drone back up in the air for the next run, really like leading-edge technology. The Olympic Committee says drones are the future of the games as long as they don't compromise the performance of the athletes. Sarah Levitt's CBC News, Lavinio, Italy. And finally tonight, excuses, excuses, students come up with them all the time. But this one had the professor saying, excuse me? I'd never got an email like that my life before.

so it's pretty funny. Victor Sazewitch teaches sociology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. The email was from a student asking for an extension on an assignment. Due dates have been clearly communicated since the beginning of term. So what could possibly be the reason?

She's got another triple lutz coming, a chance to make up some points if she can get this landed. Exactly the way she did it on warm up. Nice. Team Canada figure skater, Madeline Skias competing at the Olympic Games in Italy last week. She's also a sociology student.

Skisas says she got back to the athlete's village on Friday, sat down at her laptop to finish the assignment, and realized it was late. She fired off an apologetic email and even attached a press release from the Canadian Olympic Committee confirming she was going to be pretty busy over the next few days. It was either the press release or the dog A. my homework. And I was just like, oh my gosh, so I sent the professor an apology. I was like,

I'm so sorry, if you've seen this, I'm so sorry. He told me, like, have so much fun. He told me that he had, I think it was, he's like, I scored a goal once in my pee-wee hockey game and that was enough for me. Good luck this weekend, hand it back whenever you're ready. Sazewich says he was surprised. Ski Zezis never mentioned she was an Olympic athlete. He was happy to grant the extension. But speaking with CBC today, he also wanted to pass along a message. Could you get you to remind her that her midterm is going to be due in a couple of days? So just make sure that she knows that. No more excuses.

Thank you for joining us on your world tonight for Monday, February 9th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.