Your World Tonight - Deciphering U.S. war strategy, Poilievre goes on Rogan, Canadian happiness ranking drops, and more

Episode Date: March 19, 2026

It's been a day of escalating military strikes, soaring costs and political posturing on the Middle East warfront. The attacks and counter attacks in Iran and the Gulf are rattling nerves and economies around the world. But the U.S. president says he's got it all under control.And: Pierre Poilievre sits down with Joe Rogan — the world’s most popular podcaster — to discuss... you guessed it: politics and the Canada/U.S. relationship.Also: How are you feeling? According to the World Happiness Report, Canadians are feeling less happy than they used to. The country has slipped down the list of the happiest countries — from 18th to 25th. The decline seems to be linked to younger Canadians and the use of social media.Plus: Extortion in Edmonton, Hezbollah strongholds, and more.

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This is a CBC podcast. Israel acted alone against the Slawea gas compound. We have reserved the right to take military actions if deemed necessary. Key parts of the world's energy supply under attack from all sides, putting lives at risk and livelihoods in jeopardy in an intensifying war. The economic fallout is driving up costs around the world for everything and everyone. We want to be sure, and it's a small price to pay to make sure that we stay tippy top. This is Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Thursday, March 19th, just before 6 p.m.

Eastern, also on the podcast. How are you, sir? Pleasure to meet you. It's great to be here. Thanks for having me. Great to be back in Texas. Pierre Paulyev delivers his vision for Canada to America's most famous podcaster. And if you're happy and you know it, you may not be in Canada. The global study making a few Canadians a little gloomy. It's been a day of escalating military strikes, soaring costs, and political posturing on the Middle East warfront. The attacks and counter-attacks in Iran and the Gulf are rattling nerves and economies around the world,

but the U.S. President says he's got it all under control. Paul Hunter reports from Washington. Unchanged, on target. And on plan. From Pentagon Chief Pete Hegsef, U.S. expectations for the war are so far bang on. We fight to win, and we are winning. And yet, also, from Hegsth, word the U.S. military now needs Congress to approve more money to do so. How much?

$200 billion more. As far as $200 billion, I think that number could move, obviously. it takes money to kill bad guys. On that, indeed, some Republicans quick to sign off, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, for one. Nobody asked what did it cost to win World War II. You just had to win. So whatever it costs to finish this is worth it. But from Democrats and even some other Republicans, not a chance.

Here's hardcore Republican Congresswoman Lauren Bobert from Colorado. I will not vote for a war supplemental. No, I am a no. I am tired of the industrial war complex getting all of our hard-earned tax dollars. We are substantially ahead of schedule. But the concern by so many is that the $200 billion signals the war is in fact far from over. Not to mention the 5,000 U.S. Marines now en route to that region. Trump, meeting with Japan's prime minister at the White House today,

was aiming to win military help from that country to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump downplayed worries the war is just ramping up. On that $200 billion more dollars, he said? We want to be sure, and it's a small price to pay to make sure that we stay tippy top. And on worries, a ground invasion now looms. No, I'm not putting troops anywhere. And then there's Israel, whose strike on a key target in Iran sparked that retaliatory strike from Iran on Qatar. The Israeli strike coming without notice to the U.S.

Trump speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today on that. I told him, don't do that. And he won't do that. We get along great. It's coordinated. But on occasion, he'll do something. And if I don't like it. And so we're not doing that anymore.

Meanwhile, from Israel, Netanyahu today denying earlier suggestions it was Israel that dragged the U.S. into the assault on Iran in the first place. Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do? come on and as for help from Japan with Japan's prime minister sitting next to him Trump spoke of not seeking help from others before the war

wanting he said to give no warnings for Iran and we didn't tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise who knows better about surprise than Japan why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor okay

right the Japanese Prime Minister glanced at her team sitting nearby. And soon after that, looked down at her wristwatch as journalists were escorted from the room. Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington. Qatar's prime minister calls Iran's attack on its energy site a major escalation. The damage is mounting across the Gulf states, compounding the crisis caused by the backlog in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran refusing to back down. Katie Simpson reports from Doha. Alarms sound outside an oil refinery in northern Israel,

warning of incoming Iranian strikes as Tehran takes aim at energy infrastructure all across the Middle East. Launching attacks on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar all within a 24-hour span. The hardest hit so far, Qatar, debris from intercepted missiles causing significant damage to the country's largest LNG processing plant. Authorities say $20 billion worth of production has been wiped out and contracts with European and Asian countries are being cancelled.

This war needs to stop immediately, said Qatar's Prime Minister at a news conference who described these attacks as a very dangerous escalation, while Saudi Arabia's foreign minister delivered a blunt warning to the Iranian regime. We have reserved the right to take military actions

if deemed necessary. Iran has said the attacks are retaliation for an Israeli strike on the South Pars gas field Wednesday. It's a vital source of Iran's domestic energy and video shows huge flames and damage to the facility. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says going forward, Israel will refrain from hitting similar targets, at least for now. Fact number one, Israel acted alone against the Sloia gas compound. Fact number two, President Trump asks us to hold off on future attacks, and we're holding out. The conflict and the tensions overshadowed daily life across the Gulf region, as people here do their best to carry on.

In Sukh Wakif, Doha's oldest and largest market, there's a steady hum of people. Some are picking up sweets ahead of Eid celebrations. Despite everything, we need to let the kids feel safe and enjoy the Eid vibe, says Selma, a mother of two young children who spent the day baking traditional Ead cookies. As much as she tries to protect her kids, a reminder of reality is never far away. In the market, phones begin to buzz. A warning from the government. An attack is imminent. Seek shelter.

No one panics. No one rushes away. It has become a part of. of everyday life, says 13-year-old gala. Basically, now the emergency alarms is more scarier than the bombs, but whatever. It's like we've been through this now around almost a month, so yeah. It wouldn't take long until all clear messages started pinging on phones. The threat had been eliminated, Qatar says.

While most people here tell us they're not afraid, it's clear they're ready for this to end. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Doha. Canada says it is ready to help ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Ottawa issued a joint statement with Japan, the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands. It calls for Iran to stop laying mines and conducting drone and missile attacks. The statement says the countries are ready to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage. There were no details on what those efforts would be. The Canadian Army will be getting tens of thousands of new assault rifles over the next few years.

It's part of a re-armament program that starts with buying as many as 65,000 new assault rifles. Defense Minister David McGinty says the Canadian Armed Forces need to be better equipped for a more complex global security environment. This is not a return to the old world. It's something fundamentally different. In the face of that reality, we've got to do more to ensure that the country. calf have the equipment and the capabilities they need to meet these challenges head on. Canada's got to be ready to defend its vast and resource-rich territory, and we must remain a reliable and capable

partner standing with our NATO allies, yes, and with our American neighbors, and stepping up when it matters most. The plan is expected to cost between $500 million and $1 billion over at least five years. Coming up, allegations of arson, extortion, even shootings, all linked to what Edmund police call an intricate crime network with dozens of suspects targeting Canada's South Asian community. Plus, Pierre Pahliav's Joe Rogan experience. They talk tariffs, Trump's threats, and kettlebells. Later we'll have this. More Canadians say they're not happy. Once one of the top-ranked countries, Canada has dropped a lot in an annual World Happiness report. But what's to blame for our dramatic decline in life satisfaction? No one has any

kind of kindness whatsoever it seems. I'm Alexander Silberman in Regina, later on your world tonight. The potential secrets to being happier. It is the most popular podcast in the world, and today Canada's conservative leader, Pierre Pahliav, joined it to talk politics. Poliyev appeared on the Joe Rogan experience as part of a swing through the U.S. as he looks to sell Americans on his vision for a healthier cross-border relationship and convince Canadians, he's the one who can get it done.

Kate McKenna reports. How are you, sir? Pleasure to meet you. It's great to be here. Thanks for having me. With an audience roughly half the size of the entire Canadian population, the Joe Rogan experience might be Pierre Polyev's biggest stage yet. His two-hour, 23-minute episode dropped today.

Do you mind if I present you with something right out of the gate? Sure. Poliev presented Rogan with a Canadian flag-embossed kettlebell before kicking off a wide-ranging conversation on trade, politics, and Donald Trump's threats about annexing Canada. We're very proudly Canadian, so we're never going to be the 51st state. And I just wish you'd knock that shit off. Poliyev made his pitch for tariff-free trade, telling Rogan it makes life more expensive for Americans. We should get the tariffs out because there's so much we could be doing together as neighbors and partners if we got rid of those tariffs.

He was asked whether he's spoken to Trump about it directly and said no, it's up to the Prime Minister to negotiate with the President, adding... Even in my visit down here, I'm sending him text messages to tell him what's going on, to try and support his work, because what we want, we both want what's best for Canada. When asked about Prime Minister Mark Carney, Pollyev, who usually relishes taking jabs at the Prime Minister, chose instead to present a united front. I won't criticize him on foreign soil. I understand. But... Good for you. Yeah, I mean, we have a mutual respect.

That's such a Canadian thing to do. That is a very Canadian thing to do. So polite. That's what I'm saying. Pauliev talked about his vision for Canada, saying he would move quickly to get more resource projects going, cut down on foreign aid, and crack down on government overspending,

ending with a ringing endorsement from the podcaster. Your message resonates with me. Thank you. And if I was a Canadian, I would vote for you 100%. Thank you. Thank you for that. Well, it's a, you know, it's a privilege to do this work. and I consider it very humbling and I'm very proud to be Canadian and to take the message of Canada here to our American friends.

Rogan has endorsed politicians before, most notably Donald Trump. Rogan invited Pollyev to come on during last year's election, which he turned down, saying he couldn't leave the country while campaigning. Conservative strategist Fred DeLorey says going on the show now is smart. Look, we could be years away from an election. The polls are not good for conservatives or for Pierre right now, So why not try to do something like this? And let's see if it shakes things up a bit.

Pauliev is wrapping up his first trip south of the border as opposition leader. He's visited Detroit, Houston, and now New York, pushing a pro-Canada message and looking to blunt criticism that he hasn't been strong enough in promoting Canadian trade under threat by Donald Trump.

Kate McKenna, CBC News, Ottawa. Two men have been deported for their involvement in a string of violent extortion cases, all of them targeting South Asia, communities. Edmonton police say more than 50 other suspects are now linked to the same national crime ring. Sam Sampson has more on this years-long investigation. To the members of the Southeast Asian community, you remain a priority to police. Edmonton Police Service Superintendent Robinder Gill made sure those most vulnerable to extortion

threats felt hurt as he delivered the latest update. Two men involved in extortion schemes in Alberta, B.C.'s Lower Mainland and Ontario have been deported. Three others are under active investigation by the Canadian Border Services Agency, and there are 51 more suspects. All police say connected to extortion and violence. Where the risk is local, the revenue is global, and the fallout is the erosion of the very trust that holds the Southeast Asian community together. Police wouldn't say where the two men, 22 and 25 years old, were deported too, and no charges have been laid yet. They're still looking into it. But opting for deportation first, says Gil, was the best option to keep the community safe. This strategy worked quickly. It eliminated the threat,

ended the extortions by this group in the Edmonton area, and also prevented them from affecting other communities right across the country. Extortion schemes targeting South Asian communities have spread across Canada. At times, they've included online and in-person threats, arson and shootings. Members of Edmonton's South Asian communities, have mixed reactions to the deportation, says Diggraj Parmar, president of the Council of India Societies of Edmonton. So people are feeling a bit more safe,

but at the same time we're talking, what if it happens again, what if it happens again? But some say the strategy, deport first, potentially charge later, is not the way to make an impact. They just got to go back home at the expense of the taxpayer here in Canada. It makes no sense whatsoever.

Cash Heed is a former chief of the West Vancouver Police Department and former Solicitor General in British Columbia. He says there's no guarantee those deported will stop their criminal activity once they're outside Canada and the hope for justice plummets. So I'm actually surprised that we're not holding them to account for the crimes they committed here in Canada, that they're not put within our jail system. But now what we've done is we've decided at the outset, well, hey, you come to Canada, you commit crimes, you're from a foreign country, we're just going to deport.

you. It just takes away from the confidence that Canadians need within our judicial system when that confidence is somewhat at an all-time low. Edmonton police say they're collaborating with the CBS, R-CMP, and other law enforcement groups to crack down on these extortion cases and ask anyone who thinks they might be a victim or potential recruit to report that immediately. Sam Sampson, CBC News, Edmonton. Canada's top court has agreed to hear. arguments on Ottawa's ban on certain firearms. In 2020, the Liberals outlawed certain makes and

models, including semi-automatic firearms. There are now about 2,500 guns on the list. Gun rights advocates argue the Trudeau government did not have the authority to impose a ban. The federal court of appeal disagreed, but it will now be heard by the Supreme Court. Returning to our war coverage now and the fight between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel says it wants to end the barrage of rockets financed by Iran and fired by Hezbollah into the country. It says it has killed more than 500 Hezbollah militants. Officials in Lebanon say 1,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced. Susan Ormiston traveled to a Hezbollah stronghold and files this report.

Hezbollah controls our access to Nabishit, a town in the Bukkah Valley, so we have to have an escort. Let's go. The minder urges us. An Israeli airstrike left a huge crater here and dozens of casualties. Where the tank? Mohamed al-Masawi says two cousins died in the fight that night. Israel says they want to continue targeting Hezbollah places till the end. They are trying. Let them try. Israel is going to stop at the end.

They are firing and playing with lions. Israeli soldiers landed here to search for remains of an IDF airman who went missing nearly 40 years ago. The commando raid killed over 40 and destroyed the mayor's home. We're not invading them. They're the ones invading us, says Mayor Webby al-Masawi. We're not going to let the Zionists fulfill their dreams. But Hezbollah, Iran's proxy militia, is getting pummeled. As powerful as it once was, it's lost fighters, weaponry, and a big pipeline from Iran to rearm.

Halil Haleo is a former brigadier general in the Lebanese armed forces. With a weakened Iran, Iran cannot be very helpful to Hizballah anymore. I think that this will be extremely difficult. Still, the resistance, as it's known, is dug into many corners of Lebanon and still launching rockets into Israel. Lebanon's government has banned Hezbollah's... military wing but has failed to disarm them. Ultimately, Hasbala is a loser, whatever you say.

But will Hezbollah still be there around in a few months? The answer is yes. Quietly, some want Israel to finish the job, says Ali Hamadi, a political analyst and columnist at Anahar News. You will hear a lot of Lebanese, Christians, Druze. Even some Sunnis saying we want to get rid of Hezbollah at any cost. They don't like Israel. They want the saga of Hezbollah that ends. But now over a million Lebanese are out of their homes and mostly from Shia communities.

Zano, Al-Awea, is sheltering at an Islamic school in Beirut. She was the only woman allowed to speak with us. Even if we lose all our homes, she says, we won't mourn the rubble. The resistance is protecting us. When our kid is born, his first word is Hezbollah, she says. What do you think he'll say when he grows up? Israel says it will strike Hezbollah until it disarms, but rooting out its power is another battle.

Susan Ormiston, CBC News, Beirut. 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. Canada can no longer count itself as one of the happiest countries in the world. The World Happiness reports rankings are out and Canada has dropped, below the top 20 for the first time ever.

Unhappiness is hitting younger Canadians hardest. Alexander Silberman explains, In a Regina park, a clear consensus on why Canadians might be less happy. Cost of living. Housing and food, getting more difficult to afford. Just the way people are today. But people like George Dino believe political polarization and social tension are also to blame. No one has any kind of kindness whatsoever, it seems.

Dino's view might be particularly dim, but Canadians are getting more gloomy about their outlook on life. This year, the country had its worst ever showing in the world happiness rankings, down to 25th place. Ten years ago, Canada placed sixth in line with Nordic countries. It remains a puzzle as well as a problem. John Helliwell is a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia and founding editor of the World Happiness Report. He says the trend in Canada should be cause for concern. And this year for the first time we're not even in the time.

top 20. The annual report published by the University of Oxford found Finland is the happiest country in the world for the ninth year in a row. Eric Sazanov is mayor of the capital city of Helsinki. It's about trust, it's about equality, it's about freedom. And the other important thing is how our society functions. We have a really strong welfare system. Other Nordic countries, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, rank among the top 10. Costa Rica also jumped to fourth place, which the report's authors linked to strong social connections and family life. In Canada, Heliwell says the report shows an especially dismal drop for young people.

It means that somehow the environment into which they're coming now is not a happy one, and obviously we want to make sure it gets better. Young Canadians below age 25 rank 71st for world happiness, and the report focuses on heavy social media use as a potential cause. That's not surprising to me. Jay Olson is a researcher in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto, Mississauga. He says excessive smartphone use leads to a reduction in sleep, exercise, and in-person socialization. And so on top of that, there's exposure to negative content, like you're jealous look at. people's other feeds.

For a solution in Canada, Hellywell points to Quebec. The data shows if it were a country, it would place fifth in the 2026 happiness rankings, tied with Sweden. Many in the province point to a culture of care through social programs like affordable childcare and lower tuition, showing part of the secret of happiness could be giving people control to live the life they consider to be their best. Alexander Silverman, CBC News, Regina. Finally, tonight the tale of a traveler's nightmare with an ending

that may put some Canadians back into their happy place. I was like, uh-oh. Beckett Nichols is a young hockey player for the St. John's Caps. He and his teammates had just arrived in Halifax last Friday and were excited about their upcoming tournament. Things went offside before they even left the airport. So we kind of just went down, get the bags, and then all the moms were talking, and they were saying their gear didn't get off the planet. None of it came off, nothing.

To play hockey, you need a minimum of ten skaters, and I had five kids without gear. Beckett's mom, Collette, was also there. She's the team manager and feeling the group's terror in real time. The parent groom came together, and we started sourcing, like, some used hockey gear play. in Halifax and Dartmouth. Some of us were like, well, my kid needs new shin pads. Maybe I'll go buy them new shin pads. And it was panic.

It was what are we going to do? Every hockey parent knows how pricey gear is, so options were pretty limited. The caps were one of three teams in the tournament with equipment that didn't make the trip to Nova Scotia. Word got out fast. That's when Jeff McPhee stepped in. We were immediately looking at schedules.

and going, okay, how do we help these teams? How do we accommodate these teams? McVee is a tournament organizer. Now, we need to explain. This event is not just any event. It's massive. 160 youth teams playing hundreds of games over the March break. It's host, not just any host, it's Cole Harbor,

legendary home to Canadian hockey superstars, Sidney Crosby and Nathan McKinnon. We put out a post on Facebook, and within hours, we had. probably 30, 40 people showing up here at our home rink, dropping off gear. Everything from old skates with their kids at Oak Rowan to shim pads, hockey pants, helmets, you name it. That overwhelming response gave the kids everything they needed to play. In the end, Beckett says his team didn't win their division, but that was okay.

It was really fun. Yeah, we played some hockey. We had fun. Through all the excitement of the tournament, Colette and Jeff never got to meet face to face until CBC brought them together this week. Oh, Jeff, I didn't get a chance to see you last weekend because I know you were super busy, but I really can't thank you and your organizing committee enough for helping get our boys on the ice. Yeah, you're so very welcome. It's the least we can do. At the end of the day, it's about the experience for the kids and making sure the kids have a great time.

How's that for a heartfelt ending to a truly Canadian story? Thank you for joining us on this edition of Your World Tonight for Thursday, March 19th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.ca slash podcasts.