Your World Tonight - Fire risk in B.C., trade talks in U.S., debris in space, and more

Episode Date: August 5, 2026

Temperatures are heating up in B.C.. 8,000 residents are already out of their homes. We look at how people are preparing for more fires amid unprecedented conditions.Also: What we know about Canada/U.S. trade talks, as the deadline for the imposition of more tariffs gets closer.And: A four-tonne rocket booster has slammed into the moon, adding to hundreds of tonnes of space junk already there. Who is responsible for all the lunar litter?Plus: Cooler conditions amid fires in Washington state, Filipina tennis phenom Alex Eala, progressive wins Michigan Democratic primary, and more.

Personally, from CBC Podcasts, allows you to get lost in someone else's life. From unearthing my childhood grief after the loss of my brother and my serious story about the kid, to attempt you to explain what vision loss feels like by exploring how it sounds and short-sighted, each season of personally invites you to explore the human experience and all its complexity, one story or season at a time. This is what it sounds like to be human. Find personally wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC podcast.

That means that we're taking very seriously. Prime Minister Carney's challenge to his team to intensify the talks. These are things that you can't do over virtual meetings or by the phone. You've got to sit with each other. Ticking trade clock. Canadian negotiators are in Washington two weeks before major tariffs are set to hit billions of dollars worth of exports, the high stakes and mixed expectations about reaching a deal. This is Your World Tonight.

It's Wednesday, August 5th. just before 6 p.m. Eastern. I'm Tashauna Reed, also on the podcast. If the house burns and burns, it's just stuff. The main thing is people don't get hurt. That's it. All of our homes are safe. So that was a blessing, unfortunately, for some people, it's not. Heartbreak, relief, and acceptance, as wildfire ravages even more of British Columbia. More difficult conditions are in the forecast, as help arrives from abroad. Time is running out. for Canada to stave off a fresh round of massive U.S. tariffs. The White House is threatening 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian goods,

totaling about 5% of exports to the U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is back in Washington for talks, but despite the critical deadline, Ottawa isn't saying much about when or even whether a deal might be reached. Kate McKenna reports. How likely is it that you'll be able to fend those tariffs off? We're in the middle of negotiations. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, keeping his cards close to his chest

over whether a flurry of activity from Canadian negotiators in Washington, D.C., will result in some kind of deal. The Minister LeBlanc, Janice Charette, who's our chief negotiator, are in Washington as Ambassador Wiseman, obviously there, in a series of meetings related to this. I'm very involved in this as well. U.S. Canada trade minister Dominic LeBlanc is on an open-ended trip. He arrived in Washington yesterday with no return ticket booked home as negotiators pushed to find a win for Canada,

ahead of an August 19th deadline before a new slate of punishing tariffs affecting some $28 billion in Canadian exports come into effect. But the Prime Minister said today Canada's goal is more ambitious. Negotiators are trying to find relief for all tariff-affected sectors, including steel, aluminum, auto, and lumber. in terms of the scope of what Canada wants to move forward on, which is across all strategic sectors. The Globe and Mail reported that negotiators were also discussing steel and aluminum export quotas, which could result in lower tariffs in those sectors. But two government sources say that does not accurately represent the trade discussions as they currently stand. This is the second week in a row that LeBlanc has been in Washington.

That means that we're taking very seriously, Prime Minister Carney's challenge to his team to intensify the talks. Flavio Volpe is the president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association. He says he's optimistic that strides are being made. American voices that are in these business sectors are almost unanimous in their support for a renewed Canada-U.S. relationship without barriers. But so far, that hasn't made any difference. And as LeBlau meets with people like Jay Timmons, the CEO of the U.S. National Association of Manufacturers and Republican senators like Bill Agriety and Kevin Kramer, it's unclear what, if anything, will move the needle.

We're up against, as a country, a very tough and unpredictable negotiator in President Trump. Conservative U.S.-Canada relations critic Chuv Majumdur says it's been a year and a half with no resolution. And when you think about the auto workers, lumber workers, steel workers, aluminum workers, all who are paying the price for this cost of waiting, I could imagine that urgency is the order of the day. It's not clear yet if Leblan will meet on this trip with his counterpart. U.S. trade representative Jameson Greer, with the clock ticking until another round of tariffs is set to kick in. Kate McKenna, CBC News, Ottawa. Hot, dry weather is making a bad situation in British Columbia worse.

Wildfires have burned hundreds of homes to the ground. Thousands of people are displaced and thousands more on standby for evacuation. Jessica Chung has the latest. Open flames surrounding Devin McMillan's ranch, near Vernon left her family no choice but to let their 13 horses loose. Okay, Jim, go. You lead the way, buddy. Come on.

It's the worst nightmare. You never want to turn your animals loose and just pray that they make it. And they had to do that. McMillan's family was one of thousands that had to leave when the Bradley Creek fire doubled in size over the weekend. They had five minutes to leave. My little girl, six years old. She couldn't even get her shoes on.

That's how fast they had to grab their stuff. The fire was on their heels. It was candling trees, When the dust settled, her horses were safe, but McMillan was one of the hundreds who lost their home. Photos of the aftermath show nothing but ash and debris where her house once stood. Trying to stay strong over here. It's our family property. We have a big logging truck shop that, you know, my dad worked so hard his whole life to build and to provide for himself and our family. The Bradley Creek fire has now grown to roughly 28 square kilometers, destroying around 230. properties. Across the province, more than 8,000 people have been evacuated, with another 7,000

told to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. At the Pear Lake Fire, the province's largest, 120 properties near Clinton have been impacted, and officials say that number is expected to climb. We're probably talking about several hundred structures in total. Colton Davies is the Thompson Nichola Regional District Information Officer. He says they are in the process of contacting residents that have suffered losses. It's difficult because people have been sitting and wondering, people calling to ask, did my home survive the fire or do I have anything to go home to? In some cases, you're explaining to them that their home was lost, which is heartbreaking. But reinforcements are coming. Busloads of firefighters from Mexico arrived in Kamloops this morning and would be deployed to

the Pear Lake fire. By the end of the week, more firefighters from Mexico and Australia are expected to land in B.C. and join the fight. In the meantime, smoke from the wildfires has spread across the province. And as hot and dry conditions persist, officials are expecting more fire starts this weekend. Jessica Chung, CBC News, Vancouver. Tens of thousands of people in Washington State

aren't being allowed to go home. A trio of wildfires near Spokane forced major evacuations earlier this week. The weather in the region has cooled off momentarily. But as Aina Sidiya Sidiya, tells us state officials are warning residents to brace for more fire. The initial stages of this was just in the street combat level firefighting. I mean, it was a firestorm coming through.

In his 30-plus years on the job, Spokane County District 9 fire chief, Matthew Vincey, hasn't seen anything like this. We had multiple structures right on my own street that were lost. And, you know, it's tough to see. Those are your neighbors. Those are your friends. Those are, you know, people that you see every day. And, you know, they lost everything. The destruction is devastating. Neighborhoods wiped out. So far, officials say more than 700 structures, mostly homes, are destroyed. Anita Stokes lost the home she's lived in for over 30 years.

Most of the time, I feel emotionless, just don't really believe this. even though I've seen the ash, I mean our house is just ashes now. 65,000 people have been forced out, anxiously waiting to find out if what they left is still standing. Evacuation centers have been set up. A break in the heat and wind is finally giving firefighters the upper hand, allowing teams to get more waterplanes in the air and giving space for ground crews to build containment lines. But they're racing against the clock. Come Friday, Saturday, Sunday, we're going to definitely have some hotter temperature, some lower relative humidity, and the wind's going to increase.

But tremendous amount of progress made in the last 24 hours. Tom Stokesbury is part of the federal agency leading the response. He says the fires are now partially contained, but it's still a complex fight. We are still in an active firefight here. Still have fire interior, still have heat. So we're not going to sit down and take a break. We're going to continue full force with what we're doing. While the cause of the two fires is still under investigation,

a 37-year-old man has been arrested for suspected arson in connection with the most destructive of the three. Fortunately, there are no reports of any injuries or death. The chief says 1,300 firefighters are working non-stop. Every day we're making progress on the containment, getting the hotspots taken care of, and getting ready to go to the next phase of this. The next phase would be allowing people back home once conditions are safe. Ina Sadiou, CBC News, Spokane, Washington. Coming up, election look ahead.

Several states choose their candidates for the upcoming U.S. midterms. What the heated races could tell us about what to expect this fall. Plus, the young tennis star from the Philippines playing at the Canadian Open and getting a lot of attention. And later, we'll have this story. It weighs 4,000 kilograms and is roughly the size of a school bus. Or it was. A part of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has smashed into the moon after deviating off course.

It's not going to affect us here on Earth. But like space debris in general, like space is getting more and more crowded. You should absolutely worry about it. I'm Sarah Levitt in Montreal. Later on your world tonight, how a lack of newer regulations in space is worrying experts with more and more junk flying around. Winnipeg will be the new home of Canada's biomedical countermeasures laboratory. The Canadian government is developing the lab to better respond to biological threats and pandemics.

It will study microbes and pathogens that cause serious or deadly diseases. Dr. Keith Foke is head of the Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Department at the University of Manitoba. He says the new lab will produce experimental vaccines, treatments and tests. The gap is in producing high-quality test vaccines and therapeutics that go on for further testing, and then you can go ahead with a single product and then engage a larger-scale manufacturer. It's expected to be completed in 23. A divisive election among Democrats, a narrow victory in Michigan. Add them together, and you get a sense of what the mid-term battles between Democrats and Republicans could look like this fall.

Tom Perry reports from Washington. Please join me in welcoming Abdullah. A race that wrapped up yesterday wasn't officially decided until today. Democratic primary voters choosing Abdul al-Syad to carry the party's banner in a crucial Senate race this November. And what we showed is that the power of our many is greater than the power of their money. El-Syad, a progressive, narrowly defeated Haley Stevens, a member of Congress since 20. who was backed by top figures in the Democratic Party and whose campaign received more than $50 million in support from outside political action committees, including APEC, the pro-Israel lobby. Al-Sayat campaigned as a staunch critic of Israel and its war in Gaza and pledged to work on cutting U.S. military support for the Jewish state.

El-S.id promising as well to fight for campaign finance reform and Medicare for all, all of it making him a target for report. Republicans who portrayed him as a threat. Abdul Rahman Muhammad El Sayed, the most radical Senate candidate in America. El Siyadh's Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, calls him a fanatic and an extremist. The whole country is looking at us here in Michigan. They're looking at you. And they're hoping we do everything that we can do together to make sure that we stop this in its tracks. For Democrats who hope to take control of the House of Representatives and even the Senate,

in this year's midterm elections, the fear is voters could be put off by candidates seen as too progressive. But Matt Duss, a former foreign policy advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, a leading figure in progressive politics, says Democratic voters, in this case, were ready to take a chance. I think there's a growing number of Democrats who want the party to go in a different direction, to be bolder, to take a stronger position in favor of human rights, in favor of workers' rights. to challenge the dominance of money and wealth in our political system. And I think Abdul al-Aid very, very capably spoke to all those concerns. Democrats will find out in November if their strategy pays off.

In the meantime, the attacks against their newly elected candidate in Michigan have already begun, with U.S. President Donald Trump today posting on social media, calling Al-Syad a communist loser who hates Jews and Israel. Tom Perry, CBC News, Washington. Russian drones and missiles slammed Ukraine's capital overnight, killing at least 17 and injuring dozens more. It is the latest in an intensifying onslaught of Russian attacks, which Ukrainian officials say they can no longer stop. A critical shortage of air defense systems driven by delays and deliveries is leaving Ukraine's skies exposed. Nala Ayat reports.

In a summerful of terrible nights, this for key. Eve was one of the worst. Just after midnight, a barrage of Russian missiles. Ukrainian forces conceded they couldn't stop a single one. On the ground, huge flames and clouds of smoke invaded the horizon. At least 17 people were killed and dozens injured. The targets included warehouses and a railway station. Victim's bodies lay on the platform right where they fell,

only to be retrieved in daylight. Ukrainian president Volodemir Zelensky said, those lives could have been saved if Kiev had the missile interceptors he'd repeatedly asked for. At a meeting with his security and defense counsel today, Zelensky said, we made it through a difficult winter. Today, he said, we're facing a clear shortage. The shortage of American-made patriot missiles, crucial for countering the Russian ballistic missile. coming at Ukraine with increasing frequency

is partly blamed on the ongoing conflict in Iran. We have not agreed to that we're talking about it. And last month, the U.S. President walked back a suggestion he may support Ukraine making patriots in Ukraine. Ukraine has been bringing the war closer to Russian cities with more drone attacks. But Russia is clearly exploiting Ukraine's vulnerability, says Natia Sikouria,

a senior research fellow with the Royal. United Services Institute. The ballistic missile attacks is one area where Russia has a significant advantage. And unfortunately, it's not just critical infrastructure, but it is affecting ordinary Ukrainian citizens that are being killed as a result of these attacks. And civilians are keenly aware of the escalation. It was so scary, I must say. This was my scariest night during the five years. Zelensky has sought to highlight the threat to Ukrainian civilians, releasing on Tuesday footage of a drone,

appearing to follow a vegetable vendor before exploding, causing him serious injuries. It's terrifying, of course, says the man identified only as Yuri. Really terrifying. An already terrifying conflict, taking yet another dangerous turn. Nalajed, CBC News, London. Some of the best tennis players in the world are in Toronto and Montreal right now playing in the Canadian Open. And one in particular is getting a lot of buzz. She's not a top seed.

She's not Canadian. But as she and Desjardin tells us, 21-year-old Alexandra Iyala is already setting records. The so-called Iyala effect has hit Toronto. Of course, Filipino. Come on, let's go, Alex. Let's go, Alex. Really a good player. And they love Alex Ayala also.

Yeah, she's really great. All ready to cheer on rising tennis icon, Alexandra Ayala, playing on Canadian soil. Let's go Alex! This fan sporting the Philippines' national colors for the match, red, white, blue, and yellow. I'm a huge big tennis fan. But, of course, the story of the day is watching Alex Yela play because I'm Filipino, and we cherish her a lot. On Monday, Iyala became the first tennis player from the Philippines to win a WTA tour-level singles title at the Washington Open. Not only is Iala breaking boundaries, she's garnering global recognition and selling out tournaments.

As soon as we put up her match, second on Wednesday night, her fan base just lit up the lines. It sold out so quickly, we couldn't believe it. Carl Hale is the tournament director for the National Bank Open in Toronto, Canada's biggest tennis tournament, and one of the most prestigious on the WTA tour. We've never really seen it before this early in the tournament, where a player has so much enthusiasm, especially from a community. Usually it's hundreds of fans or a couple hundred fans. This is thousands of fans coming out.

Greeting her in hordeaux. this week when she arrived at the stadium, a growing fan base looking for autographs, hoping to catch a glimpse. I'm really very excited to see and experience the atmosphere. Yala told reporters during a pre-Tournament press conference on Tuesday. It's nice to see, you know, that the Filipino community is really showing up and they're enjoying tennis and, you know,

hopefully it will help grow the sport as well. and, you know, in the end, give them, you know, something, a new experience and a joyful experience. The hype not a surprise to former Canadian Olympic tennis player, Patricia Hebule. She's quick, she's feisty, she's got great court sense, she's courageous, and really she has it all. Off the court, too. She's refreshing, right? I mean, anytime, you know, she's cute, she's bubbly, she's, you know, approachable. very marketable, obviously.

And already inspiring another generation of players, like 7-year-old Noah Batista Cruz, who wants to be just like her. To me, she's the best player ever. And bringing together not just sports lovers, but a community too. Go Alex, go team Philippines. She and I Jaldane, CBC News, Toronto.

Prime Minister Mark Carney added his voice to those criticizing FIFA's president for an ill-fated plane. to sell off financial stakes in the World Cup. Carney says he has no confidence in Gianni Infantino. I've run a few organizations in my time. The idea that proper governance is not to disclose to your closest advisors, your chief operating officer, your fellow board members,

something of consequence that you're even considering, let alone proposing, that's fatal, should be fatal. Gianni Infantino is in Morocco holding crisis meetings as he tries to keep his job as FIFA president. Some national governing bodies have pulled their support for his re-election. You are listening to Your World Tonight from CBC News. I'm Tashana Reid. You can hear Your World Tonight on the CBC News app or wherever you get your podcasts. Seven belugas from a shuttered Ontario theme park have arrived at their new home in San Antonio, Texas.

Marineland was once a mainstay in the Niagara Falls region, but it has been closed since 2024. Nine whales from marine land are now at the SeaWorld in San Antonio, but 17 belugas remain at the shuttered park awaiting transfer. There are also four dolphins and hundreds of deer still there. Thousands of man-made objects are scattered on the moon. This morning, a SpaceX rocket park added to that lunar litter when it smashed into the moon's surface. The impact was as forceful as three tons of TNT and likely left a massive crater. Sarah Levitt on the increasing amount of space junk and how it could cause damage, not just in orbit, but also on Earth.

Ignition. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was launched in January 2025. As parts shed off, the company noted there was going to be a problem. A 4,000 kilogram chunk from the rocket about the size of a source of a source. school bus ended up going off orbit. Its new accidental trajectory, the moon, which it hit early this morning. We can sort of look at the moon before and after. Matt Bothwell says there is a plus side to the crash researching its effect. He's an astronomer at the University of Cambridge. This is like quite a rare chance to do more of a controlled experiment because it's quite a rare

opportunity that we know exactly how big this thing is and how fast it's going and exactly where it's going to land. But scientists will have to wait to see what happened. Satellites detected changes in the light and may have captured photos, but the information could take days to process. NASA says it will also collect data to help refine tracking debris. You need a bit more coordination and a bit more governance out there in deep space. And it's just been kind of a wild west. Jonathan McDowell says the crash has highlighted a patchwork of regulations with loose oversight when it comes to space debris. He's an astrophysicist with the Center for Space Environmentalism. As human activity around the Moon is set to increase dramatically, we've realized that actually

this isn't a good thing to be doing, hitting the Moon with our junk. But it's not just about hitting the Moon. There's Earth to worry about too. Space launches happen more and more often, mainly through private companies. There's also an estimated 18,000 active satellites circling the planet, leading to a whole lot of space junk. Normally, parts fall back into the atmosphere and burn up or land in water. But that's not always the case. Please tell me if you find space debris because I want to know about it. Samantha Lawler is an astronomy professor at the University of Regina. Two years ago, she was called to a farm outside the city when the owner discovered what he thought may be space debris in his field. The two meter wide piece of burnt metal

was identified as part of a SpaceX rocket. Regulations that we have in place were made for the space race era, the Apollo space race era. The rules apply to governments. It's not clear how they apply to private companies, which is the majority of satellites that are being launched today. And as more and more rockets and satellites are launched into space, experts say updated regulations are needed now more than ever. Sarah Levitt, CBC News, Montreal. And finally. Good evening. Lloyd Robertson for CBC News.

A comforting voice in millions of Canadian living rooms for more than four decades. Lloyd Robertson died yesterday evening at the age of 92. He anchored the flagship news programs at CBC television and CTV and mentored many journalists along the way. Former CBC News chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge told CBC News Network earlier today about working his first live news special in 1974. and the support he received from Robertson. Before we went on air, he went to the trouble of seeking me out,

talking to be, ensuring that I was calm and cool and letting me know that he'd be kind of looking after me from the anchor booth. And he did, and he always did. Lisa LaFlam replaced Robertson as CTV national anchor when he retired in 2011. She says he always claimed to be the first one who spotted her when she was a local host for CTV in Kitchener, Ontario,

and pushed to have her work with him on the national side. From that moment on, my life changed because of Lloyd Roberts, and I just became a better journalist and also just a better human being because Lloyd was all of those things. He was about the news and about the fairness of it, but he was also about the humanity of it. And I just have so much to be grateful for. that he's been such a part of my life.

Carlton University awarded Robertson an honorary Doctor of Laws in 2015. Here is what he told students as he ended his commencement address. And remember, we're all on borrowed time. You shouldn't take anything for granted. Not even tomorrow. Think of the old hit by a bus rule. Would I regret spending my life this way if I were to get hit by a bus next week or next year. And does this path lead to a life I'd be happy with if I don't get hit by a bus?

Thanks for being with us. This has been Your World Tonight for Wednesday, August 5th. I'm Tashauna Reid. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.ca slash podcasts.