Your World Tonight - Iranian Protests Intensify Flu Numbers Womens Olympic Hockey Team And More

Episode Date: January 11, 2026

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out at President Trump as having hands "stained with the blood of Iranians" as his supporters shouted "Death to America!" This as protests continued to intensify for the 13th day against the regime. With the internet shut down, it appears that government forces have begun a crackdown on protesters.  U.S President Trump issued a new warning to Iran’s rulers.Also: Hospitals are jammed with flu cases across the country. With widespread flu activity, it isn’t clear if this year's flu season has peaked.And: Canada’s women’s Olympic hockey team is unveiled. The mission is clear — keep gold.Plus: ICE raid fallout and new video, Carney prepares for China trip, humanoid robots, and more.

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This is a CBC podcast. They've done a bad job. They've treated their people very badly and now they're being paid back. So they start killing people like they have in the past. We will get involved. We'll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. With U.S. President Donald Trump and the rest of the world watching closely, Iran is facing yet another night of massive protests.

Under intense pressure from Iranians fed up with a currency crisis, crippling inflation, and now calling for, regime change. But Iran's leaders are digging in, and a crackdown may already be happening. This is the regime has to go for everybody, not only for Iranian, but for the Middle Eastern countries, and for the peace, for the region, and all the world. Many in Canada's Iranian community have long called for change, but that hope is mixed with frustration and fear, with communications cut, following developments from afar isn't easy. This is your world tonight. I'm Stephanie Skandaris. It's Friday,

January 9th coming up on 6 p.m. Eastern. We have full coverage of the events taking place in Iran. We begin with senior international correspondent Margaret Evans. Many in Canada's Iranian community have long called for change, but that hope is mixed with frustration and fear. With communications cut following developments from afar isn't easy. This is Your World Tonight. I'm Stephanie Skandaris. We have full coverage of the events taking place in Iran. We begin with senior international correspondent Margaret Evans. Glimpses of what's happening on the ground in Iran, finding their way out,

after authorities caught phone and internet services last night. This video was uploaded on social media today, showing more nighttime demonstrations in Tehran. What began as an economic protest in the capital nearly two weeks ago has spread right across the country, putting extreme pressure on Iran's ruling clerics. Earlier, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Haminey dismissed protesters as mercenaries for foreigners. He also dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump and his threats of intervention. Let him run his own country.

country, if he can, he said. There are all kinds of incidents going on there. But at a press conference in Washington, Trump repeated his warnings. They start killing people like they have in the past. We will get involved. We'll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts. So dozens of protesters have already been killed by Iranian security forces, according to Amnesty International. The fear now, that an even bigger crackdown is already underway. The sound of heavy gunfire cuts through these images, along with frightened voices,

another video that made it onto social media today. Based on the track record of the Iranian authorities, we are extremely concerned that the authorities will carry out another wave of protest bloodshed. Raha Bahraini, Amnesty's Iran researcher here in London, has tracked past protests. What is different this time is that people are no longer deterred by these horrific patterns of gunfire. Despite the deadly crackdown, we have seen the protests growing in size day after day. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late Shah of Iran,

deposed by the Iranian Revolution in 1979, released another video urging demonstrators. in Iran to keep coming out. I know that you will not abandon the streets he's saying. Be assured that victory is yours. But that is by no means a certainty yet. And while there is unity in the desire of many protesters to see the demise of the Islamic State, the path towards it remains unclear.

Margaret Evans, CBC News, London. That communications blackout imposed by the Iran Iranian regime is making it difficult for information to flow out of the country. And that's especially hard for people with close ties. Sarah Levitt speaks with people in Canada's Iranian community who are doing their best to stay connected. Standing atop Citadel Hill in Halifax, a group gathers for the second day in a row, holding up Iranian and Canadian flags calling for regime change.

Ziba Mashkuri was there. I hope that we gain from this gathering. is to make awareness to the Canadian people here, to listen carefully what we're saying. The existence of Islamic Republic is not only bad for people of Iran and Middle East in general. Mashkuri came to Canada five years ago. She says she's worried about the complete communications blackout,

scared history will repeat itself. The last time that happened in Iran was in November 2019, which is now famous as bloody November. Within three days, the government after blackout killed at least 1,500 people. Yesterday marked the sixth anniversary of Iran shooting down a Ukraine International Airlines flight. All 176 people on board were killed, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents. Democracy for Iran. Democracy for Iran.

In London, Ontario, a commemoration became a protest about what's happened. happening now. We are here just to raise their voice. Visat Zardosch organized the gathering. This is the regime has to go for everybody, not only for Iranian, but for the Middle Eastern countries and for the peace, for the region, and all the world. In Toronto, Kaveh Sharoos checks on news from Iran. He's a senior fellow at the McDonald-Laurier Institute and says cutting off all communication

is the regime's way of preventing citizens of. from mobilizing, but also... It's a way for them to hide their crimes. Videos don't get out of the brutality that they're unleashing. I had been in touch with my family and friends prior to yesterday, but I know that they're participating and I worry about them because the small amounts of news that is trickling out seems to suggest that some real violence and real brutality has been unleashed.

Sharoos says Canada has a role to play in all this, beyond maintaining Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism. A lot of Iranian regime officials have come to, Canada over the years. Some of them live here or have their families here. We should ensure that those people are identified and ask the leave. So we ought to ensure that we're not a safe haven for those that engage in serious human rights abuses. Many already out protesting in Canada say they'll continue to do so to show solidarity with friends and loved ones in Iran. Sarah Levitt's CBC News, Montreal.

Syrian officials say a ceasefire with a Kurdish group in Aleppo, has failed, and the army is prepared to retake parts of the city held by the Kurdish forces. Syria's government had announced the ceasefire this morning. That was to allow the safe passage for those wanting to leave. The two groups have struggled to implement a deal to merge the Kurdish group into Syria's new government. Prime Minister Mark Carney is condemning Russia's use of a hypersonic missile in Ukraine. This is the second time Russia has fired the Oreschenik missile during the war. It reportedly flies at 10 times the speed of sound.

Ukraine says debris from the missile was found in the Leveef area in the west of the country. In a statement, Carney calls it a clear and dangerous escalation. Coming right up, a lot of Canadians were sick over the holidays. New numbers are giving us a better look at flu season. And there's new footage of the deadly Minneapolis shooting recorded by the ICE agent who pulled the trigger. Later, we'll have this story. Getting a robot to fold your laundry is no longer a dream.

Hello, everyone. How can I assist you today? And tech companies say this will be a breakout year for humanoid robots. It's an exciting time. It's part of the fourth industrial revolution that's playing on. I'm Nisha Patel in Toronto. How much is hype and how much is reality? That's coming up on your world tonight. New Data is painting a mixed picture of Canada's flu season early in the new year. And while there are signs of improvement, it depends on where you live. Jennifer Lagrasa breaks down the numbers and what we know about the dominant strain circulating in the country.

In a Toronto emergency room, patients know they're likely in for an hours-long wait. Our hospital is full. Dr. Kevin Wasco is North York General Hospital's Chief of Emergency Medicine. And we're now feeling the impact of a lot of our admissions that resulted from influenza A. For some patients, that means waiting on beds in the hallways of the emergency department. This has been a particularly rough week at our hospital. And they're not the only hospital stretched thin. Ones in southwestern and northern Ontario say they're overwhelmed.

But new national numbers are showing some promise. Data from the Public Health Agency of Canada shows that as of early January, slightly more than 27% of influenza tests were positive. That's down from more than 3,000. 33% last month. But different parts of the country are seeing varying levels of spread. Parts of British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec have widespread activity, whereas others are just at the start of their flu season. We still have to see where things go. Dr. Mark McKelvey is the medical officer of health with Newfoundland and Labrador's health services.

The region reported more than 120 cases about two weeks ago. What would be different about this year compared to last year is that our cases are going up higher earlier. They were absolutely miserable. Laura Sang is a family doctor in Quebec. She says a lot of her patients, likely sick with the flu, have been down and out longer than usual. They had more symptoms, higher fevers, more intense coughing than what they had previously experienced in past years. Despite this, the main circulating strain influenza A doesn't seem to cause more severe illness, according to the World Health Organization. The Public Health Agency of Canada says hospitalizations have stabilized and started to fall. And infections are down among younger people,

but people 65 years and older are still getting sick and of the highest rate of hospitalization. So we're well above average this year. In Waterloo, Ontario, Trevor Charles and his team are monitoring wastewater data. It will tell them what one region in the province can expect in the coming weeks. We might see another rise as a result of people coming together during the holiday. Health officials say people should get emergency care if they have severe symptoms like difficulty breathing or extreme weakness. Or in the case of young kids, if they have a high fever. Jennifer Lagrasa, CBC News, Toronto. The governor of Minnesota is calling it a day of unity.

But the fact is, his state and his country are deeply divided following a fatal shooting involving an ice agent on Wednesday. Now there's new footage of that incident that has sparked anger. and debate across the U.S. Katie Nicholson has more. Three protesters defiantly stand in the way of a crane erecting a heavy concrete barricade outside the Minneapolis complex where immigration and customs enforcement operates.

Not far away, Laird Beaver waves an upside-down American flag. If you're familiar with the term Minnesota Nice, there is still Minnesota Nice here, but it's waning a little bit. And I think our patience is being tried a little bit by the test. Many here are wary of what the weekend may bring. The Minnesota National Guard is now poised to step in if tensions boil over after an ice agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.

Stasia Goodman clutching an anti-ice sign worries the Guard's presence could make things worse. But any time you introduce a militarized force, it ups the tension. And I don't think what we need right now is more. people in tactical gear with weapons. For the last two nights, there have been large anti-ice protests in Minneapolis. Last night, Moore broke out across the country in Baltimore, Washington, and Portland, where two people were shot by border agents yesterday, prompting crowds to gather outside an ice complex in Portland.

Oregon officials say the state is investigating the incident, while in Minneapolis, the investigation into Wednesday's fatal ice shooting has been a flashpoint for anger after state officials say they were being shut out of the federal investigation. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye. And if you got nothing to hide from, then don't hide from it. Include local experts in the process. We got nothing to hide from here. The local county attorney Mary Moriarty also announced her own independent review of the shooting.

We are asking those in our community who have information or who have video or photos of the event to submit that information to our office. Among the evidence to consider video from the ICE officer's phone posted on X shared by Vice President J.D. Vance. It shows good speaking to the ICE agent from her car and provides another angle as she turned the steering wheel and drove forward. There are two warring and highly politically charged narratives about what happened that day and why. Well, you have to separate yourself from the politics, right? Christopher Darcy is a police practices consultant based in Las Vegas. You have to look at the incident and you need independence. You need a fair third party review, a party to oversee and ensure that everything is looked at appropriately.

And on the street where this firestorm started, today, a moment of silence. to remember good. Minnesotans asked by their governor to reflect today not on what is wrong, but he said what is good and right about this nation. Katie Nicholson, CBC News, Minneapolis. Mark Carney will likely spend the weekend packing and preparing. There's a lot riding on the Prime Minister's next trip.

He heads to China next week, trying to revitalize a trade relationship and resolve some major disputes over canola, EVs, and tariffs. Tom Perry has more on what we can expect. As of today, we're effectively shut out of the Chinese market. Chris Davison, the president of the Canola Council of Canada, says Canadian canola producers have been hurting ever since China decided to target them and their product with punishing tariffs. His hope that Prime Minister Mark Carney can persuade China. as leadership to ease off when he visits Beijing next week.

We've been very clear from our perspective from the onset of these issues that ultimately what we're looking for is to have the market reopened again. China imposed tariffs on Canadian canola, pork, seafood, and other products after Canada joined the U.S. in 2024 in imposing a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles to protect the North American auto sector. Flavio Volpe, president of Canada's automotive parts Manufacturers Association says that protection is still needed. In the last few years, the Chinese strategy has been to flood the world's western markets with product made in China.

Volpe says the Prime Minister needs to keep that in mind during his talks in Beijing. The Chinese have successfully put Western jobs against Central Canadian jobs. And the Prime Minister of Canada has an unenviable job of having to strike that balance. Ontario Premier Doug Ford this week urged office. to maintain its tariffs on Chinese EVs to Ford. If Chinese automakers want to sell vehicles in Canada, they should build them here. We can't back down, as simple as that. They want to come and open a big manufacturing facility and employ uniform employees.

Well, let's talk, but don't be shipping cars in, not manufactured by Ontarians. Federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald will accompany the Prime Minister on his China trip, but is saying little about what might come out of it. There's a lot at stake, obviously, in this meeting with the prime minister and going to China. We're working very hard, basically around the clock to negotiate with the Chinese government. We'll continue to do that as we move forward. Carney says this trip is part of a broader effort to diversify Canada's trade and make the country less reliant on the U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump has shown his willingness to use tariffs to pressure and punish America's allies, though trade experts warn China has shown it's just as willing to use its own economic might to get its way. Tom Perry, CBC News, Ottawa. The federal government is sending in the military to help residents in the Pima-Chicamac Cree Nation in northern Manitoba. A days-long power outage damaged hundreds of homes there. Thousands of residents were also evacuated. The government says a specialized team will help with water treatment, sewage and power generation. You're listening to Your World Tonight from CBC News.

And if you want to make sure you never miss one of our episodes, follow us on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. Just find the follow button and lock us in. The latest jobs numbers show more people looking for work, and that has pushed unemployment higher in Canada. Statistics Canada says unemployment in December was at 6.8%. That's up from 6.5% in November. Canada also created 8,200 new jobs in December.

The jobs market remains tough for young people. Unemployment rose half a percent for those aged 15 to 24. The rate for that age range is 13.3%. For Canada's national women's hockey team, the goal, as always, is gold. The main challenge, as always, the United States. States. The roster for next month's Milano Cortina Olympics has been unveiled. Julia Wong has a look at the squad,

what they're up against, and why defending their title won't be easy. As that will do, it's over from Beijing. Canada gold. It was a golden moment in 2022 that Canada hopes its women's hockey team will repeat at the Milano Cortina Games. And today, we will announce a team

of exceptional athletes to the women's hockey team. Today, Hockey Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee unveiled the 23-player roster. Catherine Henderson is the president and CEO of Hockey Canada. We know that there will be millions of Canadians cheering them on from coast to coast to coast, including young girls who dream of one day wearing the Maple Leaf themselves. Familiar names include forward Natalie Spooner, Marie-Philippe Poulin, captain during the last Olympics, and Blair Turnbull on the team in 2022, now an assistant captain.

When I reflect on the last quad and I think ahead to Milan, I am filled with nothing but excitement and confidence about what our team is capable of. But some consider the team an underdog against their biggest opponent, the United States. An empty net goal to seal the deal for the Americans. After last month's rivalry series, when the U.S. swept Canada in four straight games, outscoring the Canadians 24 to 7. Turnbull says people need to remember they are the defending Olympic champions.

I personally love being an underdog. I love having to fight and having to battle and compete as an underdog. Hockey analyst Becky Keller. The fact that they lost four in a row this season to the U.S., to my way of thinking is really of little consequence. Not that it's going to be as easy. They don't have the practice time, but I do think this group's got the experience and the belief in themselves.

The creation of the PWHL has also changed the dynamic for team building. The busy schedule of professional women's hockey has meant less opportunity to bring players together. The last four years have been different than past Olympics, Coach Troy Ryan admits, but he isn't phased. It's completely different, and obviously it's much similar to what the men's group will go through. Centralization is a special time, obviously, but I think when we're evaluating players, will take those meaningful games that they're getting other in the NCAA or in the PWHL. Meanwhile, with less than one month to go until the games,

the hockey arena in Milan is still incomplete. Despite that, today and this weekend, the venue is hosting an Italian hockey championship, a key test before the women's teams hit the ice February 5th. Julia Wong, CBC News, Edmonton. The Consumer Electronics Show has come a long way from TVs and tech gadgets. Wrapping up today in Las Vegas,

the stars of this year's show seemed to be going everywhere you might go, including the casinos. Nisha Patel explains. Hello, everyone. How can I assist you today? At the biggest tech trade show on the continent, human-inspired robots called humanoids were everywhere.

They're shaped like people and can now do the things we do, or coffee, play ping pong, even deal cards for blackjack. I'm going to deal a card to the player on my left. Enthusiasm from the AI software boom has helped drive huge amounts of money towards developing physical AI. Dan Ives, head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, believes it's a big opportunity. It's an exciting time.

It's part of the fourth industrial revolution that's playing on. Carmaker Hyundai unveiled a humanoid robot called Atlas. Please welcome Atlas to the stage. The company says Atlas will have. help assemble cars in its factories by 2028. Atlas here has joints that can move 360 degrees. This lets Atlas move even more efficiently than humans, particularly in manufacturing environments where every second counts.

But some experts suggest humanoids for mainstream consumer use are at least a decade away. Marie Charbonneau is an assistant professor of robotics at the University of Calgary. There's still a lot of work to do. There is so much that we still do not understand. She points out there's a big difference going from the factory floor to the living room, where children and pets make for a less predictable environment. It's going to be a lot more complex to make sure that they can go around the home in a way that's going to be safe. LG Electronics showed off its new home robot called Croyd,

which promises to make breakfast and fold laundry. And while it does seem like it's successful at completing the task, it's slow, folding one rectangular towel took a full 30 seconds. Tech analyst Karmie Levy expects it could be years before humanoids are ready for the mass market. It has to do it better than we can do it now. It has to do it relatively inexpensively. And it can't be a hassle to use. Right now costs very widely and depend on the humanoid's capabilities. Some from Chinese firm Unitary range from $50,000 to $150,000. It's a much bigger lift to convince consumers they should buy one of these things. And in many cases, the technology itself isn't as mature as it should be. Humanoids have come quite far, he says, but they're no match for humans just yet.

Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto. Finally tonight, she was the heart and soul of one of North America's longest running annual music events. Ruth Jones McVeigh, founder of the Mariposa Folk Festival, has died. Born in Halifax, Jones McVeigh moved to Orillia, Ontario in the 1940s, starting the festival in 1961 with her own savings. Mariposa focused on traditional Canadian folk acts like Ian and Sylvia,

growing over the years to become a major showcase of some of the biggest names in music. I am not looking for something. Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, and Bruce Coburn all performed at Mariposa early in their careers. Jones McVeigh left Orillia in the 1960s to focus on writing. She was a journalist and published several books. When Mariposa struggled in the 1980s, Jones McVeigh returned to Aurelia to help keep it going. In 2013, she spoke about the festival's future.

Well, I hope that it will sort of, as the expression goes, keep on, keeping on. A lot of the stuff that's happening politically and sociologically in the world will be translated into folk music because that's what it is. Over the years, there were changes to venues, format, and musical styles. But along with marquee performers, Mariposa still hosts musical workshops, children's programming, crafts, and storytelling, maintaining, The Folk Festival Vision, its founder established, more than 65 years ago. Ruth Jones McVeigh was 99 years old. This has been Your World Tonight for Friday, January 9th. I'm Stephanie Skendaris.

Thank you for being with us. Good night.