Your World Tonight - Jamaica damage, Carney and Trump at APEC, Blue Jays fans in LA, and more

Episode Date: October 29, 2025

“Total devastation” — that’s how officials in Jamaica are describing the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa. And aid will be slow to arrive, as most of the country has no power, and the international airport is closed. What’s not helping — the AI-generated images of the storm and the aftermath.And: Their eyes met, but there’s no sign that Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump are ready to move their relationship beyond that. But both are at the APEC summit in South Korea, and there is still a chance of talk. Back in Canada, Premier Doug Ford is saying the U.S. ambassador should apologize for screaming expletives at Ontario’s trade rep.Also: Canadian expats in California are gearing up for game five of the World Series. They've turned Dodger Stadium into a home away from home — coming together to root on their country's team.Plus: New Alzheimer’s treatment approved in Canada, Taiwan watches the U.S./China relationship, more than 100 people killed in Brazil police raid, and more.

This ascent isn't for everyone. You need grit to climb this high this often. You've got to be an underdog that always over-delivers. You've got to be 6,500 hospital staff, 1,000 doctors, all doing so much with so little. You've got to be Scarborough. Defined by our uphill battle and always striving towards new heights. And you can help us keep climbing.

Donate at lovescarbro.cairbo. This is a CBC podcast. This one was worse. It was terrible. The wind, it was violent. It was terrible. With a trail of washed out wreckage behind it and fear ahead, Hurricane Melissa is still moving through the Caribbean.

A massive cycle of despair, destructive and deadly, one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record is not done yet. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Wednesday, October 29th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. I like the ambassador, so he knows what to do. Come on, Pete, you've been around before Moses. Call the guy up and apologize.

Let's start getting back on track. The Canada-U.S. relationship status? It's complicated. As Donald Trump and Mark Carney come face to face, they are not on speaking terms. Official trade talks are off. But the U.S. ambassador still had a mouthful for a Canadian official this week. Now the S word Ontario's premier wants to hear is sorry. Jamaica is getting a clearer picture of the devastation left by Hurricane Melissa.

homes, schools, even hospitals have been destroyed. And rescue efforts are complicated, as much of the country remains without power. The storm also caused major damage in Cuba. And in Haiti, it's being blamed for at least 40 deaths. Chris Reyes has more on the aftermath and the challenges ahead. This is the aftermath. We're still in a total devastation. That's police officer Worrell Nicholson, surveying the damage in Black River, Jamaica,

in the western part of the island, most affected by Hurricane Melissa. All around him, flooded roads, fallen power lines, abandoned cars, and debris everywhere. A total disaster. The entire island nation is reeling after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa hit on Tuesday,

moving across the island over a six-hour period. It was the strongest recorded storm to make landfall in the country's history. Alvin English is a resident. president of Manchester Parish in central Jamaica, who sheltered through it. The wind, it was violent. It was terrible for all of us. I have a son here and believe me, it was actually crying. So we were all fall up and we were just weeping. Melissa's winds topped at almost 300 kilometers an hour, shutting down power and internet

for about 2.8 million people. Officials are only beginning to survey the extent of the damage. Many parts of the country are still unreachable. At a midday update, officials said 77% of the country is still without electricity. Desmond McKenzie is with the Jamaican government. The calls that we have gotten are distress calls. A person's trap on roof. I'm hoping that there are no debts to report on. But we are not in a position to make an official statement on debts

because we have not received any such information. In Cuba, Hurricane Melissa hit as a category three on Wednesday. Janellis Kundellin is a resident. She says it was terrible. The roof is gone, the kitchen, everything. The water flooded inside. Other parts of the Caribbean are also assessing the damage. Hurricane Melissa's path drenched Haiti with floodwaters turning deadly.

The United Nations is coordinating efforts to bring in relief supplies, some of it already waiting in hubs in nearby Barbados. Aid crews are on standby waiting for Jamaica's airports to reopen. That's expected tomorrow. Dennis Zulu is the UN coordinator for Jamaica. Some of the actions that will be taken is really around life support initiatives or life-sustaining initiatives, making available water, food and other resources that. that immediately in need by the people have been affected. The entire region bracing for a long recovery that's only beginning. Hurricane Melissa is now headed north towards Bermuda and possibly Atlantic Canada.

Chris Reyes, CBC News, New York. Images of the storm are all over social media, but not all of them are real. AI fakes aren't just fooling viewers. They're frustrating officials and making relief and rescue operations more complicated. Alison Northcott reports. The water came all the way up to the hotel. Sharks swim through a hotel swimming pool while a storm rages in Jamaica. The video posted on TikTok is dramatic, surreal, and fake.

As Hurricane Melissa continues its destructive path, videos generated by artificial intelligence are being published and shared on social media. All of these videos coming, many of them are fake. Jamaica's information minister, Senator Dana Morris Dixon, warned people to be careful about where their information is coming from. We urge you to please listen to the official channels. During emergencies, AI content can hamper rescue and relief efforts and mislead people about the threat, says Ali Asgari,

a professor of disaster and emergency management at York University. He says people need accurate and timely information to protect themselves. If the information, for example, falsely tells them that everything is okay, Of course, they may not be reacting as expected, which may put them in danger. On the other side, they may be overreacting to something that is looking like a catastrophe on thing that is not real. Another AI video shows a man on a makeshift raft trying to stay afloat in rushing waters, the caption saying Hurricane Melissa carried him out to sea. But even with the logo for OpenAI's video generator Sora burned on the image,

Dr. Kara Breson-Boyvin, with the Media Literacy Group, Media Smarts, says it's not always clear to users what's real or not. A lot of people don't know that, don't know that that watermark indicates it's AI generated. And even then, research, you know, very early research is starting to show that those visual cues aren't having the kind of impact that we would hope they would. She says that's why people need to inform themselves, check the source of the video, and avoid sharing it if you're unsure. But Fenwick McKelvey, an associate professor in information and communication technology policy at Concordia University, says the onus should not be on individual users. It can't be on individuals to be making this decision every day about whether the video their uncle post is fake or not. And that, I think, is the point where we really need to push past media literacy is just the solution

and look for more accountability on the part of platform. TikTok says creators have to label AI-generated content, and even then if it's harmful or misleading about important, important public matters, it's not allowed. Environment and climate change Canada says fake imagery of weather events not only puts people's safety at risk, it can also erode trust in experts to provide credible forecasts. Alison Northcott, CBC News, Montreal.

The seating plan didn't quite align with the current state of U.S.-Canada relations. Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump silently sat right across from each other at a summit in Korea. Their relationship strained and trade talks terminated in the fallout of an anti-tariff ad. Now, Ontario's Premier wants an apology from one American official who had plenty to say the other night. Murray Brewster has more. Awkward. That's about the only way to describe the snippet the media got to see of Donald Trump and Mark Carney's dinner with other leaders, raising a glass, locking eyes during a toast, and keeping things.

civil. How was dinner, Prime Minister? You chat with the President at all, sir? I have very good conversation with all the president. This was the first face-to-face meeting since Trump blew up trade talks last week. Before dinner, Trump posted on social media that he didn't come all the way to South Korea to talk to Canada. While Carney was busy managing the fallout of Ontario's anti-tariff ad, Doug Ford was doubling down. President Trump is taking direct to aim at Ontario and Canada. Trump's tariffs, they're hurting American workers, businesses, and families. Speaking at a news conference related to the development of critical mineral reserves

in the Ring of Fire region, Ford was asked about reports that the U.S. ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, went on an expletive-laden rant against Ontario's trade representative in Washington, apparently cursing Ford's decision to go ahead with the anti-tariff ad buy in the states. I like the ambassador, so he knows what to do. Come on, Pete, you've been around before Moses. Call the guy up and apologize. Let's start getting back on track. Getting back on track may be easier said than done.

With Trump not keen to resume negotiations in the near term and his pledge of additional tariffs on Canada, Carney's goal of finding another trading partner becomes more complicated. Some form of a discussion or dialogue with China has some level of value. Jonathan Berkshire Miller, a geopolitical expert on Mark Carney's planned bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday. Berkshire Miller says the Prime Minister shouldn't rush to fully embrace Beijing just because Canada's only outs with Trump.

China does not view its foreign policy tools the way that we may view our foreign policy tools. And the second that it feels that it needs to leverage any of those economic tools, again, it absolutely will. And it will be adversarial to our interests. Answering questions earlier in the week about the plan meeting, Carney downplayed expectations of a major breakthrough in his meeting with G. Murray Brewster, CBC News, Kiyong-Ju, South Korea. Tariff pressures are pushing the Bank of Canada to lower interest rates again. The central bank's key overnight lending rate now sits at 2.5%.

Bank Governor Tiff Macklam says the economy is suffering, but cutting interest rates alone cannot restore it. The federal government will release its plan for the economy next week in the budget on November 4th. The United States Federal Reserve is also cutting rates to a range between 3.75 and 4%. Coming right up, reaction from patients and doctors to the approval of Canada's first disease-modifying Alzheimer's drug. And local outrage and international concern after deadly drug rates, in Rio's densely packed favelas. Later, we'll have this story.

I'm Thomas Dagg at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, where Canadian baseball fans are making the trip to cheer on their team. One nation, one team, for Blue Jays. Let's go! For the first time in 32 years, the sports top trophy will be awarded north of the border, with the Blue Jays and Dodgers locked in a hard-fought battle. The story from the World Series, later on Your World Tonight.

A new Alzheimer's drug is coming to Canada. It is meant to slow early stages of the disease and is offering a hope to many families. But experts warn the treatment could be expensive and risky. Health reporter Lauren Pelly has details. I was forgetting my keys. I was forgetting my phone. Every day there'd be another little mini-drama happening at our house

because I'd forgotten something. Linda McMaster has early-stage Alzheimer's disease. The 71-year-old Toronto resident is undergoing tests to see if she's eligible for lachanamab, a new Alzheimer's drug that was given a conditional approval by Health Canada last week. McMaster hopes it could buy her more time with her family. I want to see my grandchildren grow up. That's what I want. Lecanamab aims to slow the progression of Alzheimer's, the most common type of dementia. It's the first drug of its kind approved in Canada,

one that's meant to target the disease itself, not just its symptoms. It's not a cure, but it is another treatment option that's now available in Canada, and it might be right for a very select number of people. Geriatrician Dr. Samir Sinha's Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Aging, he says Canadians desperate for a way to treat Alzheimer's could hit roadblocks accessing the drug. Patients first have to qualify, which includes genetic, testing to rule out gene variants linked to more serious side effects. It's also only for people in the early stages of the disease.

The challenge is that many people get diagnosed, you know, later in the disease process. It's also not a simple pill you can take it home, but rather a lab-made antibody that's given through an IV. You have to get infusions every few weeks and you have to get regular MRIs to make sure not having one of its most popular complications, which is that of microbleeds. Then there's the cost. The drug isn't covered yet in Canada, and doctors expect patients could pay upwards of $20,000 a year out of pocket. I'd like to see a little bit more research and a little bit more evidence to say that this is actually worth the burden of costs before I recommend a patient to go on this. This drug is based on something called the amyloid hypothesis.

Dr. Donald Weaver is a senior scientist with the Cremble Brain Institute at the University Health Network in Toronto. He says lachanamab is thought to target amyloid protein in the brain, which clumps together forming toxic deposits. And what lukanamab does, what this biologic agent does, is it attacks these clumps and tends to inactivate the amyloid before it can harm the brain. Weaver agrees there are major hurdles to patients getting access to the drug, but... It's still a step in the right direction. There's an option. Absolutely. You have an MRI scheduled.

Yes. You've had a spinal tap, and today you had a cheek swab. After so many tests through the Toronto Memory Program, it's now a waiting game for McMaster. She knows Lacanamab isn't a cure for her early-stage Alzheimer's, but says she wants the chance to try. Lauren Pelley, CBC News, Toronto. In Brazil, police say more than 130 people are dead

after a massive raid on a drug gang in Rio de Janeiro. It's the deadliest police operation the city has ever seen. scene, Cameron McIntosh has more on what led to the raid and the anger that followed. On a packed street in one of Rio's slums, dozens of bodies lay side by side. Friends and relatives covering the dead with blankets. I just want to take my son out of here and bury him, says Tawa Brito. Her son, one of the dead. There are a lot of people crying, she says,

but outside a lot of people are applauding what they did, which was a massacre. Authorities are calling the raid which left dozens dead and dozens more injured a large-scale security operation to counter the expansion of the criminal organization Commando Vermello, also known as Red Command, which controls much of the drug trade in Brazil. About 2,500 civil and military police officers were involved. Police using drones, helicopters, and more than 30 armored vehicles, the gang, fighting back with armed drones. We are carrying out the largest operation in history, said Rio State Governor Playao Castro,

as he framed this as a fight against narco-terrorism, but could not say for certain that non-gang members weren't also caught up in it. If there's any error in classification, he said, it's certainly residual, which is insignificant. The UN Human Rights Council and Brazilian human rights groups condemn the raid as excessive and demanded investigations. The governor wants to bill himself. It's tough on crime. Gabriel Fannari is an expert in Brazil's drug trade with the global initiative against transnational crime in Sao Paulo. He says political considerations likely had an influence with the effectiveness of the raid in question.

What we know so far of the people who were killed is that they were mostly foot soldiers. So these were low-level drug traffickers. The Brazilian government says it was not previously informed. The first impression is clearly that this was an extremely bloody and violent operation, said Brazil's Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski. Canada had already issued a high degree of caution advisory for travel to Rio because of crime and violence. That remains.

Back on the street, fear of the cartels and mistrust of police run deep. I've never seen anything like it before. It's terrifying, says store cashier Dulce Justino, of a situation that has left more than 100 dead with no promise anything will get better. Cameron McIntosh, CBC News, Winnipeg. As we told you earlier, Donald Trump is in South Korea on the last leg of his Asian tour.

Today he finalized a trade deal with Seoul and says he expects another one tonight after his meeting with China's Xi Jinping. At the core of the talks tariffs, but Taiwan could be a flashpoint as the self-governing territory is facing new threats from China. Chris Brown visited one Taiwanese community where people are constantly reminded of the potential for conflict. Through an accident of history, the Kinman Islands are Taiwan's outpost on China's doorstep. The skyscrapers of Shamion are just a few kilometers across the bay, dominating the skyline from Kinman's beaches

which are covered with anti-tank spikes and other relics of past conflicts. Giant loudspeakers on the Kinman's side that once blared propaganda now get turned on a couple of times a day for tourists. Of course, I'm worried about another war, says Jerry Wu, a taxi driver and tour guide on Kinman. The size of their military and weaponry

is many times bigger than ours. In 1949, near the end of the Chinese Civil War, retreating forces of the Republic of China made a last stand in Kinmen against the Communist Army. The communists never managed to capture the islands, but to this day, Beijing claims all of Taiwan as its own and is not renounced using force to get it back. While there's been an uneasy piece for decades,

Taiwanese military analyst Jeremy Chan sees indications that China is laying the groundwork to take democratically governed Taiwan by force. We call it zero day, right? It's not a D-Day, it's zero-day. But do you believe it's coming? Well, they are preparing, so we got to get prepared as well.

China's military has launched a huge spending spree, including a big naval build-up and daily patrols close to Taiwan. Taiwan has responded with its own drills, including live-fire exercises. I don't see anything happening. The U.S. is bound by the Taiwan Relations Act to give the island the means to defend itself. But notably, U.S. President Donald Trump

has not promised to come to Taiwan's defense. In this Kinman day market, fishmonger Cherry Lee says China's relationship to Kinman is complicated. Economic and personal ties are strong. And although China is very close, she says the threat feels distant. In my view, China's military exercises are just routine drills. No war will break out, she said.

In an interview with Taiwan's vice president, Xiaobi Kim said the U.S. policy of helping Taiwan has been stable for decades. And even with an unpredictable leader, such as Donald Trump, she doesn't see that changing. Keeping Taiwan secure and stable is a focal point of stability in the entire Indo-Pacific region.

If they start a war, said Jerry Wu, the taxi driver, they'll pay a costly price, so they likely won't, but they will keep harassing us. On Kinman, the past never feels far away. People have learned to live with the echoes of war, and the uncertainty of when or if, they'll hear them again. Chris Brown, CBC News on Taiwan's Kinman Islands. Health Organization says the RSF militia in Sudan has killed 460 people at a maternity hospital.

Reports say the paramilitary forces stormed the hospital in El Fasher and attacked patients, workers, and visitors. The head of the WHO says all attacks on health care must stop immediately and unconditionally. The two-and-a-half-year war between the RSF and the Army has created what the UN calls the world's biggest humanitarian crisis. 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. The Toronto Blue Jays have one last night in Los Angeles before the World Series shifts back to Toronto for what many hope will be a Hollywood ending. Millions of Canadians have been following the team's post-season ride, including a handful who call California home. Thomas Dagler caught up with some of them and has this report. In a crowd of 56,000, mostly wearing Dodger Blue, it can be hard to spot the hats and jerseys in Blue-J-Blue, but listen closely. Jay's, let's go!

And on the Dodger Stadium concourse, you'll find them. Canadians from B.C., Alberta, Ontario, and beyond, and some living stateside. One nation, one team, go Blue Jays. All here to root for the country's only big league ball team. Flew in this morning, walked around, got some food, watched the game, and fly back tonight. That's an aggressive move. Never been here before. Never thought I'd ever be to a World Series game in my whole entire life.

As the national anthem rang through the stadium for a sound check, there was no hint of political drama. It's really special to see him turn out in Los Angeles, of all places. It's pretty darn far from Toronto. Jay's players Ernie Clement and Louis Varlane, among the Americans on the team, embracing the Canadian support. It's for sure makes a difference, having people in the stand behind us supporting us. and hearing those Blue Jays' chants are great. Across town at the Canadian-owned Attitude Cafe, Jay's fans have been taking in the World Series on a big screen

and cheering all the way. Montreal native Gianni DeFazio runs the place. We offer the moose at beer. We have the same-eater bagel. We have the Canadian-smoked meat. We do the putteen. And we watch the game together. After 33 years in L.A., he considers the Dodgers his hometown team.

Paul Mercer does not. It's great. There's lots of Blue Jay fans tonight. I thought it was going to be all Dodgers, right? My daughter and I came out when our Blue Jays. My wife, unfortunately, is a traitor. It's okay. Another long-time California resident, he's never stopped wearing his Jay's gear, even though his family has split allegiances when it comes to baseball.

All I have left from my Toronto days is my beer mugs, and I'll be filling them for the next games. And when we win the whole thing, I'll be hoisting a beer, and I'll be calling my friends in T.O. saying, yeah, we did it. Did it, yeah. Tonight, the Jays looked to take a three games to two lead before the series moves back to Toronto.

For the first time in 32 years, the Commissioner's Trophy will be handed to the World Series winner in Canada. It may be America's pastime, but baseball's biggest stage is returning north of the border. Thomas Dagg, CBC News, Los Angeles. We close tonight with a countdown, 100 days to go. until one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Where does bravery live?

Inside every Canadian in the moments that define us. The Canadian Olympic Committee launched its Brave is Unbeatable campaign today, 100 days out from the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Canada's Chef de Mission is the former gold medalist freestyle skier, Jennifer Heil. It's such a perfect theme because, At the end of the day, we're all just Canadians, you know, young kids with dreams, and it really is the courage and the bravery that defines the journey. It all starts February 6th in northern Italy.

Nearly 3,000 athletes from 93 countries will compete. The games will be the most geographically spread out in Olympic history. The two main sites, Milan and the ski resort community of Cortina, are more than 400 kilometers apart. Hyle says the distance will be a challenge. challenge for Team Canada. Yes, our athletes are quite spread apart in these games, but we're going to use, you know, digital tools, connect each other.

We're going to be connected by video from athlete lounge to athlete lounge, and it is an important part of what we're doing. These are the 25th Winter Olympics and the first to be held in Europe since 2006. CBC is the official broadcaster. Thank you for joining us. This has been your world tonight for Wednesday, October 29th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.