Your World Tonight - NATO spying, rising HIV rates, BTS snubs Grammys, and more

Episode Date: July 29, 2026

CBC News has learned more about a Canadian woman accused of spying at NATO headquarters. We have details on who she is, and where she’s worked.Also: Canada's HIV infection rates are on the rise, after years of progress.And: BTS is saying no to the Grammys. The K-pop band says they will not submit their music for nominations this year. The Recording Academy in the U.S. has added a new category that’s drawing backlash from musicians, fans, and critics.Plus: Fauci testimony, stolen copper, French fires, and more.

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You know, if people can't find clean needles, they're going to use dirty needles. And I just think it perpetuates the problem. New HIV transmissions on the rise globally and in Canada, according to the latest modeling data. Some experts are pointing to funding cuts in harm prevention for reversing decades of progress. Now there are questions about this country's wider commitments

to end the public health threat. This is your world tonight. I'm Kimberly Gale, also on the podcast. He brought in copper sheet on rolls brand new. It's about 30,000 pounds. They said, we'll tell them we can pay them, but we have to have an HST number. They got in the truck of the left.

Surging copper thefts. A major telecom company says it has seen the amount of wires stolen spike since this time last year, and they say it could have much more serious consequences than the loss of the precious metal. But we begin with a major update on a story we first brought to you last week. A Canadian intern at a branch of NATO accused of spying for a third country. A CBC News investigation has uncovered the identity of a Canadian arrested, on espionage charges last week in Belgium. A woman with an impressive resume

who held a series of sensitive jobs at home and abroad. Senior investigative reporter Jonathan Gaithouse joins us with the details. Jonathan, what can you tell us about this woman? Well, her legal name is Biwe Zhang. She also goes by the first names Claire and Katina. She's in her 30s and recently graduated with a master's in computer science from the University of Ottawa, specializing in artificial intelligence.

And her resume lists a series of jobs with high-profile organizations over the past decade, including the World Trade Organization in Geneva and the European Space Agency in Italy. She's also worked for the Canadian Space Agency, and before that, as an economist with Statistics Canada. But it's her most recent position as an intern at shape, NATO's military headquarters near Mont's Belgium, that led to her arrest last week on charges of espionage and belonging to a criminal organization. Under Belgian law, suspects are not identified until the charges go to trial,

but we were able to identify Zhang through her CV, academic writings, and various social media profiles, including a post last summer where she announced she was taking an internship with shape. We've reached out to Zhang but have not yet received a response, and of course we should note that none of these charges have been tested in the court. What can you tell us about that NATO job? It is a prestigious internship, only open to citizens of NATO's 32 member nations with just 35 positions each year. It does require a security clearance, which the internship program warns can take months to complete. And that vigorous background check would have been carried out by Canadian authorities, specifically the RCMP and CESIS.

We reached out to Global Affairs Canada, which oversees that process. They noted that such assessments are provided by CESIS, but that the final decision to, quote, grant, deny or revoke a security clearance rests with the federal government. And they declined specific comment on this case as it is the subject of an ongoing investigation. These allegations are getting a lot of attention at home and abroad. Did Canadian authorities miss anything here? Well, we did find a federal court of Canada ruling about Buei Shang,

one that found she had committed fraud in a job application. Back in 2019, she applied for a job with, Canada Border Services Agency through an online portal, submitting her application twice with a slightly different name and using two different email addresses. This enabled her to write the application exam twice over a 24-hour period. The Public Service Commission determined that this was fraud, and a judicial review by the federal court upheld that finding in a ruling last summer. And that's a finding that one would think might raise questions about someone seeking a sensitive job with NATO. All right. Thanks for this, John.

You're welcome. That was senior investigative reporter Jonathan Gatehouse. Prime Minister Mark Carney is pushing back at the idea of curbing energy exports to the U.S. to gain leverage in a trade war. At a news conference in Red Deal, Alberta, the Prime Minister was asked about holding back exports, including oil. Carney said that could harm Canada's reputation. Being a reliable supplier is important. Canadians are reliable.

Canadians can be trusted. One of the things that you see in the world. We have many exports and commodities. One of the biggest commodities, arguably the best, is trust. People trust us. And so when you're supplier of a key commodity, key service, you've got to think really hard about not supplying. One concession, Ottawa is making, eliminating a fee for online streaming companies.

The companies were being asked to pay 15% of Canadian revenue toward homegrown content. But Ottawa now says it will replace that money with government funding. The so-called Netflix tax was part of the Online Streaming Act that Washington has cited as a trade irritant. Canada U.S. Trade Minister Dominique LeBlanc was in Washington today. He says he had a comprehensive meeting with the U.S. trade representative Jameson Greer. HIV cases are on the rise in this country. New data from the Public Health Agency of Canada shows cases rose nearly 23 percent from 2022 to 2024.

Now, experts warn Canada is off track to meet its goal of ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030. Tashana Reid has that story. Activists hold signs protesting American cuts to HIV funding at the International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro. There, health experts shared a dire warning that the loss in funding could undo years of progress in the fight against HIV. Winnie B.Nima is. the Executive Director of UN AIDS. The AIDS is no longer limited by science. It's limited by inequality, by political choices.

At least 21 countries have reported a rise in HIV infections. Canada, now among them. New data released from the Public Health Agency of Canada says between 2022 and 2024, there's been a 23% increase in HIV cases. In 2024, it's estimated just over 2027. 2,500 new infections occurred. Dr. Julio Montana is the executive director of the BC Center for Excellence in HIV AIDS. And so what we're seeing is a resurgence of HIV, both new infections and AIDS,

which was until two or three years ago persistently declining because the strategy was working. Dr. Montana was a lead architect behind the treatment as prevention strategy, adopted by the UN to end the AIDS pandemic by 2030. It's calling for 95% of people with HIV to be diagnosed, to be on treatment, and to have a suppressed viral load. But Canada is failing to meet its targets. He says the government should increase tracking the virus, at least quarterly, and expand community supports. So imagine how badly are we positioned to possibly defeat an epidemic when we're looking in our rearview mirror to what happened two and four years ago, pretending that we know what's coming ahead of us.

This spring, Manitoba declared a public health emergency as HIV cases skyrocketed. Saskatchewan also reporting a significant rise. Daryl Jordan is a harm reduction worker in Saskatoon. A lot of people have lost connection with their care. They're not taking their medication. And that's due because they've got nowhere to be. Jody Jolamor is the executive director of Katie, an organization that supports people living with HIV and is at the conference in Brazil.

He says as the face of HIV changes, it is popping up in smaller communities without adequate infrastructure or support. HIV, it tends to thrive in pockets where there's the least connection to care in those communities where stigma or discrimination or racism may prevent someone from coming forth to get tested. But there is some hope. According to a UN report, a total of 11 countries, 7 within Africa, are on track to meet targets to eliminate HIV as a public health threat by 2030. Tashana Reid, CBC News, Toronto. Calgary police say they believe they've found the body of a child

who has been missing for nearly two weeks. Parker was an 11-year-old boy with autism. He was non-verbal. His body was found inside a pipe in a deep culvert after a tip from a member of the public. Chief Katie McClellan says his disappearance, July 16th, generated attention across the country. Many of the people involved in this search

formed a connection to Parker despite never meeting him. People from across Calgary, Alberta, Canada and around the world shared Parker's information, searched for him and held on to hope for his safe return. We remain committed to understanding as much as we can about what occurred and providing those answers to his family forever possible. Police say there is no evidence of anything criminal in Parker's disappearance. Coming right up, booming copper prices and thefts. The precious metal is disappearing from telephone lines and construction sites more and more often.

Plus, one of the highest-profile doctors in the U.S. on the hot seat over the origins of COVID-19. And later, we'll have this story. They're the world's biggest K-pop boy band. They're having the biggest comeback with new music and music. a sold-out world tour. But BTS is turning away from the Grammys, and fans are backing them up. You know what? Round of applause to the members.

So why is the group refusing to submit its music for consideration? I'm Akhti Gepa Salaset. I'll have that story coming up on your world tonight. It's used in wiring and pipes all across the country, and it's being stolen from infrastructure and work sites more than ever before. copper's rising dramatically in value, and Canada's largest telecom company is sounding the alarm about the impact. The CBC's Nisha Patel reports. When prices are up, you get a little more copper coming in.

Gary Dvorkin says more people are coming to his salvage yard trying to sell copper scraps. The founder of pure scrap metal in Oakville, Ontario isn't surprised. And if you bring in 100 pounds, you get seven or $800, that's a lot of money for most people. Demand is soaring for the metal that's used in everything from electric cars to data centers. Copper prices have surged 44% since August of last year, now trading at about $6.41 U.S. dollars a pound. That's making it a target for thieves trying to resell copper they've stolen, so these days, De Vorkin is vigilant.

I'd say we look out all the time. We do. If somebody's a new customer and they bring in a lot, the guys are told our guys ask them for a driver's life. Copper has been swiped from construction sites, railway crossings, and EV charging stations. Tampering has caused power outages, with London Hydro saying damaged infrastructure costs that utility more than a million dollars in repairs last year alone. Telecom companies are also concerned.

People are getting more and more organized and creative in how they do this, so it's becoming a bigger issue for everybody right now. Bell's Director of National Network Operations, David Joyce, says thieves are cutting down telephone lines more often than ever. When they remove the copper wire inside, they sometimes cut through fiber optic cables too. The damage can disrupt internet and TV services and emergency services like 911. Typically, they'll do it when there's not a lot of eyes watching. So we find that most of the stuff happens at night. Bell says it recorded almost 1,000 incidents of copper theft and vent.

vandalism across Canada over the first half of the year. That's up 78% compared to the same time last year. The majority of theft is taking place in Ontario, though there's been a serious uptick in New Brunswick and Quebec. Then we need people that are working around the clock to repair these services and bring in specialized equipment. So it can be quite costly. And each incident would be maybe in the tens of thousands of dollars or more. Bell has installed cameras and alarms to deter theft and has also been swapping. some copper lines over to fiber. Canada strengthened federal laws this month, too. Copper thieves who damage critical infrastructure will now face harsher sentences.

Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto. Westjet and its flight attendants have agreed to a plan on how to wind down operations ahead of any labor disruption. Flight attendants voted in favor of strike action earlier this month. They could walk off the job or be locked out by Sunday. FIFA, long accused of corruption and enriching itself from world soccer, has hit some serious pushback over its latest money-making scheme. The plan to sell game rights to private investors to generate billions

has ignited a chorus of condemnation in the soccer world. As Michelle Song tells us, one reason is the involvement of a member of Donald Trump's extended family. Just fresh off of Spain's triumph over Argentina in the 26 FIFA World Cup final, the not-for-profit organization is proposing to privatize part of the beloved tournament. FIFA plans to create a subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprises to sell 20% of its commercial rights to private investors, including a firm run by Joshua Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law,

Jared Kushner. But the plan has sparked major backlash. FIFA's president Gianni Infantino clarified it is simply a proposal at this stage. just an offer, not an obligation, and we are having the fiduciary duty to do so, and we are here to discuss it with everyone. Europe's soccer body UEFA says the game is not FIFA's to sell, calling an emergency meeting of its members for Thursday. Konkikaf, the North and Central American Soccer Federation, says it was blindsided by the lack of prior consultation.

Gareth Reeler is a commentator for one soccer. now this opens the door for more outside influence where decision making is made more from a position of profit than the play on the field. FIFA has given its 211 member federations a deadline of September 19th to vote. If the vote passes, those who vote in favor will receive a one-time payment of $20 million U.S., which could be particularly enticing to nations dependent on FIFA funding. Infantino says it plans to invest heavily in regions that are traditionally not featured on the World Cup stage. But former chair of the FIFA Governance Committee, Miguel Maduro,

says the organization needs to look beyond growing profits. It needs to make sure, for example, that tickets remain accessible to all the fans. It needs to make sure that the calendar of events is such that the well-being of athletes is not put into question. Infantino has tried to commercialize in the past. In 2018, he struck a deal worth tens of billions with the Japanese bank to create new global competitions. Ultimately, that was blocked by resistance from UEFA. But sports economist Moschalander says this proposal could go forward. I think that money, though, talks at the end of the day.

And if you can make sure that 211 organizations are getting enough of a payout that they can see it as being worth their while to sell their soul, it will happen. It just takes a little bit of time and a little bit of rocking back and forth. Inventino has been criticized for his relationship with Trump during this year's World Cup, a tournament that was lucrative for the organization. And Inventino is running for a final term next year. So far unopposed. Michelle Song, CBC News, Toronto.

A political spectacle to tell you about in the U.S. Capitol, an example of the deep divide among Americans that dates back to the pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci, once the face of Washington's COVID-19 response, was ordered to appear at a Senate hearing on the origin of the virus. But fearing a setup, Fauci refused. to answer any questions at all. Katie Simpson reports. I hope today Dr. Fauci will come clean.

This is the moment Senator Rand Paul and his fellow Republicans had been waiting for, a chance to grill Dr. Anthony Fauci under oath over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Who the fuck do you think you were for doing that? It is a total disgrace what you did to this country. They berated him, one after another, about the decisions he made and the advice he gave. While Senator Paul repeated his accusations that Fauci engaged in illegal activity, though he presented no credible evidence to back his claim. The COVID lockdown, however, could never have been inflicted without you aiding and abetting the crime.

To each and every assertion, Fauci delivered the exact same reply. I respectfully declined to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. More than 100 times Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment, which means he didn't answer the question citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination. But in his opening statement, he essentially argued that Republicans are using the hearing as a fishing expedition to try to get him to perjure himself, citing the numerous times Senator Paul has called for him to be jailed. Any reasonable person who has followed his unhinged obsession with me would readily come to the same conclusion. This effort is not necessarily surprising since former President Joe Biden gave Fauci

a preemptive pardon, one of several he granted to individuals who had become targets of President Donald Trump and Republicans fearing they would seek retribution. In this situation, the pardon isn't useful, though, since it applies to events before January of 2025. So I would say, sir, sit quietly and don't say another word. The hearing at times became heated. Senator, Paul ordered one of Fauci's lawyers to be removed from the room, prompting applause from some of Fauci's critics. And Republicans grew frustrated with Fauci's responses even to innocuous questions. What day the week is it today?

I respectfully declined to answer. But Democrats, including Senator Maggie Hassan, supported Fauci's strategy. And it must be enormously frustrating to know that this hearing is designed to entrap you. While Senator Richard Blumenthal accused Republicans of using this to try to score political points. The Trump administration has been engaged in a campaign to rewrite this history. The hearing illustrates that COVID-19 remains one of the most divisive issues in the U.S. The tensions will drag into next week when senators hold a vote on whether to hold Fauci in contempt

for refusing to answer questions. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. Firefighters in France just can't catch a break from the weather. Scorching hot temperatures and high winds are fanning. flames across the country. One huge fire has already triggered what's believed to be the largest ever peacetime evacuation in the country. The CBC's Nala Ayad was nearby when yet another fire started, and some of the 2,200 firefighters on the front lines scrambled into action. The order comes by radio from the ground, and all clear for reinforcements to come from above.

moments later they swoop in low, one plane after the other, shooting out arcs of water, to try to herd the flames from the sky, while firefighters at ground level go deep into the scorched forest to try to finish the job. Even this one small battle inside France's unprecedented wildfires is a multi-front effort. We have land resources and air resources. which help us to control this fire so that it doesn't spread further. Lieutenant Colonel Didier Niccolo tells me. France's fires have burned for days, leading to the displacement of more than 200,000 people.

Almost all of France's firefighters are here, says, Commander Mathieu Jomain. There are 20 aircraft currently deployed, and the strategy remains the same, he says. We'll go fast and will go hard on any new source. smoke that appears. Recently, there had been warnings that the fourth heat wave of the summer here could slow down the fight against fire, and worse, even spark new fires. We had just arrived to such a spot when the firefighters had discovered one of them and moved in to nip it in the bud. With the help of the water bombers, the smoke eventually dissipated, and the flames in this one small spot disappeared. The exhausted firefighters waiting by the side of the road, some with faces

blackened from the smoke. But the larger fire, affecting an area near Bordeaux, about four times the size of Paris, has changed the lives of thousands, like grocery store owner Lorain Mori. The most difficult for us is to observe that the fire forces have no control of the fire. The fire is stronger than us. And with weather continuing to work at cross-purposes, they must fight back one fire at a time. Nala Ayed, CBC News, near Le Temple, France. K-pop superstars BTS won't submit their music

for the 2027 Grammy Awards, amid controversy, over a new category for Asian pop performance. As Magda Gabri Salasi reports, The new award is drawing widespread backlash online, with some fans and critics saying it sidelines Asian artists. They're the K-pop band on a hot streak of a comeback. After a nearly four-year hiatus, BTS topped the charts with its new album, Arirang, released in March,

sold out its world tour, and yet at the height of this success, the bandmates have decided to opt out of the 2027 Grammys, announcing they're not submitting their music, for consideration. You know what? Round of applause to the members. Sok Finn Van is a co-founder

of the BTS Army Toronto fan group. She thinks the Grammys have long disrespected the K-pop band. Previously, the band was nominated five times, performed three times,

and never took home a trophy. They were kind of just being taken advantage of, I think, and not for their music, but just more for viewership. So I'm actually very proud that they took a stance. This stance comes just a month after the Grammys announced five new categories.

Asian pop performance is one of them. Tamar Herman is a writer and K-pop expert in New York. The reaction to the category was essentially like, well, you're doing this because you don't want to give BTS any of the bigger rewards, which I think is constantly the feeling when they create these categories. BTS said in its statement, quote, We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is rather than being divided by region or language. language. Stephen J. Horowitz, a senior music writer at Variety, is not alone in reading between the lines. I think they didn't want to be pigeonholed into being an Asian act. I think that they were a pop act and they probably felt that they would end up in this category or felt pressure to choose between pop or Asian pop.

The Grammys have yet to respond to all of this. But in a previous statement, its CEO said the new categories were all about representing more music and being more inclusive. To the Grammy's credit and the Recording Academy's credit, they really do make an effort to change. But for BTS fans, like Van,

that effort hasn't gone far enough. The world's changing. Music is changing. So let's try to be a little more inclusive without segregating. BTS thanked its army of fans for standing with them. The band will be making

its only Canadian stop of the tour in Toronto next month. Makta Geberra Salas, CBC News, Toronto. And finally, There could soon be more bumblebees and other pollinators buzzing around Prince Edward Island if Charles Lipnicki gets his way. We grow a lot of fruit crops on this farm, and every fruit crop needs a little help to get that pollination to give us a good yield.

He and his wife, Laura, own and operate the island hunting. wine company. They produce meat or honey wine and grow everything from lavender to hascap berries and apples. Now they're dedicating a section of land to three types of clover and their bright purple flowers with the pollinators in mind, but it isn't just about their crops. I think more because it's going to help the well-being of the bees themselves. They need as much help as we can give them. So anything we can introduce into our properties that enhances the nectar and pollen availability for these creatures is hugely beneficial. They're doing this by signing on to the Operation Pollinator Program,

which provides interested landowners with enough seed to cover nearly one hectare of land. Its aim is to increase habitat and biodiversity to allow pollinators to thrive. John Hooper is a dairy farmer and president of the PEI Soil and Crop Improvement Association, which runs the program with other partners. It will help us to increase the pollinator population that has been under steady pressure for the last 10 years. So it's one small thing we can do to help. Mike Beamish and his son both have Apple and Hascap Berry Farms

and take part in the program. He expects attracting the pollinators to have an even bigger impact over time. By attracting the pollinators, we're hoping that they set up their homes or some along the tree lines and so on. So next spring, they'll be active and ready to, to work in the orchard. Back at the island honey wine company, Charles Lipnicki says his pollinator field is there to stay,

and he encourages others to get involved too. There's no downside to having more pollination available. We have a big advantage here in PEI because we have so many areas that are hedgerowed and we have a lot of rolling hills here in central PEI. And that's the perfect location for the bees and other pollinators to find their forage. Thanks for being with us.

This has been your world tonight for Wednesday, July 29th. I'm Kimberly Gale. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca slash podcasts.