Your World Tonight - Navalny death investigation, Protests for Iran, Neutral athletes at the Olympics, and more

Episode Date: February 14, 2026

Five European countries are accusing Russia of using a rare poison from dart frogs on Alexei Navalny, which led to his death two years ago. The popular dissident, who had previously recovered from another suspected Russian poisoning, headed an opposition movement against president Vladimir Putin. The announcement overshadowed the gathering of the Munich Security Conference, which has also been a test of western allies relationship with the U.S.Also: Hundreds of thousands of protesters filled Canadian city streets today. Its part of a Global Day of Action -- as Iranian communities call for regime change. Sparked by an economic crisis, the protests began in December but have spread beyond Iran... with the largest held in Munich, Los Angeles and Toronto. It also comes as fears grow over a potential military intervention by the U.S.And: The Milano Cortina Olympics are well underway. But 20 athletes are competing as neutral, not for their home countries. That's because of restrictions that also bar one of the fiercest hockey nations from taking part.Plus: Canada's FIRST Inuit-led university, Olympic newbies, Dating in Hong Kong, and more.

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This is a CBC podcast. The future is really dangerous. Nobody knows if the United States is going to attack Iran, it will have a very terrible consequences. Anxiety inside Iran and out as huge global demonstrations call for regime change after thousands of protesters are killed. This is Your World Tonight. I'm Stephanie Skandaris.

Also on the podcast, the Munich Security Conference was supposed to focus on the EU relationship with the U.S. but it's been rocked by an announcement about the death of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. And the energy of the Olympics is something that I will never forget. More than half of Canada's Olympic team at Milano Cortina are newbies, and alongside the veterans they're experiencing that famous catchphrase, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. There's been a significant announcement at the Munich Security Conference.

The UK, after a joint investigation with European allies, says Russia killed opposition leader Alexei Navalny using a toxin from dart frogs two years ago. Navalny was serving a three-year sentence in a Siberia prison on charges that human rights groups say lacked credibility. He was a popular dissident who headed an opposition movement against President Vladimir Putin and had already recovered from another suspected Russian poisoning. The announcement has overshadowed the security conference, which has also been a test of Western allies' relationship with the U.S. Abbe Cucidthosin is covering all the developments.

Abby, what more do we know about this accusation? We know that five countries have been working together for quite some time to piece together what happened to Alexei Navalny in that Siberian penal colony. It's the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Germany. They've all now accused Russia of using a very rare dark frog poison on Navalny, which caused his death. about two years ago. Now we understand that before he was buried in his homeland, samples from Navalny's body were secured and delivered to labs outside Russia. And today, his widow, Yulia

was flanked by the British and German foreign ministers, thanking them for proving what she had always believed. Now, it's not just worse. It's scientific proof that my husband, Alexei was poisoned and killed by Russian government and by Vladimir. Putin in Russian phasing. The German foreign minister, Johann Vadoful, spoke today as well. He said the nerve toxin is 200 times stronger than morphine and that it suffocates the victim. Moscow has always denied any responsibility in Navalny's death. Navalnya was actually here in Munich at the security conference in 2024 when news broke

that her husband had died in Russian custody. And this development had a stunning effect at this conference. where the major topic was supposed to be security relations between Europe and the U.S. A year ago at the same conference, America's security relations with Europe, appear to nosedive. What's the tone a year later? Yeah, there's been a lot of comparison already between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's speech this morning and Vice President J.D. Vance's last year. Vance was more combative, and he really stunned European officials with his language and tone. Rubio, meanwhile, was gentler and friendlier

sounding perhaps, but his message was actually the same. That message being, the United States under Donald Trump no longer believes in the rules-based international order. It will continue to behave in a transactional manner, even with one's close allies like the EU and Canada. And it believes that Western civilization is under threat, not from Russia or China, but immigrants. This is not the view in most European capitals. That's not the view in Ottawa under Prime Minister Carney either. Here's what Rubio had to say on immigration. We must also gain control of our national borders. Controlling who and how many people enter our countries, this is not an expression of xenophobia.

It is not hate. It is a fundamental act of national sovereignty. Still, because of the way he delivered his remarks while speaking about shared history and culture between the U.S. and Europe, promising that Washington wants a stronger Europe, there's not as much controversy. Munich this time around. Abi, thank you so much. Thank you, Stephanie. Abbe Huguesasen in Munich. Hundreds of thousands of protesters filled Canadian city streets today, part of a global day of action as Iranian communities call for regime change. The protests in Iran began in December, sparked by an economic crisis. Human rights agencies say thousands of people there have been killed. Now the protests

have spread around the world with the largest held in Munich, Los Angeles, and Toronto. Philip Lys Shenok has more. Chanting regime change and long-lived the Shah, more than 200,000 gathered peacefully in Munich, calling for an end to Iran's current regime. They shouted support for exiled crown prince, Reza Palavi, who's lived in exile in the U.S. most of his life. He told the crowd it's time to bury the Islamic Republic.

I would be ready to return. Absolutely. I'm prepared. The sooner the better. Polavi has faced controversy over his actual leadership ability and close ties to the U.S. in Israel. During a media conference, Palavi said he's heeding the call of his people to help in their liberation. Among them, we will find a very diverse group of people with different political persuasions, but they all believe that we need to be united at this time.

In Toronto, 24-year-old protest organizer Roe Rahimi says 300,000 came out to support Pahlavi's call. This time he was like, all right, I want all of you guys to concentrate in three cities. And one of them is Toronto. Protester Jasmine Zandi waved a pre-1979 revolution Iranian flag and a picture of Pahlavi. I'm a monarchist, so we're the only alternative now. And now, given the fact that people started the protests in Iran, they were chanting, you know, his name. Others condemned the Islamic regime's brutal crackdown on protesters. U.S.-based human rights activist news agency estimates at least 7,000 people have been killed.

Morteza Deghani says his cousin and her husband were shot dead during a protest. They were shot on the same spot. Beiru was shot in head at the hands of security forces, and Mansour rushed, in fact, to help him, and Manso was shot. Canada added sanctions against those linked to the regime's campaign of repression. This comes as military tension builds between the U.S. and Iran over its nuclear capabilities. Oral Braun teaches international relations and political science at the University of Toronto. A regime that is this brutal, that is this murderous, if it has a nuclear arsenal, it can defy the rest of the world.

It can continue to do horrible things to their own people, and they've demonstrated that there are no limits to what they're prepared to do. While U.S. President Donald Trump warns Iran to make a deal soon, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says while Canada wants a change of government in Iran, it would not support U.S. military action. Philip Hanox, CBC News, Toronto. Still ahead, the Milano-Cortina Olympics are well underway. But 20 athletes are competing as neutral, not for their home countries, because of restrictions that also bar one of the fiercest hockey nations from taking part.

That story, plus why a Ukrainian athlete received a medal other than an Olympic one is all coming up on your world tonight. The small BC town of Tumblr Ridge remains deep in shock and grief. It's been four days since a mass shooting there, mainly at a high school, and one day since a public vigil that gathered Prime Minister Mark Carney and all the party leaders. Sam Samson is there and tells us more. As the weekend unfolds in Tumblr Ridge, the quiet takes hold. The politicians are gone. There are few reporters left, but the reality of what's happened here is stark. The flowers remain, and candle still burn from last night's vigil,

where Canada's top politicians shared condolences. And when we leave here tonight, and some of you go back to quiet houses, some of you go back to empty rooms, please know that you're not alone. We are all, as we were in that plane together, mothers, and fathers. The community of fewer than 2,500 is mourning the loss of eight people killed in a mass shooting this week. An 18-year-old first killed her mother and half-brother at their home, then went to the high school and began shooting at students and staff.

She killed five children, ages 12 to 13, and one educator. My son lost his best friend. Timothy Faville's son was close with 13-year-old Ezekiel Schofield, who died at the school. The family also knew the shooter's mother and half-brother. RCMP say they had responded to mental health calls at that home in the past. Timothy says, like with many small communities, there are not enough mental health resources in Tumblr Ridge. We travel 1,400 kilometers to go and see a psychiatrist for my youngest.

His wife, Becca, agrees. They have four neurodivergent children, and getting them the care they need has been a challenge. We have a doctor shortage. We have even fewer mental health care professionals. than we do doctors. The RCMP's investigation continues this weekend, including looking into where the shooter got a hold of the guns she used in the attack.

RCMP officers had removed firearms from the family home in the past, but eventually returned them. Officers say during this attack, the shooter had two guns at home and used a shotgun to kill her mother and half-brother. They say that gun had never been seized by police. Two other guns were used at the school. One of them, police say, had not been seized by police before either. We need to know much more about why weapons were seized, clearly why they were returned.

Irvin Wallin is a professor emeritus of criminology at the University of Ottawa. We have a red flag law in Canada that basically says the police can seize arms if they have reason to suppose they might be used to kill an individual or to hurt people around that individual. but normally they would only be returned if everyone is sure that the original reasons were mistaken. The RCMP continue their forensic investigation at the school, still surrounded by yellow police tape. Work they hope to finish this weekend, as well as the eight autopsies of those killed. Information essential, police say, for this small town struck by grief. Sam Samson, CBC News. Tumblr Ridge, British Columbia.

The town of Arviat, Nunavut, got some big news this week. It's going to be home to Canada's first Inuit-led university. The idea is to give Inuit students the chance to go to university and stay connected to their community, language, and culture. Olivia Stefanovic reports. I was mind-blown. At a reception in downtown Ottawa, 19-year-old Tyson-Preske is celebrating Arviot,

the small Nunavut Hamlet, where he grew up, that's about to become the future location of the main campus for the first Inuit-led university in the country. It'll open a lot of doors because I know it's hard for a lot of Inuit to move from their homes thousands of kilometers away just to go to school. Prusky knows what that's like. He and his 21-year-old sister, Chelsea, moved to Ottawa from Ekelewit for their education. Yeah, it was such a huge jump.

Just being able to take that step out of my own comfort zone took so much strength. Canada's only Arctic Region University is in the Yukon, not in the Inuit homeland, and more than 3,000 kilometers from McAllowe. And we're the last people that the government thinks about until now because of the political climate. Paul Irnout is the president of Nunavut-Tunovic Incorporated, the legal representative of Inuit in the Territory. It's donated more than $130 million towards the university, largely from royalties collected through a land claims agreement.

Now it's waiting for the federal government to do its part. It's disappointing, but I hope in the end they will come up with the money because it's for the benefit of Canadians. Ottawa promised support for an inmate governed university in last year's federal budget, but didn't specify a dollar amount. The Prime Minister has told me that the government of Canada intends to allocate $50 million. Natan Obed is the president of the Inuit-Teperi Canatami, the national organization representing Inuit and driving force behind the university's creation.

This university will allow for people for Inuit to gain skills that will help our communities and give back. A defining feature of the university, he says, will be its focus on Inuit self-determination, leadership and cultural advancements. With classes taught in and of Inuctutut, the main language spoke. in Arviate and across the Inuit homeland. For years, I never thought it would become possible for there to be a post-secondary other than Arctic College in the North. Chelsea and her brother Tyson say they both plan to apply.

That opportunity finally arising for the next generations means a lot. Doors are expected to open by 2030, welcoming about 80 staff members and 100 students. Olivia Estevanovich, CBC News, Ottawa. Russia is still officially banned from being represented at the Olympics, but 13 of its athletes are competing in Milano-Cortina, along with seven athletes from Belarus. They aren't officially representing their countries. They're classified as neutral athletes.

Breyer Stewart has more. And he is from St. Petersburg, Russia making his Olympic debut. When Peter Gumanick began his skate on Friday evening, a few of his supporters wore brightly colored shows. shirt saying they were on Team Gumanik. It was a personal way to cheer him on and avoid the fact that the 23-year-old Russian isn't allowed to represent his country. He's here as a neutral athlete.

Olympics is a really great competition. I really hope that it won't be my only Olympics. Under rules set out by the International Olympic Committee, Russian and Belarusian athletes could only compete at the games if they passed discreet. process, ensuring they hadn't made statements supporting Russia's war and didn't have any contracts with security services or the military. The restrictions were imposed after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Under the rules, no teams can participate in the games, which means Russia won't be competing in hockey.

We have only coaching athletes, and it's part of them is from not very popular sport. Vladimir Ivanov is a correspondent with the Russian sports website and is covering the biathlon in Italy. He told CBC news that in Russia, interest in the Olympics is low. But competing without the flag is no longer seen as such a big deal. Neutral status much better than nothing. Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, the country was sanctioned because of a state-sponsored doping program exposed after Russia hosted the Olympics in Sochi. But after the invasion, the door shut completely for many. Dozens of international sporting The United States' participation.

Now Russian officials say about 70 federations are allowing its athletes to compete, and Moscow is focused on getting the mall fully reinstated. Ukraine has repeatedly spoken out against the presence of Russian athletes at the Games. For me, I really can understand why they're still here and also can... Yelizaveta Sudorco is a short track speed skater from the Sunni region which borders Russia. Her father is in the military fighting in the eastern part of the country. We are fighting for our freedom for our lives, but the country attacked our country every day, every night.

She says she also doesn't understand why her teammate's skeleton racer Vladislav Horoskevich was not allowed to compete, wearing a helmet commemorating Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia's war. In the end, he was banned from competing. But on Saturday, he was. he joined Blodomier Zelensky in Munich, where Ukraine's president awarded him the Medal of Freedom on the sidelines of a major security conference.

Breyer Stewart, CBC News, Milan. There are 207 Canadian athletes competing in the winter games. About half of them are making their Olympic debut, and that's exciting just in itself. It's an experience these athletes will carry for the rest of their lives. If they go home with a medal or not, Sarah Levitt has a couple of those stories. race. Jakara Anthony, Jessica Linton of Canada.

After facing off against the eventual gold medal winner, Vancouver's Jessica Linton says she was stoked to be skiing alongside Australia's Jakara Anthony in an attempt to make it to the quarterfinals of women's dual moguls. Very brave performance by Jessica Linton. Jikara is just such a beast. Linton and the three other Canadians competing didn't manage to make it to the quarterfinals, but she says her first Olympics has been a big. amazing. It's been such a cool experience and it's been really amazing being here and seeing what

the events are like. Linton had one complaint. Of course, not the best results that I was looking for, but happy with my skiing overall. So yeah, 9.5 at 10. The energy of the Olympics is something that I will never forget. Maya has everything it takes to compete. Maya Swinghammer also did in advance, but earlier in the week, she secured a fifth place finish in the women's moguls. And while she hoped for better results, she still loved her time in Lavinio. It's been an overwhelming amount of support and love and intensity and just it's the Olympics. It's crazy. It definitely holds a special place in my heart. I'm so grateful I was able to qualify for the team.

Maya's dad, Rick Swinghammer, went viral during the opening ceremony for giving an emotional interview about the pride he has for his daughter. get you all emotional, but it's so fun to be. It's awesome. And as that first Olympic experience ends for Maya, Rick was at it again. It's good. Got to get my stuff together.

The tears couldn't be held back. I just were proud. She did top to bottom runs. She placed really well. It couldn't be better. I mean, it's just to all the families here watching and cheering. Rick can probably go ahead and pre-book hotel. for the French Alps, as Maya is already looking ahead to the next Winter Olympics.

I just wish four years was tomorrow already. Yet another chance to go for gold with a little bit of patience. Sarah Levitt's CBC News, Livigno, Italy. 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. In case no one has said it to you yet, happy Valentine's Day.

This is one of the biggest nights of the year for dining out. But while millions of Canadians are enjoying romantic meals, the rising cost of food and rent are causing restaurateurs to have harsh palpitations. According to a recent survey, nearly half of Canadian restaurants are struggling to stay afloat. Abby Hughes reports. It's mentally exhausting. Frederic Chartier is usually focused on cooking at his restaurant. But now, the Shelburne, Ontario chef is also a dishwasher, server, and bookkeeper.

Fewer diners has meant less money coming in, so he's had to cut staff and hours. Up until three years ago, we had staff. It was great. I had dishwasher every weekend. Now it's just work, work, work, trying to get by. He also got a part-time job to help pay the bills. And according to a new report, he's not alone in his financial struggles. Restaurants Canada surveyed 220 of their members late last year. They found 44% of restaurants surveyed were either operating at a loss or just breaking even. In 2019, only 12% were in that position.

So it is a very concerning number that is going to impact jobs. It's going to impact shifts. We're going to see more restaurant closures. Kelly Higginson is the president and CEO of Restaurants, Canada. She says the rising cost of everything from food to cutlery is taking a toll. The same things that Canadians are struggling with and cost increases, our operators are struggling with. And restaurants are getting hit twice by. the rising cost of food, according to food economist Mike Bonn Maso, first by raising their

own costs, and again when customers feel pinched and pull back on extras, like dining out. We all need to buy groceries, so if we're squeezed there, we go to the restaurant less, and if they increase prices to adapt to that, then they dig themselves an even deeper hole. Survey respondents also said they plan to raise menu prices this year, by an average of 4%. But Higginson says restaurants still aren't passing on all of their add. costs. So while we may see that 4% increase in menu prices, that definitely does not reflect the increase in operations for our businesses. Shartier hopes the government can put more money in people's pockets to spend at restaurants like his. But unless that happens,

I don't want to have to shop because I've been cooking for 30 years. But if people don't come in, I don't know. Everything is in your open right now. Abby Hughes, CBC News, Toronto. The search for love is universal, no matter who you are or where you live in the world. Laura Westbrook is in Hong Kong and was curious to find out how people there look for a sweetheart these days. I just put my basic information. Joey Lee has never used a dating app, though the 23-year-old is still meeting men online. On the Chinese version of Instagram called Xiaohong Shu, she wrote a detailed post about herself, including her hobbies, height and weight.

and then what is her ideal type? I want to find a boy with patient and also like go to gym. She says she's now been on multiple dates. Lisa's meeting people this way is more direct and deficient. I think if I post the information like what kinds of boys that I like or I just post my ideal type directly, I think someone who sent the messages are meet my standards. Relationship coach Valentina Tudos says this approach is just an online version of an older way of doing things.

The parents used to take pictures and details of their sons and daughters and go to People's Park in Shanghai and literally have like a market for what do you think of this person. But it's also, I think, a very good thing when people go out there with clarity and intention. A Forbes survey last year found 78% of American respondents reported for, feeling emotionally, mentally or physically exhausted by dating apps like Tinder or Hinge. And many are turning to in-person events to meet people instead. 39-year-old Brent Douglas met his partner at a bar after ditching the apps. I stopped using it because I was like, this is pointless.

I'd rather just meet people at the bar because you see someone and I look at them and they look at me. I was like, oh, okay, well, cool. Let's go talk. It's just so much easier. Melissa Liu is single and she is not on any dating apps. I do not want to be someone to be, you know, children out of a lot of swipes. She says her friends feel the same way. It's not like in the past where, like, you only meet one person, you want to spend a life with this person. And it's all about romantic loves.

Nowadays, what people are looking for are more, I would say, for, like, shallow relationship. As apps like Tinder and Bumble shed users, relationship coach Valentina says it appears... The whole dating app, meeting people online. That is now phased. because people have experienced it almost too much. And now we go back to basics.

I think in many areas of our lives right now, we want to go back to basics, not just with dating. Leading people back to seek connections in new and old ways. Laura Westbrook for CBC News, Hong Kong. L is for the way you look at me. Oh, is for the only one. I see V is very, very extraordinary

probably stands for economical this Valentine's Day. It's maybe the most commercial of all the holidays, and however you feel about that, it usually translates to big spending on a special something for a special someone. Well, the spending and the something

are shrinking for a lot of people right now, as they told CBC's Ali Shia at a Toronto flower shop. Things have gone up and I think it is tough. I'm not getting the whole bouquet, unfortunately, this year. Kyle Stowe from Eden Flowers explains that inflation and tariffs have changed things. Flowers come from Ecuador, so those definitely take a hit. So obviously, roses are way more expensive than usually are.

There have also been price increases in cocoa and gold. Overall, according to a CIBC Ipsos survey, 45% of those polled said they intend to cut back this year, But a University of Guelph professor of consumer behavior tells CBC that even in this tough time for cost of living, people also face pressure not to spend less. Like high emotions, keeping up with the Joneses on social media, and pressure to buy for multiple people. A few of the reasons some flower sellers like Newfoundland floral design say they're doing just fine. It's really busy, but it's good. A chocolate seller in London, Ontario says there is one time she can definitely score a bigger sale tomorrow.

When as she says, the guys in the doghouse come in. There is another possibility here, especially if you're navigating this day yourself. Treat yourself in whatever way you want and can afford. From the team here at your world tonight, happy Valentine's Day. I'm Stephanie Skendaris. Thank you for listening. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca slash podcasts.