Your World Tonight - Presumptive positive hantavirus case in Canada, Privacy concerns over Ottawa's lawful access bill, The app highlighting loneliness in China, and more

Episode Date: May 16, 2026

A Canadian that was aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship tests presumptive positive for hantavirus. B.C. health officials provide an update and the patient is now in hospital for what the Public Health Agency of Canada calls "assessment and care." Also: A federal bill could give police and spies easier access to information during high stakes investigations. Bill C-22, also known as the lawful access bill, is facing a political storm. It's already attracted concern from Canadian privacy advocates. And now, US tech giants, too.And: From odering take-out to finding a date, there truly is an app for everything now. Even proof of life. A morbid sounding app named "Are You Dead?" has gone viral in China. Its shining a spotlight on the issue of loneliness, in a country where a growing number of people are living by themselves.Plus: Hunger Crisis in Nigeria, Falling crime in Venezuela's capital, Montreal Canadiens play Game 6 against the Buffalo Sabres, and more.

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The test on the individual who had these mild symptoms was positive for the andy strain of Hanta virus. A Canadian now believed to have Hanta virus is in a BC hospital. That patient was one of four passengers isolating on Vancouver Island off that ill-fated cruise ship. This is your role tonight. I'm Tanya Fletcher in Vancouver. Also on the podcast, rippling implications of Donald Trump. trip to China, how the U.S. visit is playing out for the rest of the world.

And... Guys want to close a series tonight, for sure. You know, who doesn't? In your building, we just need to go play the best game we can play, with nothing guaranteed. Montreal Canadiens head coach Martan-St. Louis sets the tone ahead of a pivotal game six. We're in Montreal, a city that's become the backdrop of Canada's sport in more ways than one. A Canadian has tested positive for hantavirus. The case is still only presumptive and the symptoms are mild, but BC health officials are not taking any chances.

The patient is now in hospital for what the public health agency of Canada calls assessment and care. Reporter Troy Charles is with me here in Vancouver for our top story tonight. So Troy, what did we learn today about this likely case of hantavirus? So one of four Canadians isolating in British Columbia after leaving the M.V. Hondias cruise ship last Sunday has presumptively tested positive for the Andes Strain of Hanta virus. BC Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the patient was hospitalized after coming down with a fever and headache two days ago. Clearly this is not what we hoped for, but it is what we planned for. This is what we call a presumptive positive. Samples were sent to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg for confirmatory testing. The four people who have been told to isolate include a Vancouver Island resident in their 70s,

another person from BC in their 50s who currently lives abroad, and a couple from Yukon in their 70s. One of the pair from Yukon is the person who has now tested positive for antivirus. Dr. Henry says test results should be back later this weekend. She says the patient is stable with mild symptoms and has had no contact with the public. The person's partner is also showing mild symptoms, but their test came back negative. Both are in isolation at a Victoria area hospital. So given this new development, Troy, what else do we know about the risk to public health

and the precautions the province is taking now? Yes, the chief medical officer at Island Health says the hospitals are prepared to deal with infectious diseases. and the three patients are isolating in negative pressure rooms. Dr. Barney-Henry insists the virus does not pose a pandemic risk. I want to reassure everybody in VC that for most of us, the situation has not changed. And I'm confident there's no additional risk to anybody else outside of the people who've been caring for these individuals. The third person who had been staying in accommodations provided by Island Health has not tested positive but was hospitalized out in abundance of caution. The fourth person remains isolating at home.

The four cruise passengers were initially required to isolate for a minimum of 21 days when they are at highest risk during the virus's 42-day incubation period. Dr. Henry says for the couple from Yukon, that situation has changed quite dramatically and they will be reassessing. their isolation requirements. Tanya? All right. Thanks, Troy. You're welcome. The CBC's Troy Charles in Vancouver for us tonight. Trade tensions between the U.S. and China are showing signs of a thaw today. Beijing is signaling that the two sides have come to a tentative agreement on tariffs. The New Deal follows President Donald Trump's landmark visit with his Chinese counterpart earlier this week. The CBC's Chris Reyes has the latest. From China's Ministry of commerce a signal of better trade relations between the U.S. and China following President Donald

Trump's Beijing visit. In a statement put out Saturday, the ministry said the two countries will start to discuss tariff reductions on specific products, adding the China will buy aircraft from the U.S., affirming what President Trump told Fox News in his first interview after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He committed to 200 Boeing's, big ones, 7-7s and 737s and a lot of big, big ones, big, beautiful Boeing planes, 200, that's a lot, with a commitment that if they do a good job, we could go up to 750. Details are slowly emerging from the two-day summit between the two leaders, which wrapped with no new official agreements between the two countries.

Trump said the trip was about building relationships. I have a very good relationship with President Xi and with China, and it sounds like something that doesn't mean anything, but it's everything in deal-making and problems we've solved. The two of us have solved a lot of problems. Still, tensions remain between the two countries, particularly on Taiwan. Today, Taiwan asserted its independence once again in response to the Trump-Shee meeting. Taiwan's presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo reiterated its stand as a sovereign country, adding that Beijing has no right to make claims over it.

asked how Taiwan should feel about its security following his meeting with President Xi, Trump said this. Neutral. Trump said he's still weighing whether to move forward with a weapon sale to Taiwan worth $11 billion. The package was approved last year by his administration. According to a readout of the meeting with Trump provided by Chinese officials, President Xi warned that mishandling Taiwan would put relations between the U.S. China in great jeopardy. I will say this. I'm not looking to have somebody go independent and, you know, we're supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I'm not looking for that.

President Xi is expected to visit Washington in September. Chris Reyes, CBC News, New York. Still to come, are you dead? The provocatively named app is all the rage in China right now. Its purpose? A practical way to ease loneliness. We'll tell you how it brings people who live on their own together virtually. That's later on your world tonight. Alberta and Ottawa are promoting their plan for a new pipeline to the West Coast, holding it up as an example of federalism in the face of a vocal separatist movement. But not everyone is buying the message.

Sam Sam Sampson explains. Do you think, though, that you can get a private proponent behind a pipeline if there is a referendum on separation hanging over Alberta for who knows how long? Well, I think that what we need to do is make sure that the separatist sentiment is not as high as it has been. These days in Alberta, you can't talk pipelines without bringing up the independence movement because Premier Daniel Smith is selling her new energy deal with Ottawa as a signal Alberta can work within Canada. I think this will go a long way towards demonstrating that the new prime minister approaches the issue of cooperative federalism in a very different way than the previous prime minister has for the last 10 years. Now, it may not be the deciding factor for everyone,

but it's going to, I believe, convince a few more people that Canada's worth fighting for and it's worth working towards. The deal changes energy policies and charts a path to a new pipeline from Alberta through BC to the West Coast. Construction could start as early as September 2027. Prime Minister Mark Carney says the deal focuses on a united country. Today is about Canada working, cooperative federalism, coming together. This pipeline is contingent on, among other things,

proper consultation with First Nations. While some communities have protested past pipelines for territorial or environmental reasons, some say there's a new hurdle for Alberta to clear during upcoming conversations, a legal battle. Earlier this week, a court ruling quashed a petition to get a separation question on this fall's referendum. The judge noted, secession without proper consultation with First Nations could affect treaty rights. The separation movement has filed an appeal. The province says it plans on doing the It really muddies the water. Matthew Wildcat is the director of indigenous governance at the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta.

He says the province might have a hard time conducting meaningful consultations with First Nations on a pipeline while it appeals a ruling that defends treaty rights. Even if it's a totally separate activity, it creates a context where it feels like trust will be hard to be established. Trust may be hard to gain in BC too, where Premier David E. pushed back against the pipeline plan. Writing in a statement, it cannot be the case that the projects that get prioritized in Canada are those where a premier threatens to leave the country. BC Environment Minister Adrian Dix says the focus should be on energy projects that have funding

and clear plans now. We're focused on real projects and not guesswork about what the province of Alberta might be thinking about routes when it's not considering putting the future of Canada. in the bargain. The Prime Minister may face these criticisms head on when he travels to BC next week. Sam Samson, CBC News, Edmonton. A federal bill could give police and spies easier access to information during high-stakes investigations. It's already attracted concern from Canadian privacy advocates and now U.S. tech giants as well. The CBC's Catherine Tunney now on the political storm facing Bill C-22. We've got messages, we've got what

Michael Geist scrolls through apps on an iPhone. The University of Ottawa professor says almost every icon on this home screen would be impacted by Bill C-22. The federal legislation would give police and intelligence agencies easier access to Canadians' online information during investigations, something they've long argued as needed to keep pace with threats. But the lawful access bill, as is commonly called, faces building backlash. The government will have the power to order the large communications companies, to retain information about where you go, who you communicate with, literally for an entire year. Telecom and internet companies would have to change their back-end systems to comply.

The concerns aren't just domestic either. Meta, parent company at Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp says the bill would force them to weaken their privacy protections. Rachel Curran is met as head of public policy in Canada. And part two of the bill would potentially force us to break encryption and to install government directed hardware or software on our encrypted networks that would inevitably then also become a target for hostile actors. Apple has similar concerns, and now the messaging app signal and NordVPN are threatening to leave Canada.

The chairs of two American congressional committees even wrote to Canada's public safety minister saying Bill C-22 would, quote, create significant cross-border risk to the security and data privacy of Americans. But the Canadian Center for Child Protection sees a desperate need for the bill. The charity has sent over 141 million removal notices on child sexual abuse material since 2017. They've plagued cases to police, but rarely see charges.

The Center's general counsel, Monique St. Germain, says the bill could help police trace suspects' IP addresses earlier. The longer we delay on this, the higher risks we are posing, not just for children, but for Canadians in general. At a news conference this week, Public Safety Minister Gary and Anders Angerie pushed back against the rising tide of criticism. Tech giants are misinterpreting some of the safeguards

that are already built in, including on ensuring that encryption is not in any way interrupted as part of BLC22. Tech companies want to see that promise codified. While the minister's office says they are open to amendments, they also say they hope to pass the bill by summer, leaving little runway for substantial changes. Catherine Tunney, CBC News, Ottawa.

More than a quarter billion people faced severe food scarcity in 2025. And the outlook for 2026 shows no signs of improvement. Those findings come from a recent European Commission report. It reveals the country with the largest number of people going hungry is Nigeria. Freelance journalist Kunai Babs is in Abuja, with more on how a global food crisis is shaping daily life for millions of Nigerians. In Nigeria, it's becoming harder to produce, access and afford food. Across markets in Abuja, prices for staple foods like rice, corn and beans have surged in recent months.

And many Nigerians are feeling the pinch. The price of foodstove in the market today are really expensive. Like, each time I come to market, the price really gets higher. Normal Nigeria, we cannot have four square mill. It doesn't make sense at all. For many families, this means smaller meals, fewer options and choosing between food and other basic needs. We only eat breakfast and dinner nowadays, says Elizabeth Moreny Kegi. The mother of four says she and her husband sometimes go to bed hungry

because they can only afford enough food to feed their children. According to a European Commission report, 266 million people are facing severe food insecurity driven by conflict, climate shocks and economic pressures. Ten countries account for nearly two-thirds of those affected. Of the 47 countries in the report, Nigeria has the largest number of people experiencing acute hunger. Despite its vast agricultural potential, Nigeria continues to struggle within security in farming regions, climate-related disruptions and rising transportation costs.

The situation is being driven by both local and global factors. Abuja-based economic experts, Andrew Chonos, says the crisis is not just about food availability, but access, as millions of people can no longer afford basic food items. The government needs to invest more in securing farming communities, and I also support local food production and stabilise prices. At the same time, targeted support for vulnerable households is critical to ensure people can actually access food. This year, the Nigerian government introduced measures, including cutting food import tariffs and boasting local farming.

But experts say the impact has yet to reach many households struggling with rising food prices. Kulibaba's for CBC News, Abuja, Nigeria. Still in Nigeria, Donald Trump says U.S. and Nigerian forces have killed a top ISIS leader. Abu Bilal al-Manuki, believed to be the group's second in command globally, was said to be killed in an airstrike on his compound. The U.S. President making that announcement on social media last night saying, quote, ISIS's global operation is greatly diminished. It comes as Nigeria with help from the United States has ramped up efforts to fight extremist violence

that has plagued the country for more than a decade. ISIS has not yet responded to the claim. U.S. citizens can once again travel to Venezuela. Direct flights between the two countries resumed late last month the first time since 2019. Our federal government meantime still says Canadians should avoid all travel to Venezuela, in part because of violent crime. But on the streets of Caracas, Venezuelans say the city is much safer than it once was. Freelance reporter Cody Weddle is there with that story. To enter the offices of Taxi Caracas, you must pass through two padlocked gates.

Like most buildings in Venezuela's capital city, the windows are lined with metal bars. Victor Lovera has worked as a taxi driver here for 30 years. He speaks openly about the violence that once characterized his hometown. He'd to robes to robes, for robes a telephone, for roba car, for for what's cause, they're. Taxi drivers were often killed during armed robberies, he says, sometimes just to take their phone. Two close friends were killed.

In 2011 criminals pretending to be passengers kidnapped and beat Lovera for eight hours and stole his car. Like Lovera, virtually everyone who lives in Caracas has at least one terrifying story to tell. But these days, fewer of those stories are new. Violent crime appears to have dropped sharply. Petare is considered the largest slum in South America. motorcycle zipped by only a few feet from pedestrians and merchants. Jaime Perez is a community leader in Petare. In 2020, residents of Perez's neighborhood spent days ducking for cover as police and gangs

exchange gunfire. These days, Perez offers tours of the neighborhood to foreigners, something he says would have been unthinkable years ago. He says foreign visitors now come to walk the staircases that crisscrossed the community. Security analysts attribute the plummeting crime rate to a government crackdown and because many of the criminals have left the country. There is figures that we collect in the national universities that shows clearly a decline in homicides, in general all types of crimes in Venezuela. during the last three, four years.

Ricardo Briseño Leon is director of the Venezuelan Observatory for Violence. He says homicides peaked in 2018 when Venezuela had one of the world's highest murder rates. But today, he says they are similar to those in the neighboring countries of Colombia or Brazil. As the U.S. and Venezuela reestablished relations, The Levera, the taxi driver, hopes more visitors will come and won't be scared off by a city once known as the murder capital of the world. Cody Waddle for CBC News, Caracas. From ordering takeout to finding a date, there truly is an app for everything, even proof of life. A morbid-sounding app named Are You Dead has gone viral in China.

It spotlights the issue of loneliness in a country where a growing number of people, are living by themselves. Freelance reporter Laura Westbrook is in Hong Kong with more. 35-year-old Sean Wu lives alone in Beijing. He moved into his flat five years ago after his grandfather passed away. When I stay at home at evening overnight, that time, yeah, that time I will feel a little lonely. Earlier this year, an app called Are You Dead went viral in China. The concept was simple. Users needed to be a little. to check in by clicking a button to confirm they were in fact alive. If they missed two consecutive days, the app notified an appointed emergency contact. It was particularly popular with young people

living alone in Chinese cities. But following a surge in global attention, the app was removed from app stores in mainland China, according to state media. Death is a sensitive topic in Chinese culture. The app called Silumat in Mandarin is a wordplay on a successful food delivery app called Are You Hungry? Here's psychologist Sami Wong. In Beijing, when you meet someone, you will just say Shulamah, meaning that, you know, have you eaten, right? But no one will ever ask you, are you dead? It's kind of like a joke between the young people, but for someone, they are not like young people. They will see this kind of like, the name of the app is very confrontational. One of China's hottest buzzwords is involution, the feeling that people are working harder than ever but for diminishing returns.

Working long hours leaves little room for socializing or meeting a romantic partner. Household in China are becoming smaller and smaller. Biao Xiang of the Max Plan Institute for Social Anthropology says this means more people will live alone. Part of the app's appeal was its dark humor and Biao says the app's popularity, especially among those under 30, was about their anticipation. of being alone. Objectively, there is alarming trend that mental health issue became a concern among young people and also increasing rate of suicide.

But also you can say, which shows a hopeful sign, is that more than more people are acutely aware of this problem. Back in Beijing, Sean Wu says there is a growing awareness of mental health among his friends. Last week, one of my best friends said, Oh, I'm seeing a Zecho Analyst. But it still feels good when his friends check in on him. Well, a long time, we don't have a connection. And they remember me and or they miss me.

Yeah, they can send a message from me. It's a feeling that somebody are missing you. And I will be very happy. Laura Westbrook for CBC News, Hong Kong. Montreal is the undisputed epicenter of Canada's hockey world right now. The Canadians looking to advance in the playoffs to the NHL's Eastern Conference final, while the Victoire are one step closer to winning their first PWHL title, defeating the Ottawa charge in game two of the championship series in overtime earlier today.

Our Alexander Silberman has been following all the action from Montreal for us. So, Alex, these two teams are really having a moment. What's the atmosphere like in the city right now? Well, Tanya, excitement is reverberating across the city of Montreal. with two professional hockey teams, the Canadians and the Victual, both with very devout fans, making captivating playoff runs. I'm outside the Bell Center right now, where fans are already filling the streets

for what should be a wild and electric night. There are crowds of people everywhere, wearing jerseys decked out in Canadians' gear, and you have a sense just from being here outside the arena that things are about to get loud and reach a whole new level of energy. Thousands of people are expected to pass. into the street around me right outside the arena to watch the game on big screens.

And people are showing up hours in advance to get a spot. Now, if you want to get a sense of just how high the energy in Montreal is right now, the city's police took to social media Friday night, pleading for pyrotechnics and fireworks to be left at home, and asking fans to channel the same inner sense of calm as the coach behind the bench. And there's really a noticeable heightened police presence downtown and all around the arena. Alex, you mentioned you're outside the Bell Center. That's where the Montreal Canadians have a rather big game six tonight. Take us through what's at stake.

Well, Tanya, you might be able to hear the fans. You can definitely hear that music behind me. It's already buzzing with energy here. And Habs fans sure know what's on the line tonight. The Canadians are gearing up for their biggest and most high stakes game this season, game six, in front of a home crowd that is unlike any other in the NHL. Now, the team is the chance to close out their second round playoff series right here at home against the Buffalo Sabres. Something they weren't able to do last round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canadians hold a three to two lead in this best of seven conference semifinal. And with a win tonight, they'd advance to the conference final and take on the Carolina hurricanes next.

Thanks for this, Alex. Thank you. CBC's Alexander Silberman in Montreal. Well, from hockey to soccer, we end with a look at, or rather a sound of, all the Canadian that will be featured during the FIFA World Cup. BC's own Michael Bublay will co-headline the opening ceremony in Toronto, June 12th. FIFA announced separate opening ceremonies in each of the three host countries this year. Alongside Boubley will be another distinctively Canadian voice.

And you say how appropriate. I don't dissect everything today. The unmistakable Alanis Morissette. Other Canadian artists in the lineup include Jesse Reyes, Alicia Cara and William Prince. FIFA's president says the opening ceremony will be a powerful reflection of Canada's identity, adding it'll be a moment of pride, unity, and anticipation as Canada takes its place on football's biggest stage. Meanwhile, stateside, Kitty Perry will perform in Englewood, California before the first World Cup game in the U.S., also June.

June 12th and down in Mexico City. Alejandro Fernandez will take the stage at Azteca Stadium, June 11th. The opening ceremonies in each city will take place 90 minutes before kickoff of the first World Cup games, the beautiful game. Now in T-minus 26 days. This has been your world tonight for Saturday, May 16th. I'm Tanya Fletcher. Good night.