Your World Tonight - Trump leaves for China, cities vie for defence bank, boys fall behind, and more

Episode Date: May 12, 2026

Tensions between the US and China are high, and expectations are low as President Donald Trump heads for Beijing for two days of diplomacy and, possibly, deals. Both sides are hoping to ease the economic fallout from their tit-for-tat trade war, and to stabilize their tense relationship.And: Canada will be home to the headquarters for a new, multi-national defence bank for NATO allies. But the exact location is still TBD. And the competition to land it is heating up among Canada’s biggest cities.Also: Canadian boys are falling behind girls in school. Some experts say the system is weighted against them, and that should worry everyone.Plus: The price of fertilizer soars, FBI director Kash Patel questioned by senators, Canada prepares for FIFA, and more.

Does it feel like the busyness of life makes it impossible to find any time for yourself? I'm Annie Bender, a producer at Ideas, a podcast where we explore all kinds of ideas that shape our world. We're not a self-help podcast, but we do believe in slowing down so you can reclaim your time to enjoy award-winning storytelling. Think of ideas as self-care for the curious mind. Find and follow us wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC podcast. President Trump, when you go to China, realize that the person you're talking to is propping up Russia and Iran. That person is Chinese President Xi Jinping.

His country is the world's biggest market for Iranian and Russian fossil fuels. And Donald Trump is on his way to Beijing to meet with him. He calls Xi a friend, but there's no guarantee the meeting will be friendly. China has refused to help in the U.S.-led war with Iran. Prices for oil and gas are soaring, and there is still the issue of tariffs and counter-tariffs. This is your world tonight for Tuesday, May 12th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern. I'm Stephanie Skendaris. Also on the podcast.

Fertilizer along with fuel and parts, anything that moves on and off our farms, has risen dramatically. And of course, this is a very intensive time of year as farmers put their crops in the ground. Growing pains that war in Iran has skyrocketed global prices at the pump and on the plate. Farmers say the problem is bad now and warn it'll only get worse. For the first time in nearly a decade, a U.S. president is on the way to Beijing to meet his Chinese counterpart. Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will have two days of meetings, diplomacy, and possibly deals. They're hoping to ease the economic fallout from their trade war.

And Trump says they will talk about the war in Iran. But as Lisa Singh reports, success on this trip, maybe more about symbolic wins than major breakthroughs. Donald Trump, leaving the White House en route to Beijing for a high-stakes summit, only had praise for Chinese President Xi Jinping. It's a wonderful guy, a friend of mine, and we're going to have a great meeting. This is the first talk. a U.S. president has gone to China in nine years, the last also by Trump.

Even if he's welcomed with the same pomp and pageantry as before, a lot has changed. The war in the Middle East, for one, looms over the visit. Trump widely expected to ask China to put pressure on its ally to end the conflict, though he did not admit it. No, I don't think we need any help with Iran. We'll win it one way or the other. The bilateral relationship, also a major focus, considering years of mistrust, intense competition on AI, and the trade war escalating to 145% tariffs on some Chinese imports for a time last year.

In a daily briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jia Kuan stated Beijing's goal for the summit. The two sides need to provide greater stability for economic and trade cooperations. he said. While there may not be a broader deal, a win for Trump might be in the form of sector-specific agreements like China buying more soybeans, oil and natural gas to reduce the trade deficit, or airplanes, considering Trump is traveling with more than a dozen business leaders, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, the head of Apple, Tim Cook, and sometimes nemesis this time ally Elon Musk. The opportunities are short-term opportunities. Dan Wong, the China Director for Consultancy Eurasia Group, says China would welcome the U.S. easing export controls on advanced AI chips, the continuation of the tenuous trade truce, stronger language against Taiwan's independence, considering Washington announced an $11 billion weapons package for the island late last year. But she says the fundamental differences between the countries won't be addressed.

I don't see that China-U.S. decoupling or competition in the country. the long term can be changed. For others, the meeting is a key first step after years of friction, says Yunsun, director of the China program at Washington Think Tank, the Stimson Center. For the trip to happen, it's already a pretty major breakthrough. It's already demonstrating that both sides have the willingness to improve their relationship, to stabilize the relationship. The importance of stability shouldn't be understated. Any kind of friction between China and the U.S. will be felt globally. Lisa Sheng, CBC News, Toronto. Canada is trying to mitigate some of that global uncertainty by strengthening ties with other countries,

and it's been chosen to host the headquarters for a new multinational defense bank for NATO allies. The exact location, still TBD, but the competition is heating up between five Canadian cities. Marina von Stackleberg reports. Toronto is Canada's clear choice to host the defense, security, and In a promotional video, Ontario Premier Doug Ford makes his support clear. He wants the new Defense Bank headquarters in Toronto. The multinational bank is backed by NATO. It will give out billions of dollars in financing for the defense industry and is supposed to make it easier for up to 40 allied countries to buy equipment together. Two weeks ago, Canada was picked for the bank's

headquarters. Now the question is, what city? Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Hover, Halifax and Ottawa are all competing. We have a very strong case to make. Ottawa's Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says the bank belongs in the nation's capital. It allows the federal government to situate the bank in our two largest provinces, to situate it near the headquarters of national defense and the Canadian Armed Forces, to situate it close to the 130 foreign missions that are in our city, and to situated near Parliament Hill.

But Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says it should be in Canada's financial capital, where the major banks already are. We are ready to welcome this institution to our city. Vancouver Mayor Ken Simms says his city has the ideal geographic location connected to the Arctic and Pacific. Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez-Ferata says her city offers the right mix. The only thing that this bank needs right now is have the economics. and the diplomacy. So we're the only city that can give both. But some Quebec politicians accused Toronto of trying to kill Montreal's chances. According to La Press, Toronto allegedly argued the threat of Quebec separatism

could put the bank on shaky ground if it was headquartered in Montreal. Asked about those claims... Oh, I say go habs. You know, Montreal's great. Ford says he doesn't believe in attacking other bids. This is a process that the whole country is going through. and the Prime Minister will have to make a decision. The bank is expected to open by the end of this year and could create a few thousand jobs in the city that's chosen.

Dave Perry with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute says the interest in defense issues is surging across the country. A whole bunch of different provinces and cities are interested in positioning the industry that lives in their backyard for Canadian and international contracts. Perry says the fact Canada was chosen as, the headquarters for the bank in the first place is a sign this country's international reputation when it comes to defense is rapidly changing.

Marina von Stackleberg, CBC News, Ottawa. Canada is currently showing off some of its defense strength in Latvia. Canadian troops are taking part in a NATO training exercise involving ground drones. There are relatively recent innovation but have been battle tested in Ukraine. Murray Brewster traveled to Latvia to hear how they work and how they're changing the face of war. We expect war to sound like this. Not like this. Drones, remote-controlled warfare.

Inside a command post, deep in the Latvian forest, Canadian and Latvian troops side by side face a steep learning curve on the use of uncrewed ground drones, known as UGVs. Latvian major Eva Jorhain Liflund says they've only begun to understand the concept. There will be a lot of lessons to learn and lesson identifies how to incorporate them and how to better use in order to achieve our mission or our tasks. In Russia's war with Ukraine, the first wave of the drone revolution came from the sky. This next one is on the ground and it's coming quickly, according to an ex-Ukrainian soldier known as Dennis,

who is helping educate the Canadians and the United States. the Latvians. Right now, it is impossible to fight without this UJUJVIS. We wouldn't survive without it. There are a variety of them. Some, the size of all-terrain vehicles with 50-calder machine guns. Others, outsized shopping carts that carry ammunition and food and even the wounded. Some of them are the size of toy cars that are strapped with explosives for suicide missions. For me, it's no doubt that the drones are coming into the game. Latvian lieutenant-colonel, Bavaras, a seasoned soldier, was skeptical of drones at first. Now he's a convert. And I believe that these unmanned systems are the future, because one way or the other,

it's cheaper than the people's lives. The exercise comes at a crucial time for NATO. Russia and Ukraine produce millions of drones each year, and Western allies are playing catch-up. The U.S. commander of all NATO land forces is General Christopher Donahue. This is where we actually prove that the capability works, right? And then we have to field it. And then we have to go out and use it in exercises every day. This, as Latvia faces a separate drone crisis. Two Ukrainian combat drones crashed in the Baltic nation last week. Apparently, says Ukraine, nudged off course by Russian jamming and interference.

The lack of air defense costs the Latvian defense minister his job. There's concern about how much a role automation played in the accident. Colonel Chris Reeves is the Canadian commander of the NATO multinational brigade. I wouldn't get into the sci-fi idea of robots fighting robots, and we're just kind of, you know, hundreds of kilometers from the front. The incident on the Latvian border and the military exercise are dramatic illustrations of how far NATO and Canada have to go to match the kind of warfare Ukraine and Russia have already mastered.

Murray Brewster, CBC News, at the Salonia Training Area, Latvia. Coming right up, you might be. try to eat local, but the cost of food is still affected by global events. The price of fertilizer is soaring just as farmers plant their crops. Also, a study from Quebec shows boys are falling behind in the classroom, even at the earliest stages. Later, we'll have this story. I'm Thomas Dagg in Toronto. With a month to go before the city hosts Canada's first ever men's FIFA World Cup match, questions are swirling about everything from traffic. Driving around here is going to be pretty busy.

To the new stands in the stadium. You're sitting kind of suspended in air. We'll have more on the preparations and excitement. Later on your world tonight. Economists are warning of another long-term impact of the war in the Middle East. Food inflation. About a third of global fertilizer shipments have been disrupted by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. That has sent fertilizer prices up, which could mean crop yields will be done.

down, which in turn means the price of groceries will be up. Aina Sidu has more. At the Newman family farm just south of Calgary, spring seating is well underway. They're working long hours planting wheat, barley, peas, and canola over 1,600 hectares. Fourth generation farmer Leroy Newman says they're coming off the best crop they've ever had. Is nothing better and more satisfying in the world than taking something from nothing? and make something. But this year comes with growing anxiety over rising costs. Conflict in the Middle East is driving up the price of fuel and fertilizer. We're probably not buying as much machinery this year

because of that. We usually try to replace our equipment and every year we're upgrading to newer equipment. But I think this year we're just kind of holding tight. Farm Credit Canada, an agricultural lender, says the concern isn't just about this growing season. Most producers buy fertilizer months in advance. is this becoming a 2027 problem as well. According to a new report by TD Economics, some farmers may move away from fertilizer heavy crops like canola or corn and plant more peas or lentils instead. Supply disruptions could impact harvest yields and grocery costs into next year.

Economist Anusha Arif says Canada is considered better position than most countries thanks to strong crop inventories and domestic fertilizer production, but is still not unaffected. We're not completely immune to global price spillovers. If this fertilizer shock persists, we think that it could add about 0.1 to 0.5 percentage points to, you know, food inflation in 2027. Southern Alberta seed grower Greg Stamps says

he's already having to speculate how planting decisions will change. We're really guessing a year out ahead of the market on what we need to grow to sell to our customers. Agriculture economists say farmers can't simply raise prices to offset increased expenses because crops are sold on a global market. Stuart Smyth with the University of Saskatchewan says in the short term, consumers may notice higher prices as transportation costs ripple through the food supply chain. Any contracts that have been put in place since the first of March,

those products will start showing up in June. So we will see the higher fuel prices, reflected in grocery prices within a couple of weeks. Those worries planting seeds of doubt for farmers coast to coast. Aina Sadiou, CBC News, Calgary. The World Health Organization is warning there will likely be more Hanta virus infections following the outbreak on board a cruise ship. However, WHO Chief Ted Ross Adenham Gibriasis is stressing

the risk to the public is still low. There is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak. But of course the situation could change. And given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks. At least 11 cases are linked to the crews, including three deaths. Dozens of other people who were potentially exposed are now isolating in their home countries. Ten are in Canada. None of them are showing symptoms.

Boys are falling behind in school, and a recent report suggests they're systematically disadvantaged in the education system. It adds to a growing body of research with similar findings, and as Deanna Suminac Johnson tells us, parents and teachers are also starting to worry about the impact beyond school. I noticed he found school hard,

and he would come home, completely worn out. Jessica Sabatini is a mom of four and has worked as a teacher in three different provinces, but how differently boys fare in schools became more apparent to her when her only boy, Anzo, started grade one. for him specifically in school is that he's not going to feel like he fits. And if he doesn't feel like he can be successful, that I worry he will give up. A recent report supports her observations. It's authored by Quebec provincial politician Gabriel Nadoe Dubois and zeroes in on how

Quebec's regular public schools highlight academic and disciplinary disparities between girls and boys. Annual dropout rate for girls is 19.9%. But for boys, it's 26. 7.1. On the standardized French proficiency test in secondary school, 71.2% of girls meet the provincial standard as opposed to just over 60% of boys. Catherine Heck, professor of economics at the Universite de Montréal, says this is happening across Canada and affects young people's long-term prospects. If boys were graduating as much as girls are graduating from university, we would have over 65,000 more boys obtaining a university-level diploma. So it's a huge number.

She and other experts say there are many reasons behind this, including the learning skills and behaviors students get evaluated on in early schooling that tend not to favor boys. Generally, who has the knee and clean deaths? It's usually the girls, right? The boys are particularly when they're younger, a little more disorganized in that sense. Matthew Morris taught middle school for 15 years in Toronto and authored the best-selling book Black Boys Like Me.

He says parents worry that their boys who struggle at school will have trouble finding a job or becoming a productive member of society. But there are also new dangers Morris says people should pay attention to, the draw of misogynistic ideologies online. There's something that is missing in schools, that this manosphere, this collective online ecosystem of like fitness and success and relationships is filling for these boys, right? It's teaching them an alternate version of what success looks like.

He and other experts believe this complex problem needs many different solutions, including smaller class sizes and more physical activity at schools, which would help boys self-regulate better, but would be beneficial to students of all genders. Deanna Sumanak Johnson, CBC News, Toronto. Nurses in British Columbia have voted overwhelmingly in favor of strike action. The BC Nurses Union says 98.2% of voting members supported the move. It calls that the strongest strike mandate in its history. The union says talks with employers broke down

last month over pay, benefits, and staffing shortages. The vote doesn't mean nurses are walking off the job right away, but it does allow the union to take job action as talks continue. He was there to talk about the FBI's budget. Instead, The agency's director, Cash Patel, faced tough questions from senators over his leadership. It stems from a string of scathing headlines, alleging poor job performance, improper use of resources, and excessive drinking. Katie Nicholson reports on his responses from Washington. This suggests to me that the allegations are true. Are you polygraphing?

Director Patel, come on. These are serious allegations that were made against you. FBI director Cash Patel was supposed to be defending an ask for a $12 billion budget. But he also ended up defending his own bad press under intense questioning from Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen. So there have been no occasions during your tenure when FBI personnel were unable to promptly reach you? Absolutely not. You can ask my entire workforce. Patel has been dogged by a series of gaffs and bad publicity. I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations.

Let me ask the questions. There was a video showing him downing a beer in a boozy celebration with the gold medal winning U.S. men's hockey team in Milan, reportedly putting him on thin ice with the U.S. president, a non-drinker. In April, the Atlantic published a deeply sourced expose, alleging Patel drank excessively, was frequently missing in action and exhibited erratic behavior. and that his security detail even had to request SWAT breaching equipment when they were unable to reach him behind closed doors. Patel denied it all and filed a defamation lawsuit for $250 million. We're not going to take this laying down. You want to attack my character? Come at me. Bring it on. I'll see you in court. The Atlantic then followed up with a story alleging Patel has been handing out bottles of personally branded FBI director Bourbon. We have got so much to talk about the night. Cash Patel drunk dials his lawyer.

Padell's pile up of infamy has comedians spinning his woes into late night comedy fodder. Guys, check this out. I made my own FBI bourbon with my name on it. This is a real thing that I've made. This is real. Patel jokes kicking off SNL two Saturdays in a row. But today, a somber Senator Patty Murray, wasn't laughing. If you want to pass out liquor or pop bottles in a locker room, stick to podcasting, leave law in order to people who really do care about justice and appearances.

This hearing, an important one for Patel. The U.S. President has ousted several prominent members of cabinet in recent weeks, and there is rampant speculation the FBI director plagued by scandal may be next. Katie Nicholson, CBC News, Washington. Two cargo ship companies and a war. worker have been charged in the 2024 Baltimore Bridge disaster. A cargo ship leaving the port of Baltimore lost power and slammed into a support column of the Francis Scottkey Bridge. The crash killed six people and caused billions of dollars in damage. Kelly O'Hays is a prosecutor with the

District of Maryland. Today, the United States unsealed an indictment charging three defendants, Synergy Marine, Synergy Maritime, Synergy Maritime. and Radha Krishnan Karthik Nair with crimes related to the disaster. The companies are run by a Singapore-based operator. The charges include conspiracy and obstruction. U.S. officials say the accused intentionally lied about a faulty fuel pump. 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 podcast. Just find the follow button and lock us in. The countdown to kickoff is on. In one month, Canada will co-host the FIFA World Cup for the first time. And while there is lots of excitement in both host cities, Toronto and Vancouver, there are also concerns about whether they're prepared for the global event. Thomas Dagla has more. In a downtown Toronto park hidden behind a line of trees,

crews are setting up a four-story high stage, the centerpiece of the city's sprawling World Cup fan festival site. All around the neighborhood, locals are counting down the days. We have a ticket, so yeah, we're excited as well. Filled with a mix of anxiety and enthusiasm before soccer's global showcase. It's wonderful. I'm very happy for the city and the people. Overall, I'm not sure what this will cost in the end, but it'll be a good time. While Toronto hosts six World Cup matches at the nearby Bimo Field,

locals will see plenty of disruption. Streets in the area will be closed to traffic, with motorists needing a special pass to get in or out of their own neighborhood. We look forward to welcoming the world. Sharon Bolandbach serves as City Hall's FIFA Point person. When it comes to the stadium, she acknowledges officials have heard complaints about long lineups for washrooms and concessions or even just to get in and out.

Last weekend came a test run as the venue hosted a big-ticket Major League Soccer Match featuring Argentine legend Lionel Messi. 45,000 fans made for the biggest crowd the stadium has ever seen, and Bolinback says the event highlighted concerns that need to be addressed. We do have some plans to improve signage and to improve some of that flows, so those things will all be put in place over. the coming weeks and in preparation for our matches. Organizers have set up temporary stands at both ends of the field,

adding 17,000 seats for the tournament. But to passers-by, the new structure can look more like rickety scaffolding rather than seating for a world-class event. What you have to get over to sit in these stands is just that strange feeling that you're sitting kind of suspended in air. Joshua Cloak writes about soccer for the athletic. He sat in the news section and says fans appeared progressively more comfortable as the game went on. I had to check with multiple people sitting nearby.

Do you feel the swaying that I do? Win from Lake Ontario was constant. With a month to go, municipal officials are still working to fill a $5 million funding gap. But they insist all will be ready when the beautiful game's biggest stage comes to town. Thomas Daggle, CBC News, Toronto. Finally, seven-year-old Fitz Corcoran really, really, wants a turtle. Because they're small and slow and cute, and they're the perfect pet. But there's a problem.

He lives on PEI, where turtles are banned to prevent them taking a foothold in the wild. So Corcoran decided to try to change that. Dear Honorable Darlene Compton, Minister of Land and Environment. Yep, Corcoran wrote a letter to the only minister who could get him that turtle, and he pulled out his best arguments. I will make sure the turtle is safe and healthy. As a leader, will you allow me to have a turtle? Please write me back.

Minister Compton didn't just get the letter. she read it out in the legislature. But she says there are no plans to change the policy yet. It's what really legislation and democracy is all about. He took the time to write a letter to a minister to ask about a law or rule and whether it could be changed. So I really appreciate that and I will respond to him. And I'm hoping someday maybe he'll be in the legislature and he can be asked those same questions. Or even someday receive a letter that starts, Dear Honorable,

It's Corcoran, Minister of Land and Environment. Someday. This has been your world tonight for Tuesday, May 12th. Thank you for being with us. I'm Stephanie Scandaris. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbcbc.ca.