Your World Tonight - Trump’s extreme threats, Artemis II crew speaks to ISS, Ye blocked from U.K., and more

Episode Date: April 7, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump threatens Iran with the destruction of its entire civilization.And: The crew of the Artemis II mission had a call with astronauts on the International Space Station. The Artemis crew travelled farther into space than any other humans, and are now on their way back to Earth.Also: Organizers for a music festival in London have cancelled a three-day event after headliner Ye (Kanye West) was barred from entering the U.K. following past antisemitic remarks.Plus: Online gambling regulation questioned, Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation takes Alberta separatists to court, and more.

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Obviously, we were deeply troubled by the statements, all violations of international law, international humanitarian law. Even by his standard for embracing hyperbole and rejecting decorum, Donald Trump's latest threat to Iran is an alarming escalation. It has the world's attention. And maybe that's all the U.S. President wants, but maybe not. and his deadline is just hours away. This is Your World Tonight. I'm Stephanie Skandaris. It's Tuesday, April 7th, coming up on 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast.

Britain isn't going to let someone who, like, is associated with Nazism and like talks freely about Hitler. That just was never going to happen. After pushing the limits and blurring the lines between art and hate, a controversial rapper is denied entry to the UK over his history of, anti-Semitism and. Today, we're beginning to deliver on that promise for communities right across Canada. From roads to sewers to public transit, the federal government's blueprint for building more infrastructure. Donald Trump says a lot of shocking things. His online post today

may top them all. The U.S. president is vowing to wipe out Iranian civilization if the regime doesn't strike a deal. Trump's set a deadline of eight. 8 p.m. Eastern, with the world waiting for a potential truce or a major escalation in the Middle East. We have full coverage of this story for you, starting in Washington with Paul Hunter. Even as the U.S. Israeli assault on Iran continues, with strikes today on bridges and railways, Israel identifies as military targets, tonight's deadline and the threat from the U.S. to go far, far beyond what's happened there to date is sobering. Wrote President Donald Trump this morning, a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be

brought back again, unless by 8 p.m. Eastern goes Trump's messaging. Iran agrees to a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, effectively closed due to the war, sending the global economy into crisis. Fundamentally, the ball is in the Iranians court. Is Trump's threat mere rhetoric or will annihilation? now follow. Vice President J.D. Vant speaking today in Hungary. We feel confident that we can get a response, whether it's positive or negative, we're going to get a response from the Iranians by 8 o'clock tonight.

An immediate suggestion by many if Trump strikes civilian, as well as military targets, that would be a war crime. A scenario put directly to United Nations spokesman Stefan Dujaric today. Secretary General is very troubled by the statements that we've heard. no military objective that justifies the wholesale destruction of a society's infrastructure or the deliberate infliction of suffering on civilian populations. On the suggestion, Trump might order a nuclear strike, Dujarik said there's no way of knowing. Does the Secretary General think that President Donald Trump is out of his mind? I'm not going to answer that question.

Meanwhile, Pakistan is now said to be calling for a two-week extension to Trump's deadline. While in Iran, multiple locations presumed to be targets for any further U.S. attack are now surrounded by civilians holding hands acting as human shields at the request of the Iranian regime. Former U.S. intelligence officer Michael Prejohn this morning on CBC News Network. We are certainly not going to target that. We can warn that a strike is imminent, and civilians will normally run away when that happens. What are the options? A delay in Trump's deadline? Concessions by Iran or, as Trump puts it, obliteration. Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Steve Anderson. Donald Trump has stuck his fist in the middle of a horn's nest and he doesn't know how to get it out. As that U.S. deadline looms ever closer.

Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington. As we quickly learned in this conflict, what happens in Iran won't stay in Iran. And that has an entire Middle East region bracing for the fallout of the next move. The CBC's Sasha Petrissik is in Jerusalem with more on that. Sasha, what's been happening there today? Well, Iran has already seen a preview, if you like, of what has been threatened. There have been attacks by Israel on its railway system, attacks by the United States, on Karg Island, that critical island, where 90% of Iran's oil exports go out from.

And in the region, more broadly, there's been a lot of nervousness. I've been speaking to people here. The Gulf countries are really bracing themselves for reaction from Iran in Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, basically all of them, Saudi as well. They have seen signals. Sirens have been going off. There have been booms in some cases, actual explosions in Iraq. So this is what people have been seeing and expecting even more here in Israel as well. There have been sirens and booms here in Jerusalem. We've heard those tonight. Iran has basically said that there will be an immediate and proportionate reaction

that they will not stand idly by and that there could even be hits beyond the region, not just in the Middle East. So a lot of nervousness. How likely is it that this could be avoided by, diplomatic efforts? There are talks that are continuing behind the scenes with Pakistan acting as a mediator. Messages being passed, these are not direct negotiations. But the two sides are really quite far apart.

They've both taken very maximalist positions on what they want, and they don't trust each other. Iran, in particular, doesn't trust that the U.S. and Israel, won't agree to some kind of concessions, some kind of ceasefire, but then go back on that agreement at the first opportunity. They've seen that sort of thing happen in negotiations in Gaza, where there have been Israeli strikes almost daily ever since the ceasefire was announced, and they don't want to get into that further.

As I say, they do not trust the other side, and that is mutual. Sasha, thank you. My pleasure, Stephanie. The CBC's Sasha Petrissik in Jerusalem. Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked today about Trump's threat to destroy a civilization. Carney said all of those involved in the war should meet their humanitarian responsibilities and respect international law. Canada expects all parties in this conflict, in any conflict,

to respect international laws, the rules of engagement. And that means not targeting certainly civilians or civilian infrastructure. And we urge all parties in this war to follow those responsibilities. As a point we've made publicly and privately. Iraqi officials say American journalist Shelley Kittleson is free after being kidnapped last week. Kittleson was taken from a street corner in Baghdad by several men who pushed her into a car. The Iran-backed Iraqi militia, Khatib Hasbullah, said it had decided to release Kittleson, but she must leave the country immediately.

It's not clear where she is now. Coming right up, Yay, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, has been banned in the UK, blocked from entering the country due to past anti-Semitic behavior, and more details on the federal government's plan for infrastructure projects across the country. Later, we'll have this story. We have a view right now, and it is making. us so excited. We feel like you're here with us. That's not the crew of Artemis II, but that is, and it's another historic moment in a mission full of first.

I'm Andram in Toronto coming up on your world tonight, making contact with your neighbors in space. He's one of the most popular and controversial musicians in the world. Now, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is being denied entry to the UK. He was set to headline a major festival there in the near future, but it's the rapper's anti-Semitic past that's getting him banned. Griffin Yeager has more. Once at the top of his game, now trying for redemption, but not without major pushback. Just days after announcing Yay as its headliner,

Wireless, a London-based music festival announced it's canceling the event after the rapper was denied entry to the UK for previous anti-Semitic remarks. Words hurt. Words are actions. Rhetoric is important. Jack Morel is a hip-hop commentator based in New York. He's always been controversial, but the last 10 years from 2018 has really kind of ratcheted up to another level. In recent years, he's denied the Holocaust happened and made comments in defense of Nazis. Last year, Ye released a song called Heil Hitler and advertised a swatstack.

t-shirt for sale on his website. The rapper apologized in January with a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal attributing his bipolar disorder. The apology, not enough. In a statement, the British Home Office says the decision was made on the grounds that his presence in the UK would not be conducive to the public good. Ye's festival involvement announced just days ago sparked backlash from politicians, sponsors, and Jewish groups.

In response, he told the BBC he knows words aren't enough. and he'll have to show change through actions. Adrian Cohen is the Senior Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jewish Affairs. The right things happened in the end, but this is thanks to the government. It's no thanks at all to the festival organizers who invited him. Wireless defended its decision to book Yay and says it consulted stakeholders beforehand. It called anti-Semitism in all forms abhorrent. On X, UK Prime Minister Kier Starmur said the artists should never have been invited to headline.

But London residents are mixed. I think if you start to limit artists based on what they say, you kind of create a bit of a censorship. Britain isn't going to let someone who is associated with Nazism and talks freely about Hitler. That just was never going to happen. I think banning people is not the solution. This all comes after Ye played two sold-out performances in La Côte. Los Angeles's SoFi Stadium drawing tens of thousands of fans over the weekend. They said I'd never be back in the States.

Two sold-out concerts, baby. And just days ago, the rapper released his first LP in four years, hitting number two on the Billboard Top 200. Griffin Yeager, CBC News, Toronto. Canada's top soldier in Latvia has been temporarily removed from his post. Colonel James Smith is under investigation for irregularities in compensation and benefits. He faces a charge of prejudice to good order and discipline under the National Defense Act. Allegations against Smith were reported to military police almost a year ago. The military

has not been specific about what's behind the accusations. The Prime Minister has delivered new details about his plan to upgrade infrastructure across the country. 13 communities have been selected for a first batch of projects. Mark Carney's government is planning to spend $51 billion over the next 10 years. But as Olivia Stefanovic reports, experts say much more is needed to meet the demand. It's great to be here today for what is truly an exciting moment for Brampton and for cities across Canada.

Mayor Patrick Brown welcoming Prime Minister Mark Carney for an announcement in one of Canada's fastest-growing cities. It represents a new approach to how we work together and get things built. The start of a $51 billion federal fund, meant to address the extensive infrastructure shortfall across the country. We're officially launching the Build Community's Strong Fund. Making good on a promise from last fall's federal budget, Carney unveiled the first 13 projects from the fund, worth $300 million.

We're partnering with provinces, territories, and municipalities to build local infrastructure, from better hospitals and public transit to new community centers. Those centers will be built in Brampton and Vancouver, along with water and wastewater upgrades in the maritimes and prairies, road improvement in Quebec, an active transportation corridor in Whitehorse, and up to 2,500 new housing units in Akaluit. In a statement, the conservatives are criticizing Carney's announcement, urging him to go further by scrapping what they call anti-development laws and taxes. But municipalities are welcoming the move. The federal government, of course, is recognizing how essential this local infrastructure is to being able to build Canada. Rebecca Bly is the president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. She says federal support for community infrastructure is long overdue.

Municipalities manage and own over 60% of the country's infrastructure. So goods don't move from courts without touching municipal infrastructure. The provinces and territories are pitching in more than 17 billion. of the total $51 billion fund, set to be spent over the next decade. It's one piece of the puzzle, is not the whole puzzle, but it's actually one of the most needed pieces in order to rebuild Canada Strong. Karen Chappell is the director of the School of Cities at the University of Toronto. She says there hasn't been a large-scale investment in civic and social infrastructure like this in decades. Still, the $51 billion investment,

is nowhere close to enough. 10 times this amount of investment is probably necessary. The numbers are mind-boggling. Chapel estimates the real cost of addressing Canada's total infrastructure deficit is up to a trillion dollars. Olivia Estefanovich, CBC News, Ottawa. A First Nation is taking Alberta and Canada's governments to court this week. It's asking a judge to stop a referendum campaign on Alberta's separatism,

Because it argues treaty rights are being violated. Sam Samson explains. About 45 people from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation filed into Edmonton's courthouse on Tuesday, all there to show support for their chief who brought forward this injunction hearing. The First Nation in northwestern Alberta alleges the province, Canada, and the province's chief electoral officer are failing to uphold treaty rights, arguing a separation referendum campaign cannot happen without First Nations consent. Chief Sheldon Sunshine says he's backed by communities across Canada. We've got messages, letters of support and all those things from treaties 1 to 11.

You know, there's people that are following along because, you know, really one threat against one treaty is a threat against them all. The potential referendum question is, do you agree that the province of Alberta should cease to be part of Canada to become an independent state? And it's already lost in court. Late last year, a court of King's Bench judge ruled the current law did not allow citizens to start a referendum question on independence since it would violate the Constitution and treaty rights. Shortly after, Alberta's government changed its law so referendum questions don't have to align with the Constitution and allowed the separatist group, Stay Free Alberta, to refile its petition. Can all of us lay people kick all these effing judges out? Since then, the group claims it's achieved more than enough significant. to force a referendum ahead of its May 2nd deadline.

Though polls have consistently shown as few as one-fifth of Albertan's support separation, those who do remain passionate, including Matt Goetje, who showed up to a petition-signing event in White Court, Alberta. It feels like we're very different from the rest of the country, and we don't really have a voice, and we don't really have a say. Yeah, I think we'd just be better off on our own. Back in court, the province argues the First Nation is getting ahead of itself because the referendum hasn't happened,

yet and suggests it's trying to shut down a fair and democratic process that's in the public interest. Democracy is on trial in an Alberta courtroom this week. Jeffrey Rath, counsel for Stay Free Alberta, agrees. I mean, these people might just as well be seeking an injunction to prevent citizens from writing to their MLAs or writing to the premier. That's not how democracy works. Even if the judge grants an injunction, Stafree Alberta says there are other avenues to take, including lobbying Premier Daniel Smith and her government to add a separate. question to a lengthy list of referendum questions already set for October this year.

Meaning regardless of this court decision, Albertans could still be asked to weigh in on its independence. Sam Sampson, CBC News, Edmonton. A former member of Parliament who wrote the bill legalizing single-event sports betting is now taking aim at how it's been rolled out. The criticism is adding to the growing pressure on officials to change how sports gambling is marketed. Kate McKenna has that story. It's deplorable the way that some of the provinces have actually implemented it.

The architect of the law lifting Canada's ban on sports betting isn't happy with the outcome. Former NDP MP Brian Massey pushed for the decriminalization of single event sports betting, promoting the bill that became law in 2021. Five years later, he says more regulation is needed. I don't have regrets, but I mean, it's sad to see some of the repercussions that we can still avoid them too. The story isn't done. For Massey ending the ban was a local issue for his windsor riding. seeking to make local casinos competitive with the American casinos across the river.

But he and others also argued that legalizing sports betting would move gambling away from the black market. I once had an eight-leg parlay. Soon after the bill passed, Ontario opened up its regulated market to private companies, quickly launching a multi-billion dollar industry. And with it, ads. With bet 365 early payout, being up five runs is all you need to sail into the sunset, my boys. A 2024 analysis by CBC's Marketplace and the University of Bristol found there are about 2.8 mentions of gambling on sports broadcasts in Ontario every minute. It is not surprising that the gambling industry has increased so much in Ontario, but it is not the story that we were told.

Renza Nauta is a program director at the Christian think tank Curtis. This was supposed to be a move of people already gambling on the black market and moving to the legal market. But the increase that we've seen suggests that there are a lot of people who are gambling today who weren't before. Last month, this study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found a jump of more than 300% in young men contacting Ontario's mental health helpline

for gambling-related problems. Massey says tweaking advertising rules like banning sports betting during events could make a difference. There's nothing stopping us from basically trying to do some cleanup on this industry. Federal lawmakers are debating a bill seeking to put limits on sports betting advertising.

The ordinary Canadians that reach out to me are desperate. Ontario Senator Marty Deacon's bill calls for national rules around ads. How do we get this back in a little bit? How do we pull the reins in? But Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Byrne says it's already a highly regulated industry. Getting rid of advertising isn't going to solve problem gambling. If it had done that, it would have done that a long time ago. The reality, it's rather naive to think that.

that's a solution. He says operators are open to more regulation, but provinces are the ones with the jurisdiction and expertise. An industry wants a seat at the table. Kate McKenna, CBC News, Ottawa. After going where no one has gone before, the Artemis two astronauts are sharing their experience of flying around the far side of the moon. And even the way they're sharing that experience is another example of science fiction becoming reality. Anand Ram, explains. Mr. Spock. Can you raise Starfleet?

No, sir, but I've got ship-to-ship communications back. It's a sci-fi given. You want to talk to another ship? Mr. Wolf, open a hailing frequency. There is no response on any channel. Fortunately for the crew of Artemis II, the connection was clear. We have a view of you right now, and it is making us so excited.

We feel like you're here with us. This call, not to mission control on Earth, but the first ship-to-ship laser-cap. communication between a crew so far out like the Orion spacecraft and astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Not hard to find common ground. But I've been watching for lunch, and I've been loving seeing all the things. But don't let it fool you. This is crucial testing for the future of space travel. Scott Young is the planetarium astronomer at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg.

Communications is really important, especially on a space mission where you're going really far away. The crew also talked to scientists on Earth, about what they saw on the far side of the moon, as the experience was still fresh in their heads. Not just the facts, but feelings, too. It's people experiencing it. It's emotional. It's exciting. It's not just like here is a piece of data.

You know, they reacted just like any kid who's always wanted to go to space would react, looking out the window. It's so exciting to see what's coming in. Jacob Bleacher is NASA's chief exploration scientist. The crew is also sending back. some incredible images, providing a chance to unpack the history of our closest celestial neighbor. The detail they were describing beyond what we could see on the streaming data was amazing. And now we're getting our first glimpses of that detail in the images, the higher-res images.

Earth is pulling us back and we are happy about that. Meanwhile, the crew is now feeling the call of home, literally crossing the point where Earth's gravity tugs harder than the moons. And as they gear up for Friday's splashdown, the work won't stop. Tomorrow they'll do some manual piloting as well as build a shelter to withstand solar radiation, all in the hopes that future crews will use what they learn. Anandram, CBC News, Toronto. We close tonight, still on board the Artemis II space mission. That extraordinary combination of human ingenuity and technological power

momentarily overshadowed yesterday by an earthly delight, a combination of roasted hazelnut and cocoa that can launch sandwiches or pancakes to delicious new heights. Reed Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen will be up first to capture imagery and record audio on the portable. In the moment, it went undetected by mission control, slowly drifting in front of the camera and into the frame of the live feed. Ajar. Rotating with the grace of a lunar eclipse just.

in time to expose the label, Nutella. High in fat, yes, but floating in the weightlessness of space for all the world to see, boldly going where no nut-based confectionary spread has gone before. The random jar of Nutella was seen floating through the spacecraft. Nutella just had its moments in deep space, and the internet noticed. The clip started orbiting social media immediately. Nutella capitalized on the viral moment by adding a sound. soundtrack. The Celestial cameo was so perfectly executed, it forced NASA to clarify this was

not a paid product placement. The agency says it does not select crew meals with brand partnerships, and it's mostly up to the astronauts what they want to spread on their food, or in certain situations, eat by the spoonful directly from the jar. So an accident, and possibly the greatest free advertising ever produced. This has been your world tonight for Tuesday, April 7th. I'm Stephanie Skanderas. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca.comcasts.