Your World Tonight - Ukraine strikes Russian oil tankers, Extreme weather in Southeast Asia, Danielle Smith sells her Ottawa deal to her party, and more

Episode Date: November 29, 2025

Ukranian and Russian officials are gearing up for potential peace talks - but those efforts are being overshadowed by continued violence. As Kyiv suffered from Russian attacks on Friday, Ukraine struck two Russian oil tankers that are part of their so-called 'shadow fleet'. Also: A natural disaster -- turning catastrophic. Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency after a cyclone killed at least 150 people. The storm is now barreling towards southern India. It's part of a broader crisis of extreme weather seen across Southeast Asia.And: Alberta's premier is trying to sell her energy agreement with Ottawa to her political base. During a speech at the United Conservative Party's annual general meeting, Danielle Smith pilloried her political rivals and promoted the Memorandum of Understanding she signed on Thursday as a political win. Plus: A sinking town in the Himalayas, A documentary on a dog war hero, and more.

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This is a CBC podcast. As Russia and Ukraine talk peace plans, their actions tell a different story. Overnight, the fires of the war burned on two fronts, with Russian missile strikes and Ukrainian underwater drones, both threatening to take a match to the U.S.-led peace process. This is Your World Tonight. I'm Kate McGilfrey. Also on the podcast, a large swath of India's southeastern coast is on red alert, a deadly cyclones heading their way after leaving behind a trail of destruction in southern Asia. And Alberta is winning, and we will continue to win this

battle for our freedom and provincial rights because we are on the right side of history. Premier Danielle Smith pushing a triumphant message about her new pipeline deal to her divided party. Her message to the separatists, don't give up on Canada just yet. Officials from Ukraine are on their way to the U.S. to discuss the Trump administration's peace plan. And then in the second half of the week, an American delegation will go to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. But the talks are being overshadowed by continued violence. Ukraine suffered a heavy Russian attack Friday night, including the Kavanaugh. capital Kiev. At the same time, just off the coast of Turkey, Ukraine struck two oil tankers,

part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet. Crew members had to evacuate and both tankers sustained critical damage. Briar Stewart tells us about that story from Istanbul. So, Breyer, what do we know about what happened? Well, Ukraine says it struck these two ships with sea drones, which they said are able to travel quite a far distance and are equipped with a warhead. And Ukraine has been using these drones to hit Russian military ships and other energy infrastructure. But last night it was these two crude tankers that were targeted and they were hit in the Black Sea. One ship, the Keros, was on its way to a Russian port. When the crew said it was struck, there was an explosion and then a large fire. Turkish rescue crews responded and the crew of

25 made it out safely. Further to the east, there was another ship called the Virat. It was actually hit twice, its crew said, and Turkish officials kind of right away believe that it could have been drones. Now, in that case, the damage was more minor. Turkish officials have released very few details about this, but do say that they're in touch with their counterpart, so other maritime authorities along the Black Sea. And obviously, because of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, tension in that entire area is heightened. These so-called shadow fleet ships have been away for Russia to evade sanctions that have been imposed on it. Can you tell us more about that? Yeah, that's right. Both of these ships were

sanctioned by the EU in the UK. And when it came to the ship, the Varad, it was also sanctioned by Canada. And Russia has been using these vessels as a way to try to circumvent the sanctions that have been imposed by the West. So when these vessels are sanctioned, they can't carry insurance approved by the West. They can't stop at certain points of call. I spoke with an expert from the Atlantic Council, Elizabeth Bra, who has been tracking these ships. And she said that often these vessels are quite old and they frequently change their names. They also have shady ownership. They often disguise their movements.

What Western governments thought they could do is they could sanction specific vessels. It does have an effect because it really does limit these vessels' ability to call at ports. But it doesn't reduce the shadow fleet because the moment any given vessel is taken out some ship owner somewhere will sell another vessel into the shadow fleet. And she says the shadow fleet has expanded exponentially. Sanctions have not sidelined them. And because they are helping Russia sell its oil to countries like India, China, even Turkey, Ukraine is targeting them because it wants to find a way to help erode Russia's energy industry

because it's using that to fund its war. Okay. Thank you so much, Breyer. You're welcome. The CBC's Breyer Stewart in Istanbul. The Venezuelan government is accusing Donald Trump of making, quote, colonialist threats. Earlier Saturday, the U.S. President posted on social media that Venezuela's airspace should be considered closed. Ratcheting up what his administration insists is a campaign against drug cartels. Chris Reyes reports.

In the face of ongoing escalation between the U.S. and Venezuela, an ominous declaration from President Trump. On truth social, he posted, consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety, and then no further explanation. Hours later, this from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a statement calling Trump's directive a violation of his country's sovereignty and an illegal act of aggression, adding that Venezuela will not accept any orders from a foreign power. He has no authority. This is all illegal. Jorge Hine is a Chilean former diplomat and a global affairs professor. The sinking of boats on the Venezuelan coast is also illegal. There have been some 21 boats sunk. Some 80 people have been killed.

This is murder on the high seas. And it's needless to say, extremely worrisome and questionable. The U.S. and Venezuela have been in an intensifying stare-down since late this summer. When President Trump authorized the use of military forces, against Latin American drug cartels and upped a reward on the capture of Maduro. Then came the strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and the moving of U.S. military assets into the area, including most recently its deadliest carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. But we're going to take care of that situation. We're already doing a lot.

Earlier this week, Trump also designated Maduro the head of an alleged foreign terrorist organization and signaled his next move. And we'll be starting to stop him by land also. The land is easier, but that's going to start very soon. We'd warn them, stop sending poison to our country. Joel Rubin is a former deputy assistant secretary of state under President Obama. He's concerned that Trump is bypassing procedure in his actions against Venezuela. This is all the hallmarks of a slow-moving regime change policy.

I think the president and his team, they need to come clean to the American people and to the Congress and seek military authorization for what they're doing. Venezuela has been ratcheting up its own response, mobilizing its military, while Maduro recently held a large rally urging his supporters to resist American action. Maduro has denied all allegations against him. While Trump has insisted that he's on a mission to stop drug trafficking from that country, Venezuela is not a source of fentanyl. Further contradicting the Trump's strict anti-drug stance in the region. Earlier this week, he said he'll pardon the former president of Honduras, who was convicted in the U.S. of conspiring to import cocaine.

Fentanyl is to what is happening in Venezuela, what the weapons of mass destruction were to justify the Iraq invasion. It's a hoax. A region on high alert, now awaiting Trump's next move. Chris Reyes, CBC News, New York. Still ahead, what doctors can learn when they combine cat scans with cultural knowledge. Two Canadian medical schools are teaching future physicians to understand their patients on a whole other level. That's coming up on your world tonight. In Hong Kong, flags are lowered to half-mast outside the government.

headquarters. It marks the start of a three-day morning period for the victims of this week's deadly fire at a high-rise apartment complex. At least 128 people are confirmed dead. Police say that number is still expected to rise as first responders search for the more than 150 people still missing. Hong Kong residents have been laying flowers and signing condolence books at memorial points set up around the city. So far, 11 people involved in renovating the buildings have been arrested in connection to the fire. A natural disaster turning catastrophic, Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency after a cyclone killed at least 150 people.

Nearly a million are in need of assistance. That storm is now barreling towards southern India, part of a broader crisis of extreme weather across Southeast Asia. Mandy Sham has more. In the Sri Lankan capital, slabs of styrofoam are turned into makeshift boats. On one of them sits a young girl. Her father waits alongside her, pushing the raft through Colombo's flooded streets. The destination unclear, the path forward as murky as the water beneath them.

Floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwa have forced tens of thousands of people into shelters. Search and rescue operations are underway for residents in isolated communities, left with no power, no water, and no sense of what still remains. Transport Minister Bimal Ratna Yake says Sri Lanka is facing its biggest natural disaster in recent history. It adds to a growing toll from extreme weather across parts of Asia. In recent days, heavy monsoon rains have pummeled Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, killing hundreds of people. Thousands remain stranded. In Thailand alone, officials say nearly 4 million people are affected. main culprit is the climate change. Lidge and Joseph is a researcher of physical oceanography

in Southampton, England. He says on average, rain over the course of the monsoon season hasn't seen a dramatic increase. Instead, weather events are growing in intensity because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, meaning when it rains, it rains very heavily. And the ocean plays an important role as well. For example, the Indian Ocean, especially the Arabian Sea, is warming rapidly and the warmer ocean results in more evaporation and this results in more moisture being available in the atmosphere for rainfall. Joseph says these rapidly shifting climate trends are now a source of unpredictability for people in the region. The monsoon was something that we always looked forward to and there was like a real sense of joy when the first strains arrived.

But that relationship has changed. Scientists say early warning systems and improvements in weather forecasting will play an important role in climate resilience, but the bottom line is reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With Cyclone Ditwa now approaching India's southeastern coast, cities are preparing for impact, closing schools and cancelling flights. They know the storm is coming.

They don't know for sure if they're ready. Mandy Sham, CBC News, Toronto. A perfect storm of unstable soil, heavy rain, and large-scale construction is threatening an ancient Indian town. Day by day, Joshimat is sinking into the ground. Salima Shivjee ventured high into the Himalayas to meet the people who live there as they face an uncertain future. You can see, I can feel it.

Walking into his home, Abashak Nautiel points out the deep cracks that have pierced the walls in every room. The teenager lives in Joshimath, in Uttarakhan State, a small town tucked deep in the Indian Himalayas that clings. to a steep hillside more than 1,800 meters high. The town is vulnerable, its unstable soil buckling as it slowly sinks. Damage? Yeah, Lexi.

But Abashek and his family still live in their house, considered structurally unsound, condemned by a large X mark written in red marker on the home's outer wall. Attempts at patching some charts and all. Attempts at patching the cracks only partially successful. The Notyal family was ordered to leave when things came to a head in Joshimath in 23. More than 800 buildings evacuated after the town suddenly dropped five centimeters in less than two weeks.

I was very scared. But Abashek's family rejected an offer of compensation from the government to move permanently. So there was nothing, no place to which we can move on. We have no background support, financial support. Trauma and uncertainty, a constant in Joshimuth. The town is built on loose debris from a centuries-old landslide and a receding glacier. It's all also cursed with a drainage system that struggles to clear excess water, which then seeps into the already wobbly soil underground. Inside another crumbling home branded with a red mark, Dürga says she's always worried.

We're scared, she says. During monsoon season, the cracks widen. Where will I take my children? She asks. A changing climate exacerbating Joshimut's weak soil. The ecologically fragile Himalayas, the world's tallest mountain range is warming faster than any other.

Glacial lakes overflowing and more frequent cloud bursts of sudden torrential rain over a short time in space risk crushing entire mountain villages. The pattern of precipitation is changing. Ajay Paul is a retired seismologist who has studied Joshima's peculiar

issue. We have rains in huge quantity. Unless there is a proper drainage pattern, the vulnerability of the soil will increase. But for many in the sinking town, it's the aggressive and unchecked construction surrounding the area that's making matters worse. The route in and out of the town is filled with trucks and bulldozers as roads are being carved out and widened. Joe Shemath is at the heart of a pilgrimage route for

millions of Hindus, visiting sacred confluences where rivers meet to become the holy Ganges. The region is also a hot spot for new hydroelectric dams to meet India's growing electricity needs. Local activist Atul Sati blames one particular hydropower project close to town. Even though a government study dating as far back as 1976 called for a ban on all construction in Joshimuth because of the collapsing soil. They are building a tunnel going underneath the Joshimut. They are using heavy blast. We think that is the main cause. Many in the small town are resigned to it. They doubt the government, which has pledged funds to try to stop the sinking, will find a quick fix.

Sashi Sundriel takes it in stride as she walks past deep chasms on the way to her kitchen. The owners are letting me stay here rent-free, she says, so I'll live with a few cracks. In the precarious town in the hills that won't stop sinking, its future uncertain. Salima Shivjee, CBC News, Joshimath, India. The Transportation Safety Board is investigating a train derailment that happened this morning near Cranbrook, BC. Canadian Pacific Kansas City, which owns the trains, says no one was injured. Twelve cars were carrying wood products when they went off the tracks

about 16 kilometers east of the city. The TSB says it's deploying a team of investigators to look into it. This is the second derailment of a CPKC train in British Columbia this month. Alberta's premier is trying to sell her energy agreement, with Ottawa to her political base. During a speech at the United Conservative Party's annual general meeting, Danielle Smith pilloried her political rivals and promoted the memorandum of understanding she signed on Thursday as a political win.

Sam Sampson was there, and as she tells us, some UCP supporters remain unconvinced. Now is the time to double down and fight for both our province and our country because we Albertans are indeed the proudest of Canadians. In front of her own party, Alberta Premier Daniel Smith, doubled down on her decision to sign an energy-focused memorandum of understanding with Ottawa. We have been abused and taken for granted repeatedly over the past decades. But my friends, let's not throw in the towel and give up on our country just as the battle has turned in our favor.

And victory is in sight. It is. Smith promised to work with Ottawa and hold it accountable. Let's lower our fists and instead roll up our sleeves and get to work on making our province and our people more prosperous. than ever before, because we have many other critically important challenges to overcome. Smith was booed on stage Friday when she first mentioned working alongside Ottawa and being what she calls a sovereign Alberta within a United Canada. A faction of the UCP staunchly disagrees with that idea.

They'd rather avoid working with Ottawa altogether and instead see Alberta leave Canada. So for them, this MOU is not popular. I think it makes her look weak like a Kearney laptop. She needs to put that in reverse and back out of that deal. It's a good ploy, but it would take years. I just really feel that Danielle is in a tough spot right now. She's got to try to hold the party together. She's walking a real fine line.

I totally understand it. I'm still behind her. I think she's doing a good job, but the independence movement, we need to have our voice heard a little bit more than what it is. Keep in mind, this group does not reflect the general Alberta population. These are card-carrying members of a party that are fighting internal division. There are conservatives in Alberta who are happy with the deal. I mean, if you're even part of the separatist movement, it was because we couldn't get our product to tidewater, and now we are.

Erica Baroudis, a conservative strategist who's worked with the UCP government, says this deal does move things forward. I think it would be really hard to say that this isn't a win, but that doesn't mean that we can't keep pushing for more pipelines, more of our resources to, market more looking at this global economy that the prime minister talks about before she left the stage daniel smith touched on several other issues including gun ownership she said her government will announce a motion next week to instruct all provincial entities including police to refuse to enforce the federal gun seizure program i got a little tip for low life criminals out there if you don't want to get shot don't break into someone's house it's really that simple isn't that Fighting a federal law may not be simple, as is getting everyone on board with working with Ottawa.

But it seems for now Smith is sticking with her decision, a collaboration with Canada. Sam Sampson, CBC News, Edmonton. Two Canadian universities are changing how they teach medicine, training future doctors to be aware of a patient's culture, diet, and community, as important factors in their health outcomes. Deanna Sumanek-Johnson explains. They're putting on scrubs and medical gloves looking at, at x-rays of human skeletons and asking questions of working medical professionals.

The one-day event for these high schoolers is part of a special co-op course designed by the P.L District School Board and Toronto Metropolitan University. Students earn both a high school credit and a university credit, but most importantly get to envision themselves in medical professions serving people in their own community. Aisha Adibisi now wants to pursue nursing. The title of the course is equity. in the future of health care. So I wanted to be a part of that. I love talking about equity.

The event is taking place at Toronto Metropolitan University's newly opened medical school in Brampton. The rapidly growing city is one of the most diverse in the country with more than half of its population born outside of Canada. The population boom has also meant that the health care needs of its citizens aren't being met. The new medical school could change that, says Dr. Teresa Chang, dean of the medical school at TMU. People have this momentum that they stay where they trained. So wouldn't it be nice if you came to a community, integrated in the community, and then stayed where you're trained to be part of that community.

TMU's medical school's founding principle is cultural sensitivity and awareness that a patient's culture, diet and community are crucial factors in their health. Just last year, Brampton Hospital made headlines after the staff shaved a man's beard without consent in violation of his sick religious beliefs. In British Columbia, Simon Fraser University is also about to open a new medical school based on cultural inclusivity and serving community-specific needs. Dr. David Price is the dean of the School of Medicine at SFU.

He says the thinking behind the school is an evolution of traditional medical training where students were mostly exposed to hospital settings in large centers. Our students will be placed with a family doctor and a family physician's office in the community very, very early on. What's unique about that is a lot of schools do place their students, but our students will stay with that family doctor, with that family practice for their whole three years. Back in Brampton, Harris Ahmed, first-year medical student at Toronto Metropolitan University, is excited about his studies and about spreading the message to high schoolers. And when they see someone like me and they see someone like the students at the school,

then they're able to enter this program and they're able to be like, this is real. Like, I believe you. As they tackle Canada's doctor shortage, one community, one patient at a time. Deanna Sumanak Johnson, CBC News, Toronto. British playwright Tom Stoppard has died. Stoppard's career spanned over 6. decades working on dozens of projects across theater, radio, and film.

His accolades include five Tony Awards, three Olivier Awards, and an Oscar, for co-writing the 1998 film, Shakespeare in Love. You will never age for me, no fate, nor die. You will know you for me. Stoppard screenwriting credits also includes Stephen Spielberg's Empire of the Sun and Terry Gilliams, Brazil. One of his most famous plays is 1966's Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are dead. Stopper died at his home in Dorset in southwest England on Saturday, surrounded by his family.

He was 88 years old. Well, they say every dog has its day. For Gander, the Newfoundland dog and Second World War hero, that day has come after 84 years, or more than 300 dog years. As Troy Turner reports from Gander, the town this time, an American army vet was so moved By this dog's story, he captured it in a film. Inside the North Atlantic Aviation Museum, an audience of about 50 people applaud after a screening of Sergeant Gander, a soldier's soldier. I'm honored, deeply honored, that you would take the time to let me into your homes to show this film to you. The 18-minute film is the brainchild of J.P. Bear, an American Vietnam War veteran, and a lover

of Newfoundland dogs. So when he heard the story of Gander, a dog awarded for his heroics during the Second World War, he knew it had to be told. He was a courageous Newfoundland dog who helped his fellow Canadian soldiers at the Battle of Hong Kong to defend against the invading Japanese Army in 1941. The story of Gander, the dog, starts in Gander, the town. Pal, as he was originally named, was a family pet. His fate changed when he accidentally scratched a child's face and then found himself under the care of the Royal Rifles of Canada,

a regiment of the Canadian Army. His name was changed and he was given the rank of sergeant and became their official mascot. When the unit was shipped to Hong Kong, Gander went along where he helped protect wounded soldiers on at least two occasions, but was killed during a final act of bravery. One particular grenade came close to the men out of their reach. They couldn't get it, and Gander had been watching what was going on.

He grabbed the grenade and ran it away back to the Japanese, hence losing his life when it exploded. In 2000, Gander was posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal, known as the Victoria Cross for animals. The greatest thing about the whole story is that his name was put on the wall, the memorial wall in Ottawa, in its proper alphabetical place, with a cross designating that he died in battle. J.P. Bear is now getting ready to show his short film to the Newfoundland Dog Club in his home state of Arizona.

Troy Turner, CBC News, Gander. We'll end with an update on a trio of rebellious nuns and their fight to stay in their convent. I'll spare you the sound of music jokes. This is enough like a movie on its own. Climb every mountain searched high and low. Sisters Rita, Regina and Bernadette,

their Austrian nuns in their 80s. They endeared themselves to the world after they broke out of a senior's care home and broke back into their former convent with a little help from a locksmith. That was three months ago. Church authorities are now saying they can stay until further notice,

but it's the church's conditions on that offer that are giving the sisters pause. That sister Rita and sister Bernadette, they say they're ready to talk but can't accept a demand that they quit social media if they want to stay. See, since breaking back into their convent, where they beached lived for decades, by the way, the nuns have become something of social media stars. They're using Instagram and

Facebook to show off their very picturesque daily lives in the convent, which happens to be in a castle near Salzburg. We've got Sister Regina describing her favorite food, Samalina Porich. Sister Bernadette hitting the sewing machine. And Sister Rita, working out with her new boxing gloves. This story's far from over. We don't know how authorities are going to respond, but we do know the nuns are determined to live and die as they see fit. As Sister Bernadette put it in a media interview, before I die in that old people's home, I'd rather go to a meadow and enter eternity that way.

This has been your world tonight for Saturday, November 29th. I'm Kate McGilvery. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca.ca slash podcasts.