Your World Tonight - U.S. Iran talks cancelled, Inquiry into deaths of Innu children, Columbia's hippo problem, and more

Episode Date: April 25, 2026

Indirect peace talks between Iran and the U.S. have stalled. Iran's Foreign Minister met with Pakistani mediators today, but a U.S. delegation did not. President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled that trip, throwing fresh uncertainty over the already bumpy efforts to end the war.Also: In Labrador, a years long inquiry into the deaths of six Innu youth is moving toward its final phases. They died at different times, and from different causes. But they all shared one thing: they were part of the child protection system. And this week, a report presented to the inquiry highlights how that system fails Innu children.And: With its tropical climate and verdant landscape, Colombia is the perfect breeding ground for coffee, avocados, and...hippos! The amphibious mammals were first brought there by a drug lord decades ago. Now, they're an environmental hazard. You'll hear about the drastic steps the Colombian government is taking to control their hippo problem. Plus: Ontario agriculture faces flooding risk, Reforming paternity leave in Italy, Akheem Mesidor becomes first round draft pick for the NFL, and more. 

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podcast. I'll deal with whoever we have to, but there's no reason to wait two days, have people traveling for 16, 17 hours. When they want, they can call me. An unexpected unraveling of peace talks between Iran and the U.S. President Donald Trump today pulling his delegation to Pakistan saying, it's not worth the travel time. This is Your World Tonight. I'm Tanya Fletcher. Also on the podcast, the systemic failings that preceded the deaths of six Innu, youth. That's at the center of a years-long inquiry in Labrador. And a report this week reveals gaps in the child protection system meant to help them. Also,

The Los Angeles Chargers select Akeem Mezzador. From playing pee-wee football in Ottawa to charging his way into the NFL as a first-round draft pick, a look at the lifelong dream come true for Akeem Mezador. Indirect peace talks between Iran and the U.S. have soon. stalled. Iran's foreign minister met with Pakistani mediators today, as planned, but a U.S. delegation did not. President Donald Trump abruptly halted that trip, throwing fresh uncertainty over already bumpy efforts to end the war. For more on this, let's go now to CBC's Chris Reyes in New York. So, Chris, what is Trump saying about why this planned meeting was suddenly canceled?

Well, he seems to be saying that this is a logistics issue, Tanya, rather than a setback in negotiations. Essentially, President Trump said the flight is too long. It's too expensive and there's nothing at this point that would require a face-to-face meeting with Pakistani officials who are mediating this. Because remember, even before the Iranian officials left, there was never any guarantee that the U.S. negotiators led by Jared Kushner and Steve Woodcoff would be meeting face-to-face with their Iranian counterparts. Here's what Trump said about why he eventually pulled the plug. We're not going to spend 15 hours in airplanes all the time going back and forth to be giving a document that was not good enough. And so we'll deal by telephone and they can call us

anytime they want. So at this point, no scheduled formal talks between the two countries. And Tanya, that's really the one signal that many are looking for to indicate that this war is winding down. But same as last week. There's just no sense that's happening this weekend, eight weeks into this conflict and counting. So what is the overall status of these negotiations at this point? I mean, it's an obvious stalemate, but would Trump constantly declaring that the U.S. has all the cards? Iran seems to be getting along with Pakistan and trusting them to be the mediators in this conflict. So on that front, at least the U.S. and Iran seem to agree. The Pakistani Prime Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif also seemed to be making a point of signaling that they're working well with Iran.

The Prime Minister posted on social media that their meeting was warm and cordial and that they'll continue to talk about strengthening their bilateral relationship. And then from the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbasaragchi, he posted on X that his visit to Pakistan was fruitful, that he valued Pakistan's role, but then said this about the U.S., that they have yet to see if the American, are truly serious about diplomacy. Now, on what Trump is saying about the deal or the potential of a deal, including what Iran is offering the U.S. in exchange for the uranium that Trump has been claiming the U.S.

would be taking from the country, he said this. Look, that whole deal is not complicated. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Can they offer anything in return to 20 years of the spending and rich uranium? They offered a lot. They offered a lot, but not enough. So some details there, but obviously more questions left unanswered.

The Iranian foreign minister says he will return to Pakistan. He's also visiting Oman and Russia. We'll wait to see if that will trigger the U.S. to do the same. All right, Chris, thanks for the update. Thank you. The CBC is Chris Reyes in New York. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his military to vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Netanyahu's brief statement comes during a.

shaky ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. That has led to a scaling back, but not a complete halting of violence between Hezbollah and Israel's army. Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud al-Bas is greeted at a polling station in Ramallah. More than a million Palestinians

are eligible to cast a ballot in municipal elections there right now. While the vote is limited to local councils, it's seen as a major test of legitimacy for Abbas and his Fata party. But many opposition parties are boycotting the vote, claiming it lacks any real competition. In a historic move, polling stations have also opened in the Gaza city of Der Al-Bala. It is the first election in Gaza since Hamas took over in 2006. Back in our country and cities and towns across Ontario, protesters rally today. against Premier Doug Ford, expressing their frustration with the Premier and his policies,

including changes to student loans, health care, and political transparency. As our Philip Leashanuk tells us, analysts say there are signs this government is getting long in the tooth. I hate the rain, but I hate Doug Ford more. Student Gernit Singh is grateful to Ontario's student loan program, which she says helped her go back to school for environmental studies. And she says changes to the program, which the government, says was unsustainable will mean others may not be so lucky. And I hope that we don't forget everything that he's doing to the province right now when elections come around again.

Hundreds gathered at Queens Park, the provincial legislature in Toronto, outside the Premier's office in Otobico and in communities large and small. Some were upset at Ford's ban on the use of automated speed enforcement cameras, ending funding that went to safe injection sites, and the end of rent control for new housing units. Retired educator Craig Porter says public health care issues, the lack of family doctors and ER crowding, brought him out. It's bleeding us all dry. I came from the education sector, which is suffering immensely, and we're all living through this health care system, which is hell. He says the Ford government's recently passed Omnibus Budget Bill includes controversial freedom of information changes that will shield Ford and his cabinet from public access

to records. But now the Ford government wants to cover up whatever they're doing. Ethan Eastwood came in from Oshua, Ontario, east of Toronto to join the protest. One issue made him particularly angry. People are struggling to put food on the table. They're struggling to make ends meet. And yet this guy has the goal to spend $30 million of taxpayer money on this private jet that was completely unnecessary. The backlash prompted Ford to change course. He now says he's sold the jet back to Bombardier. It's done. I'm flying, you know, commercial or we'll fly on the little puddle jumper that the OPP has. Peter Grafe teaches political science at McMaster University in Hamilton. He says he sees signs that after three back-to-back

majorities and almost a decade in power, this government needs renewal. And they don't want to hear from the opposition. They don't want the public to come and speak to these things. I mean, I think it's a sign that they've lost touch with the public, but also have become tired. They don't have the energy to go and defend what they're doing. Recent opinion polls show Ford's government with 40% of decided voters, while the liberals, who still don't have a permanent leader, closing the gap at 31%, followed by 22% for the NDP. Vultes-Shannock, CBC News, Toronto. Still ahead, a dead drug lord's exotic pets have become a rather big problem for

Colombia. Dozens of feral hippos, once belonging to Pablo Escobar, roam free in the country's riverbeds, drawing in tourists and causing environmental havoc. Now, Colombia's government says the only solution is to call them. That's coming up later on Your World Tonight. In Labrador, a years-long inquiry into the deaths of half a dozen Innu youth is moving forward towards its final phases. The six died at different times and from different causes, but they all shared one thing. They were all part of the child protection system.

And this week, a report presented to the inquiry highlights just how that system fails in new children. Madison Taylor reports from St. John's. I think it's time that an inquiry should be done. That's Simeon Jacobish. Calling for review in 2017 after the day. death of his son, Thunderheart. Nine years after his plea, the inquiry into the treatment of any new youth in the child protection system is still going. This week marked one of its final

stages. Child family services is not the answer for our people. All six youth, including Thunderheart, were separated from their families. Five of them sent outside the province and all struggled with gasoline sniffing. Four died by suicide, two from hypothermia. This week, investigators presented a report to the inquiries commissioners revealing what they call a profound systemic failure. Investigator Tara Petty says much change within the current system is needed. This requires, you know, a lot of structural reform. The investigators cited 12 issues linking the six deaths,

including over-reliance on out-of-provence placements, care deficiencies, and accountability failures. Adrian Ding is the lawyer representing the family of Kirby, Mr. Napier. What is important for the family to say, is that if this inquiry is going to matter, it must make meaningful recommendations to overhaul a system that has repeatedly harmed in new children. Ding says one of Mr. Napio's most treasured possessions while in care was an iPod.

Sent by his grandparents, it was full of any music, in the hopes of connecting him to home. It wasn't enough. Kirby's story is undoubtedly a tragedy, but the family believes his story can be used for positive change. They want that change to be like. led by Innu people, resourced by the province, and built to keep Innu children safe at home. Lead investigator Ken Rashad says maintaining Innu community and culture is key,

but provincial and federal government support is also needed. What's required is some kind of reconciliation process that will conclude with a new set of relations. Despite the tragedy revealed throughout the inquiry, Commissioner Anastasia Kupi, a former Grand Chief of the Inou Nation, says she's hopeful for the future. with there's more graduations happening and there's more people pursuing higher education and coming back as well. So I think that with this generation, I see hope. Thunderheart Jacobus dreamt with becoming a musician.

Those dreams won't be realized. But his family is fighting for other and new children to have a better chance of reaching theirs. The Commissioner's final report will be submitted to the province of Newfoundland in Labrador in October. Madison Taylor, CBC News, St. John's. Well, farmers in one of Ontario's prime agricultural areas are getting ready to plant their crops, while also nervously keeping watch of a nearby lake. It's at its highest level ever for this time of year and likely hasn't even peaked yet. The CBC's Cheyenne has more.

We've been struggling with higher water levels in the spring for a few years. But Joe Chapman has never seen it like this. Lake Simcoe, just north of Toronto, is the highest it's ever been this time of year. His farmland is right beside it, and a dike in the middle is all that's keeping the two apart. We've been doing a lot of emergency maintenance by building berms and putting out bladder bags to try and create water barriers to keep the water out. This is the first year where we've had to go out and actually put dirt out. Even with all that work, we do have a small leak.

It's coming in through the tree roots here. Seeping to a field, he plans to plant celery on. And if it gets worse... This field would be covered in about four feet of water in a real hurry. If it breached to the point where we actually had significant flow. Making it likely impossible to plant here at all. And even more costly if it floods after the crops in the ground. Planting celery costs me about $8,800 an acre. There's 135 acres behind me.

Chapman's land is in the Holland Marsh. It's a stretch that produces a significant chunk of Ontario's vegetables, so several farms are affected. Down the road, water is streaming over a dike into farmland. Some is so flooded ducks are swimming where people typically plant. Chapman is pumping water out, but it might be too wet for this. this year's carrots. I realize it's not like getting your house flooded and losing your stuff, but it's a pretty big deal because this is our livelihood. We've got some flooding down in the Coalbar Marsh here,

and then along the south shore in Georgina. We've also seen up in Lagoon City. While Parks Canada manages the water levels, it's the Lake Simco region Conservation Authority that does flood forecasting, and director of flood management can change. says levels don't typically peak until as late as early May. Even though Parks Canada is making their efforts to draw down the lake by opening up the flows from Lake Simco, it is still expected to take certainly weeks, if not months, for the levels in the lake to return to more seasonal averages.

University of Toronto professor George Ahondidas calls this year a bit of an anomaly, brought on by melting snow, rain, and wind. We're shifting in an uncertain territory with greater importance. predictability, significant year-to-year variation. And this is at least a broader call to be proactive. But that unpredictability makes it hard to plan, according to University of Waterloo Environmental Engineer Nandida Basu. The past is a good indication of the future. Now, if it's changing so fast, the past becomes not the best predictor of the future.

So we need a lot of error bound on what will happen and kind of be able to create that scenario and say, okay, what will we do in those extremes? As for Chapman, he's doing what he can to get ready to plant. That means pumping water out, hoping that stays there and praying at least for now it doesn't rain. She and Desjardin, CBC News, Georgina, Ontario. Let's head south now to South America with its tropical climate in verdant landscape, Colombia, is the perfect breeding ground for coffee, avocados, and hippos. The amphibious mammals were. were first brought there by a drug lord decades ago. Now, they're an environmental hazard.

As freelance reporter Manuel Ruera tells us, Colombia's government is taking drastic steps to control their hippo problem. The grants of hippos are part of everyday life in Dordad, a small town in the center of Colombia. Every afternoon, locals and tourists hang out at a lake on the edge of the town. They chat and drink beers as they watch the giant beast floating on a lake.

Tourists like it here, because you can get pretty close to the hippos, says taxi driver Mauricio Morales. The hippos are the descendants of four animals brought illegally to Colombia in the 1980s by Pablo Escobar. The notorious drug lord owned a private zoo on a ranch near Doradal with elephants, giraffes, and zebras. but no one captured the hippos when the Colombian government ceased Escobar's properties and because of the lush environment and the lack of natural predators,

the feral hippo population exploded. Scientists estimate there are now 200 hippos roaming freely around Doradal. Biologist Natalie Castelblanco has studied Colombia's hippos and their effect on the local environment. She says the animals deposit large amounts of feces in lakes and riverbeds, and this can lead to drastic changes in the chemical composition of the water. Including changes in the pH and also less oxygen, so then all the plants that need oxygen in the water are going to be collapsed because of this.

With less underwater plants, fish and manatees could also be affected. Well, the hippos have a transversal impact on the ecosystem, In mid-April, Colombia's government announced an action plan to control the hippo population, which includes Cullen up to 80 hippos this year. Without this action, we cannot control the hippo populations, says Environment Minister Ieneveles. We have a responsibility to defend our ecosystems. But many locals and activists are firmly against killing the hippos. They didn't the psychos.

come here. It would be unfair to kill them, says Yamit Diaz, a fisherman who also takes people on hippos spot-in tours. Over the years, the Colombian government has tried non-violent solutions, like moving the hippos to zoos or sterilizing them. But the large animals are hard to catch and keep track of, so these solutions have failed. Castel Blanco says if drastic measures are not taken, the hippo population could double in the next five years. If we don't take this, This decision right now, in five years, it's going to be hundreds of hippos that are going to be needed to be called. Animal rights groups have filed a lawsuit to stop the government from killing the hippos. They're asking officials to persist with non-violent solutions, like creating a hippo sanctuary or moving some of these animals to Africa.

Manuel Rueda for CBC News, Doradal, Colombia. Gender roles around parenting have changed a lot over the years, but in Italy, government policy is keeping things traditional. You see, Italy does have the most generous maternity leave in the European Union, but it's a much different story for paternity leave. Earlier this year, Italy's parliament voted down a bid to close that gap, and as Megan Williams reports, a growing number of Italian dads are now rewriting the rules of fatherhood. Italian dad, Diego DiFranco, hustles his preteen son,

Enrico out the door to soccer practice, like many parents grumbling about how late they are. D'Franco is a father of two, whose wife works as a senior manager. Well, he stays home and looks after the kids. And who posts to his 50,000 followers or so, real and humorous videos of his life as a homemaker. His goal challenged the stereotypes head-on. In Italy, barely half of women work outside the home. the worst gender employment gap in the EU. Di Franco posts while mopping the floors, cooking, picking up his kids after school.

But his sharpest posts flipped the script. Keeping exaggerated praise on a mother who works all day and still comes home to cook and change diapers, holding up a mirror to the low bar. Italian fathers are measured against. D'Franco says he didn't plan on being a house husband, but after he lost his job and his wife's maternity leave was running out, it made the most sense for the family.

When people kept seeing me alone with my kids, he says, they started to ask if I was a widower, or a separated father forced by a court order to spend time with his own children. It's a huge paradox. Maternity leave in Italy is one of the long. longest and best paid in Europe, whereas in the case of men, we're at the rock bottom, at the minimum standards set by the EU, says sociologist and children health expert Anina Lubach. Right now, Italian mothers get five months. Italian fathers get 10 days.

Italy's parliament rejected a bill earlier this year that would have equalized maternity and paternity leave, bringing the country in line with Spain, which extended fathers' leave to 16 weeks in 2021. Italy's right-wing coalition government, led by its first female prime minister, George Imeloni, cited budget constraints in voting it down. But economists warn the status quo has a cost. Not only does Italy have the widest work gender gap in the European Union, women account for 70% of voluntary resignations, many after having kids.

Rafael Le Nunez, DiFranco's wife, says having a partner who took over at home allowed her to take on challenges and promotions at work she would never have been able to say yes to. It's influenced a lot, influence, a lot of my life, love, and it's a thing of who I'm always a huge impact on my career and something I'm extremely proud of, she says. But with Italy's Parliament stalling on policy, It may be the influencers, not the lawmakers, who show Italy what fatherhood looks like. Megan Williams, CBC News, Rome.

Akeem Mesidor has put in many, many yards to get where he is, from playing pee-wee football in Ottawa to now becoming a first-round draft pick in the NFL. Are Jamie Strassion now with his story? With the 22nd pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Chargers select Akeem Mesidor, linebacker, Miami. It's the moment Akeem Messador has been working towards all his life. The Los Angeles Chargers made the Ottawa native

the six Canadian ever selected in the first round of the NFL draft. I'm here with a roomful of people who could not be more excited to be adding you to the Charger family. The first hug, his mother, Carol, who raised five kids on her own while working three jobs to support her son's improbable journey. Less than 24 hours after being drafted, Messador was in California.

Everything else was really a blur. I was just, it was yes, sirs, and thank you's. Just, and then, yeah, man, I'm just ready to be here. Excited to be here. It's been a long road. At one point as a teen adversity at home caused Messador to quit the game. And I didn't see him for two, three weeks.

I called multiple time, and I finally realized that he was working on Dominoes. Coach Victor Todondo, who first met Messador as a 9-year-old boy and coached him in Ottawa for years, convinced him football offered a path forward. So that was his motivation, right? He wanted to get out of the situation, condition that he was in. And that was, it had been his drive. He had a chip on his shoulder from the get-go. Messador finished his college career at Miami as one of the best defensive linemen in the country, willing himself into a potential first-round draft pick, says three-down. Nation reporter Justin Dunk.

And he's also capitalized on the chances, let's say, that he's been earned. I don't even want to say that he's been given because I think he's truly earned every opportunity that he's gotten. His attitude off the field also impressed teams ahead of the draft. I love helping people, young athletes, even collegiate athletes who still need help, whatever it is, I'm always available and I help people out. And that's just who I am. The handful of Canadians who have made a mark in the NFL, like 10-year pro-Israel Adonogé, applaud Messador's achievement, but warn that success can be difficult.

Whenever I'm speaking young guys, I really press the point of it's going to be shorter than you think and don't let any opportunity pass you by. Before playing a single down in the NFL, Messador is expected to sign a contract worth around $20 million U.S. dollars, a payoff. for him and his family after years of struggle. Jamie Strasch and CBC News, Toronto. Finally tonight, what does a Canadian soccer player have in common with a well-known reggae singer? This song, turns out. The two have teamed up for victory.

It's the new anthem for Canada's professional women's soccer league. Halifax Tides Forward Tiffany Cameron, whose artist's name is Tiff, collaborated with Halifax-based artist Jamila. The song showcases Cameron's history. hip-pop skills. She says she was inspired to craft a song for the league and approached Jamila about a collaboration. I met her last year and I asked her if she'd like to be a part of the project. She has a wonderful voice. And from there, you know, I started working on the instrumental with my

producer and then we went back and forth about things, wrote my verse. You know, it took some time to put together the whole song. So I'm really happy about the opportunity. As for Jamila, she's a Juno nominated artist, and she says she's incredibly proud of this song because it's symbolic of more than just sport. We asked ourselves in the first session, what does victory sound like? Not only victory on the soccer field, but victory in life. What would pump people up and leave them empowered and leave them hopeful and give them some sort of sense of triumph in whatever it is that they're facing? Victory, now the soundtrack to the 2026 Northern Super League season. The Halifax Tides just won their season opener today, by the way, beating Ottawa Rapid FC 3 to 1.

This has been your world tonight for Saturday, April 25th. I'm Tanya Fletcher. Good night. Build to thrill. For more CBC podcasts, go to CBC.ca.ca.