Your World Tonight - Venezuela's search for survivors, Europe's heatwave moves east, Central Alberta rain storms, and more.

Episode Date: June 27, 2026

A crucial window has now closed in Venezuela. Aid groups say the first 72 hours are the most critical for finding survivors after a major earthquake. It's now believed Wednesday's twin quakes have killed more than 14-hundred people. Tens of thousands of people are still missing, and search and rescue workers are scrambling to save as many survivors as possible.Also: Temperatures continue to soar dangerously high across Europe. Cities and towns in France, The U.K., Belgium, Germany, and others all saw the mercury hit record highs for this time of the year. And the stifling heatwave that's blanketed Western Europe is now moving eastward.And: For the second weekend in a row, Central Alberta is being drenched with rain. A week ago, record amounts of rainfall, led to some towns and cities declaring states of emergency as waste-water systems became overwhelmed. Now, the rain is back, and the region is on its way to having the wettest June on record.Plus: U.S. - Iran tensions, Xenophobia in South Africa, Debating theatre etiquette, and more.

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Venezuela is not alone, says the country's president, a nation still in crisis from a pair of massive earthquakes, and the critical 72-hour window of hope to find survivors has now closed. This is your world tonight. I'm Tanya Fletcher in Vancouver. Also on the podcast, more strikes in the Middle East and a war of words. put the ceasefire deal between Iran and the U.S. at risk. Plus, just to remind you, we're in June.

We are in June. We're seeing heat levels, which would be more typical of late July, of August. A sweltering heat wave is making its way from west to east across Europe, setting scorching records and blanketing millions of people in dangerous temperatures. A crucial window has now closed in Venezuela. Aid groups say the first 72 hours are the most critical for finding survivors after a major earthquake. It's believed Wednesday's twin quakes killed more than 1,400 people. Tens of thousands are still missing, and search and rescue workers are scrambling to save as many survivors as possible.

The CBC's Katie Simpson has our top story tonight from Colombia's border with Venezuela. Rescue workers go quiet the moment they realize what they feel. found. A newborn baby boy, still alive, wrapped in blanket. How this is even possible is not yet clear. And in this moment, it doesn't matter. There are plenty of tears as the baby is carefully handed to his father. He cradles and kisses the child sobbing, a rare moment of hope in a place filled with despair. Three days after twin earthquakes caused widespread destruction in Caracas and along Venezuela's coast. There are persistent power outages. Communication systems are unreliable and basic necessities are scarce.

We need equipment, we need water, otherwise people are going to die, says this woman in Ligwara, one of the hardest hit coastal communities. Her sister, her brother-in-law and their 15-year-old are trapped in the rubble of their home. She doesn't know if they're still alive with no officials around to lead a rescue. More help is arriving. Foreign search and rescue specialists, including from France, the U.S., and Mexico, are now on the ground. At least 10 countries have committed to sending teams in. Canada has pledged $5 million in aid, which is being distributed by the Canadian Red Cross. Tarps, water filters, blankets, foldable beds, and cleaning kits arrived Friday. We have received the hand of solidarity from the world, says interim president, Delci

Rodriguez as she continues to solicit and accept support. The government is facing intense criticism as public and emergency services are unable to meet this moment of crisis. Inadequate due to years of corruption and financial mismanagement during the Nicholas Maduro regime. Rodriguez served as Maduro's deputy until he was seized by U.S. forces. Regular citizens are taking it upon themselves to help each other, including Juan Carlos Lobo.

He drives an ATB for fun on the weekends. But the vehicle is ideal to navigate the heavily damaged roads. On Monday, he says he'll head to La Guara, using the vehicle to transport supplies, workers, and even, if necessary, bodies. Lobo becomes emotional as he talks about how people of the country are coming together, unifying. He says he will try to help whoever he can.

So much of this effort has been left to the people who continue on with. whatever resources they have. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Kukita, Colombia. In Pakistan, an attack on a security compound in Karachi has killed at least three paramilitary soldiers. An explosion and gunfire were initially reported on a major road near several universities. Local police say a group of armed men rammed a vehicle into the main gate, then opened fire. Four of those attackers were also killed. It comes as Pakistan faces continued armed violence against its security forces across the country. No group has claimed responsibility.

There have been more attacks and counterattacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz, and it's putting the ceasefire reached just 10 days ago between Iran and the U.S. under more strain. There has also been more violence between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is also a threat to that deal. Our Chris Reyes has the latest. A return to finger pointing between Iran and the United States, both accusing the other of reigniting tensions less than two weeks since agreeing to wind down the war under the Pakistan brokered memorandum of understanding. Iran said it launched strike Saturday against U.S. military targets, though a U.S. official told CNN the drones did not reach their targets. Meanwhile, a second ship in a week was struck in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.

The other attack happened Thursday. Iran has not officially claimed. responsibility for those attacks, but the U.S. retaliated on Friday by hitting targets along Iran's southern coast. Samantha Vinograd is a national security analyst. That based upon what has happened, there is now more direct communications between the Iranian regime and the United States. So hopefully the United States and Iran can settle this through a phone call or meeting rather than going through intermediaries and risking an escalatory cycle. The Iranian Foreign Ministry released a statement describing the U.S. attacks as barbaric and a violation of the MOU. That statement also said Iran will continue to defend the country's sovereignty,

security and national interests with all their power. Vice President J.D. Vance writing on X. Deflected blame. Saying Iran signed a ceasefire agreement, we have honored it. If they have disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone. Violence will be met with violence. The escalating tensions come as Israeli airstrikes hit southern Lebanon, just one day after signing a U.S. brokered agreement to pull some forces from the country. Talking to media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed...

That Israel will continue to maintain a security zone inside Lebanon until it deems necessary. That agreement was rejected by militant group Hezbollah. Its leader Naim Kassam calls a framework a disgrace and a surrender of sovereignty. The Iranian Foreign Ministry maintains that continued fighting in Lebanon is a violation of any peace agreement between Iran and the U.S. Chris Reyes, CBC News, New York. Still ahead, we've all been annoyed by rude movie watchers in the theater,

but what about live theater etiquette? There's a movement to embrace more loose audio. behavior, but not everyone's into it. We'll explain later on your world tonight. Temperatures continue to soar dangerously high across Europe. Cities and towns in France, the UK, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and others all saw the mercury hit record highs for this time of year. And the stifling heat wave that's blanketing Western Europe is now moving eastward. The CBC's Philip Lee Shanak has the latest. Berlin police deploy two water cannons to spray mist onto people looking for relief in the German capital.

The street vendor in Frankfurt is from the occupied West Bank and is used to the heat. Germans are melting right now, he says. Record high temperatures continue to spread across Europe into regions where people aren't accustomed to this level of heat and humidity. Germany's National Weather Service says a new heat record. 41.5 Celsius was set Saturday. The previous record was set in 2019. This American expat living in Berlin says it's hot, even for him. I'm from Texas, so he doesn't really bother me so much,

but there's no air conditioning. My flat is quite hot, so I understand. I complain too. From Scandinavia to the Adriatic, Europeans endured sweltering conditions. From St. Mark Square, Christine Geary, owner of Kingston, Ontario-based Maple Leaf Tours, describes the scene in Venice. People are struggling, and the patios are empty, the piazzas are empty.

People just aren't prepared. The tourists aren't prepared. And this heat wave already linked to dozens of deaths is spreading to central and eastern parts of the continent. Temperature soared into the high 30 Celsius in Czech Republic, where people cooled off and water sprayed from trucks in central Prague. The World Meteorological Organization says Europe is one of the fastest warming continents and average temperatures have risen around 2 degrees Celsius over 50 years. John Kennedy is the WMO's head of climate information. Heat waves like this are what we expect to see in a changing climate.

An extreme heat will occur more frequently for longer duration and with greater intensity as global warming continues. During Climate Action Week events in London this past week, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez called on the world to renew its commitment to mitigate climate change. Climate chaos is accelerating before our eyes. We have just lived through the 11 hottest years ever recorded. Climate disasters are becoming more frequent, more destructive and more costly. It's been more than a decade since world leaders agreed in Paris to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-induced. levels. And the UN says the next round of climate talks known as COP 31 are even more urgent.

Philip Lyshanock, CBC News, Toronto. As people across Europe search for ways to stay cool, some businesses and homeowners are investing in new technologies to adapt to a new normal. Freelance reporter Natalie Carney continues our coverage from Germany. The EZEZE River runs through the heart of Munich and is an utter blessing during heat waves. Temperatures across Europe are at historic highs, with parts of Germany hitting 41 degrees Celsius this week. It's really hot. The EZAR really helps me cool down.

I love it. Stay in the shadows and then drink a lot of water. I think we should do more for the climate. I think it will be much harder in the next years. Schools and offices are closing early while people adjust their routines and their blinds to avoid peak temperatures. Europe's summer heat waves are more intense,

coming earlier and lasting longer, making them the deadliest weather-related disaster. That's why many are taking action now. So this is our verma pump. Jessica Galinsky and her husband built their new home with triple glazed windows, floor cooling, air conditioning and a heat pump. We did it because we feel like the climate is getting hotter, and we wanted just quality of life, especially with like the craziness of the world right now,

the volatile situation with like energy, and being able to get gas, those kind of things. We were thinking really long term when we bought this house and we were willing to spend the money a little bit more up front and in return be able to save money in the long run. Heat pumps, which can both heat and cool homes, have more than doubled in annual sales over the past five years, helped by generous government subsidies.

Nearly three quarters of new homes completed in Germany last year installed one as their primary heating system. Lars Krauss is the CEO of the sustainable engineering firm, Green Engineers, and says people are now moving away from traditional oil and gas to heat pumps, which can also remove heat from inside, cooling down a building. Hotels are upgrading cooling systems, beer gardens are adding more shading in fans, and retailers report strong demands for air conditioners, sun umbrellas and other cooling products. But staying cool comes at a cost.

Energy use rises as temperatures climb. An economists estimate Germany could lose more than 185 billion Canadian dollars in economic output by 2030 if extreme heat continues at the pace of the last decade. As temperatures rise, cooling is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity as Germany adapts to a hotter future. Natalie Carney for CBC News, Munich. Meanwhile, it's a different weather story in Japan. Video shows a major river overflowing in the city of Kyoto. Much of the country was bombarded with heavy rain as two tropical storms passed through, causing landslides and flooding in many areas.

At least one person has died. Several others are reportedly injured. Japanese officials had issued evacuation orders ahead of the storms. Those are affecting at least a million people. The intense downpour has damaged roads and flooded dozens of homes. And back in this country, for the second weekend in a row, central Alberta is being drenched with rain. A week ago, record amounts of rainfall led to some towns and cities declaring states of emergency as wastewater systems became overwhelmed. Well, now the rain is back and with a weather warning now extending all the way to the U.S. border. Stephanie Kramm is in Edmonton with more.

Looks like we still have some fairly significant rainfall ahead for us in the coming days. Through the rest of the weekend, you're going to get a lot more. accumulation through parts of central Alberta, perhaps another 30 to 50 millimeters. That's weather specialist Kyle Britton. He says these conditions aren't going away anytime soon. It certainly looks like the unsettled and generally wet conditions are expected to persist at least into the first part of July. Earlier this week, Tofield, a town east of Edmonton, was still pumping out water. An area near the highway saw significant flooding. The rising waters putting a motel, a meat-packing plant in Wilton's gas station at risk.

Water goes all the way to an inch and a half to my pumps. Now we're taking the situation in control. We're in a good hand. The town issued an advisory asking residents to reduce their water use. The worry being their wastewater system was at capacity. Tofield Mayor Adam Hall says the community has rallied together to help. We're a strong community and we're going to get through this and together we'll see it through. So just thankful for all the people that have been here

with their feet on the ground helping since day one. With another rainy weekend ahead, Hall is confident the community is prepared. There's been so much work done to mitigate the water so that we're ready for it this weekend. I think the sort of overwhelming sense right now is just cautious optimism. Last weekend, two cities in the area, St. Albert and Beaumont, both issued states of emergency about their overflowing wastewater systems. And the rain is setting records.

Edmonton has already smashed the previous record for rain in June, set in 1914 with 216 millimeters of rain. And Britain says there's a good chance the area will set one more record. We are now looking forward to seeing if we can beat the all-time monthly record, which was July 1901, 282.7 millimeters. Whether or not we make it remains to be seen. But certainly it'll be the rainiest June on record for Edmonton. For an area typically battling drought this time of year, Britain says the rain will help temporarily relieve those concerns, but will bring on other problems.

If we continue to see rainy conditions through July and August, we will continue to see those flood concerns. Even though this season is setting records, Britain says it's still too early to tell if this is what summers in central Alberta will look like in the coming years ahead. Stephanie Cram, CBC News, Edmonton. A rise in anti-migration anger. has South Africa on edge ahead of a looming deadline. Protest groups have demanded undocumented migrants leave the country

by June 30th. That ultimatum has no legal basis, but past uprisings of xenophobia in South Africa have turned deadly, leaving many migrants there living in fear. Freelance reporter Kate Bartlett has more from Johannesburg. Thousands of South Africans

who blame undocumented migrants, for a raft of economic and societal ills have taken to the streets of cities across the country in recent weeks in protests that have sometimes become violent. Several Mozambicans and a Malawian have died and thousands of Malawians were driven from their homes and forced to camp out in Durban waiting for their government to send buses to rescue them.

Some other African countries, including Nigeria, have already flown some of their nationals' home, one of the groups responsible, an organization called March and March, led by Firebrand former radio DJ Jacinta Incober Zezuma. We call for the immediate and massive deportation of all illegal immigrants currently living in the country. The main reason for the rise in anti-migrant sentiment? Unemployment.

South Africa's jobless rate sits at over 30%, with youth unemployment at about 60%, mindful of past xenophobic riots, with social. 62 dead in 2008 and 12 killed in 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa has tried to calm tensions. We must never give in to violence, to xenophobia and to vigilanceism. As well as taking jobs, the protesters blame migrants for placing a strain on public services and for the country's drug and violent crime problems. But the data shows no evidence, migrants who make up roughly 4% of South Africa's population, are disproportionately involved in crime.

Research also shows immigrants actually create jobs. President Ramaphosa has himself admitted most of the protesters' grievances can be placed at the foot of government, which has overseen a weak economy and poor service delivery. 23-year-old, proud in Cuba from Zimbabwe, lives in Johannesburg's high-density hillbrow neighborhood. He came to South Africa in 2021 and worked on construction sites.

So I work there without papers, without anything. So the boss was paying us, but at the end, he didn't pay us. It just disappeared. Now he works in a restaurant and says he's applied for a work permit. He says he's constantly hassled by police, who ask for his papers and then demand bribes. Now there's the new threat from March and March. Now I'm scared. I don't know what's going to happen on the day of June.

Are they going to chest us? away, are going to leave our jobs, or going back to Zimbabwe, what's we're going to do to Zimbabwe? There's no jobs. There's nothing there. He says he plans to stay home from work on June 30th in case rioting and looting break out. Kate Bartlett for CBC News, Johannesburg. South Korea's population is shrinking. And the country is doing everything it can to reverse that trend. There are signs the policies are helping, and as Canada faces its own baby bus,

Researchers here are paying close attention. The CBC's Jennifer Yun has more. Babies. They're cute, tiny, and in South Korea, there aren't enough of them. For years, South Korea's had the lowest total fertility rate in the world. By the 2070s, the country's population is expected to dwindle by about a third, and the working-age group will be cut in half. The South Korean government is trying hard to reverse the trend,

with some measures you might call unconventional. Ita Téhune is a district mayor of Taiso in Daegu, South Korea. For about a decade, he's been running a program, encouraging young adults to pair up and have kids. He's built a park where single people can meet. He set up dates. The program even has mascots and a slogan, Let's Meet Well. And there are some couples now married, thanks to it, like Jongein and Jinju, who say they wouldn't have met if they weren't at a district-sponsored,

be dating event. And if you ask them if they want kids, No hesitation. It's a yes. As many as possible, says Jin. There are matchmaking programs like this all over Korea. The South Korean government has spent about $360 billion over the past two decades to try and boost birth rates, baby bonuses, tax breaks, even steep discounts on housing. In Incheon, the city rents out apartments for newlyweds and new parents for about a dollar a day. The idea that couples can focus on making a baby instead of making rent. Some companies are also stepping up, like video game publisher Crafton.

If the birth rate continues to plunge the way it has for years, all of South Korea, including our business, will find it hard to survive, says Krafton B.P. Jekin Choi. His company offers employees about $100,000 per child, along with other benefits like free daycare. all these policies might be making a difference. The country saw a slight bump in birth rates in the past two years. I think trying to directly link it to being like, oh, people will have more children that these supports are in place. I think that's a trickier causal connection to make.

Population declined researcher Maxwell Hart says it's hard to know for sure if that's because of the policies or if there are other factors that play like changing societal expectations. The Queen's University professor says these policies definitely can make people's lives better, which is as worthwhile a goal as population growth, he says, especially with the global population set to decline before the end of the century. And with Canada's fertility rate at an all-time low, the lessons from South Korea may become increasingly relevant. Jennifer Yun, CBC News, Seoul, South Korea.

If you're a theater lover or have even been to the movies lately, you probably have some feelings about audience behavior. Bright phones, loud talkers, noisy eaters, Social media is flush with complaints about the demise of theater etiquette. But as Helen Sgtiner tells us, some theaters and even critics, think relaxing those unwritten rules might actually be a good idea. Places aren't haunted. People are.

On opening night of the paranormal activity stage show in Toronto this month, someone booed the lead actor Patrick Husinger mid-monologue. The audience member didn't seem dissatisfied with the acting. just the character's choices. First time that's ever happened. Husingar says he can handle it. He says the play, based on the horror movie franchise, attracts an atypical audience.

And with that gets folks who don't know kind of what maybe the etiquette is, and they often feel like they're in their living room. People just munching away on popcorn, ripping open candy in very tense moments. Jukebox musical and Juliet is another show with a run-on in downtown Toronto, But at a regular performance, singing can get you in trouble. What we hear from people is that I've come to hear professionals perform, not fellow audience members. John Karist Mattis at Mervish Productions says for the first time

the theater company is offering what it calls a chilled performance of Anne Juliet. The house lights will be turned halfway up, so bright cell phones won't be as distracting. Patrons can come and go as they please, and it's okay to make noise. It's just a more relaxed atmosphere so that you can enjoy the show on your own terms, not on the traditional etiquette of theater going. Movie theaters are evolving their approach to etiquette, too. Bottom line, just don't ruin the movies.

Cineplex still reminds patrons to turn off their phones and keep their thoughts to themselves. But chief marketing officer Sarah Moore says the approach now is to give audiences the experiences they want. Sometimes that involves noise. We've shown cricket in our theaters. We've shown Raptors basketball. But we do. We set that up with our moviegoers in advance so they know what they're getting. Clutching your pearls yet? Toronto theatre critic Ryan Barakovich says you shouldn't be.

It is a, I think, classist, elitist, destructive pattern of behavior to impose your own ideas of what common sense and proper decorumar on people who maybe don't have the same. He says, theaters need to make expectations clear. Don't get mad at folks for looking at their phones unless they've been explicitly told to turn them off. And don't market Mamma Mia as a show that will have folks dancing in the aisles if you don't want that to happen. Helen Surgeoner, CBC News, Toronto. Finally tonight, we end with a birthday celebration, 80 years to be exact, of an iconic symbol of Italy. The veritable VESPA turns 80 this week. Launched in 1946, the Vespa became a symbol of Italy's rebirth after World War II.

Cheap enough for a battered country, stylish enough to seduce the world, and practical enough to weave through the alleys of Naples, Milan, and Rome. This weekend, the ancient city is hosting Vespa Roma 2026, 80 years of an icon. It's a four-day festival featuring a Vespa village of exhibition, races, parades, and club events. Thousands of riders have flooded Rome forward, bumping along cobblestone streets and whizzing past iconic landmarks like the Coliseum.

Many of them, locals, yes, but passionate Vespa riders have descended on Rome from all over the worlds, as far away as the Philippines. In the Philippines, Vespa is very famous. So we know of Roman Holiday and in the movie Luca. So all generations, from the old people to the young people, people, we all know VESPA.

And this man from Texas. We wanted to ride our classic VESPA in Roma for this 80th celebration with the largest VESPA gathering in history. So we brought our Vespa Allstate from the United States. I brought it to Germany

and then I put it in a van from Germany to Austria. And then in Austria I got on my Vespa and I rode it all the way to Rome, 1,200 kilometers. The Vespa has since become one of Italy's most recognizable design exports, Roman Holiday, anyone, and has been in continuous production now for 80 years, sold in 100 countries worldwide. This has been your world tonight. For Saturday,

June 27th, I'm Tanya Fletcher. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca.ca slash podcasts.