"Your World Tonight" – CBC News

Episode: Maduro in court, CBC News in Colombia, Chrystia Freeland’s new job in Ukraine, and more
Date: January 5, 2026
Hosts: Susan Bonner and Stephanie Skenderis

Overview

This episode delivers a comprehensive rundown of major international and Canadian news, focusing on:

• Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s dramatic New York court appearance
• Regional tensions in South America, especially US-Colombia-Venezuela relations
• The impact on global and Canadian oil markets
• Chrystia Freeland’s new role advising Ukraine
• Debates over remote work for Ontario public servants
• Canada’s burgeoning issues with seniors’ homelessness
• Updates on new weight loss medications and a unique local fundraiser in St. John’s

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nicolas Maduro’s US Court Appearance and Fallout

(00:41–05:16)

• Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, appeared in a Manhattan court two days after a dramatic US military-led capture in Caracas.

• Key Moments:

  • Maduro declared in Spanish, "I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country," asserting his capture was a “kidnapping.” (02:55)
  • He referred to himself as a "prisoner of war" after a heckler called out, claiming he’d eventually "win his freedom." (03:22)
  • US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, countered criticism:

    “There is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country.” (03:42)

  • President Trump, via social media and direct statements, asserted US control:

    “We are in charge.” (04:38)

• Political Aftershocks:

  • US lawmakers, like Sen. Tim Kaine, criticized Trump:

  “You’re saying you’re going to run Venezuela. Now, when the American economy has got flashing red lights and smoke coming out of it.” (04:52)

  • The legitimacy and oversight of US action are under intense debate.

2. Regional Repercussions: Colombia Prepares

(05:16–08:17)

• Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, declared readiness to "take up arms" should US threats against his country escalate (05:16).
• 30,000 Colombian troops have been deployed along the Venezualan border, anticipating migration surges or conflict.
• On the ground in border cities like Cúcuta, feelings of apprehension mingle with hope:
  • A Venezuelan history teacher pleaded, "Treat us carefully. We are a peaceful country." (06:10)
  • Colombia’s leadership voices defiance:

  “If you now go after Colombia…I will take up arms and fight back.” — President Petro (07:43)

• In Caracas, Maduro’s former second-in-command, Delsey Rodriguez, was sworn in as interim president, denouncing US actions as "illegitimate military aggression."

3. Impact on Oil Markets and Canadian Energy

(08:17–11:19)

• CBC’s Peter Armstrong explores Canadian worries about a return of Venezuelan oil to world markets.
  • Experts note it could take "years and tens of billions of dollars" to rebuild Venezuela’s energy sector (08:42).
  • Competition concerns center mainly on Gulf Coast refineries, not the Midwest due to pipeline geography:

    “Most of Canadian oil that goes to the United States goes to the Midwest…it’d be very hard to get Venezuela oil into the Midwest. It’s basically connected by pipe straight from Canada.” — Heather Exner Pirro (09:23)

  • For Canadian resilience, the solution is "pipelines to the West Coast" to diversify export routes (10:39).
• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a timely tweet:

  “Recent events surrounding Nicolas Maduro emphasize the importance that we expedite the development of pipelines…” (10:58)

4. Chrystia Freeland’s New Role Advising Ukraine

(13:02–15:56)

• Chrystia Freeland, former Deputy Prime Minister, is stepping down as an MP to serve as economic adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
• Her focus will be on Ukraine’s economic renaissance following wartime devastation:

  “As we move from fighting the war to fighting the peace, I think we really have to see this as an opportunity for an economic renaissance.” — Chrystia Freeland (14:24)

• Opposition figures question the appropriateness; she responded by resigning from her parliamentary seat and previous Canadian role.
• Ukrainian-Canadian leaders welcome her expertise as “everything that can be done to help Ukraine build its economic and military capacity is good.” (15:23)
• Prime Minister Mark Carney in Paris thanks Freeland, calling her “uniquely qualified.”

5. Canadian Domestic Stories

A. Ontario’s Return-To-Office Mandate

(16:15–19:50)

• Ontario public servants protest as remote work ends:

  “Mental health is important nowadays. Do they consider what mental health? Do they consider how people with families have to readjust everything now?” — Rita Pitsungis, Ontario Health at Home (17:39)

• The government insists this will boost productivity; union leaders decry lack of adequate workspace and ignored employee needs.
• Experts suggest hybrid models and flexible hours can foster efficiency.

B. Calgary’s Water Crisis

(15:56–16:15)

• Ongoing water main rupture prompts city-wide restrictions. Mayor warns,

  “This pipe cannot be made safe with patches. It has reached the end of its life and until it is fully replaced it can fail again without warning.” (16:15)

6. Health News: New Weight Loss Medications

(19:50–23:01)

• A pill version of the weight loss drug Wegovy hits US markets; generics are expected in Canada by summer.

  “So this is just another step in the direction for giving more patients more options.” — Mina Tedros, University of Toronto (21:51)

• Costs could drop from $200–$400/month to ~$100–$150/month.

7. Seniors’ Homelessness – Rising Crisis

(23:01–26:21)

• Shelters across Canada see an unprecedented rise in elderly residents.

  “If you’re in your early 60s or maybe even early 70s and you have hip issues…the emergency weather response shelter…isn’t actually possible.” — Nicole Mucci, Union Gospel Mission (24:47)

• From 2021 to 2024, seniors’ reliance on shelters rose 47% (25:37).
• Advocacy groups urge federal action:

  “Across the country, we’re seeing seniors homelessness on the rise…[it’s] people who have had stable rentals who now are finding that they can’t keep up with costs.” — Laura Tamblyn Watts (25:31)

8. Community Highlight: The Hobbit Reading for Charity

(26:21–27:38)

• Alan Berns, formerly homeless and now a bar owner, completed an 11-hour marathon reading of "The Hobbit" to raise $1,300 for a shelter.

  “Tolkien’s books are about camaraderie and the best things in humanity and... putting people... into these fantastical positions of like doing good. And you know, Bilbo never wanted to leave his home…he went all the way to Erebor and helped slay the dragon.” — Alan Berns (27:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Maduro in Court:

  “I am not guilty, I am a decent man, the president of my country.” — Nicolas Maduro, in court (02:55)

• US Position:

  “There is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country.” — Mike Waltz, US Ambassador to the UN (03:42)
  “We are in charge.” — Donald Trump (04:38)

• Colombian Defiance:

  “If you now go after Colombia…I will take up arms and fight back.” — President Gustavo Petro (07:43)

• Canadian Oil Diversification:

  “The only surefire way to secure ourselves…is with pipelines to the west coast.” — Rory Johnson, Commodity Context (10:39)

• Chrystia Freeland on Ukraine:

  “As we move from fighting the war to fighting the peace…an opportunity for an economic renaissance.” — Chrystia Freeland (14:24)

• Return-To-Office Debate:

  “Do they consider what mental health? Do they consider how people with families have to readjust everything now?” — Rita Pitsungis, Ontario Health at Home (17:41)

• Senior’s Shelter Realities:

  “We’re not actually a senior care facility. We’re meant to be an emergency stopgap.” — Nicole Mucci, Union Gospel Mission (25:08)

• A Hobbit’s Lesson:

  “Al Tolkien’s books are about camaraderie and the best things in humanity… Bilbo never wanted to leave his home…he went all the way to Erebor and, you know, helped slay the dragon.” — Alan Berns (27:14)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:41–05:16 – Maduro’s capture, court appearance, US-UN debate
• 05:16–08:17 – Colombia’s security response, life on the border
• 08:17–11:19 – Oil market impact, Canada’s energy future
• 13:02–15:56 – Freeland’s new role in Ukraine
• 16:15–19:50 – Calgary water crisis; Ontario work-from-home debate
• 19:50–23:01 – Breakthroughs in weight loss medications
• 23:01–26:21 – Rising seniors’ homelessness and shelter stories
• 26:21–27:38 – The Hobbit reading fundraiser in NL

The episode balances intensive global coverage with in-depth Canadian reporting, offering a clear-eyed look at international power shifts, local economic anxieties, national debates over work culture, and under-reported social crises—concluding with a hopeful community story about perseverance and the spirit of giving.