March 18: Wednesday's top stories in 10 minutes

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This is World Report. Good morning. I'm Martina Fitzgerald.

A funeral procession for Ellie Larajani makes its way through the streets of

Tehran. The Iranian security chief was killed in an Israeli air strike

yesterday. Today Israel says it killed another leader in an overnight attack

Iran's intelligence minister. Tehran has not confirmed this but its military is

retaliating with strikes on Israel and Gulf countries. From Doha the CBC's Katie

Simpson has the latest. Early morning Tel Aviv sirens blare as missiles with

cluster munitions are seen streaking across the sky. The debris striking in

apartment killing two people. Iranian state television saying the attacks are

retaliation for the killing of its security chief Ali Larajani. But in an

interview with Al Jazeera, Iran's foreign minister warned that Larajani's death

will not disrupt the regime. The system will continue. Iran also launched more

strikes overnight on its neighbors. Explosions were reported near the American

embassy in Baghdad while defense systems in Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia

intercepted a range of Iranian attacks. The U.S. military says it launched new

strikes targeting Iranian positions along the strait of Hormuz. Iran's blockade

of the crucial shipping route has disrupted global energy markets causing gas

prices around the world to soar. U.S. Central Command says it took aim at

Iranian anti-ship missile sites using multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator

munitions. All while Israel says it has continued with its campaign against

Hezbollah in Lebanon. Search and rescue crews clear the site of a strike in

Beirut, a building in a residential neighborhood that was nearly demolished.

Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health says at least 20 people were killed in a

series of attacks over the past 24 hours. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Doha.

Donald Trump's nominee to head Homeland Security is facing a confirmation

hearing. Mark Wayne Mullen has been tapped by the U.S. President to replace

Christie Nome. She was fired by Trump following growing criticism over her

leadership and January's ice protests in Minneapolis. Two U.S. citizens were

shot dead by ICE agents. Mullen was asked about his comments following the death

of one of them. He called Alex Freddie deranged and suggested Freddie was

intent on causing massive damage.

Those words probably should have been retracted. I shouldn't have said that

and Secretary, I wouldn't. The investigation is ongoing and there is, like I

said, there's sometimes going to make mistakes and I own it. That one I went

out there too fast. I was responding immediately without the facts. That's my

fault that won't happen to Secretary. The Senate hearing is expected to end

tomorrow. The Bank of Canada has made its latest interest rate policy

decision. It is keeping the key lending rate at 2.25%. Let's bring

in our senior business correspondent, Peter Armstrong. Peter, this was the

expected decision, wasn't it?

Widely and almost unanimously, frankly. And the reasons for that, I think, are

cleared everybody listening. Uncertainty and volatility have been household

names in Canada over this past year of tariffs and threats and trade wars, but

quite clearly coming into this, the Bank of Canada has been worried about this

whole new swath of uncertainty caused by the war in Iran. And let me just read

to you some of what the Bank of Canada is saying in this, that the war will

boost global inflation in the near term. Another quote, global bond yields have

risen. Equity market prices have declined and credit spreads have widened. The

Canada US dollar exchange has remained relatively stable. So what he's

talking about there is the effects we have already seen, not just casting

forward, but then you get to the issue of inflation. How will the inflation

were seeing caused by the disruptions in the Middle East spread out into the

global economy? And so I'm reading again, in addition to energy supply

disruptions, transportation bottlenecks stemming from the effective closure of

the straight-of-horror moves could impact the supply of other commodities such

as fertilizer. The list of that remains very long, but the bank finds itself

in a tricky position that if economic growth is weakening and inflation starts

to rise, you're starting to look at stagflation and what do you do then? Well,

the opening statement at the news conference reads, governing council will look

through the war's immediate impact on inflation, but if energy prices stay high,

we will not let their effects broaden and become persistent inflation. All right.

Thanks a lot, Peter. You bet. Senior business correspondent Peter Armstrong

in Toronto. Quebec's finance minister Eric Gerrard is about to present his last

budget before a new premiere takes over from Francois Lago in three weeks,

and Quebecers vote in a provincial election this fall. As Cateesany reports,

in a time of global turmoil, Gerrard is promising a sober and responsible budget.

L'ampleur du phénomène est in acceptable.

Elen Cote is the head of the main food bank in the Quebec City Region,

the number of people who need help has gone up dramatically in the last few years.

She hopes she'll receive funds when finance ministry Eric Gerrard

tables Quebec's budget Wednesday. And we arrive.

Bajerard warns Quebecers that they shouldn't expect cash to help fill up their gas tanks.

No specific release for gas prices.

He believes it's too soon to act on fuel costs, even if prices at the pump

have gone way up in some places due to the war in the Middle East.

These are geopolitical and military consideration, and until we know whether this

situation is temporary or permanent, we cannot make the decision as to how to react.

Gerrard remains prudent with future economic growth as the trade war with Donald Trump's

tariffs have been affecting the aluminum and the forestry sectors.

The current situation is extremely unstable.

He says he won't present an election budget, even though Quebecers will head to the polls in the fall.

What we've done is we've reserved some amount for some announcement by the new leaders.

But he is hinting that whoever takes over from Premier François Lago in a few weeks time,

what have their hands chew tied?

Katzissani, CBC News, Quebec City.

Montreal police are pressing charges against the owner of a building in old Montreal that caught

fire in 2023. Seven people died.

Emil Benema was arrested this morning.

Here is Chief Inspector David Chene.

Mr. Benema will face 15 charges pre-authorized by the DPCP.

Seven for involuntary manslaughter and eight for criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

The charges come nearly three years to the day the century old property erupted in flames.

Six of the victims had been staying in illegal Airbnb's and renters had warned the building was a

fire trap. Montreal's major crime unit is still examining the cause of the fire which is believed

to have been set intentionally.

The federal government is going to the Supreme Court of Canada to try to justify its use of

the Emergency Act. In 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the act to clear the

convoy protests in Ottawa and at border crossings. A lower court ruled that decision was unlawful

and infringed on protesters' charter rights.

As spokesperson for the Justice Minister says he's bringing the case before Canada's top court

to ensure the government has the tools it needs to protect public order and national security.

The Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians is voicing concerns about Ontario's plan to

change its transparency law. If the revisions pass, Premier Doug Ford, cabinet ministers and

parliamentary aides will be exempt from freedom of information requests. As Michelle Song reports,

the Association warns that could erode trust between the government and indigenous communities.

The government needs to be transparent.

Deputy Grand Chief of the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians,

Stacia Loft says freedom of information requests are important for indigenous communities

to understand how the government comes to a decision, especially those that affect their

communities, such as infrastructure projects like the Ring of Fire and building high-speed rail.

That is part of good governance. And if First Nations don't see that good governance is happening,

well that just exacerbates that issue of trust.

Criticism has been growing since the announcement last week to potentially change Ontario's

access to information law. But Premier Doug Ford says he's following the federal standards.

95% will be effuliable and but cabinet confidentiality, personal conversations.

That's not for a public to review of.

He already has exemptions.

Lawyer Jessica Orkin specializes in Aboriginal law and files FOI requests as well.

She says under current rules, records that are deemed personal are not disclosed.

There are also exceptions for cabinet confidences.

I think we know that what is now not going to be disclosed are the things that politicians

and ministers in particular most want to hide.

The Association is calling on the government to rethink any legislative changes and says if

there is any impact in indigenous rights, it could be challenged. Michelle Song, CBC News, Toronto.

That is the latest national and international news from World Report. I'm Martina Fitzgerald.

This is CBC News.

For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.