March 8: Sunday's top stories in 10 minutes

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This is World Report. Good morning. I'm John Northcott.

Blaster heard in the skies over Tel Aviv. Israel and Iran continue to exchange

fire as Israel's military announces its first fatality since the war began. Two

Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting in southern Lebanon. Israel actively

fighting on two fronts, one in Iran along with the United States, the other in

Lebanon against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. Explosions ringing out today at an

oil depot in southern Tehran as a series of blasts rock Iran's capital. Israel

says its targeting Iran's energy resources. This as the war continues to

broaden throughout the Middle East, spilling over to countries like Bahrain, the

United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, all reporting fresh attacks from Iran today. Meanwhile, a

new supreme leader is said to have been chosen but not yet named. The CBC's Crystal

Gamancing joins us from Jerusalem. Crystal, what's the latest on the ground?

Well, at least five Iranian oil storage sites were hit overnight, large fireballs and

plumes of black smoke are being reported and people are being told to stay indoors if

possible to avoid toxic pollutants. Israeli officials say they also hit F-14 fighter

jets at Isha'an airport and targeted surveillance and air defense systems. I can share

some numbers to put all of this intensity into a bit of context when it comes to the

attacks. Israel says in the past 24 hours more than 400 sites were hit in

western and central Iran. In total, Israel's Defense Forces folks person,

Brigadier General Effri Deferin, that Israel has conducted 3,400 strikes dropping 7,500

munitions. Now, if we zoom out a little bit and look at the strikes by Iran on Persian

Gulf, neighbors that have American military bases, two officials in Kuwait have been killed.

Specifics have not been shared by Kuwait's interior minister who made the announcement,

saying only that they were performing their duties. The UAE's Defense Ministry says

four people there have been killed. Appempted strikes have been ongoing in UAE's Defense

Ministry says it has been shooting down drones, ballistic missiles, as well as cruise missiles.

Meanwhile, Crystal, what are we hearing in terms of Iran's leadership?

Yes, so Iran's Assembly of Experts, that's the group responsible for naming the next

Supreme Leader, has reportedly reached a consensus on a new leader. However, it is not entirely

clear right now who has been selected since the killing of Ayatollah Ali Hamane last week.

A few names have surfaced as being the new leader, including the son of the late Supreme Leader.

Israel has already vowed to kill the new leader, whomever it is. Meanwhile,

we are also hearing from Iran's Revolutionary Guard spokesperson, saying the country's forces

can fight an intense war for six months, saying more advanced missiles, those built in the past

10 years, have yet to be used. The CBC's Crystal Commanding in Jerusalem, thanks so much for this

crystal. Thank you. Israel is issuing an evacuation alert this morning for residents

of Southern Lebanon, signaling that another wave of attacks is imminent.

Officials say more than 400,000 people have already been displaced since Israel began bombing

there last week. The CBC's Julia Chapman has more on how the war is quickly spreading through the

country. Lebanon is recovering from its last war with Israel. Now, the UN coordinator in the

country says it's being dragged back into turmoil and violence. Israeli strikes on Beirut,

the Bekha Valley and Southern Lebanon, are targeting Hezbollah fighters. Evacuation warnings

have sent hundreds of thousands of people fleeing. Michael Petro runs a shelter in a church in Beirut.

There are many, many more people coming than there were in 2024, and we have fewer and fewer

places to put them. Lebanon hosts more than a million refugees, many of whom are being displaced

again. Radina Muhammad is from Sudan and is pregnant. Warned to leave Beirut's southern suburbs,

she and her family walked for three hours to try to find safety. She says her children are scared,

and she worries about where she'll give birth. War in Lebanon is worsening the economic collapse

in the country, where around 80 percent of people live in poverty. Healthcare services are

severely curtailed. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz says Lebanon must disarm Hezbollah

to prevent attacks against his country. Lebanon's weakened government is walking a tightrope.

It has taken steps to root out the Iranian proxy, but it also fears that any clashes with Hezbollah

could lead to civil war. Julia Chapman, CBC News, London.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the war in the Middle East should never have happened.

Beijing's top diplomat is speaking out ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump later this

month. Wang is calling for an immediate ceasefire to prevent, quote, the spread of the flames of war.

It's China's strongest statement yet since the war began.

Canadians continue to escape the war, many boarding charter flights out of Dubai, and that's

despite the airport being sporadically closed due to security threats and nearby drone strikes.

Reporter Megan Williams has more from Dubai.

The flight carrying about 90 Canadians left Dubai's secondary airport, Elmaktoum, just before

10 last night. It had been delayed after drone strikes hit near Dubai International Airport

earlier in the day and temporarily grounded flights. A source at the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi

says about 120 Canadians initially registered for the charter. In the end, 93 passengers showed up,

including three infants. Some chose not to take the flight to East Ambul and instead booked

commercial flights directly back to Canada. Embassy officials say many passengers were shaken

after days of hearing missiles and drones intercepted over the city. Last night, another drone

slipped through the UAE's air defense system. That struck near at the Marina District. A man was

killed when his car was hit by falling shrapnel. Alerts continue again this morning with the

Defense Ministry urging residents to seek shelter as missiles are intercepted overhead. The UAE

President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahan says the country is facing a time of war but remains

strong. The UAE has thick skin and bitter flesh. We are no easy prey, he said. In the meantime,

more than 300 flights left Dubai yesterday, though delays and cancellations continue.

Meghan Williams, CBC News, Dubai.

United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. At the event, experts will be taking stock of

progress made on women's rights and status. CBC's Maddie Ryan talked to two women from Atlantic

Canada. Who will be there? Every day, the stories of women are told, you know, do we get to tell

the stories about ourselves? Susan Murray will be coming with questions when she heads to New York City.

The scene John's native is one of three new from landers set to visit the United Nations

Commission on the Status of Women this week. They're part of a delegation for the Canadian

Federation of University Women. The Commission is an annual gathering of policy makers,

government leaders and activists from around the world. The UN calling it instrumental in

promoting women's and girls' rights and shaping global standards. Grace Hollett has seen women

status backsliding around the world since first attending the event in 2015. At first,

things were improving. So it was very positive, but there were many problems throughout the world,

but generally there was some improvement. And then, of course, we had COVID. And there was

some things went backwards. Hollett says the ideas discussed could play a role in improving the

status of women. The panel will explore how representation of women in the media transforms lives.

We see that life cycle of stories that aren't really representing who we are and what we need to

be particularly across health and legal systems as well too. The conference at the UN's New York

headquarters runs until March 19th. Maddie Ryan, CBC News, St. John's. And finally, Canada's

first gold medal at the Paralympic Winter Games is being celebrated. Natalie Wilkie of Sam and

RBC won gold in the women's individual standing parabyathlon. It's the second medal in two days

for Wilkie who won silver yesterday. Also today, Mark Arens of Hartzville P.E.I. won bronze in the

men's individual standing in Parabyathlon. Canada's medal count at the Games now stands at six.

And that is the latest national and international news from World Report. I'm John Northcott.

Thanks for spending part of your weekend with us here at CBC News.

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