March 21: Saturday's top stories in 10 minutes

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This is a CBC podcast.

This is World Report.

Good morning, I'm Peter Cowan in St. John's. The warn the Middle East has entered its

fourth week with a warning that the hammering is about to intensify.

That's Israel's defense minister promising to significantly step up strikes against Iran

in the coming days. A key Iranian nuclear facility in Netans was hit overnight,

even as Donald Trump sends mixed messages about winding down the conflict. The CPC's Katie Simpson

reports from Doha.

Sirens over Tel Aviv warn of the dangers above. Iran firing a barrage of missiles at Israel

overnight. On Iranian state television, the IRGC says it targeted more than 55 Israeli and

American link sites across the Middle East Friday with new reports of interceptions in Saudi Arabia

and Kuwait. As tensions mount, the US is reportedly sending another 2500 troops to the region

along with three more warships. I don't want to do a ceasefire. You know, you don't do a ceasefire

when you're literally obliterating the other side. Donald Trump continues to claim the US is

winning, though he's delivered mixed messages about America's next moves, saying he's also

considering winding down military operations, even though he's sending more resources to the region

and lifting sanctions on Iranian oil. The US and Israel continue to hammer Iran, striking what

they say are military targets, while in Lebanon. Israel says it killed four Hezbollah militants

during airstrikes and ground operations there, the heavy fighting forcing more than a million

people from their homes. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Doha. While the military campaign in the

Middle East intensifies, a backlash is emerging elsewhere. Thousands are marching through the streets

of London, England this morning to condemn the American and Israeli strikes. Protesters are demanding

their government withdraw its support for the mission as the conflict continues to escalate.

It follows an Iranian missile attack on a joint U.K. U.S. base in the Indian Ocean.

The Strait of Hormuz has been a focal point of the war in the Middle East. Iran is blocking

fuel shipments from passing through the Keywater way, choking one-fifth of the world's oil and gas

supply. Now Canada's government says it's ready to contribute to efforts to unblock that narrow

strait, but as Catherine Collin, host of CBC Radio's The House tells us, it's not clear what

that would actually look like. The Canada will continue to work. Federal ministers like Dominic Leblanc

have been tight-lipped, saying the government is still looking at what it can contribute to

unblocking the Strait of Hormuz that the details are still being finalized. Earlier this week,

Canada signed on to a joint statement with the U.K., France, Germany and others, which says in part

we express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the

Strait. It doesn't strike me as a full-throated commitment to send ships immediately and help

ships go through the Strait. Dennis Horak is a former ambassador to several Middle Eastern

countries, and he was Canada's last head of mission to Iran before Canada cut ties in 2012.

He says this statement is more about sending a message both to the Americans and the international

community. I think it's as much a political statement of, you know, that we are behind the

Strait being open. This is an important principle.

U.S. President Donald Trump has lashed out at allies for not doing more to help unblock the

Strait. But former National Defense Analyst, Professor Tomasz Yuno, is skeptical much will happen

as long as violence continues in the area. It would be a very dangerous mission. It would also

be a very ineffective mission. So I think every ally, similarly to Canada, is trying to find a way

not to appear to oppose Trump, not to anger him, but not ready to commit something serious.

Both say it's possible for Canada to contribute a few staff officers to any eventual effort,

but don't expect much more. Catherine Cullen, CBC News, Ottawa.

And you can hear more about how Canada is positioning itself with the war in the Middle East

on the House, right after the 9 o'clock edition of World Report, or wherever you listen to your

podcasts. Donald Trump's Board of Peace has reportedly presented Hamas with a written proposal

on how it could lay down its weapons. That's an essential step in the Gaza Peace Plan,

Israel and Hamas agreed to in October. In exchange, Israel would start to withdraw troops

and reconstruction would begin. U.S. negotiators met with Hamas officials in Cairo this week.

Global talks aimed at regulating deep sea mining have ended in a stalemate.

The International Seabed Authority is based in Kingston, Jamaica. It regulates the emerging

industry, but U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear that he plans to push ahead

with or without the ISA. And as Anayat Singh reports, that has many environmental advocates concerned.

We are talking about a barely explored ecosystem.

Emma Wilson is policy lead at the deep sea conservation coalition. The advocacy group

supports a pause on seabed mining until there's more science about the environmental impact.

There's a limit to how far they can go in the decisions that they're taking.

If they don't have that basic baseline information, right?

New pressure is mounting as the metals company tries to bypass the international process.

The major player in the deep sea mining industry is turning to the U.S. Trump administration

to get approval for commercial mining. At stake, trillions of dollars worth of metals,

like nickel, cobalt, manganese and more. Leticia Carvalho is the secretary-general of the

International Seabed Authority. This is a consequential moment, and more than ever we need multilateralism,

cooperation and dialogue. So ocean governance today faces the risk of fragmentation.

But countries are far from hashing out who will be responsible for the environmental impacts

and crucially how the profits from mining international waters will be shared.

There's no agreement really yet as to how to even proceed with that.

But it's such a central piece of the ISA's mandate and something that is also particularly

important to developing states. Along with negotiating new rules, the ISA is also investigating

the metals company's actions and whether there should be any consequences. In IOT Singh, CBC News,

Toronto. Of Oahu is dealing with some of its worst

flooding in 20 years.

Water rushes down a residential street like a river destroying homes and vehicles.

The island has been hit with its second significant storm this week. More than 5,000 people

are under an evacuation order with more heavy rain on the way. Hundreds of people have had to

be rescued during this latest storm, which officials say could cause more than $1 billion in damage.

The drummer for Canadian rock band Sloan is being honored by the Halifax University

he once dropped out of. Andrew Scott was three credits short of a bachelor fine arts degree when

he left to pursue a career in music. Now the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design is giving him

a prestigious designation. Richard Woodbury tells us more.

Andrew Scott on the drum! All right! Before he played for a Doring Crowd's worldwide,

Halifax native Andrew Scott was a student at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design with a

passion for painting. In 1991, Scott was in a promising band called Sloan with a decision to make.

School or music? We had such a blank slate in front of us and it just seemed too good an

opportunity to turn down. Besides, music was not going to be a long-term thing.

Scott is almost 60 now and has put out 14 studio albums with Sloan.

At the May Convocation, Scott is being named a Life Fellow by NASCAD,

an honor for having had a profound and lasting impact on the university.

I was completely, completely blown away, just so honored and humbled.

Art remains a big part of Scott's life. He paints and sells his work.

And when he tours with Sloan, he spends his days going to museums and art galleries.

Scott's ties to NASCAD are deeply personal. The band played its first show in the school's

cafeteria in February 1991. He met his wife while he was a student there. He even has a son

who now goes to the school. And what would Scott say if his son dropped out to pursue music?

I would say go with your gut and trust your heart. Try it. Try everything.

It's a comment that's on brand with Sloan's music.

Richard Woodbury, CBC News, Halifax.

And that's the latest national and international news from World Report.

For news anytime, go to cbcnews.ca.

On Peter Cowan, this is CBC News.

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