Friday's top stories in 10 minutes

0:00This week on Two Blocks from the White House From trade wars to the war in Iran, it's been anything but a quiet summer in Washington. And this fall shows no signs of letting up. And so this week we're asking what moments defined American politics this summer and what can we expect this fall? Find and follow Two Blocks from the White House wherever you get your podcasts. And watch us on YouTube, new episodes drop every Wednesday. This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report. Good morning, I'm John Northcott. We begin this morning in New York City. Right. Right. Develop hope ringing out at 8.46 a.m. this morning at New York City's 9.11 Memorial ceremony.

1:00The moment marks the exact time the first plane struck the World Trade Center 25 years ago. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks across New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania, including 24 Canadians. Vice President J.D. Vance and four former U.S. Presidents attended the New York ceremony. President Donald Trump spoke at the Pentagon Memorial, comparing the 2001 attacks to the ongoing military conflict with Iran. One day's like 9.11 we learn what a country is truly made of. We're learning right now what we're made of and we have to be strong and we have to be smart. And Americans are made of a goodness and spirit that can transcend any earthly force. And that's what we're doing better than anyone else has ever been able to do it. Prime Minister Mark Carney, also marking the anniversary today, he paid tribute to those who died including Canadian First Responders and thanked others for stepping up to help their American

2:04neighbors in their time of need. The response to darkness is to reach out, is to support, to stand in solidarity with as Canadians did with our neighbors, in this case our American neighbors, to reach out to strangers that you don't know. Carney also singled out the people of Gander, Newfoundland praising their extraordinary generosity for opening their homes and hearts to thousands of stranded air passengers. Many of those stranded passengers have returned to express their gratitude for the extraordinary hospitality they received. As Peter Cowan reports, visitors and locals are making a point of putting ongoing Canada U.S. political friction aside. We are heartbroken. Sue Ricardelli and her wife, Maureen Murray, are from New Jersey. They don't like seeing how their government is treating Canada. Most Americans know who the Canadians are and are heartbroken that our administration is treating Canada this way. 25 years ago they were among the almost 7,000 people who were stranded in Gander on 9-11 when

3:10their planes were forced to land. Strangers clothed and fed them, took them into their homes, but soon became friends. They left with a feeling of humanity and unity. That's what I think is missing and that's what we need to get back to. Stuff judging people based on the color of their skin, their religion, who they loved. There has been some backlash. There are some angry people, obviously, understandably. Gander Merer Percy Farwell says not everyone is happy. American Ambassador Pete Hoxtra will be at today's commemoration. More than 200,000 have signed a petition to kick the ambassador out of the country. Farwell says the invitation was protocol, not politics. The people he represents are our friends and neighbors that we were calling to action to support and that doesn't change. The ambassador says these close humanitarian and economic connections are all the more reason the two countries need to get a trade deal. It is a time to go back and reflect and say, okay, let's get this done. But however people in Gander feel about the US administration, they say plain loads of Americans today would get the same food, shelter, and friendship.

4:13They offered 25 years ago. Peter Cowan, CBC News, Gander. Prime Minister Mark Coney and his cabinet will conclude a two-day retreat today in Banff, the trade war with the United States has dominated the gathering. Also, weighing on the ministers is Alberta's referendum next month. The CBC's Raffi-Budra Canyon reports while separation faces an uphill battle, experts warned the economic stakes for the province could not be higher. Our responsibility, my responsibility, is to deliver four Albertans. Prime Minister Mark Coney saying he's not ignoring the question every voter in Alberta will soon have to face and neither are they. There's a very high degree of awareness in Alberta of the referendum. On October 19th, Albertans will vote on whether their province will stay part of Canada or face another eventual ballot on secession from the country. Cabinet heard from multiple speakers on the issue, including local mayors such as Jerome Farcus of Calgary, who says an independent Alberta would quickly be swallowed up by the US.

5:18Replacing an overbearing Ottawa with an overbearing Washington will not solve any problems for any of us. We have to come together right now as Albertans and Canadians. Cindy Jeffries, the mayor of Reddure, says she stressed the economic consequences of separation to cabinet. It was pivotal, critical for Alberta to come out strong as a strong part of Canada. With the vote a little more than a month away, polls show about a quarter of Albertans' support separation while a vast majority want to stay a part of the country. Raffi Woodjicani, young CBC News, Baffelberta. The eyes to the right, 270, the nose to the left, 286. British lawmakers reject a bill to legalize assisted dying for terminally ill adults. The House of Commons voted down the proposed legislation by a 286 to 270, a narrow margin of 16 votes. The measure would have allowed mentally competent adults in England and Wales with

6:22six months or less to live to request medical assistance to end their lives. Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo say the country's deadly Ebola outbreak is now spreading to a seventh province. Laboratory tests confirmed a case in northwestern Sudhubanji province, marking the fastest growing Ebola outbreak on record. Government figures show the virus has already infected nearly 7,000 people and killed more than 3,300 since the outbreak began. A Hong Kong court, court rather, sentences three pro-democracy activists to up to seven years in prison. The trio organized annual candlelight vigils commemorating China's 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Laura Westbrook reports, amidst heavy police presence outside, a Hong Kong court sentenced two activists to seven years in prison. Li Chik-Yan and Chaohang Tong had been found guilty in August of inciting subversion under the National Security Law imposed by Beijing. veteran

7:23pro-democracy lawmaker Albert Ho received a sentence of five years and two months after pleading guilty earlier this year. The three had helped lead a now-desbanded group that for decades organized the city's annual candlelight vigils commemorating China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. But the vigil was banned in 2020 with authorities citing COVID-19 controls that year Beijing also imposed a national security law to quell massive anti-government protests. This trial focused on a slogan used by the group for decades at those vigils end one party dictatorship. The judges said the activists intended to cause others to lose confidence in the Chinese Communist Party by stirring up hostility and causing division. The defense says they were merely exercising their free expression rights. activist Chan Po-Ying gave me her reaction after the sentencing. But chief superintendent Steve Lee of the police's national security department

8:32says the trial was fair. The activists have already been behind bars for years, some of which will count towards their sentences. Laura Westbrook for CBC News, Hong Kong. US Vice President JD Vance taking center stage last night on the final night of the Republican midterm convention in Dallas. This November let's give it to him. Let's fight for our people. Let's send the Democrats back in and let's never forget that America belongs to those who love it, not those who hate it. Analysts view Vance's speeches an early test of his 2028 White House prospects, but US President Donald Trump dominated the podium. James Gooderson reports, the president wrapping up proceedings in Dallas in a midterms event designed to rally his base before the crucial election. It comes at a time though where the president's approval rating

9:33appears to be at an all-time low due to the war in Iran and rising prices. Indeed, some Republicans had quietly hoped that the president wouldn't draw headlines in his speeches. Those hopes shattered almost immediately when he promised $5,000 to every American citizen if the Republicans win the midterms. A move that the Democrats have called a blatant bribe would require approval from Congress and cost more than a trillion dollars. Last night, the president reiterated the pledge again, whether there was much on offer to independent voters in this two-day event is debatable, but Republicans will hope that the president's popularity with his base will be an effective counter to rising Democrats' support. James Gooderson for CBC News, Washington. And that is the latest national and international news from World Report. I'm John Northcott. This is CBC News. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca-podcasts.