Every year, some of the world’s most powerful leaders meet to discuss political and economic issues in the G7 summit. This year’s meeting, held in Kananaskis, Alberta, wrapped up on Tuesday. It was also the first G7 summit for Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The G7 offered an opportunity for leaders to try to improve relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose second term has been marked by tensions and trade wars. After increasing attacks between Israel and Iran, Trump left the summit on Monday night to deal with the “big stuff” escalating in the Middle East.

Nathan VanderKlippe is an international correspondent for The Globe. He’s on the show to talk about what was discussed at the G7, how Trump’s departure affects discussions on the war in Ukraine, and what a successful G7 summit looks like in Canada.

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thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The long shadow war between Israel and Iran is now out in the open, as pressure mounts over a nuclear peace deal pushed by the U.S. and President Donald Trump. The growing conflict reached its fourth day – Israel continued its bombardment of Iranian cities and infrastructure, while Iran’s missiles evaded Israel’s aerial defence system and hit targets in the country. More than 200 Iranians have been killed so far, while at least 24 Israelis have died, as the two nations trade attacks.

The Globe’s Senior International Correspondent, Mark MacKinnon, joins The Decibel to break down the latest developments of an escalating war, how Iran is facing its most serious security breach in nearly 50 years, and what role the U.S. plays in the combustible situation brewing in the Middle East.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Right now, the Canadian job market is tough. Unemployment is the highest it’s been since 2016, excluding the pandemic lockdown years. Young people and new grads are facing especially bleak job prospects. They’re worried not just about their employment, but also their future careers and long-term financial planning.

Meera Raman is the retirement and financial reporter for The Globe and Mail. She’s on the show today to explain why the job market is so bad for young people, what the potential long-term implications might be and what they can do if they find themselves struggling for work.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Having social media accounts hacked is stressful. Usually, companies have formal channels for users to regain access. But for Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram, some users say the social media giant isn’t responding.

Now, a new kind of broker has sprung up, helping people locked out of their accounts connect with a Meta employee or contractor who can expedite their request … for the right price. In 2022, Meta fired or disciplined employees or contractors who had allegedly abused the internal account recovery system for bribes. Kathryn Blaze Baum, an investigative reporter at The Globe and Mail, and Alexandra Posadzki, The Globe’s cybercrimes reporter, found that three years later, this is still happening.

Today, Kathryn is on the show to talk about how this back-door process works, how Meta is cracking down on it, and where this leaves users who have had their accounts compromised.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Is expropriation, or forcing corporations to sell apartments to the government, a way to ease the housing crisis? Berlin seems to think so. In a landmark referendum back in 2021, the majority of Berliners voted ‘yes’ to forced sales, calling for the government to buy 240,000 apartments owned by some of Berlin’s mega landlords - whether they want to sell or not. Some call the strategy “radical” but needed. Others say it’s unconstitutional. But is it a viable solution to Berlin’s housing crisis, and could it work here in Canada? In this episode, we dive into the history behind Berlin’s expropriation campaign and try to figure out if a similar referendum on housing could succeed on this side of the Atlantic.

You can find more episodes of City Space here, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Bill C-2, also known as the Strong Borders Act, is one of the first pieces of legislation by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government. The 140-page bill proposes a series of enhanced powers for law enforcement and major changes to how the government processes some asylum claims and immigration applications.

Sara Mojtehedzadeh is an investigative reporter at The Globe who writes about immigration and refugees. She explains the details of the bill and why the government believes the changes are necessary.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

More than three years on, the war between Russia and Ukraine shows no signs of slowing. Ceasefire talks have stalled. Last week, Ukraine landed one of its biggest blows against Russia, when it smuggled drones inside Russian territory and destroyed or severely damaged more than 40 Russian warplanes. Russia hit back with some of its heaviest bombardment yet.

Ukraine’s demands for a ceasefire deal include returning the Ukrainian children who have allegedly been taken into Russian custody. According to the Ukrainian government, 20,000 Ukrainian children have been reported missing since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

Mark MacKinnon is a senior international correspondent for The Globe. Today, he’s on the show to talk about the efforts of a Ukrainian organization, Save Ukraine. A grant from Global Affairs Canada has funded Save Ukraine’s work with Lisbon-based tech company Hala Systems to locate, track, communicate with, and ultimately bring the children home. Mark will explain how they managed to map the facilities where Russia is allegedly holding the children and what they understand about Russia’s plans for them.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

On Monday, closing arguments are set to begin in the trial of five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior Hockey Team. Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Carter Hart, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged with sexually assaulting a woman known publicly as E.M. in London, Ont. in June of 2018. Michael McLeod also faces a second charge of being a party to sexual assault. All five men have pleaded not guilty.

Rachel Giese is the author of the 2018 book, Boys: What It Means to Become a Man. She’s also the Culture & Life editor at The Globe and Mail. Today, she’s on the show to unpack what this trial tells us about our cultural understanding of consent and masculinity, and how we can have better conversations with boys and young men by reaching them where they’re at.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com