Monday's top stories in 10 minutes

What does it take to become one of the most popular mystery novelists in the world? For Louise Penny, that road wasn't easy, but she got through it with the support of her husband and a lot of humor. When I was like five years into writer's block and now he's still supporting me, right? He stopped asking me how the book was going. It was a little bit like my mother when I reached 35, 36 and wasn't married yet. And you know, then she stopped asking. Check out that conversation on bookends with me, Mateo Roach, wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report. Good morning. I'm Marcia Young. Venezuela's acting president, Delsey Rodriguez, is changing her tune. In a statement read out on Venezuela television, Rodriguez is offering to collaborate with the Trump administration. She's a key ally of ousted president Nicholas Maduro. And after he was captured, Rodriguez said Venezuela would never be a U.S. colony. But now she's been the target of some harsh words from the U.S. president. Let's bring in Willie Lowry from our Washington bureau, Willie. Trump spoke at length to reporters last night about his vision for Venezuela. What did he say? President Donald Trump has been unequivocal. The U.S. is in control of Venezuela. Here's what he told reporters aboard Air Force One. Don't ask me who's in charge because I'll give you an answer and it'll be very calculated. What does that mean? We're in charge. Trump was clear he expects Venezuela's Delsey Rodriguez to fall in line and work with Washington. The consequences he said if she doesn't would be worse than what befell Nicholas Maduro. And his attention isn't solely on Venezuela. He said Cuba was ready to fall and he mold military action in Colombia. Colombia is very sick. Run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he's not going to be doing it very long. Trump also said Mexico needed to take charge of its borders and do a better job of cracking down on illegal drugs. He said the U.S. would be willing to help out if necessary. Nicholas Maduro has arrived at federal court in New York. What are you watching for there? His appearance will be extraordinary but what actually transpires is expected to be entirely perfunctory. Maduro and his wife will hear the charges against them. They'll be asked if they have legal representation. Bail is likely out of the question. Maduro faces a slew of charges including narco terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of weapons. The U.S. alleges that Maduro used his position of power to facilitate the transportation of thousands of pounds of cocaine into the U.S. over a very long period of time. Thank you Willie. My pleasure. Willie Lowry reporting from Washington. Ukraine's president says he is appointing Christian Freeland as an economic development advisor. Freeland is currently a sitting liberal MP but left cabinet last September. Freeland is of Ukrainian descent and has long condemned Russia's war. The CBC's Janice McGregor has more on this story from Ottawa and Janice. How can you work for two governments at the same time? This is very curious Marcia. Just yesterday, Canada's ambassador in Kiev was posting on social media about how important it was for Mark Carney to have appointed Freeland as his special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine to advance Canada's security trade and investment interests. But now this morning we have this announcement from the Ukrainian president announcing Freeland will be his special advisor on economic development. Vladimir Zelensky writing of her extensive experience attracting investment and implementing economic transformations. Canada is an ongoing talks with Ukraine over billions of dollars worth of support, military procurement, government financing loans, ongoing international efforts to use the proceeds of seized Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine. A push that Freeland started back in 2022 but has recently stalled. But just because two countries are allies doesn't mean their interests always perfectly align. So it's very unclear how Freeland can sit on both sides of this table without being in a fundamental conflict of interest. Freeland is still an MP. How is she going to continue to represent her writing? Also an excellent question because when she resigned from Cabinet in September, she did not resign her seat later in the fall. She announced she'll be moving to the UK to take up a new job as head of the Rhodes Trust, one assumed she wasn't planning on continuing to represent Toronto constituents while living in Oxford for that gig. But the Liberals need her seat occupied their head count in this minority parliament falls just short of what the government needs to hold the confidence of the House of Commons. MPs return in late January. They'll have to approve spending estimates that could be considered confidence votes before late March, even if Freeland resigns immediately. It's unclear that the Prime Minister has a long enough window to replace her before he might need that vote again. All right. Thank you so much. You're welcome. The CBC's Janice McGregor in Ottawa, a Paris court has found 10 people guilty of cyber bullying Francis first lady. The court ruled they spread false online claims about Brigitte McColle's gender and sexuality, including allegations she was born male and likening her age gap with her husband to pedophilia. One defendant was sentenced to six months in prison, all 10 are mandated to attend cyber bullying awareness training. The watchdog for Canada's intelligence and security agencies is sounding the alarm over liberal budget cuts. Like other government departments, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency has been asked to find savings of 15%. But as Catherine Toney reports, the agency says those cuts could result in national security issues falling through the cracks. We will have to reduce the degree of scrutiny that we conduct. Craig Forces is vice chair of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency, one of the watchdog bodies that keeps tabs on Canada's secretive intelligence and security organizations. Making sure spies and counties are behaving above board, but the watchdog says liberal cuts are putting that work at risk. It's been asked to cut close to 6 million from its budget by 2029. Forces says that will likely mean fewer reviews going forward with a lighter touch. At a time when the government is trying to pass legislation, that would make it easier for ceases and the RCMP to get private electronic information. We may not be able to follow every thread to the extent that we currently do, and both those outcomes would be regrettable and I think perilous in terms of the confidence that one can have in the legality and ultimately the efficacy of our security and intelligence community. I think the issue goes beyond just these cuts. Stephanie Carvin is a former national security analyst. She points out a promise review into how national security agencies are kept accountable is overdue. And so far that hasn't been done. So it's hard to actually know the impact that this will have without that review that was promised in legislation in 2019. Public safety minutes are gearing into St. Gregory says he'll work with MCRA, but made it clear cuts are coming. Catherine Toney, CBC News, Ottawa. Starting today, thousands of public service workers in Ontario are required to be in the office full time. The provincial rule applies to people working in everything from education and health care to government ministries. As number one garden reports, going back to the office is not popular with some union leaders. The financial district in downtown Toronto about to get a bid noisier. Thousands of Ontario public servants saying hello to 2026 and goodbye to their hybrid work schedules. The dog forward government hoping that bringing workers in five days a week instead of the four mandated in the fall will not only boost the economy, but also productivity. Though JP Hornick, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union isn't buying it. This was a mandate that is unnecessary, it's punitive to workers, and it will also decrease productivity and services that Ontarians rely on. Aside from commute times and childcare arrangements, concerns were also raised on whether there will be enough office space for everyone. According to Hornick, that's the case for the LCBO. And so they're going to have to delay the return to office mandate. Meanwhile, Jamie West, the Ontario NDP Labor Critic is calling the move of the distraction. Most people are more concerned about keeping their jobs than having the premier fight about where people going to work or don't go to work. In a statement, a CBC news, a spokesperson with a government says it's working to find more office spaces. When asked whether it has concrete data about how hybrid work impacted productivity, the spokesperson said the decision to bring workers back was to ensure the Ontario Public Service is representative of the people and businesses it serves. Adding the return to full-time work in person is aligned with the standards set in other jurisdictions. In Alberta, public service workers are facing the same fate in February, Namah Winegarden, CBC News, Toronto. Awards season is starting to heat up the critics' choice awards for film and television were handed out last night. Canadian Seth Rogan was named Best Actor in a Comedy Series, and his series The Studio was named Best TV Comedy. This is so nice as someone who deeply, deeply, deeply cares what critics think of them in their work. This is like what I'm looking for. I think cancel therapy this week. This is like, but I'm good. I'm fixed. I'm fine, I think. The critics' choice awards are presented by a group of more than 500 broadcast journalists. And this year, they might signal who could be the big winners at the next week's Golden Globes. That is the latest national and international news from World Report News anytime. CBCNews.ca. I'm Marcia Young.