The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/13 at 11:00 EST

Episode Date: January 13, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/13 at 11:00 EST

Hey friend, Elamin Abdul Mahmoud here. Look, if you're anything like me, maybe you're constantly looking for new podcasts. Well, I have a recommendation for you. It is Sounds Good, CBC's podcast newsletter. You'll get some new show recommendations and you'll be treated to some behind the scenes footage of some of your favorite shows. Subscribe to Sounds Good, CBC's podcast newsletter at the link in the description. And also, just Sounds Good. I'm so grateful for those people because they listen to everything so you don't have to. From CBC News, it's the World This Hour. I'm Joe Cummings.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith fully expects Donald Trump to make good on his tariff threats when he returns to the White House later this month. And she's concerned the U.S. trade action will come as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is just months away from leaving office. I'm very concerned about a leadership vacuum. That's why I've been calling for an immediate election, because we need somebody at the table who is able to engage

with the administration saying, you've got a four-year mandate, I've got a four-year mandate, let's deal. And we don't have that right now. Trump is threatening to impose an across-the-board 25 percent tariff on all Canadian exports to the United States. Smith met with Trump yesterday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The meeting was arranged by Canadian businessman and TV personality Kevin O'Leary. Now to Los Angeles and the city's ongoing wildfire emergency.

It's just one of dozens of emergency crews attempting to bring three of the largest fires under control. But after a break over the weekend, weather forecasts are calling for strong winds to pick up again straight into Wednesday. This as the number of fatalities has now reached 24, with more than 100,000 people forced from their homes. We're focused on two things, containing the fires and saving lives and protecting property. That is LA Fire Chief Kristen Crowley.

It's estimated that more than 12,000 buildings have been destroyed or damaged at this point, with the total area burned larger than the city of Paris. As of today, it's going to cost you more to mail a letter here in Canada. A lot more. Canada Post is increasing the cost of a single stamp by 29 cents. Nisha Patel has more. This is the largest I've seen for letter rates. Donald Chang owns a convenience store in Windsor, Ontario. He says the price of postage usually goes up by a few cents. This latest hike is much steeper. People are surprised and a little angry that they look at it as a big money grab.

Canada Post is raising the price of mailing a domestic letter with a single stamp jumping from $1.15 to $1.44. The corporation says it's facing cost pressures and the new rates will bring in $80 million this year. But small business owners like Kat Pasquatch are worried. We're looking at increases of over a dollar per package and given the volume of packages that we send, it is going to be significant. Canada Post has lost more than three billion dollars since 2018 and the strike made matters even worse. While workers are back on the job, the corporation still hasn't reached a new labour deal with

its union. Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is calling on Russia and North Korea to consider a prisoner swap. A request comes after two North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia were recently captured by the Ukrainian military. Dominic Velaitis has more. The unverified video posted by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky shows the interrogation of the two North Korean soldiers. Speaking through an interpreter, one of the men says he didn't know he was fighting in

Ukraine and had been told he was on a training exercise. Zelensky is now appealing directly to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, offering to swap the two captured soldiers for Ukrainians held by Russia. Western analysts believe around 11,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia's Korsk region to support Moscow's forces. Dominic Vlaitis for CBC News, Bristol, England. Qatari mediators say they've handed Israel and Hamas a final draft of a Gaza ceasefire

agreement. It's believed to include the release of hostages still being held by Hamas. This comes after outgoing President Joe Biden spoke over the weekend with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And that is The World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.