The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/20 at 12:00 EST

Episode Date: January 20, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/20 at 12:00 EST

Hey there, I'm David Common. If you're like me, there are things you love about living in the GTA and things that drive you absolutely crazy. Every day on This Is Toronto, we connect you to what matters most about life in the GTA, the news you gotta know, and the conversations your friends will be talking about. Whether you listen on a run through your neighbourhood or while sitting in the parking lot that is the 401, check out This Is Toronto wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, it's the world this hour. I'm Joe Cummings.

With all the traditional pomp and ceremony, Donald Trump is being sworn in this hour as the 47th President of the United States. Ladies and gentlemen, the President-elect of the United States, the Honorable Donald John Trump. That is the President-elect being introduced as his inauguration ceremony is underway. Due to the cold weather in Washington, the ceremonies are being held indoors in the Capitol

Rotunda. And in the midst of all this, there is Canadian news. It appears Trump will stop short of imposing new trade tariffs on this his first day back in the White House. Administration sources are saying that instead of immediate tariff action, Trump will instead direct a series of investigations into trade deficits and unfair trade practices. Trump has threatened in recent weeks to impose steep tariffs on countries like Canada immediately after being sworn into office.

So while Canadian tariffs are now on hold, at least for now, it's being reported that Trump will be issuing a series of orders today aimed at remaking America's immigration policies. Those orders are expected to include ending asylum access, sending troops to the southern border, and ending birthright citizenship. We're also expecting an executive order proclaiming that the US government will end quote radical and wasteful diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Our live coverage of the Trump inauguration can be heard on CBC Radio 1. It'll continue straight through the swearing in and Trump's inaugural address.

Now to Ukraine, one of the countries anxiously watching the arrival of the Trump administration. This is it remains far from clear exactly what Trump has in mind when it comes to the American support for the Ukrainian war effort. Briar Stewart has more now from Kyiv. Trump has never laid out a vision for peace in Ukraine and has just repeatedly made seemingly unrealistic claims about ending the conflict in a day. The U.S. is Ukraine's biggest military backer. Trump has criticized that and has even called Volodymyr Zelensky the world's greatest

salesman for being able to secure tens of billions of dollars in US military aid. I think that he will try to put an end to the war but I don't think that he has enough leverage to find compromises which would be acceptable to both parties. Mikola Kapitonenko is an associate professor in international relations at the National University in Kyiv. Trump may end up continuing Biden's strategy by providing Ukraine with limited amounts of assistance. Trump's special envoy is expected to visit Kyiv in the coming weeks, and Trump says he'll soon be setting up a meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Briar Stewart, CBC News, Kiev.

In other news, there are celebrations across the Palestinian territories following the weekend release of 90 prisoners from Israeli detention. The releases are one of the initial steps in the implementation of the Israeli Hamas ceasefire. Chris Brown has more now from Jerusalem. None of the first 90 detainees released under the ceasefire deal were convicted of killings. Indeed, most weren't convicted of anything but had been detained since October the 7th, including Saja Al-Madi.

Saja Al-Madi, Israeli Prisoner Our freedom is only complete with the liberation of all of Palestine, she said. The Israeli prison was hell, hell, hell, said 19-year-old Abdul Aziz Atwani. More than 700 Palestinian detainees may eventually be released, including some convicted of murder, with another exchange with Hamas set for Saturday. In Gaza, meanwhile, people woke up to quiet skies and no Israeli attacks and streets filled with people heading back to what's left of their homes. The number of people feeling shock is countless, said Mohammed Goma from RAFA. It's destruction, total destruction.

Chris Brown, CBC News, Jerusalem. And that is the World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________