The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/24 at 07:00 EST

Episode Date: January 24, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/24 at 07:00 EST

Hi, I'm Jamie Puezo and every weekday I host a news podcast called Frontburner. We do one story a day and we try to give you a deep but not overwhelming amount of information and context. Lately, there has been a ton of political news to keep on top of. Canada is facing a pivotal election, there's a power struggle at the heart of the Liberal Party, and the uncertainty of Trump's second term looms over all of this. So if you want to keep up with what's happening, follow Fran Burner. From CBC News, it's the World This Hour.

I'm Joe Cummings. U.S. President Donald Trump flies to Los Angeles today for an on-the-ground look at the city's ongoing wildfire crisis. He'll be meeting with a state governor who Trump has been blaming for much of the destruction. Steve Futterman reports. The burning question is whether Donald Trump will be willing to offer California federal aid and if he does, will there be conditions? I don't think we should give California anything until they let water flow down into there.

Much of this has to do with Trump's relationship with his longtime critic Gavin Newsom. Trump says the California governor's policies have led to the deadly fires, especially what Trump says is a policy to prevent water from Northern California to come south. Newsom refutes the claim. Trying to be diplomatic, he says he welcomes Trump's visit. I'm glad he's coming out here. I'm grateful that the president is taking the time. I hope he does take the time to listen to the folks impacted directly. Meanwhile, thousands of firefighters continue to fight the various blazes. One of the newest, the Hughes Fire, is now more than

30% contained. Today, winds are expected to diminish and there is hope this weekend that there will be a bit of rain. Steve Futterman for CBC News, Los Angeles. Still with President Trump, he is demanding an immediate end to the war in Ukraine. The demand came in the second half of his interview this week with Fox News host Sean Hannity. If they don't settle this war soon, like almost immediately, I'm going to put massive tariffs on Russia and massive taxes and also big sanctions. And I don't want to do that, but we've got to get this war ended. And if they don't make a settlement like fast, and Zelensky, I will say this, he wants to

settle now. He's had enough. Trump is also critical of Ukraine for taking on, quote, what he calls a bigger enemy. And he was critical of former President Joe Biden for the billions of dollars sent to the Ukrainian war effort from the United States. A monster winter storm has now reached Scotland after roaring across most of Ireland overnight. One of the strongest storms we've seen for years. I mean, it's been called the storm of the century in the Republic of Ireland. And so, yeah, red warnings in place across the whole of the Republic of Ireland.

It came into force across Northern Ireland at 7 a.m. this morning and will come into force across central Scotland. So, we see that storm transferring from the west of Ireland or the strongest of the winds from the west of Ireland into Northern Ireland and then into Scotland over the course of the next few hours. Now this meteorologist Liz Bentley who says the storm is delivering record winds of anywhere from 150 to 180 kilometers an hour. A red weather warning suggests that the high winds pose a immediate danger to life. At least 500,000 people are without power in Ireland, with early reports coming in of widespread flooding. As part of the Israel Hamas ceasefire agreement, the

next release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners is set for this weekend. Sasha Petrusic has the details. S. PETRUSCIC According to the schedule, four hostages are supposed to be released. These four are supposed to be women, one civilian and three female soldiers who will be released in much the same way that we saw last time, handed by the Hamas militants to Red Cross officials who will then drive them to the Israeli military. And then they will be helicoptered to hospital and to meet their families. In exchange, Israel has committed to release Palestinian prisoners.

This weekend, it would be 180, that is 50 for each female soldier and 30 for each female civilian who will be released by Hamas. So that exchange is supposed to start tomorrow afternoon in Gaza. Sasha Petrusik, CBC News on the Israel-Gaza border. Health Canada says it will be distributing more rabies vaccine by the end of the month. Demand has risen following the death last fall of an Ontario child who came in contact with a bat. Two rabies vaccines are approved for use in Canada, but both have been in short supply in recent months. And that is The World This Hour.

For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.