The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/29 at 03:00 EST

Episode Date: January 29, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/29 at 03:00 EST

What does a mummified Egyptian child, the Parthenon marbles of Greece and an Irish giant all have in common? They are all stuff the British stole. Maybe. Join me, Mark Fennell, as I travel around the globe uncovering the shocking stories of how some, let's call them ill-gotten, artifacts made it to faraway institutions. Spoiler, it was probably the British. Don't miss a brand new season of Stuff the British Style. Watch it free on CBC Gem. From CBC News, the world is sour. I'm Neil Kumar.

We begin in India. CHILDREN CHATTER WHISTLE At least 12 people are feared dead following a stampede that injured dozens of people as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to take a holy bath in the river at the massive Kammela festival. Emergency officials have been seen taking away what appeared to be dead bodies on stretchers. Rescuers are now helping the injured in the northern city of Prajarac.

Kamela is one of the world's biggest religious festivals. We are keeping a close eye on the Bank of Canada this morning, as the bank is widely expected to bring down interest rates. Economists believe the bank will cut rates by a quarter point bringing its overnight lending rate to 3 percent. But the bank is trying to navigate a deeply uncertain time. Peter Armstrong reports. Canada has been treating us very unfairly on trade. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Donald Trump unleashes his usual attack on Canada,

ending with the now familiar, become a state or face terrorist. If you think it's making your head spin, imagine being a central banker. I can't think of a time with more uncertainty about the path for monetary policy. That's Royce Mendez, the head of macro strategy at Desjardins capital markets. He expects the bank of Canada will cut by another 25 basis points this morning, pointing out the volatility isn't just due to

international tariffs. Canadian economy needs lower interest rates. More than 1.2 million mortgages will come due this year. Most of those loans were taken out during the depths of the pandemic when rates were at historic lows. The unemployment rate is high, the economy has slowed, and now tariffs loom on the horizon. So, this morning's decision is important,

but where the bank sees the economy heading in the months ahead may prove even more consequential. Peter Unstrung, CBC News, Toronto. Ontario voters will head to the polls in just under a month. The provincial election is scheduled for February 27th. Premier Doug Ford is making the move more than a year ahead of schedule. Thomas Degg reports. Meeting the Lieutenant Governor to formally dissolve Ontario's provincial parliament, progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford is asking voters for a third straight majority government.

They want a leader that's going to protect jobs, protect the people's livelihoods. Ford insists he needs a strong mandate to face the threat of tariffs proposed by US President Donald Trump. But his opponents suspect the PC leader is instead aiming to distract from a list of controversies surrounding his government, including a land development scandal under police investigation. Andrew Brander is a former advisor to the Ford government. Anytime you are leading in the polls is a good time to call an election. He points out polls put Ford's party well ahead of Bonnie Cromby's Liberals and the New Democrats led by Marit Stiles.

Thomas Daigle, CBC News, Toronto. A Dutchman must serve his Canadian prison sentence for tormenting a BC teenager. Tim Weeks tells us more. Aidan Coban was sentenced in BC Supreme Court to 13 years in prison for blackmailing and harassing Amanda Todd. Todd was 15 when she released a video detailing the stress and pain she endured as a result of the extortion. She later took her own life.

After his sentencing, Koban was extradited to the Netherlands, where he was serving time for different offences. Dutch authorities ended up converting his Canadian sentence to six years. But Koban argued his sentence should be reduced to zero because the maximum sentence had already been imposed in a Dutch case against him that was similar. But the Netherlands Supreme Court disagreed and upheld the six-year sentence. Todd's mother, Carol, says the decision brings her some relief and that she hopes Koban serves every single day of the sentence.

Tim Weeks, CBC News, Vancouver. And international researchers have found that human-driven climate change contributed to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. The World Weather Attribution Network says the hot, dry and windy conditions that drove the fires were about 35 percent more likely due to global warming. And that is World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Neil Kumar.