The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/05 at 03:00 EST

Episode Date: February 5, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/05 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 this hour. I'm Neil Hurland.

An official from the Palestinian militant group Hamas is rejecting a proposal from US.S. President Donald Trump to take over the Gaza Strip. Trump made a surprise pitch at the White House last night. The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. But Hamas official Sami Abou-Zouri calls Trump's remark ridiculous and absurd. New data in British Columbia shows a significant drop in toxic drug deaths in the province. It's a trend that's been documented across Canada and internationally.

Michelle Gossoub has more. I am glad to see that slight decrease. Drug deaths in B.C BC fell 13% in 2024. The latest death toll is lower than any year since 2020. Even with that drop, the BC Coroner's Service says over 2,200 people died of overdoses last year. A number, Garth Mullins with the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users says is a travesty. The deaths aren't stopping.

13% decrease is nice, but it's nowhere near where we should be. Fentanyl continues to be the main driver of deaths in BC. There's now a renewed focus on the drug as Canada faces pressure to secure its border with the US. Day Stewart is with the advocacy group Mom Stop the Harm. The government down south deals in fear, but I don't know that the measures that have been discussed recently as today are going to make a lick of difference. Still, there is some hope B.C. could be turning the page on a crisis that has killed thousands.

Michelle Gassoub, CBC News, Vancouver. Two members of Canada's military police have now been suspended while a misconduct investigation continues. As Nicole Williams reports, a judge found army investigators tampered with evidence, showed bias, and acted beyond the scope of their jurisdiction in a sexual assault case. Criminal defense lawyer Austin Corbett confirms his client has filed a conduct complaint against military police. The defendant, a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, charged with assaulting and sexually assaulting his ex-wife, a military reservist. But his trial didn't happen, and Ontario Superior Court Justice stayed the charges against him, saying police showed bias, failed to keep proper

records, and withheld and destroyed evidence into the investigation against him. Corbett says this only came to light during pretrial court proceedings. The investigators who testified downplayed their misconduct. The Canadian Forces Provo Marshal oversees military police in this country. In a statement issued this week, she addressed the court's concerns about misconduct in the ranks. She confirmed two of the officers involved have been suspended while an investigation takes place and says this shows there are processes in place to keep military police accountable. Nicole Williams, CBC News, Ottawa.

You may have heard or seen ads for AGM renovations featuring celebrity handyman Mike Holmes. Those ads, however, have now vanished amid a CBC News investigation. Sophia Harris reports. Trust AGM. Celebrity contractor Mike Holmes has appeared in more than a dozen ads for AGM renovations operating in Ontario and B.C. Eric Cartier of very Ontario says that Advertising influenced his decision to hire a GM to renovate four bathrooms

This is water damage in our living room from a cracked toy that they installed Cartier says the Renault was fraught with problems According to documentation obtained by CBC, those problems included hazardous electrical work done by an unlicensed electrician who didn't get a required permit. Mike Holmes Company, the Holmes Group, didn't respond to requests for comment. AGM told CBC News its relationship with the Holmes Group is in a transition phase as AGM works through a brand refresh. The Cartiers are now suing AGM for negligence.

AGM denies any wrongdoing. Sophia Harris, CBC News, Toronto. And that's the CBC News.