The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/22 at 04:00 EST

Episode Date: February 22, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/22 at 04:00 EST

In Scarborough, there's this fire behind our eyes. A passion in our bellies. It's in the hearts of our neighbors. The eyes of our nurses. And the hands of our doctors. It's what makes Scarborough, Scarborough. In our hospitals, we do more than anyone thought possible. We've less than anyone could imagine.

But it's time to imagine what we can do with more. Join Scarborough Health Network and together, we can turn grit into greatness. Donate at lovescarborough.ca. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Claude Fague. We begin in Israel. Woo!

Where people gathered in Tel Aviv's hostage square cheer after the first two of six Israeli hostages were released today. The two hostages are 40-year-old Tal Shoham and 39-year-old Avra Mengistu, who were turned over to the International Red Cross in Gaza. They were taken to Israel after that. Now, four more hostages will be freed by the militant group Hamas today. Israel will then turn over hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. This will mark the second to last first phase

of the hostage for prisoners exchange that will include a total of 33 Israeli hostages. Meanwhile Israeli Army radio is confirming the remains of a hostage turned over by Hamas on Friday were that of Shiri Bevis. Bevis was taken hostage along with her two young children in the October 7, 2023 attacks. Her body was positively identified on Friday, including confirmation from her family. Israeli radio is also confirming that Bevis and her children, 4-year-old Ariel and 9-month-old Kefir, were all likely killed in captivity. They were two of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history. 29 people lost their lives, and more than 16,000 homes, businesses and other structures were burned to the ground

in Pacific Palisades in Altadena. Friday, the city's fire chief was fired for the service's response. Steve Futterman reports from Los Angeles. Six weeks after the fire has ravaged parts of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, who has been under attack herself for the way she handled the fires, the fire chief. I just met with Chief Crowley and removed her as fire chief. Mayor Bass accused Kristen Crowley of failing to inform her of the danger in the days before the fires, which eventually destroyed thousands

of homes. We all know that a thousand firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke were killed by fire. The fire chief was not responsible for the fire. He was responsible for the the fires, which eventually destroyed thousands of homes. We all know that a thousand firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the

fires broke were instead sent home on Chief Crowley's watch. Critics of the mayor say she is trying to divert blame aimed at her. Relations between the two have been tense for weeks. Three days after the fires started started Crowley blamed Bass for failing to give the department the necessary funds. The fire department needs help. We do not have enough firefighters. Steve Futterman for CBC News, Los Angeles. The 2025 federal election would seem to have all the makings of a breakthrough for Canada's New Democratic Party. Voters want change. Polling shows that the

Liberal Party is leaderless. But at this point at least, many things don't seem to be working in the NDP's favor. David Thurton reports. The NDP federally is in really bad shape. Rob Ashton has close ties with the New Democrats. But as president of Canada's International Longshore and Warehouse Union, he says his members are disappointed with the party.

It repeatedly voted confidence in the government, while the liberals forced striking workers into binding arbitration. So I think they've lost their way. The CBC poll tracker shows the NDP is below 16 percent, the party's lowest polling average since June 2020. According to pollster David Coletta with Abacus Data, many of their supporters have gone to the Liberals and the Conservatives. The NDP is losing supports to two sides.

But New Democrats are fighting back. That's why I got in the ring. The party released its first pre-election TV ad. It shows NDP leader Jagmeet Singh throwing punches in a boxing ring. The ad comes weeks before a possible snap federal election. The party's national campaign director warned that could come as early as March 10th. David Thurton, CBC News, Ottawa. Apple will stop offering its strongest data protection in the UK. The company made the decision after reports the

British government was demanding they build a back door to the program that would mean all data would be accessible by Apple, which could be compelled to share it with British law. And that is Your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Claude Fague.