The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/22 at 06:00 EST

Episode Date: February 22, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/22 at 06:00 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 is Sour. I'm Neil Kumar. We begin in Israel. Woo!

Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! People gathered in Tel Aviv's hostage square to cheer after the first two of six Israeli hostages were released today.

The two hostages are four-year-old Tal Shoham and 39-year-old Avira Mengitsu. Both are turned over to the International Red Cross in Gaza. They were then taken into Israel. Former 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. Israeli Army radio has confirmed that the remains of a hostage turned over by the militant group Hamas on Friday were that of Shiri Bebus.

Bebus was taken hostage along with her two children in the October 7, 2023 attacks. Her body was identified today, including confirmation from her family. Israeli radio is also confirming that Bebus and her children, four-year-old Ariel and nine-month-old Kefirfir were 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 the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. On Friday, the city's fire chief was fired for the services response. Steve Foderman 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, went after the fire chief. Acting in the best interest of Los Angeles public safety, 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 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 fire 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. As polling shows voters want change, 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%, 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. So 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 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, an optional feature that adds end-to- end encryption for cloud data. The company made the decision after reports the British government was demanding Apple build a backdoor to the program. That would mean all data would be accessible by Apple, which could be compelled to share it with British law enforcement.

And that is Worldless Hour. Remember, you can listen to us wherever you get your podcasts. The Worldless Hour is updated every hour, seven days a week. For CBC News, I'm Neel Kumar.