The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/23 at 13:00 EST

Episode Date: February 23, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/23 at 13:00 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 our, I'm Karen Howerlach. Air defenses were called into action in Ukraine overnight, fighting off hundreds of drones launched by Russia. And today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is offering to make a big sacrifice. Action in Ukraine overnight fighting off hundreds of drones launched by Russia and today Ukrainian

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is offering to make a big sacrifice if it means peace in his country. Dominic Velaitis reports. Officials say this was the largest single Russian drone attack of the war so far. They say 267 drones were launched against 13 Ukrainian regions. It's not yet clear how many people may have been killed or injured. The onslaught came on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine. Today Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists

he would be willing to give up his presidency if it meant peace in Ukraine, adding he could even exchange his departure for Ukraine's entry into NATO. Tomorrow, EU leaders will head to Kiev to express their solidarity with Zelensky and talk security guarantees. A meeting Ukraine's president hopes will be a turning point for his country and the war, which enters its fourth year on Monday. Dominic Velaitis for CBC News, Riga, Latvia. Israel says it is scaling up its offensive in the occupied West Bank. Tanks are under orders to roll into what Israel says is a militant stronghold. And troops are being told they'll likely be there for at least a year.

Israel's defence minister says he's also told troops they are not permitted to allow Palestinians who fled to return. In Beirut, tens of thousands of people filled city streets as they headed to the funeral for former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September. The ceremony is being held at Lebanon's biggest sports arena. It's also recognizing dozens of Hezbollah militants killed in the recent fighting with Israel. Supporters of the center-right Christian Democratic Union are celebrating in Germany. Early results in the national election put their party in the lead with 28%. The far-right Alternative for Germany party is in second place with 19%.

That's double their share of the vote from the last election. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Social Democrats are expected to be in third place in what could be the party's worst results since the Second World War. None of the parties want a majority, so we'll be negotiating a coalition government. The Vatican says Pope Francis is still in critical condition in hospital in Rome. The 88-year-old was admitted more than a week ago with pneumonia in both lungs and has problems with his blood. Megan Williams has the latest. This morning, the Vatican said the Pope

had slept through the night. Still, he remains in critical condition after his worst health crisis so far, when on Saturday he suffered from what the Vatican called a prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis that required high flow oxygen. The Vatican health update last night also said that blood tests showed thrombocytopenia.

That's a condition that makes it harder for blood to clot and increases the risk of bleeding. Pope Francis also has anemia, a low red blood cell count that adds to his weakness. The real danger, said his doctors on Friday night, is the pope getting sepsis, germs from the pneumonia leaking into his bloodstream and reaching the heart or liver. Still, the prognosis remains uncertain, with many Cardinals and Vatican officials here saying only that they're praying for the Pope.

Megan Williams, CBC News, Rome. Here at home, Liberal leadership candidates are preparing for two debates in Montreal this week. Presumed frontrunner Mark Carney and rivals Chrystia Freeland, Carina Gould and Frank Bayless will participate in the French language debate Monday night and the English language debate on Tuesday evening. The results of the leadership vote will be released on March 9th. And that is your World is Our. For news anytime, go to our website at cbcnews.ca. For CBC News, I'm Karen Howerlach.