The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/23 at 19:00 EST

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/23 at 19:00 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 Karen Howelluck, and we begin this hour in Germany. Supporters of the center-right Christian Democratic Union celebrate the party's success in the national election.

Early results give the CDU the win, with leader Friedrich Merz on track to become the country's next chancellor. Merz is promising to put together a new coalition government as quickly as possible. He vows to leave the AFD out of any coalition talks. The far-right party came in second, doubling its vote from last time. Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz has conceded defeat, with his Social Democrats projected to finish third. The Vatican says Pope Francis is still in critical condition in hospital in Rome, but

it also says the Pope is alert and aware. Francis was admitted to hospital more than a week ago with pneumonia in both lungs. Megan Williams has details. In his latest health update, the Vatican said the Pope's condition is critical. On Sunday, the Pope received two units of red blood cells, which helped boost his hemoglobin levels and stabilize his platelet levels. But tests show early signs of kidney failure with the situation for now under control.

Francis is awake and alert and took part in a mass inside his hospital room this morning, but he's still on high flow oxygen through nasal tubes. Meanwhile, visitors at the Vatican express their hope that the Pope makes it out of danger. I was shocked. I didn't thought that he was that bad. Said this pilgrim from the Canary Islands. He has been a really good Pope. Our bishop, Pope Francis.

This evening, a mass was held in one of Rome's basilicas where hundreds prayed for the Pope. Megan Williams, CBC News, Rome. Air defences 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 if it means peace in his country. Dominic Velaitis has more. 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 Kyiv 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. President Zelensky says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet him Monday in Kyiv. Trudeau will also chair a virtual G7 leaders meeting that day where the war in Ukraine is expected to dominate the agenda. Former Liberal leadership candidate Ruby Dalla is appealing the party's decision to kick

her out of the race. A leadership committee disqualified Dalla on Friday, accusing her of 10 violations of the campaign's rules, including inaccurate financial reporting. Dalla denies the accusations. In a social media post, Dalla says she is not giving up. Animal advocates gathered at the Manitoba legislature today calling for harsher penalties for those who abuse animals. Kristi Zamonski helped organize the rally. She wants to see a provincial animal abuse registry enforced. Basically, the person who wants to adopt would go fill out an animal abuse registry,

then it'll clear them. So we don't even need to know their personal information. If you want to adopt, then you bring us your cleared animal abuse registry certificate. The demand comes after a Winnipeg couple was charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty last fall. And that is your World is Our. For CBC News, I'm Karen Howerlund.