The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/24 at 11:00 EST

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/24 at 11:00 EST

1942, Europe. Soldiers find a boy surviving alone in the woods. They make him a member of Hitler's army. But what no one would know for decades, he was Jewish. Could a story so unbelievable be true? I'm Dan Goldberg. I'm from CBC's Personally, Toy Soldier. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, it's the world this hour. I'm Joe Cummings. Three years ago today, Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. How many people they killed and thousands in the prison and stolen children. That's why we'll never forget it and we can't forget it.

And as Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky hosting a global roundtable today in Kiev, 13 world leaders are on hand in the Ukrainian capital, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Might no longer makes right in this world. That's what has led to 80 years of incredible stability and prosperity, not just in Europe, but around the world because of the institutions we built out of the ashes of World War II. And standing up for those institutions is in the best interest of every single one of us. Trudeau has made the trip to Kyiv with a commitment to deliver another 25 light armored vehicles to the Ukrainian military. As well, Canada is turning over $5 billion in seized Russian assets.

German voters have elected a new chancellor. How many people they killed and thousands in the prison and stolen children. That's why we'll never forget it and we can't forget it. Our apologies, that is not the new German chancellor, the new elected German chancellor, Friedrich Mertz. He's the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union. It finishes the general election with 29% support, and Mertz now has to form a coalition government before taking office. But he's insisting that coalition will not involve the Alternative for Germany or the AFD. It's a far-right party

that came in second in the voting. The Social Democrats, led by outgoing Chancellor Olaf Schultz, came in third. The Israeli military is stepping up its presence now in the West Bank. And Israel's defense minister says the deployment could continue for at least another year and potentially longer. Sasha Petrusic has the latest. Tanks roll across the occupied West Bank for the first time in more than two decades. Israel's show of force against what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says is increased activity by Hamas and other groups in refugee camps.

We are fighting terror on all fronts, he says, and will stay as long as necessary. Israel ramped up its forces here in the wake of three bus bombs near Tel Aviv. The camps, home for Palestinian families originally displaced by Israel's creation in 1948, have long been strongholds for militant groups. They've now been mostly emptied by the Israeli military, which has destroyed houses and torn up infrastructure, forcing 40,000 Palestinians to move. Hundreds of fighters and civilians have been killed here in the past months.

Sasha Petrusik, CBC News, Jerusalem. Four candidates in the race to be candidates. Next liberal leader squaring off tonight in the first of two live debates. With just two weeks to go until the winner is announced and just two days before voting gets underway, the two events are the only chance liberal supporters have to see the four candidates together on stage. The French language debate goes tonight. The English language debate is set for tomorrow, both in Montreal.

Starbucks will be laying off more than 1,100 corporate employees this week. The global layoffs come as the American coffee chain is streamlining its operations. Starbucks finished 2024 with global sales down by more than 2%. Grammy-winning singer Rober Roberta Flack, has died. That's Flack with her 1973 hit, Killing Me Softly. It was named Record of the Year at the Grammys, which was the same award she won the previous year for another top 10 single, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Flack died today at the age of 88.

Her death comes three years after she was diagnosed with ALS. And that is The World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.