The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/06/03 at 09:00 EDT

Episode Date: June 3, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/06/03 at 09:00 EDT

When a body is discovered 10 miles out to sea, it sparks a mind-blowing police investigation. There's a man living in this address in the name of a deceased. He's one of the most wanted men in the world. This isn't really happening. Officers are finding large sums of money. It's a tale of murder, skullduggery and international intrigue. So who really is he? I'm Sam Mullins and this is Sea of Lies from CBC's Uncovered, available now.

From CBC News, it's the world this hour. I'm Joe Cummings. The northern Saskatchewan town of La Ronge is the latest prairie community now under an evacuation order. A rapidly approaching wildfire means that from the town and the surrounding area, more than 7,000 people are now on the move. One of them is Tom Roberts. We saw a lot of emergency vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks, fire people, and they're heading north to help fight the fire. Smoke is just bellowing south of us here. It really looks scary. It looks like a firefighter's truck has gone by here, heading north to Laurent to go help.

The fire is listed as being more than 800 square kilometers in size. This evacuation order is just the latest in a series of orders that have now forced close to 15,000 people in Saskatchewan from their homes. Manitoba is dealing with dozens of fires as well, with more than 17,000 evacuees. And Alberta has seen 5,000 people evacuated from their communities, with 26 wildfires listed there as out of control. The results of a recent RCMP audit are showing that the services 911 dispatch centers are in a state of crisis and it's warning that unless dire staffing shortages are not immediately addressed, the public and frontline RCMP officers will be at risk. Catherine Tunney reports.

and frontline RCMP officers will be at risk. Catherine Tunney reports. RCMP module. In this RCMP promotional video, its 911 dispatchers are showcased as critical players during an emergency. But behind the scenes, those dispatch centers are in a state of emergency themselves. According to a recently released audit, the RCMP's communication centers are grappling with severe staffing shortages across the country and employee burnout. The RCMP's own audit warns if things continue,

both Mounties and the public are at risk. Without us, there isn't much public safety within Canada. Kathleen Hibburn has been raising the alarm for years as president of the union representing RCMP dispatchers. She says it's a matter of time before tragedy strikes. And it could be a terrorism thing. It could be a natural disaster. It could be something like the mass casualties in Nova Scotia. And we're not going to have enough people at all. The RCMP and the federal minister of public safety were not available for comment, although the RCMP did say it accepts the oddest findings. Catherine Tunney, CBC News, Ottawa.

Now to Nigeria, where more than 200 people are confirmed dead following some of the worst widespread flooding that country has seen in decades. And the number of fatalities is expected to continue rising, with more than 500 people considered missing. Anna Cunningham has the latest. Last Wednesday and Thursday heavy rains burst the banks of the Niger River. The flash floods washing away anything in its path. There is shock this happened so quickly.

In Mokwa there is grief. Fatima Jibran lost 18 members of her family. She says they have only found four bodies. Fatima says there is no help coming from anyone, not even the government. Thousands are now homeless. Says Mohamed Tanko. This is the start of the rainy season in West Africa. Heavy rains are not unusual but scientists say climate change is fueling more extreme weather. Authorities say the search is no longer a rescue operation. They do not believe days on those missing have survived.

The concern now is to find and bury bodies to prevent the outbreak of disease. Anna Cunningham, CBC News, London. It's a hit single from 1987 that obviously people cannot get enough of. Spotify says Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up has now reached 1 billion streams. Astley says he never imagined the song would still be going strong almost 40 years after he recorded it. But for all time streaming supremacy, he still needs another 4 billion more to match the reigning record holder that would be Blinding Lights by Canada's The Weeknd. It is now approaching

5 billion streams. And that is The World This Hour. I'm Joe Cummings.