The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/08/08 at 15:00 EDT

Episode Date: August 8, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/08/08 at 15:00 EDT

If you're listening to this, I already know you have great taste in podcasts. But maybe, if you like me, you still wonder if you're missing out on the best stuff. That's where the Sounds Good newsletter can help you out. Every other Thursday, the audio files at CBC Podcasts highlight one must-hear show and lots of other new and noteworthy titles. They do conversation starters, they do hidden gems, and they also tell you about the stuff they love that they didn't make. Go to CBC.ca slash sounds good to subscribe. From CBC News, The World This Hour, I'm Gina Louise Phillips.

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are getting a pay raise. Prime Minister Mark Carney says the bump will help with recruitment and retention. A problem military leaders have called critical. Catherine Tunney has more. It's a generational shift. Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the country's largest military airbase in Trenton Friday, announcing a long promise pay increase for members of the Canadian military. The salary top-up will be graduated.

The lowest ranks of the regular fours will get a 20% boost, or the top brass will see an 8% increase. Their pay, your pay, should reflect the weight of your responsibilities. There's also additional compensation coming, including extra support for those who move a lot for the job and those helping Canadians through natural disasters. And an incentive package to the tune of $50,000 to help recruit Canadians fill roles facing critical shortfalls.

The spike in salary spending comes as Carney's government promises to invest heavily in defense to meet this NATO target of 5% GDP by 2035. Catherine Tunney, CBC News, Ottawa. Prime Minister Mark Carney is joining a number of world leaders condemning Israel's plan to fully take over the Gaza Strip. The proposal to seize Gaza City was approved by Israel's security cabinet today.

This action is not going to contribute to an improvement in the humanitarian situation on the ground. It is going to put the lives of the hostages at greater risk rather than lessening it. Karni says he reiterates his call for a ceasefire and the immediate release of hostages. Earlier today, Germany, the second largest arms distributor to Israel following the U.S., announced it would suspend those military exports. It cited the worsening civilian toll in Gaza as the reason. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's disappointed with that decision, adding that the objective is not to occupy Gaza. Contract talks between Air Canada and its unionized flight

attendants resumed today. The flight attendants passed a near-unanimous strike vote earlier this week. They'll be in a strike position as of August 16th, but are required to give 72 hours notice. With three wildfires threatening communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, the province is dramatically increasing fines for ignoring the provincial fire ban. This after continuing reports, of bonfires and other intentionally set fires. As Jessica Singer reports, violations will now cost tens of thousands of dollars. Thousands of people are fleeing their homes and cabins as a series of wildfires rip through Newfoundland and Labrador. Meanwhile, the provincial government is receiving many reports of intentionally set fires, including at least six

bonfires overnight, despite the fire ban in place. Premier John Hogan says it needs to stop. I don't know the word that I can use to say how I feel about this, beyond troubled and frustrated. His government is drastically increasing the punishment for violating a fire ban. $75 to $50,000. Fines now range from $50,000 to $150,000, as well as up to a year in prison. I think it's very clear that we mean business. Although there are local smoke warnings in St. John's, Hogan says the government is monitoring the situation closely and the Canada Games will still move ahead as planned. Jessica Singer, CBC News, St. John's.

Cruise fighting an out-of-control wildfire on Vancouver Island are building heli pads to improve access to the flames burning on rocky terrain. The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze below the bluffs on Cameron Lake is about 5.7 square kilometers in size and hundreds of homes are under evacuation orders or alerts. Wildfire smoke has prompted air quality warnings in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Environment Canada says the Manitoba City of Flynn-Flawn will have an air quality index of over 10 today and tomorrow. And both Brandon and Winnipeg are forecast to see high-risk conditions today.

And that is the world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Gina Louise Phillips. Thank you.