The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/08/12 at 12:00 EDT

Episode Date: August 12, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/08/12 at 12:00 EDT

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From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Newtadine Corane. The fire situation in Newfoundland and Labrador is getting worse. A new wildfire has ignited near St. John's, and it has thousands of residents on alert preparing to evacuate. Heather Gillis has more. Nearly 14,000 people just outside St. John's and Conception Bay South in Paradise are on alert.

As a new fast-moving fire is gaining ground, estimated at 200 hectares since igniting Monday, says Premier John Hogan. Everybody in this area must be prepared to receive an evacuation order on any moment's notice. The smoke is a stones throw away from homes and buildings. The Premier says it closed part of the Trans-Canada Highway and threatened a crucial power line into the province's largest communities. The Kingston fire on the Beta Verde Peninsula, the province's largest, has grown slightly to about 5,200 hectares since Sunday.

It's already destroyed more than nine homes. Monday conditions so fierce, crews were pulled out for safety. It's a quickly changing and volatile situation. More water bombers and helicopters are coming from other provinces, but what's really needed is rain. Heather Gillis, CBC News, St. John's. Meanwhile, in New Brunswick, there are two out-of-control wildfires burning. Residents near Miramishie say they are increasingly concerned

about the old field fire, which has now reached 450 hectares. Cassandra Savard lives in the area. It's scary. It is. Just overwhelming. My father-in-law, like, he's been evacuated. They told him a couple days ago to get his stuff. They told him that his house is safe, but it's getting close. It's getting close. Firefighters are also battling flames on the west coast and out-of-control wildfire is threatening parts of Vancouver Island. Officials have ordered about 300 people to leave a campground near Port Alburni. Mike Carter is with the Port Albany Port Authority. We have many campers who have left their tents, their RVs, their boats. We have cabins. We have infrastructure there. And of course, always a concern. But number one concern with safety of our clients and staff. The city itself

is not believed to be in any danger. U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska Friday. They'll discuss the war in Ukraine. But Ukrainian President Volodemir Zelensky isn't invited to the meeting, and that has European leaders concerned. Arianna Podesta is a spokesperson for the European Commission. The position is clear. We welcome the efforts by President Trump to reach a peace for Ukraine, a peace that is just and lasting and respects sovereignty and territorial integrity. And in this sense, we are working with Ukraine to make sure that this is kept in mind in the meeting. The statement was endorsed by leaders of all EU countries, except Hungary.

On social media this morning, Zelensky said that Russia is preparing for a new offensive operations days before Trump and Putin are set to meet. Australia says it plans to recognize a Palestinian state next month. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his Israeli counterpart is in denial about the suffering in Gaza. As Crystal Gumancing reports, the decision follows similar moves made by other Western nations. The Netanyahu government strategy is just to keep going, just to keep doing more of the same. The stopping of aid, the killings near aid sites in Gaza, Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese listed a series of concerning issues for the international community.

The world is saying we need a solution to this conflict. Albanese says the Netanyahu government's reluctance to listen to its outside. allies contributed to Australia's announcement yesterday that it plans to recognize a Palestinian state following France, the UK, and Canada. This past weekend, the European Union's foreign policy chief, along with foreign ministers from nine countries, called for Hamas to release all of the hostages, while rejecting Israel's decision to expand its military operations in Gaza. Crystal Gamansing, CBC News, London.

And that is your world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Nuridine Korane.