The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/08/31 at 12:00 EDT

Episode Date: August 31, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/08/31 at 12:00 EDT

We are gathered here today to celebrate life's big milestones. Do you promise to stand together through home purchases, auto-upgrades, and surprise dents and dings? We do. To embrace life's big moments for any adorable co-drivers down the road. We do. Then with the caring support of Desjardin insurance, I pronounce you covered for home, auto, and flexible life insurance. For life's big milestones, get insurance that's really big on care at Dejardin.com slash care. From CBC News, the world this hour.

I'm Claude Fage. China is hosting world leaders today for a regional security summit and could lead to new relationships as member countries grapple with U.S. President Donald Trump's trade wars. The CBC's Julia Chapman has more. China has rolled out the red carpet for members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or the SCO. Leaders of Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran and several other countries are gathering in Tianjin. The SCO was formed in 2001. It's an informal grouping focused on security and economic ties.

And its members often use these events to air grievances about the West. The overriding theme this year, tariffs. On Wednesday, the U.S. hit India with 50% tariffs, punishment for buying Russian oil. Today, China's Xi Jinping and India's Narendra Modi sat down for a rare meeting. Beijing and New Delhi have a tense relationship because of border disputes. Vladimir Putin is also attending the summit. He won't come under any criticism for the war in Ukraine from fellow SCO members. Julia Chapman, CBC News, London.

A flotilla of ships filled with humanitarian aid is leaving Barcelona today for the Gaza Strip. It's the latest largest attempt to reach. Gaza. An activist Greta Thunberg is among those on board. The group hopes to reach Gaza by mid-September delivering food, medicine and water. Reporter Dominic Volaitis has the latest from London. This is Greta Thunberg's second flotilla to Gaza and the largest one yet. The 22-year-old activist was keen to shift attention from the flotilla mission to the ongoing crisis in Gaza. The story here is how people are being deliberately deprived of the very basic means to survive. Hundreds of people from 44 countries are setting sail for Gaza.

They'll be departing from ports in Spain, Italy, Greece and Tunisia and taking tons of humanitarian aid with them. Israel imposed a blockade on the coastal enclave after Hamas took control of it in 2007 and has repeatedly blocked activists' attempts to reach it. Tunberg, though, has brushed aside concerns about the dangers of this latest flotilla, telling journalists she was more concerned about the world's silence on the crisis in Gaza. Dominic Volitis for CBC News, London. An evacuation order has been issued for Fort Providence in the Northwest Territories.

A wildfire burning about two kilometers north of the community grew overnight, fanned by severe winds. And a forecast shift in the wind. could drive it towards the town. On top of that, the highway north towards Yellowknife is closed because of smoky conditions, so residents will have to head south. Australia has documented the highest number of drowning deaths since records began. Lifesaver deaths, lifesavers say the deaths, believed to be in the hundreds,

have surged to unprecedented levels and blame of decline in swimming skills. Phil Mercer reports from Sydney. Every statistic is a real person, a real life and a story of profound loss and sadness. Alexandra Ash is from the Royal Life Saving Society. In Australia, one person drowns on average almost every day. Swimming in Australia is a national pastime. 85% of the population live within 50 kilometres of the coast. The group that's most at risk of drowning are those who are 65 years of age or older.

Then there are migrants and tourists. About one in three drowning deaths are from people who are born overseas. Dr Jazz Laws is a research manager at Surf Life Saving Australia, the national governing body for surfing. There's been a broad decline in swimming skills across the community. That coupled with more and more people travelling to remote and unfamiliar locations, which are away from life-saving and emergency services, really does put them at high risk. Australia has more than 10,000 beaches. Only about 5% are patrolled by lifeguards.

Phil Mercer for CBC News, Sydney. And that is your world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Claude Fake.