The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/12/21 at 13:00 EST

Episode Date: December 21, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/12/21 at 13:00 EST

This ascent isn't for everyone. You need grit to climb this high this often. You've got to be an underdog that always over-delivers. You've got to be 6,500 hospital staff, 1,000 doctors, all doing so much with so little. You've got to be Scarborough. Defined by our uphill battle and always striving towards new heights. And you can help us keep climbing.

Donate at lovescarbro.cairbo. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Kate McGilfrey. Israel has approved 19 new settlements in the Occupied West Bank. Ministers who propose the move say it's about blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state. Dominic Bolitis has the story. Israel's Security Cabinet has now approved proposals of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. The move brings the total number of settlements approved in the past three years

to 69. Despite the fact the settlements are considered illegal under international law, the Israeli government is pushing ahead with expansion. Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who co-sponsored the move, said it's designed to block the establishment of a Palestinian state. The United Nations claims approvals are now at their highest level since 2017, with Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez warning the policy fuels tensions and restricts Palestinians access to land. Arab nations say it undermines hopes for a two-state solution. And in an earlier interview with Time magazine,

US President Donald Trump warned Israel would lose all support if it approved more settlements. Dominic Volitus for CBC News, Riga Latvia. In Australia, the country is marking one week since a deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Fifteen people were killed and 40 others were hurt when two gunmen opened fire during a festival marking the first day of Hanukkah. People in the community say they're still in shock. I feel very strongly about the fact that, especially being German, that this has happened in history before and that this cannot happen again.

Every day we hear of somebody else that's connected. It's a small community and we all know someone who knows someone who lost their life. It touches all of us very, very deeply. Today's day of reflection was held under tight police security on the beach. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was there. He was met with booze from the crowd as pressure mounts on the government to do more to clamp down on anti-Semitism and tighten gun laws. In Washington, the partial Epstein file release on Friday has left some lawmakers furious.

Pam Bondi is breaking the law. I believe we're going to get bipartisan support. in holding her accountable. That's Democratic Congressman Roe Kana. He's calling out the U.S. Department of Justice under Attorney General Pam Bondi for failing to release all Epstein files by the midnight Friday deadline.

He's also frustrated by the files that were released, many of which were heavily redacted with the names of possible suspects scrubbed. Kana says that House members are working on a bipartisan deal to hold Bondi in contempt. It would fine Pam Bondi for every day that she's not releasing

these documents. The problem here is that there are rich and powerful people who either engaged in this abuse, covered it up or were on this island. And what the American people want to know is who are these people. Kana also wants a congressional committee set up to look at which redactions were justified and which were not. Conversations are being held this weekend on the U.S. proposed peace plan in Ukraine, which has been batted back and forth for weeks now. It's not clear if progress is being made. The Kremlin envoy says these talks have been constructive But at the same time, a top Russian foreign policy aid says that changes to the original plan by Europe and Ukraine have not improved the prospects for peace. Blue Origin made history yesterday with the first space flight by a person who uses a wheelchair.

The crowd applauded as space passenger Mishi Benthouse emerged from a capsule shortly after it landed in the Texas desert. The German engineer with the European space space. Agency was one of six passengers taken on a brief journey into space. She's an advocate for accessible space travel. I think you should never give up on your dreams, right? But, I mean, there's also sometimes just a low probability that it comes true. And it was the coolest experience ever, honestly. The crew experienced just a few minutes of weightlessness while in space.

That's the world this hour. I'm Kate McGilfrey. Thank you.