The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/12/23 at 04:00 EST

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/12/23 at 04:00 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. borough.ca. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Neil Hurland. Residents of Alberta are one step closer to a referendum on separating from Canada. The provincial elections agency has approved a citizen petition to gather signatures that could lead to a province-wide vote. Mitch Sylvester is head of the Alberta Prosperity Project, which is organizing the petition.

I think this is going to be the biggest political decision anybody in Canada will ever make in their lifetime. I believe every Albertan will be much better at the end of this referendum vote if we vote to leave Canada. The Canada that I grew up with is no longer the Canada that I'm living in, and my fervent hope is to have that back. The petition now has four months to collect nearly 178,000 signatures to formally trigger a separation vote. Pro-Palestinian activists in Australia want to stop a new law in the same. state of New South Wales, designed to stop hate speech and incitement. Josh leases with the Palestine Action Group in Sydney. He says it violates free speech. Today we are launching constitutional challenge to Chris Min's latest range of undemocratic anti-protest laws, which

unfortunately we expect to pass the parliament today. The government of New South Wales, which includes the Sydney region, has fast-tracked new legislation that makes it a crime to display the symbols of federally listed terrorist organizations. For example, the flags of the Islamic state, Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Chris Minz is Premier of New South Wales. There was a sign that said all Zionists and neo-Nazis. So how can we say the protests that have these signs have no bearing on either the culture, the temperature, or even extreme actions within our community? The new legislation follows the deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, which killed 15 people.

It hasn't been an easy year in Canada's automotive capital as American tariffs batter the industry, but a reimagined car is sparking some optimism. Emma Loop reports. That's the Canadian-built muscle car that's turning heads across the continent. The Reborn Dodge Charger 6-pack is assembled in Windsor, but is racking up awards in the U.S.

It's won top-gears U.S. car of the year and the Detroit News' vehicle. of the year. The 550 horsepower six-pack started rolling off the line in Windsor earlier this month. The six-pack embodies the enduring cross-border nature of the North American auto industry. For Canada's car capital, the Reborn Charger is also a glimmer of hope. Windsor's unemployment rate was among the highest in Canada for much of the year. Mike Stevenson is from Unifor Local 444, which represents workers at the plant. Stalantis is putting these cars here in spite of the tariffs, So that's a testament to the workforce.

The six-pack is now a finalist for North American car of the year. The winner will be revealed next month at the Detroit Auto Show. Emma Loop, CBC News, Windsor. A BC family says Flair Airlines wouldn't let them on a flight they paid for, citing a Transport Canada policy, that the regulator says doesn't exist. Tanya Fletcher has more. What am I going to do? Rebecca Colson describes the moment her family was blocked from boarding a Flair Airlines flight

from Abbotsford to Toronto. She and her husband traveling with a baby and two dogs. After a smooth check-in, they were suddenly denied boarding at the gate. Flair's reason? A policy stating that each adult can only travel with either one infant or one pet. They said this policy is very internal, so internal that it's not on their website. The airline told CBC News, if an infant and pet are traveling together, transport Canada regulations require that each be accompanied by a separate adult.

Transport Canada maintains that's not the case, saying, quote, there are no transport Canada requirements related to passengers traveling with both infants and pets. However, individual airlines may have their own policies or restrictions. The family wound up flying with Air Canada instead. Flair has since clarified its policy online and agreed to pay some compensation. Tanya Fletcher, CBC News, Vancouver. And that is your world this hour.

For CBC News, I'm Neil Hurley. friend.