The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/12/25 at 02:00 EST

Episode Date: December 25, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/12/25 at 02:00 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 Neil Hurland. There's a new US-backed peace plan tonight to try to end Russia's war with Ukraine. And for the first time Ukraine's president is signaling he's ready to compromise on some major sticking points. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country is willing to withdraw troops from the front line if Russia does the same. Michael Basserkew is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, he says Zelensky may have little choice. I think he's been squeezed into a corner, especially by the Americans who want a quick deal. The problem is, with these types of very, very complex peace plans, things cannot be rushed. The problem, however, that Mr. Zelensky is in is that the Russians are absolutely pounding Ukraine night after night after night. The war in Ukraine has been raging for three years and ten months.

Authorities in Mexico have carried out a series of raids on four homes linked to the Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding and according to a news release issued tonight by the government of Mexico police made a raft of seizures including 62 motorcycles and two Olympic medals Wedding is not named but the news release says the case involves a foreign former Olympian who is listed among the FBI's most wanted Extreme Cold in the Yukon is putting extreme pressure on

the territory's power grid. Temperatures drop below minus 40 again on Tuesday, and the electrical grid is operating at near capacity, prompting fears of blackouts. Julian Green reports. Officials have floated the prospect of imposing blackouts in Whitehorse for days, but territorial power companies say they would be a last-ditch effort. For now, Yukon Energy and electric power company ATCO are calling on residents to use less energy. They say that'll help put the cap on peak electricity demand, which earlier this week hit an all-time high. On Monday, Yukoners used 90% of what the grid can supply. Jay Massey with Atko-U-Con says the grid buckled under the pressure.

Still, he says rolling blackouts are a ways away. We're as prepared as we possibly can be. Stephanie Kuna is with Yukon Energy. She says residents should use appliances at off-peak hours. It is allowing us to not turn on as many diesel engines and to have that little bit of buffer. The Yukon-R-CMP is telling people to travel only if absolutely necessary and to just stay home where it's warm.

Julian Green, CBC News, Whitehorse. Meantime, a major storm has hit a large part of California prompting flash flood warnings and evacuations. The dangerous conditions have disrupted holiday travel as officials urge people to stay home. Iris Spitzer reports. California's Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and several other California counties due to heavy rain and

flooding. And L.A. Mayor Karen Bass warned people to use extraordinary caution. My message to Angelinos as we go into the Christmas holiday is to stay safe, be prepared, and stay informed. At particular risk are areas burned in wildfires, which devastated the region just under a year ago. Burnt soil makes it more likely that rain remains as runoff. meaning heightened potential for mudslides and debris flows. That's prompted mandatory evacuations. The state's mountain regions are seeing heavy snowfall while strong winds are forecast to hit Northern California.

The dangerous conditions are expected to continue through the Christmas holiday. Iris Bitzer for CBC News, San Francisco. Someone in Arkansas will be celebrating this Christmas the second biggest lottery jackpot in American history. Get those tickets out. Let's play. That first number up is 25. Tonight's winning Powerball ticket was sold in Arkansas.

The winner will take home $1.8 billion, ending a three-month stretch without a top prize winner. Of course, American lottery winnings are subject to taxes. Here in Canada, this Friday's Lotto Max jackpot is a mere $80 million. And that is your world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Neil Hurland. Thank you.