The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2026/01/02 at 15:00 EST

Episode Date: January 2, 2026

The World This Hour for 2026/01/02 at 15:00 EST

If you're listening to this, I already know you have great taste in podcasts. But maybe, if you like me, you still wonder if you're missing out on the best stuff. That's where the Sounds Good newsletter can help you out. Every other Thursday, the audio files at CBC Podcasts highlight one must-hear show and lots of other new and noteworthy titles. They do conversation starters, they do hidden gems, and they also tell you about the stuff they love that they didn't make. Go to CBC.ca slash sounds good to subscribe. From CBC News, the world this hour.

I'm Kate McGilfrey. The fire that killed 40 people in Switzerland was likely started by sparklers attached to champagne bottles. The fatal fire tore through a ski resort bar on New Year's Eve. More than 100 people were injured, many of them critically. John Northcott reports. For the first time, we're getting a true sense of the breadth of countries affected by this tragedy. 71 of the victims are from Switzerland, but there are many from France, Italy, as well as Serbia, Bosnia, Poland, and Luxembourg. One woman at the scene is pleading for anyone who may have seen her son.

If you've seen him in hospitals or at the morgue, she says, please contact me. I don't know how severe his burns are or if he's recognizable. All I want is my son. We're also getting some greater clarity as to the cause of the fire, with officials saying what eyewitnesses have been saying all along that large lit sparklers in champagne bottles being carried through the club got too close to the ceiling, setting off a fire that spread rapidly. John Northcott, CBC News, London.

Officials in North Carolina say they've foiled a terrorist plot inspired by ISIS. He was preparing for jihad, and innocent people were going to die. U.S.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson says the 18-year-old suspect had been radicalized online. He planned an attack on a grocery store and a fast food restaurant. Ferguson said the suspect then shared his plans with two FBI agents who he believed were ISIS operatives. He said he was going to wear a Kevlar vest and attack people with knives and hammers. And, of course, he talked about when he was going to carry out this attack, which was New Year's Eve. The suspect was arrested on Wednesday and was charged with attempting to provide material, support,

to a foreign terror organization. Tesla has lost its crown as the world's best-selling electric vehicle maker. The biggest EV producer is now China's B-Y-D. Tesla's sales dropped by 9% last year compared to the year before. That declines being chalked up to expiring tax breaks, stiff competition, and customers turned off by Elon Musk's right-wing politics. Musk had earlier dismissed the softening numbers. He says Tesla's future lies with other ventures,

like energy storage and robots. Venezuela's president appears to be offering an olive branch to the U.S. government. If you want to conversar seriamen to a accord of combat against the narcotrafico, we're ready. Nicholas Maduro says Venezuela is ready to have serious talks about combating drug trafficking. For months, the Trump administration has been ramping up its attacks on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. The CIA also recently targeted a port facility on Venezuelan land. That marked a major escalation in the U.S. pressure campaign on the Maduro regime. Maduro insists his government is friendly to the U.S., adding that the country is ready to accept American investments in Venezuelan oil.

And thousands of Ontario public sector workers are being called back to the office full-time. The provincial government says it will boost local business and improve productivity, but many workers say the change will hurt their performance. Shell-Song reports. We are shut for nine months straight. Wayne Cowley owns a bar in downtown Toronto. His business took a major hit during the pandemic. And he since saw a lull in customers, as many people were still working from home. Now, Cowley is looking forward to seeing Ontario public service workers going back to the office full time.

When everyone's moving, you're spending money. Good for businesses, but less so for employees. According to the union, representing half of Ontario public service workers opts you. J.P. Hornick is the union. President. All of these people are more productive in a work from home or hybrid environment. When we also look at the type of office space they're returning to, it's not adequate. The province says they've reviewed all their offices and found the majority of them do have enough room. But the union says members tell them they're concerned about space.

Michelle Song, CBC News, Toronto. And that is the world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Kate McIllifrey. Thank you.