The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2026/01/04 at 14:00 EST

Episode Date: January 4, 2026

The World This Hour for 2026/01/04 at 14:00 EST

All right, what are we talking about? A new year means a fresh start. Okay, make a list for the year and take charge of your life in 2026. Look, I'm not talking about your to-do list. I'm talking about your watch list. Cross off Family Feud Canada, St. Pierre, and this hour has 22 minutes. There's no excuses. Dream big people. Enjoy all your favorite shows on CBC TV or stream anytime on CBC Gem. Mike drop. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Kate McGilfrey. In the aftermath of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, Washington is a buzz with questions. How does the Trump administration plan to, quote, run Venezuela, what will happen to the country's oil reserves, and the big question on Capitol Hill,

why wasn't Congress notified? Katie Nicholson reports. It wasn't necessary because this is not an invasion. We didn't occupy a country. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration didn't need to run its plan past Congress because it wasn't an act of war. This is a law enforcement operation. He was arrested on the ground in Venezuela by FBI agents.

But Democrats and some Republicans have argued this was a military operation and required congressional approval. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump had suggested briefing Congress would be problematic because Congress leaks. An argument, Democratic Representative Jim Himes, ranking member of the House and Telegram, Committee isn't buying. Whether you think Congress leaks or not, the law says you must brief the Congress. So this is just yet another example of absolute lawlessness on the part of this administration. Rubio said the U.S. military presence will remain near Venezuela as leverage until it sees changes.

Katie Nicholson, CBC News, Washington. The U.K. and France carried out airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria late yesterday. This comes about two weeks after the U.S. launched major strikes in the same area of the country. Julia Chapman has more from London. The British Ministry of Defense says fighter jets targeted an underground facility north of Palmyra. Intelligence analysis concluded that ISIS was storing weapons and explosives there. The military says there are not believed to be any civilian casualties.

Defense Minister John Healy says the UK is determined to stamp out any resurgence of ISIS. A little over two weeks ago, the U.S. targeted the same part of Syria. Launching around 100 munitions, it struck ISIS sites after the killing of two U.S. soldiers and an American translator. ISIS has been weakened from its former state, but it's estimated to have up to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq. Experts say there has been an uptick in attacks and that the group may be trying to exploit the transition of power after the defeat of the Assad regime. Julia Chapman, CBC News, London. 35,000 households are still without power in Berlin today. The outage was apparently caused by an arson attack.

The far-left group called Fulkan Grupa has claimed responsibility for this fire. They're opposed to the use of fossil fuels in Germany's power plants. Federal police are investigating. In Athens, thousands of passengers stranded at the city's airport after a problem developed with the city. system used for air traffic communication. Airport operations were halted, affecting dozens of flights, inbound flights were diverted.

Environment Canada's warning, there could be coastal flooding on BC's southern coast, the combination of an unusually high tide combined with a weather system bringing fierce wind could drive water and debris onto coastal areas, causing erosion. The advisory covers much of Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver, and the Sunshine Coast. Newfoundland's East Coast is also bracing for hazardous conditions today. Environment Canada says the island could see 15 to 30 centimeters of snow overnight and northerly winds up to 70 kilometers per hour. The agency is cautioning people to avoid any unnecessary travel.

And finally, Austin Matthews set a new record for the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. Matthews, and there is, 421, and the Maple Leafs, have a new, all-time, goal-scoring leader, and they'll empty the bench to congratulate the captain. Matthews broke Matt Sundeen's old mark of 420 career goals in a game against the New York Islanders. The joy did not last, unfortunately. New York beat Toronto 4 to 3. And that is the world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Kate McGilfrey. Thank you.