The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2026/01/12 at 10:00 EST

Episode Date: January 12, 2026

The World This Hour for 2026/01/12 at 10:00 EST

Hey there, I'm Gavin Crawford, and if you're the type of person who would have enjoyed the band on the Titanic, well, you're going to love the Because News podcast. Each week, I quiz comedians about the headlines, and they try to get the answers, mostly wrong. This week is Jennifer Whalen from the TV show Small Achievable Goals, along with Andrew Fung and Grieslin Kung. Why are we listening to the Imperial March from Star Wars? What was the new category added to the Golden Globes? And when is a good time to get your toilet to call your family? That's related to a news story, I swear. You can get all the answers from this week's episode simply by following the Because News podcast. From CBC News, it's the world this hour.

I'm Joe Cummings. As the violent unrest continues in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump says the Iranian regime is fully aware that American intervention is a real possibility. You think they take your threat seriously? Wouldn't you say they do after all of the things we've done? What a stupid question. That's Trump speaking with reporters. last night aboard Air Force One. He says the protesters in Iran are being killed for demanding peace

and freedom. And he says all options are on the table when it comes to a U.S. response. We're looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it. And we're looking at some very strong options. We may get the internet going, if that's possible. We may speak to Elon. Iran has been under an internet blackout for the past four days. Trump says he could restore service, by establishing Starlink satellites in the region. Starlink is owned by Elon Musk. Meanwhile, one U.S.-based human rights group is saying this week that close to 500 protesters have been killed by Iranian security forces in recent weeks

with more than 10,000 arrested. The chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve says he's being threatened with a criminal indictment because of his stance on interest rates. Jerome Powell says the threat comes as Donald Trump has repeated. pressured the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president.

This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation. Powell calls the threat of an indictment unprecedented. Starting last spring, Trump has been threatening to fire Powell, whose term officially ends in May. As Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares to leave today for an official visit to China, BC Premier David Eby is in India. And like the Prime Minister, Eby is traveling abroad in search of new markets for his province's natural resources. Katie DeRosa has more.

Vivek Sevkor, head of the BC India Business Network, says BC Premier David Eby's trade mission to India is long overdue. Both the countries need each other. E.B. and Jobs Minister Ravi Kalon will visit New Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigar, and Bengaluru, known as India's Silicon Valley. The Premier says he's looking for new customers, for BC softwood lumber, critical minerals, and natural gas.

British Columbia is the, currently, the largest trading partner India has in Canada, and we're looking to expand that. E.B.'s trip to India is facing backlash from the sick community, who point to Canadian intelligence findings of links between the government of India and the assassination of sick leader Hardip Singh Niger outside of a temple in Surrey in 2023. Eby says that matter is between the federal government and the government of India and that his goal is to reduce our reliance on the U.S.

Katie de Rosa, CBC News, Victoria. Laying the groundwork for this year's Oscars, the Golden Globe Awards were handed out last night in Beverly Hills with the fictional Shakespeare biography Hamnet being named Best Drama. And one battle after another won for Best Comedy Movie. Those two films now clearly the favorites heading into the Academy Awards. Other winners last night include, among others, Vancouver's Seth Rogan. He was named Best Actor for his work in his TV series, The Studio.

Rogan beat out his fellow Canadian Martin Short in the same category. The other nominees, it's incredible, Steve Martin, the Martin Short especially. I remember growing up watching you guys my whole life, thinking one day I'm going to beat them. Korean-Canadian director, Maggie Kang, won in the best animated feature category for K-pop Demon Hunters. And another Canadian, R. Scott Gemmell, the creator of the medical drama, The Pit, won for

Best TV Drama series. Gamel grew up in Fort Erie, Ontario. And that is The World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.