World Report - August 22: Friday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: August 22, 2025

UN-backed hunger monitor says famine conditions exist in Gaza City. FBI agents raid the home and office of US President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton. New Jeffrey Epstein files to be released today. California parole board denies the release of Erik Menendez.  Community gathers at vigil in Toronto for 8-year-old Jahvai Roy, killed in bed by stray bullet. Bidders look to buy a piece of Downton Abbey at prop auction. 

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This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report. Good morning, I'm John Northcott. For the first time, a United Nations agency is officially declaring famine in Gaza. Here is UNA chief, Tom Fletcher. It is a famine that we could have prevented if we had been allowed. Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic. obstruction by Israel. Fletcher is demanding Israel open all border crossings to groups bringing food

into Gaza. Last month, the agency known, as the IPC, warned of famine-like conditions in the region, but now it says extreme hunger is spreading rapidly, including in Gaza City. The CBC Senior International correspondent Margaret Evans reports from Jerusalem. Merriam Dawes lies in a hospital bed in Gaza City. She is nine but looks. 90, a small skeleton who clings to her mother when she sits her up to show our cameraman the ribs on her back poking

through. She says she wants to get better that she's afraid of the rockets and of dying. Her mother Mudala Dawa's braces for the possibility even as she tries to feed her. I can't

describe my feelings, she says. I don't know what to tell you. For an official declaration of famine, 30% of children, under five, must be suffering from acute malnutrition and two people dying for every 10,000 of outright starvation. Israel categorically denies the report, calling it unfounded propaganda. The UN's Tom Fletcher from the office coordinating humanitarian relief said the report is irrefutable.

Watched over by drones and the most advanced military. technology in history. It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war. It is a famine on all of our watch. The famine declaration comes as Israel prepares for a major ground invasion of Gaza City. Margaret Evans, CBC News, Jerusalem. FBI agents are raiding the home and office of Donald Trump's former national security advisor. John Bolton served during Trump's first term.

the two had major disagreements over Iran, Afghanistan, and North Korea. And in 2020, Bolton wrote a book that was fiercely critical of Trump. Officials in Trump's administration tried and failed to block its publication, claiming it contained classified materials. Today's raids are reportedly part of an investigation into Bolton's handling of classified documents. More Jeffrey Epstein files could be released today. The U.S. House Committee says it will release some of what was subpoenaed from the Justice Department. Department. But victims' names and other sensitive information will be redacted. James Comer chairs

the Republican-led committee investigating Epstein. We're going to review and we'll work as quickly as we can. This is sensitive information. We want to make sure we don't do anything to harm or jeopardize any victims that were involved in this. But we're going to be transparent. We're doing what we said we would do. We're getting the documents and I believe the White House will work with us. Some Epstein files have been released, but not enough to satisfy disaffected supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump campaigned on making the files public, but since then, his attorney general has reportedly told him his name appears in some files, and Trump has been trying to downplay attention on the case.

A California parole board is rejecting the release of Eric Menendez. The younger of the Menendez brothers who were convicted three decades ago of killing their wealthy parents, Lyle Menendez has his parole hearing today, and as Steve Futterman reports, it's not clear if the one brother's rejection will affect the others bid for freedom. For 10 hours, the parole board asked questions and listened as Eric Menendez, his supporters and relatives, urged the parole board to recommend his release. At times, the testimony was graphic. Eric Menendez described the night the killings took place. My dad was going to rape me that night, he said. That was going to happen. one way or another. In denying the request for parole, one of the board members, Robert Barton

said he sympathizes with what Menendez endured, but Barton said he could have reached out to police or other relatives. One of the biggest issues raised during the hearing was Eric Menendez's repeated use of cell phones while in prison, a clear violation of prison rules. Loyola Law school professor Lori Levinson. Even though cell phone violations might not be serious to others, they did represent the parole board somebody who really was not ready yet to follow the rules. Today, Lyle Menendez goes before the board. Many of the issues will be the same. But even if the board recommends today that Lyle Menendez be set free, it will still be up to California Governor Gavin Newsom. He has the right to veto a release. I have not watched anything that has come out

on the Menendez brothers. And I very intentionally avoided that in expectation and anticipation that this might land on my desk. The hearings are taking place by video link. The Menendez brothers are here in San Diego at the prison where they are serving time. Steve Futterman for CBC News, San Diego. The mother of eight-year-old Jave Roy says she wants everyone to know his name. He died in Toronto last weekend after he was hit by a stray bullet while in his bed. Justice for Jave! Justice for Jave! Justice for Jave! Just for Jave! Just for Jave! Just for Jave! About 150 people joined her at a vigil last night outside their apartment. Police say the shooting that killed her son happened outside the building.

No arrests have been made, and advocates say this should be a turning point in the fight against gun violence. A Toronto mother is relieved her children will be flying home today after Air Canada cancelled their return flights. The two children flew unaccompanied to the Czech Republic to vacation with their grandparents, but their flights home were cancelled because of the strike, leaving the kids in the lurch. Ethel Moussa has more. We got initially like an automatic email from Air Canada saying that their flight was re-booked on the 27th.

That's a whole week after Carolina Gorodetsky's 14-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter were supposed to return from Prague after vacationing with their grandparents. Gorodetsky's kids were booked to travel on direct flights with Air Canada back to Toronto. while her parents returned home. My parents are physicians. They needed to go back to Israel.

Kuroredetsky says when her children's tickets were canceled, she struggled to find flights with other airlines. There's not a lot of companies who, first of all, agree to take them. And second of all, unaccompanied minors usually need to travel on a direct flight. Travel consultant McKenzie McMillan says it's important parents have a plan B. Make sure you do your research before handing your child over to any airline. policies are very different from airline to airline,

and it's important that you're as informed and educated on their processes as possible. Gorodetsky says she's grateful air Canada has rebooked her children on flights returning to Toronto today, but she would like airlines to prioritize rebooking minors and individuals who may face challenges while traveling. Ivel Musa, CBC News, Toronto. And finally, people around the world are bidding on a chance to own a piece of Downton Abbey. Props from the television and movie franchise are on the auction block. There's so much interest, a special exhibition's been set up in London for fans. Crystal Gimancing takes us there.

Defining scenes from Downton Abbey flashed across a large screen in Bonham's auction house. I have two friends that are mad about it, so they're going to be very jealous. Fans packed into the hall pause until a dress table or the Crawley family's 1925. Sunbeam pops on the screen. The real items, up for auction, steps away, are the attraction. The next film is the last film and that will be the end of it. So I wanted to see it in real life. I actually love the silver pieces because I collect those. The auction includes more than 200 lots. Some like a cane used by the late-day Maggie Smith could fetch 800 pounds. Lady Mary's wedding dress, 3 to 5,000. The famous

bell wall, it's already over the expected bid of £7,000. We always expected there to be an American audience. Rebecca Anthony is an associate specialist in the pop culture and science department at Bonham's. The breadth of the viewers has surpassed what we expected. There's bidding all around the world. Anthony spins around the room, pointing, smiling, telling tales about every piece. A brush, a hat, a script signed by the cast, pieces of television history. Their sale, however, has meaning today and into the future. Some proceeds will go to a charity in support of seriously ill children. Crystal Gamanscing, CBC News, London.

And that Sunbeam that Crystal mentioned is in fact a 1925 Sunbeam 2060 saloon. Bidding starts at 25,000 pounds, and that does not include the chauffeur. That is the latest national and international news from World Report for News anytime, our website, cBCNews.ca. I'm John Northcott. This is CBC News.