World Report - August 23: Saturday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: August 23, 2025

Ukraine is marking its Independence Day.Hurricane Erin caused widespread flooding across coastal areas of the state.Israel is rejecting a UN-backed report which has confirmed famine in parts of Gaza.India says it's continuing trade talks with US as total tariff rate about to jump to 50%Pierre Poilievre is poised to return to the House of Commons this fall after a decisive win in an Alberta byelection.The Pickett fire in Napa Valley has grown to nearly 1300 hectares.It is the final weekend of Canada Games.

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That's betterhelp.com slash Canada World. This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report. Good morning, I'm John Northcott. We begin in Ukraine, which is marking a national holiday this weekend, Independence Day. During a ceremony this morning, Ukraine's president vowed the country will not seed any land. This is U.S. President Donald Trump is again threatening sanctions against Russia if there's no progress towards a peace deal. The CBC's Breyer Stewart is in Kyiv.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky greets a guard of honor in Kiev as part of national commemorations. This flag is a goal and a dream, he said. Zelensky says that he believes Russia's president Vladimir Putin is doing everything he can to prevent a U.S. proposed meeting

between the two leaders. Russian officials claim they are open to a meeting, but say there's no agenda and they're continuing to attack Zelensky's legitimacy as leader. Putin never mentions Zelensky by name, but yesterday during a visit to a nuclear research center in Russia, he repeatedly talked about U.S. President Donald Trump, saying he believes there's now a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the dismal relations between Moscow and Washington. On Friday in the Oval Office, Trump held out. a picture of he and Putin from the recent summit in Alaska.

He said Putin sent it to him. I thought it was a nice picture of him. Okay, of me, but nice of him. Trump said he isn't happy that Russia is continuing to attack Ukraine and that a meeting between the two leaders hasn't been set up. But he said he would give the process another two weeks before deciding what to do when it comes to Russia. Whether or not it's massive sanctions or do we do nothing and say it's your fight.

In the meantime, he says, he intends to sign that photo Putin sent to him. Breyer Stewart, CBC News, Kiev. In New Jersey. A man splashes through knee-deep, murky water on the streets of Margate in the southern part of the state. Hurricane Aaron caused widespread flooding across coastal areas. Aaron has since been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone. The storm is not expected to make landfall in Atlanta. at Canada, but high winds and sudden shifts in wind direction

could cause dangerous conditions for firefighters battling wildfires in the region. Israel is rejecting a UN-backed report that has confirmed famine in parts of Gaza. The report by the IPC group says nearly a quarter of the people living in Gaza are experiencing famine. And it predicts without an immediate ceasefire and an end to humanitarian aid restrictions,

that number will rapidly rise. Julia Chapman reports. There is no relief in Gaza City. An Israeli airstrike today sent up a billow of smoke. It hangs over residents now officially living in a state of starvation. The city is the center of Gaza's hunger crisis. The IPC, the body that assesses food security around the world, says famine is underway there. Israel says that's not true and accused the IPC,

of fabricating its report. It insists that plenty of supplies are reaching Palestinians who need them. But UN agencies describe a trickle of aid and say danger on the ground often prevents distribution. There is no world leader that they didn't know that this is coming. Dan Stewart is the head of news for Save the Children. He's in Daryl Balach, which is projected to be in a state of famine by the end of September. We've had a mother in recently who, hadn't eaten for six days.

She was able to get one meal a day for her family, but she was dividing it up between her children to make sure that they eat first. The Israeli government is pressing ahead with plans to occupy Gaza City. It says the operation is key to ending the war and freeing the hostages still held by Hamas. The situation has to end. Donald Trump has backed his ally in Israel,

saying a swift defensive could make hostages safer. Humanitarian organizations warned that many Palestinians are too hungry to move elsewhere, and they say the consequences could be devastating. Julia Chapman, CBC News, London. As Canada announces, it's dropping counter-tariffs on U.S. goods covered by Kuzma, India is trying to head off a new set of tariffs coming from the White House. No, look, I mean, negotiations are still going on in the sense that nobody said the negotiations are off. That's Foreign Minister Subramanian Jay Sankar, talking as a new 25% tariff is said to take effect this coming Wednesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed the levy because India has increased purchases of Russian oil. Jay Sankar calls that unfair. The same arguments which have been used to target India have not been applied to the largest oil importer, which is China, has not been applied to the largest LNG importer, which is the European Union. Chichanker says that that issue hadn't come up in earlier talks with the Trump administration. There is already a 25% tariff on goods from India entering the U.S. Pierre Pahliav is poised to return to the House of Commons this fall after a decisive win in an Alberta by-election. But as he steps back into his role of leader of the official opposition, some conservatives worry the party has challenges ahead. Kate McKenna has more.

He has to do some serious introspection, as does the whole party. Former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says conservative leader Pierre Pauliev did a lot right leading up to the last election, but there's still room for improvement. He's calling for a change in tone from the leader of the opposition. I think they need to be more constructive and try to temper some of the naturally aggressive tendencies of an effective opposition. Polyev's party's election showing saw the conservatives

earned the highest share of the vote since Brian Mulroney, but it wasn't enough to form government and marked the fourth consecutive loss for the party, prompting some sole searching from longtime party members. I think one of the challenges that the Conservative Party faces

is indeed structural. Sean Speer is an editor at large for the right-leaning publication The Hub. He says he's not sure conservatives can grow their base further without losing parts of it. There is this zero-sum trade-off between the party's floor and the party ceiling, and no set of messages and no party leader may be able to overcome it.

But Pollyev's former director of communication sees it differently. And I actually think Pierre is well positioned to be a kind of an agent to change because he's a fighter. Ben Wood Finden says Canadian conservatives have been able to attract a new coalition of voters, including immigrants and younger people, both of which bode well for future elections. Kate McKenna, CBC News, Ottawa. And you can hear more on this story on The House right after World Report or wherever you get your podcasts.

A helicopter flies through thick black smoke rising from the parched hills of Northern California. The picket fire in Napa Valley has grown to nearly 1,300 hectares. Only 7% is considered contained. Several parts of the popular wine region are now under evacuation orders, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

It's the final weekend for Canada's largest national amateur multi-sport event. The road to the Canada Games involves hard work, talent, and skill. For two members of Nova Scotia's men's softball team, it also meant fighting for their lives just to get to St. John's. The CBC's Elizabeth Chew explains. 19-year-old Ty Campbell steps on to a softball field at the Canada Games in St. John's. For the co-captain of Nova Scotia's men's team,

this dream come true almost didn't happen after a medical emergency in December. I was diagnosed the brain aneurysm. Some things went sideways after that. In January 24th, I had another emergency surgery. I had a stroke, which left me paralyzed on the left side of my body. So I'm still not 100% today, but I'm definitely very, very happy where I am. I'm able to play, which is obviously my main goal. The goal, making it to St. John's, is shared by Garth Perrin. Gee, as he's affectionately known by the players, was the head coach until early May.

He had to give up the job after contracting a dangerous infection in his spine and arm. He was recently released from hospital in Halifax just in time to root for the team. Blessed, I guess, to be here. This close-knit group, even tighter, says Campbell. It's head of our brotherhood, so I wouldn't be here right now without any of those people. And after parents' own remarkable recovery...

I want them to do this for themselves, rather than for me. Nova Scotia is the defending silver medalist. Their quest to return to the podium continues today. Elizabeth Chew, CBC News, St. John. And that is the latest national and international news from World Report. Remember for news anytime, go to our website, cbcnews.ca.ca. I'm John Northcott. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with us here at CBC News.

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