Your World Tonight - Israel threatens to bar Gaza aid groups, power still out in a First Nation in Manitoba, Olympic men’s hockey roster announced, and more

Episode Date: December 31, 2025

Israel may stop dozens of aid organizations from delivering much needed supplies to people in Gaza if they fail to satisfy new personal data requirements.And: Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Manitoba has been without power or clean water since Sunday and the lights may not come back on until the new year.Also: Hockey Canada has announced a men’s hockey team roster that will take on the best in the world in February’s Olympics in Italy. NHL players are once again eligible to play for the first time since 2014.Plus: For the second time in as many years, a major water main in Calgary has ruptured and parts of the city are under a boil water advisory. And thousands of civil servants may not be celebrating the New Year as major government job cuts loom.

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Lilith became a free train. Catch the documentary that chronicles a pivotal moment in music culture. Watch Lilith Fair, building a mystery. For free on CBC Gem. This is a CBC podcast. People are exposed to flooding. There's the spread of diseases. One in four families is still relying on only one meal per day.

An intolerable situation, which international aid agencies warn, will only get worse. Israel says it's banning dozens of NGOs in Gaza for failing to comply with new registration rules. A move Canada and other countries. say is unacceptable. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Tanya Fletcher in Vancouver. It is Wednesday, December 31st, just before 6 p.m. Eastern. Also on the podcast.

I'm very disappointed. I'm very frustrated in terms of how the response time came. And I think it will be a little more faster. We need more cuts. We need more food. We need more water. A northern Manitoba First Nation in crisis. A downed power line has cut electricity to its residents for days now. And repair crews say unexpected challenges mean those living there

are in for another long, cold night. Doctors Without Borders, World Vision International, Oxfam, all among nearly 40 aid groups about to be banned by Israel from delivering humanitarian supplies in Gaza. The agencies are some of the biggest NGOs in the world, and they warn that the suffering of millions of Palestinians will be made worse if Israel moves ahead with its plan. As Caroline Bargut explains, the issue revolves around new regulations set to take effect January 1st.

Winter rains have made an already unbearable life even more difficult in Gaza, as hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians struggle to stay dry. We woke up at 1 a.m. to find our tent flooded and rain seeping in underneath, says Suzanne, inside her shelter in Deer Albella. We need blankets and mattresses. Aid groups warn things will soon get worse for millions of Palestinians if Israel bars 37 non-governmental agencies from operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Organizations like Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee and branches of Oxfam have been told their activities will be suspended starting tomorrow, because they did not comply with new regulations. The rules announced by Israel earlier this year required NGOs to register the names of their workers and their families

and provide details about their funding and operations. Israel says this is to ensure organizations are not infiltrated by Hamas or other militant groups, a claim it has made repeatedly throughout the war but provided little evidence to support. Life is just unimaginably miserable. The Norwegian Refugee Council is one of the affected NGOs, spokeswoman Shana Lowe says they're afraid to hand over personal information to Israel. Not only are they a party to the conflict, but they've killed hundreds of aid workers in Gaza over the last two years.

And so for us, it's a risk to hand over our staff names to them. Latest figures published by the UN say at least 575 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since the October 7th Hamas attacks in Israel in 2023. The new regulations say the NGOs can also be barred if they deny Israel as a Jewish. and democratic state, or support the prosecution of Israeli security forces in foreign or international courts. The Israeli defense body that oversees humanitarian aid to Gaza is downplaying the effect the move will have, saying there are plenty of other organizations that will still be able to operate, a claim strongly disputed by the international community. Canada and nine other countries issued a joint statement criticizing Israel's new requirements, saying any attempt

to stem the aid group's ability to operate is unacceptable. Without them, will be impossible to meet all the urgent needs at the scale required, says the statement. I'm tired of hearing statements of condemnation, really. Ushra Khalidi is the Oxfam policy lead in the occupied Palestinian territory. She says statements of condemnation did not stop the killing of tens of thousands of Gazans, nor will they improve access to humanitarian aid. No humanitarian organization should be forced to choose between protecting its staff and delivering life-saving assistance.

She says these countries should be using all their diplomatic, economic, economic, and political leverage to force Israel to comply with international law but are choosing not to. Caroline Bargut, CBC News, London. In Peru. First responders carry an injured train passenger. Global Affairs Canada now confirms

at least seven Canadians are among those hurt in Tuesday's fatal crash. The train serves as a popular tourist route taking people to and from Matu Picchu. Peruvian officials say one of the drivers is dead. At least 40 people were injured. Coming right up, a power outage and mounting frustration. A northern Manitoba First Nation has been in the dark since Sunday.

They'll need to wait now until the new year for repairs. Also, federal public service. waiting for the axe to fulm. Ottawa plans to cut 40,000 jobs, but details haven't been shared, leaving thousands of workers in limbo over the holidays. And later, we'll have this story. I'm Colin Butler in London, Ontario. Canada's Grocery Code of Conduct takes effect tomorrow, but it doesn't promise cheaper groceries at the till. I don't think that there's any reasonable expectation that it will reduce food prices. The code isn't about price, it's about power and how it's exercised in a grocery industry dominated by a handful of big chains.

I'll have that story coming up on your world tonight. Saskatchewan RCMP are still trying to track down and identify the suspects in that deadly shooting on Big Island Lake Cree Nation. A 31-year-old man was killed Tuesday. Three other victims remaining in the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Police say they're still trying to figure out the motive but have since cancelled a dangerous person alert for the area. A First Nation in northern Manitoba says the lives of its members are at risk. Most residents of Pimichikimak Cree Nation lost all electricity

when a power line snapped Sunday night just hours before the temperature plummeted to minus 32. Many were forced to leave home. others hunkered down for a frigid weight. Ian Freyze has the latest. No generator. We just kept our body heat with candles. When the power went out in the dead of winter,

Troy Papanicus says his family tried to ride it out, huddling under blankets and using candles for heat. We thought we could tough it out because he said the powers would be on the next day. It wasn't on the next day. That was three days ago. Since then, a broken power line has left Pimichikamak Cree Nation without heat, lights, or clean. clean water as temperatures today dipped to minus 30.

About 7,500 people live there. Some have been evacuated, many to Winnipeg, 750 kilometers away. We're just tired. We just want to go eat now. Bernice Popanicus is one of the evacuees. She says the generator at her home in Pimachicamac failed twice. My grandson's, we had to cover with blankets, even took sooner when we went to sleep. Chief David Monias declared a state of emergency on Monday

and has been critical of the response by Manitoba Hydro. This is now a human safety issue, not just the power audits. The power company had estimated a relatively quick fix. It now says it hopes the power will be restored late Thursday. But even when that happens, there's another problem. Water tanks and septic tanks are already frozen. The homes are smelling like sewer already. In an emotional plea, Counselor Shirley Robinson called for immediate help from governments and the military as generators are failing.

We have two-month-old babies still waiting to be brought out that are trying to keep warm in their homes. She says her community has been traumatized before, evacuated twice in the last two years because of wildfires. I will not hold back my tears because I feel for my people as a mother, as a grandmother. mother and as a leader. The delays are being blamed on the rough terrain surrounding the community. The broken power line runs through dense bush and across a river, making winter repairs difficult and slow. Chief Monias says he's previously asked Manitoba Hydro to move the power line along the highway

where it's easier to reach, but Hydro's been saying for years that it needs to study the idea. Ian Frey's CBC News, Winnipeg. Over to Alberta, and for the second time, In less than two years, people in Calgary are dealing with a major disruption to their water supply. The very same troubled water mean broke overnight flooding a busy roadway, submerging cars, and triggering a dramatic rescue operation. City officials are calling it a catastrophic incident. And as Anise Hidari tells us, several neighborhoods are now under a boil water advisory.

That's not a river overflowing with water. It's a major road in Calgary after a wide. water main break Tuesday night. 13 people had to be rescued by firefighters out of multiple cars trapped in the water. No injuries, but this break is on the largest feeder in Calgary's network

and that means restrictions across the city, something nearby residents are thinking about. I'm concerned that we're going to run out of water, but it's tough to save water it's an essential thing for life. So, yeah, I mean, if I asked who I will, of course, is a good Calgarian and a good

Albertan, but it's just another inconvenience, I We live in Bonesse and we know we had one happen a little while ago. That little while ago was June 2024. Calgarians lived through different levels of water restrictions for nearly four months. Now another break on the same water feeder main in the same area that saw the same type of catastrophe a year and a half ago. We have to fix the pipe and until we completely replace the pipe, this is a ticking time bomb that Calgarians will continue to

live with. Jeremy Farkas is the mayor of Calgary. This is a much more complex fix than going in and providing a few patches. I know in a couple hours or maybe tomorrow there is going to be more detailed technical briefing in terms of what we knew, when

we knew it, and what specific actions are being done. Chris Graham, who works with utilities at the city of Calgary, says there was no advance indication of this new problem. There was nothing in the monitoring or in the operation of the pipe, the flows, the pressures that would have indicated in an issue before the pressure dropped of the control room. And right now, there's no timeline for when repairs will be completed

because workers don't have a full scope of the problem. Nancy Mackay is the director of water services at the city. We're draining that pipe and then we will prepare to dig our next steps. What I can tell you is when we get eyes on that, we will have a better understanding of what the repair will take. Our report into the seemingly similar 2024 water main break blamed, in part, microcracks along the point. pipe for its deterioration. Officials say the portion that broke this time dates back to

1975. Fifty years later, that pipe's breakdown means outdoor water use across Calgary is restricted, with residents being told flush less and wash less to minimize water use. And in some parts of the city, don't drink the water unless you boil it first. Anya Tadari, CBC News, Calgary. It has been a tense time for thousands of federal government employees. Many are spending the holidays worried about losing their jobs because of the massive cuts announced in Mark Carney's first budget. Tens of thousands of positions may be eliminated over the coming years, but as Dan Takima tells us, many still have no idea whether they'll be affected.

It's just a big stress that if I spend a lot of time worrying about it, it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. Tanya King was hired by Public Services and Procurement Canada six years ago. She's autistic and spent years getting by on disability benefits. She's proud to work and just bought a house. But now the progress the 33-year-old has made is at risk. Worst case scenario, what would it look like if I move back into Dad's basements? That's not a comforting thought.

King is one of thousands of public sector employees waiting to hear what their future holds. The Canadian government plans to slash 16,000 positions over the next three years. Prime Minister Mark Carney says it's about paying for programs like pharmacare and dental care while making government more efficient. What sacrifices did we have to take? Well, the sacrifices, a lot of that is in the public service. The job cuts were proposed as part of the budget in November, but many departments have yet to say how they'll go about making them.

The uncertainty is going to carry on for months. we shouldn't be looking for some master plan or some moment where everything suddenly becomes clear. Michael Wernick is a former clerk of the Privy Council, head of the public service. He empathizes with workers, but Wernick says it's a complicated process and makes sense to go slow. Management teams should take the time they have and do this very mindfully and thoroughly and not rush into decisions that create a lot of unintended consequences and future headaches. His fear is the cuts will mostly fall on younger workers, students, and new hires, leaving a lost generation of federal employees.

There's been a sense of exhaustion, but also anxiety. Crofton Steers works for Natural Resources Canada. His program was shut down, but he managed to land a new role within the department in November. His advice to the government, say something, even if you don't have all the answers yet. More information is better than less. Providing imperfect information in a transparent way is better than providing no information and letting rumors fester at the water cooler. Steers is still among those waiting for news.

His wife also works for the public service and doesn't know if she stands to lose her job. Dan Takama, CBC News, Ottawa. Canadian grocers will be doing things a little differently in 2026. Starting tomorrow, a new Code of Conduct takes effect, designed to ease friction between stores and suppliers. Colin Butler looks at how that could affect consumers. Canadians have been watching the numbers climb at the checkout for years. Starting January 1st, Canada's new grocery code of conduct takes effect, but it won't touch the price on the screen. And I don't think that there's any reasonable expectation that it will reduce food prices.

Mike von Massau is a food economist at the University of University of... Guelph. He says the change is what ends up on the shelves. It will likely improve choice in the grocery store because there'll be less risk on the part of a supplier to putting a product on the shelves at the big retailers because they're not going to incur a cost. The code rewrites the rules behind the counter. It targets surprise fees and fines by retailers that suppliers say drive up costs. A lot of the fees and fines that the large retailers are imposing on the manufacturers will disappear. Michael Graydon is the CEO of Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada. It represents many of the country's major food and consumer goods

manufacturers. You've got five grocers that are in control of 80% of the grocery volume that is done. And so that creates a power imbalance. And a lot of decisions are made that are unilateral. The goal is predictability in a system dominated by a handful of chains. The code sets rules for retailers and suppliers and a formal dispute resolution process. The penalty isn't a fine. It's being called out publicly by an independent adjudicator. It's a safeguard independents say they didn't have before. The dispute or adjudication process is absolutely equal to everyone. Gary Sands is the senior vice president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers. He says in rural and remote communities, those disputes can determine

whether stores get product at all. The issue of fair supply for independent grocers, particularly in a myriad of communities in Canada where it's rural, remote, indigenous communities, getting supply is a food security issue. The goal is a food supply system that's less reactive, less chaotic, where access is no longer decided in the boardrooms of big grocers.

For now, though, the change is in the rules, not the sticker price. News, London, Ontario. In Ontario, legislation surrounding pay transparency goes into effect in the new year. Many job postings will now have to include salary range. The point is to give job seekers a better idea of what exactly they're applying for, but some experts predict transparency will not translate to higher salaries. Jamie Strasson has that story.

I've done, let's see, 12 so far, and that's being... Andrea Little didn't panic when she lost her. job a few months ago. At the same time, the designer of user experiences for apps and websites hadn't looked for work in ages. Taking that time to really sit with the change and figure out what the kind of job search landscape is right now, because it's been five years since I've been doing that. It's been frustrating. For one, many jobs don't list salaries. You don't want to undervalue yourself, but you don't want to immediately be eliminated from consideration. And you know they have a budget for the rule. So you just have to work on assumptions you have based on whatever you find

on the internet. It's also been disheartening to go through multiple rounds of interviews for certain jobs and never hear anything. With interview stages, typically having kind of an average of five interviews to make it to like round four and then not hear anything is, it's hard. And And the more it happens, the more kind of devastating it becomes. Starting January 1st in Ontario, companies with more than 25 employees will, among other things, include salary ranges in job postings and must follow up with candidates who don't get the job. BC, P.E.I and Nova Scotia have similar legislation. We just know that this is going to help sort of even the playing field.

Those who have long advocated for this, like Alison Van Diddy, the founder of the consulting group, moms at work predict it will lead to more pay equity. People will have a better sense of what colleagues earn. This is a leverage tool for people to be really honest about like if they can switch a job for that new salary. That's a big problem for people right now. It's a lot of work to get a new job. Salaries may become more transparent, but some experts like Travis O'Rourke say the new legislation won't always benefit workers. The president of Hayes Canada, a national recruiting agency predicts it may actually lower salaries at some companies. A lot of organizations, how much they pay is their competitive advantage. And now if I can see

next door exactly what my competitor pays, I'm probably going to make some adjustments internally. For Andrea Little, looking for work is a full-time job. I would like it to be moving faster, but there's only so much you can do. And I feel that everything I can do I am doing. Along the way, she says every piece of information helps. Jamie Strasson, CBC News, Waterloo. Donald Trump has announced the removal of the National Guard from several American cities. The U.S. President saying on social media that troops are leaving Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland. Trump adds they will return when crime rates rise again.

Earlier this month, the federal court ordered an end to the nationalization of the California National Guard. Canada's Governor General released her annual New Year's message today, Mary Simon sharing the good that she saw from Canadians this past year. This past year, I witnessed extraordinary solidarity unfold across our country. in the unity of communities affected by wildfires, in your unprecedented economic cooperation, and in the revitalization of indigenous cultures and languages. The Governor General says she saw a courageous nation in 2025.

She praised the country's inclusiveness and commitment to building peace. This fall, Simon, was hospitalized with an illness. She thanked people for the well-wishes sent her way as she was recovering and went on to wish joy, health, peace, and a happy new year. Olympians, journalists, and First Nations leaders are all among the new appointments to the Order of Canada. In all 80 names were announced today, including seven-time Olympic medalist Andre de Gras,

music journalist Nardwar, and cre-activist in writer Michelle Good. She survived the 60s scoop and is recognized for her work on reconciliation. Well, Canada's Olympic hockey team is set in stone, or ice, you might say. The much-anticipated roster was unveiled today. This is the first time in a decade that NHL players will be returning to play in the winter games. There were some notable players already confirmed back in June. A 2014 Olympic gold medalist Sidney Crosby will be returning as captain. And as Aaron Collins tells us, there are some surprising additions to this year's team as well. Vancouver 2010. That goal by Sydney Crosby clenching gold for the Canadians on home ice.

No surprise Crosby named to the 2026 roster 2, but not every decision so easy for hockey Canada. The reality is there's so many good players and we just had difficult decisions to make. Doug Armstrong is Team Canada's general manager. Among those tough calls, adding 19-year-old forward Macklin Sellebrini to the 25-man roster and keeping 36-year-old defenseman Drew Dowdy on the squad. Dowdy, along with Sidney Crosby, the only Olympic veterans on the team. He was excited. He's honored. He's fired up. He wants to put his best foot forward. He wants to win again.

His passion, he wears an honor. his sleeve and that's infectious to everybody. NHL players haven't played in the Olympics since 2014 sitting out the last two games. A reality that means Canada's best player will be an Olympic rookie.

Cohner McDavid scores. Connor McDavid for Canada. The 2025 four nations copped the closest Conner McDavid has come to an Olympics. You know, it's just getting closer. Obviously with the roster announcement today becomes a lot more real.

Start to picture some of those faces that will be there with you on the team, you know, playing together. So they're really excited. It's a feeling that past players understand well. There is nothing greater than representing your country and having an opportunity to bring home gold. Chris Pronger represented Canada in four Olympics winning gold twice. Pronger says this year's edition won't have an easy time.

You hope that they bring home gold, but there's a lot of pressure and a lot of confidence. competition on them, U.S. on their heels, as we saw with the Four Nations, but as are the Swedish team, the Finnish team. And the on-ice challenges Team Canada faces at these games may not just be from other countries. The arena that will house Olympic hockey still isn't completed. But Hockey Canada's Scott Salman says he isn't worried about the rink being done. You know, we fully expect and we've heard from the IHF and the IOC that the arena will be built and it will be ready. And that's our expectation. The Winter Olympics open in Italy on February 6th.

The men's hockey tournament gets underway on the 11th. Erin Collins, CBC News, Calgary. And finally tonight. Today's the big day, and everybody shops the last minute. Impulse. It's New Year's. We've got to party guys. We've got to bring you, get rid of 25. Let's bring in 26 with a bag. When Vic Roberts says that, he means it literally.

The owner of Happy's fireworks in St. John's Newfoundland knows a thing or two about celebrations and business, you might say, is booming. Of course, Newfoundlanders are always the first in Canada to ring in the New Year. While in Ottawa, there are some who prefer to glide into 2026. Everyone's out. Everyone's full of New Year's resolutions and skating and this is Ottawa is best, Canada is best.

Might recognize that voice. It's Mark Carney, getting a head start on the Redo Connect. the Skateway opening its season early this year. And the Prime Minister is intent on keeping momentum, both on the ice, and in Parliament. It's a big year coming up, and we want to make progress on everything. But personally, yes, I'd like to skate on the canal every day until the first day of spring. The Prime Minister says his New Year's resolution is peace and prosperity. No small feat with plenty standing in the way.

From the affordability crisis to climate change, 2025, has not been an easy year for many. But Canadians have weathered tough times before, and as one year closes and another begins, there's still plenty of optimism to go around. I'm hoping for the Blue Jace, the win at all. Stanley Cup before I die. Push a bit more towards being greener.

I would love to see people just being more kind and, you know, doing more things from the heart. Crochet more. Do you want to get a puppy? Yeah. Whether it's big goals or... or simply small wishes. Canadians are heading into 2026 with hope for what's ahead.

This has been your world tonight for Wednesday, December 31st. I'm Tanya Fletcher. Thanks for being with us. Good night and happy New Year. More CBC Podcasts, go to cBC.ca slash podcasts.