Your World Tonight - More hostages released, Fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Troubles in the EV industry, and more

Episode Date: January 25, 2025

There were joyous scenes in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories today, as Hamas returned four more Israeli women and Israel freed 200 Palestinians from prison in the second week of the ceasefire.Also: The Democratic Republic of Congo is cutting diplomatic ties with neighbouring Rwanda. Fighting between Congolese forces and Rwanda-backed rebels is intensifying near the border, forcing more than 400-thousand people to flee their homes since the start of the year.And: As U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to end incentives for electric vehicle purchases, similar moves to roll back help for the E-V industry in this country are also putting consumers and automakers on a rocky road.Plus: Conservative super caucus in Ontario, looking ahead to Belarus' election, A Rome exhibit celebrating female artists, and more.

Mama, look at me. Brum, brum. I'm going really fast. I just got my license. Can I borrow the car, please, Mom? Kids go from 0 to 18 in no time. You'll be relieved they have 24-7 roadside assistance with intact insurance. This is a CBC Podcast. Hi, I'm Stephanie Scanderis. This is your World Tonight. I'm Stephanie Scanderis. This is your World Tonight. On the podcast, Ontario's premier holds a super caucus meeting to prepare for an expected early election call.

Meanwhile, the man known as Europe's last dictator is expected to declare victory in Belarus's election for the seventh time in a row. Later we'll talk EVs and a little bit of art history. But first we go to the Middle East. There were joyous scenes in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories today as Hamas returned four Israeli women, all soldiers, captured on October 7, 2023. In return, Israel freed 200 Palestinians from prison, many of whom had been serving long sentences. Chris Brown reports from Tel Aviv.

Nineteen-year-old Liri Albag flashed a heart sign at a camera with her hands before falling into the arms of her tearful mother and father after being returned to Israel. I love you and all the citizens who supported our families and our soldiers, she said. Albag, Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev and Nama Levy were captured when Hamas overran an Israeli military observation post on October 7. This was the second such hostage release of the week-long ceasefire, but this time in Gaza City, there was less chaos and even more stage management by Hamas at the handover site. A couple of hundred fighters wore black balaclavas and combat fatigues

as the militants brought the women up onto a stage in a striking propaganda display. Against a printed backdrop including English slogans such as Gaza is the graveyard of criminal Zionists, the four women who appeared healthy smiled and gave the crowd thumbs up before the Red Cross convoy drove them back to Israel. Dariela loves singing and Karina loves doing puzzles and Naama she loves watching sunsets. Shai Dickman was among the hundreds in Tel Aviv's hostage square

watching on the big screen and celebrating. Hamas is a terror organization. They tore us apart, but now some families can be whole again. And I think that this is victory. In the Palestinian territories, there were similar happy reunions. More than 100 prisoners freed from Israeli jails

were brought by bus to Ramallah in the West Bank. Some of those freed were hardened criminals convicted of killing Israelis and serving life sentences. But all were picked up and carried to the crowd as heroes. The scenes were similar in Gaza, where 16 prisoners were released, including Mohammed Abu Daraaz, who spoke to our CBC videographer. This is the first time I've seen my son and hugged him, he said. I've been in jail for 10 and a half years. Seventy other prisoners, the worst offenders, were taken to Egypt,

where they'll be deported to places such as Qatar and Turkey. But the day didn't pass without disagreement. Israel had demanded a civilian be released and when she was not, its military refused to let tens of thousands of Palestinians, who'd been lining up all day, return to the northern part of the territory. While the disagreement appears unlikely to scuttle the ceasefire, it does underscore the lack of trust between the two enemies.

Chris Brown, CBC News in Tel Aviv. The Democratic Republic of Congo is cutting diplomatic ties with neighboring Rwanda. Fighting between Congolese forces and Rwanda-backed rebels is intensifying near the border, forcing more than 400,000 people to flee their homes since the start of the year, the UN says. Anna Cunningham has more. Congolese soldiers in armoured vehicles move towards the Sake Hills, the last point on the road to Goma near the DLC's eastern border with Rwanda.

Riding alongside on the way to the front lines are pro-government militant fighters known as the Patriots. DRC's President Felix Chiseke Di ordering his army to track down the enemy attacking us. They are the Tutsi-led M23 rebels, one of about a hundred rebel groups who broke away from the Congolese army over a decade ago. They're now closing in on Goma, the regional capital. Its main city, Hospitale, already treating hundreds of those wounded from nearby towns and villages. From a vantage point on a hill, a group of locals observe manoeuvres, like it's a soccer match. Jumping with joy as they witnessed military helicopters firing rockets on M23 positions.

Some 15,000 UN peacekeepers are on the ground, but they too are under attack. The UN warning this could rapidly spill into a regional war. Rwanda is accused of backing the M23 rebels. The DRC believes its neighbor wants to seize the mineral riches of eastern Congo. We are gravely concerned about the safety and the security of civilians and internally displaced people, says Matthew Saltmarsh from the UN's refugee agency.

In Goma tonight tonight there is fear. Sarah fled her village to the city. She says her children haven't eaten for three days. Christian says he came to Goma hoping to find the family he was separated from when his village came under attack. For decades diplomacy has failed in this conflict. The UN Security Council has called an urgent meeting Monday. As the fighting rages on, Western embassies urge its nationals to get out. Anna Cunningham, CBC News, London. Still ahead, we've long heard that electric vehicles are a key part of a greener future.

But lately, incentives to buy them have been drying up, a trend that's now being accelerated in the US by President Trump. So where does that leave consumers? We'll find out coming up on Your World Tonight. Even though he has a strong majority in Ontario's legislature, Premier Doug Ford says he needs a new mandate to face the US tariff threats. Today Ford called his Progressive Conservative caucus to Toronto to discuss strategy for an election he plans to call 16 months ahead of schedule. Philipp Lee Shanok reports. In downtown Toronto voters don't sound surprised that they'll be heading to the polls in a month's time.

After all the province just sent out rebate checks to help them keep up with inflation which cost the province three billion dollars. I received the $200 thing and we're just thinking oh so because this is for the election. What they're thinking is that people are gonna get to hate them ever more so they might as well do it as soon as possible. I don't like quick elections like that. It's like everyone's unprepared for it. Everyone except the Ontario PCs who are holding a super caucus meeting this weekend so new and returning candidates can start to prep for an early election call next week.

Heading into a Mississauga hotel, Ontario finance minister Peter Bethlenfalvy says this election is about one thing, defending against US President Donald Trump's planned tariffs. Donald Trump is gunning for the auto sector and the pulp sector and areas that we're very strong in. So we're going to make sure that we're going to pull out all the stops to fight for the economy in Ontario. And to that end, Premier Doug Ford says there needs to be an election first. I'm asking for a mandate from the people of Ontario. We're going to be investing billions and billions of dollars. But conservative strategist Amanda Galbraith says this election is as much about timing as tariffs.

In this election campaign it's theirs to lose at this point. Ford's party is riding high in the polls but if Trump follows through on his threats that may change. The other bigger harder things that they're gonna have to tackle in the coming year or two. It's only going to get harder for him to run for your election the longer he waits. I see an opportunity to turn the page on Doug Ford. Ford's rivals also say the time may be right for them. New democrat leader Marit Stiles says issues like health and education need to be put to a vote. Dismantling of our public health care system, schools in disrepair, schemes, corruption and scandals.

Doug Ford sees this as an opportunity. I see an opportunity. But strategists say that message may have a hard time cutting through the noise at a time when anything Trump says dominates the news. Philippa Shannok, CBC News, Toronto. Conservative leader Pierre Polyev is providing details on his plan for responding to Donald Trump's threatened tariffs if he's elected Prime Minister. In an interview with CTV News, Polyev says he would place tariffs on American

goods and services that Canada can make itself or buy elsewhere. He would also implement what he calls a bring-it-home tax cut to stimulate economic growth and eliminate trade barriers between provinces and territories. Meanwhile, in the race for liberal leadership, Mark Carney is racking up endorsements in his bid to replace Justin Trudeau. In a video on X, Transport Minister Anita Anand says she thinks Carney is the best choice to steer Canada's economy. In a separate post, Defence Minister Bill Blair also backs Carney.

So far, Mark Carney has 15 endorsements from Cabinet ministers. His main rival, Kristia Freeland, has five. Belorussian president Alexander Lukashenko has been called Europe's last dictator, a title he is expected to retain after an election this weekend. As Dominic Vilaitis reports, he's not facing much opposition as he coasts into a seventh term in office. When Belarusians vote in tomorrow's presidential election, they'll have a choice of five candidates. But for the last 30 years, there's only been one winner, Alexander Lukashenko. Tomorrow's election takes place in a country where independent media are banned and political opponents are jailed.

Analyst Tatiana Chulitskija believes there's little chance the vote will be free or fair. There will be no international observers from the OCC. In the OCC, there are no real opposition candidates. Also, there were no free and fair elections in Belarus at any time, since Lukashenko was elected. So there are no grounds to expect that there will be votes conducted in a proper and fair manner this time. After the last presidential election in 2020, thousands took to the streets amid allegations Lukashenko had rigged the votes.

He ordered a vicious crackdown. Hundreds of people were arrested and imprisoned. Around 1,300 are believed to be still behind bars today. Canada and other Western powers imposed sanctions following the crackdown. But according to Natalia Satsunković from the human rights group Vyazna, there's little chance people will take to the streets again as they did in 2020 as they would face harsh penalties. These people will be definitely arrested. That definitely would be a criminal case. Definitely arrested. That definitely would be a criminal case. People will face with additional pressure, not as like ordinary prisoner, but as political. Most believe the result of tomorrow's election is predetermined, a victory for Lukashenko.

But as he heads into his seventh term, Vladimir Putin's closest ally faces major challenges. The man known as Europe's last dictator wants sanctions lifted. For that to happen, he'll have to carefully navigate relations with both Moscow and the West against the backdrop of likely peace talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Dominic Velaitis for CBC News, Riga, Latvia. Lukashenka's ally, Moscow, is suspected of being behind some fishy underwater action. NATO members say Russia is discreetly sabotaging vital infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, including telecom and power cables. The Kremlin calls the accusations a myth. As Abhigar Gadasan tells us, finding proof of Russia's involvement is not so easy.

Russia may have been behind the sabotage of two undersea pipelines. These Russian ships are said to have been in the vicinity. He said they were an act of sabotage. Not accidents, but hybrid warfare. That's the feeling in much of Europe following several unusual incidents which caused damage to infrastructure in the Baltic Sea in the last few years. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on why undersea cables are important. Not only is this crucial for energy supply, better from power cables or pipelines,

but more than 95% of internet traffic is secured via undersea cables. There can be damage, accidents linked to fishing or earthquakes, but Sophia Besh, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, says the latest cases should be viewed in the context of Russia's war on Ukraine. One objective of these sabotage campaigns is really to undermine a general sense of security and safety in Europe. Intimidating populations into no longer wanting to support Ukraine. In recent months, two underwater communication cables connecting Germany, Finland, Sweden and Lithuania were severed. The Danish Navy stopped a Chinese cargo ship.

Then on Christmas Day, a power cable between Finland and Estonia was also damaged. Finnish investigators discovered an anchor drag nearly 100 kilometers on the seabed in an area that's difficult to reach. Helsinki says it seized a vessel that slowed over the area around the time of the incident. The crew was questioned as well. The oil tanker, the Eagle S, had left Russia the day before and is registered in the Cook Islands. And proof is really difficult because the ships that do the damage on these cables often sail under third country flags.

Analysts say ships like these could be part of Russia's Shadow Fleet, a fleet made up of hundreds of aging tankers with uncertain ownership, being used by Moscow to dodge sanctions in order to ship its oil, grains and arms. And now the Shadow Fleet is just another convenient actor for Russia. So they can perpetrate these acts that fall below the threshold of warfare because there's no actual military involved. Moscow denies any involvement and European capitals have not publicly pointed the finger at the Kremlin. What officials on the continent are doing is ramping up deterrence. The European Commission has put forward targeted

sanctions on the shadow fleet in hopes of reducing the risk not only to global security, but the environment as well. Just last week, NATO launched the Baltic Sentry Program. It includes frigates, maritime patrol aircraft, and a small fleet of naval drones meant to increase surveillance. Besh says NATO is looking to come up with updated international legal solutions too. Right now, the ship, the perpetrating ship, is technically under the jurisdiction of the country whose flag it flies under. But European nations want to obviously make sure that they actually have jurisdiction in their own waters at least.

She says so far there haven't been large-scale internet outages because much of Europe has redundancies in place. Still, preparation is crucial and she believes Europe has woken to the undersea threats. Abhi Kualas in CBC News, Berlin. Electric vehicles are seen as a key component of a green transition, one that governments were happy to help out with, offering rebates and incentives to consumers. Then, this week, the U.S. President threw a wrench in the works. We will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American auto workers.

While in this country, moves to roll back help for the EV industry are also putting consumers and automakers on a rocky road. Anand Ram has been looking into this for us. So Anand, we'll get to President Trump in a minute, but what's the picture for Canadians looking to buy an EV? In a word, it's more expensive. A few weeks ago, a very popular federal rebate that gave Canadians up to $5,000 for buying a fully electric vehicle suddenly went away. The government says it's pausing that program because it ran out of funding early. But with Parliament prorogued and a potential election in the spring, there's no indication it's coming back anytime soon. And five grand isn't small. Consider that the cheapest new

EV in Canada goes for about $40,000. Also keep in mind, the Liberal government said it wanted all new car sales by 2035 to be EVs to decarbonize the transport sector with this you know inarguably cleaner form of driving. Government figures actually say transportation makes up about 22% of CO2 emissions in Canada with a good chunk of that being you know cars and trucks on the road. So this incentive, this rebate existed to help nudge consumers towards EVs and that customer demand would then help automakers continue to invest more in EVs and this tech going forward. Well now with that incentive gone,

automakers are kind of mad and they say that they have no help at all to hit that 2035 goal and want to see it scrapped. Okay so that's the Canadian side of it. Now what changed this week in the US with President Trump taking office? Well he's aiming at any help that electric vehicles currently get. He signed an executive order telling his administration to look at removing what he calls unfair advantages for EVs and in his views ways that force customers to buy EVs over internal combustion engine cars. So that includes subsidies for expanding charging networks and he's also looking at getting rid of the $7,500 tax credit that some

electric cars qualify for in the US. But he's also scrapping the Biden administration's non-binding push to get half of all new cars to be electric by 2030, similar to what we have here. And he's also pulling the plug on a federal exemption that allows California, that state, to phase out the sale of all gas-powered vehicles by 2035. So this is all shaky ground for EV sales in the US. But it's worth mentioning just because all these supports and guardrails go away, it doesn't mean that EVs are gonna go away. There's still loads of investments happening. We just saw one earlier this week in Windsor where an Ontario battery materials company said that they'll create a hundred jobs at a new manufacturing facility. So where does this leave

consumers? Yeah here in Canada some provinces and one territory still provide their own incentives on top of what the federal program gave. The only ones that don't are Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. But in places like Prince Edward Island, Yukon, and New Brunswick, you can still get as much as $5,000. And in the shorter term, because the federal incentive ended so abruptly, some automakers like GM and Hyundai are offering their own $5,000 incentive for those who buy EVs in the month of January. But all this is for now. Every government is worried about potential trade tariffs that may happen between the

U.S. and Canada, and so they're examining what money they need to hold onto. While these incentive programs are good, they were never meant to last forever, and stopping them might be a way for governments to save cash for potential hard times ahead. Okay, Anand, thanks so much. You're welcome. CBC's Anand Ram in Toronto. If you take a stroll through the Louvre or the Vatican, you'll notice the canon of Western art is very male.

While artists like Da Vinci get the accolades, there are others who've been left out of the art history books. Megan Williams takes us to a groundbreaking exhibit in Rome that's rewriting that history and focusing on important Renaissance women. In Palazzo Braschi in Rome, curator Ilaria Mariani guides me past some 130 paintings by professional female artists. Names I've never heard before, like Carlotta Gargalli, the first woman to enter an Italian art academy, Lavinia Fontana, the first professional female painter in Europe, who opened a flourishing studio in Rome in 1604, even stipulating in her marriage contract that she would keep working as a

painter and her husband would look after domestic affairs. Or Emma Gaggiotti, an international superstar in the 1800s and an active member of the political movement to unify Italy. What surprises Mariani, she says, is the number of female artists she and her colleagues uncovered in just four years of research, pouring over letters, archives, old exhibit and auction catalogs, and scrutinizing painting signatures. Mariani says these artists were celebrated in their time, commissioned to paint monarchs and popes,

and often paid the same as men. But after their deaths, their works were buried in basement archives or attributed to male artists. Others have works that have been hiding in plain sight in Rome churches and palaces that the exhibit provides a detailed map for. that the exhibit provides a detailed map for.

And a map of where their studios were, in the artist district near the Spanish Steps. Outside on Via Marguta, the city has strung up in bright lights the names of famous artists, writers, musicians and directors who have lived and worked on the street. Fellini, Manfredi, Zola, Wagner. All men, but not one name of a female artist. Back at the Palazzo Braschi exhibit, I ask researcher Michela D'Agostino if she thinks the female artists were merely forgotten

or posthumously erased from art history. This is a good question because... The fact is there are records of female artists, she says. We found them. So that tells us academics and others, mostly men, who have written about the history of art have chosen not to write about women. There are, we found them. The curators and researchers behind this exhibit call it just the first step in setting the

record straight. Megan Williams, CBC News, Rome. Part of the Lion King score there from 1994, some of the work that has made composer Hans Zimmer such a powerhouse in the area of film scores. Among many others, he's done Gladiator, Dune, Inception, and the Dark Knight trilogy. Now he may be about to take on a totally new kind of project, a national anthem. He's been asked by Saudi Arabia to work up a new version of their anthem which currently sounds like this. In English, it's called Long Live the King, and it was written in 1947 at the request of King Abdulaziz. But Saudi Arabia is in the midst of an image makeover, with moves like reopening cinemas

and allowing women to drive. So the head of the kingdom's General Entertainment authority has had a chat with the German composer Zimmer about rearranging the anthem with different instruments, according to a post on X. Zimmer is also apparently being courted for a Saudi-inspired musical called Arabia, a big concert, and the soundtrack for a film about the historic Battle of Yarmouk. The Kingdom is clearly looking for the best. Hans Zimmer has two Oscars, a BAFTA and four Grammys. We'll leave you with more of his work.

This is Ripples in the Sand, part of the score for Dune on Your World Tonight. I'm Stephanie Scanderis. Thanks for listening. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.