The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/29 at 12:00 EST

Episode Date: January 29, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/29 at 12:00 EST

When a body is discovered 10 miles out to sea, it sparks a mind-blowing police investigation. There's a man living in this address in the name of a deceased. He's one of the most wanted men in the world. This isn't really happening. Officers are finding large sums of money. It's a tale of murder, skullduggery and international intrigue. So who really is he? I'm Sam Mullins and this is Sea of Lies from CBC's Uncovered, available now.

From CBC News, it's the world this hour. I'm Joe Cummings. First to the Bank of Canada. Today we lowered our policy interest rate by 25 basis points. That is Governor Tiff MacLam with the central bank's first setting of the new year. The quarter point reduction drops the bank's influential rate down to 3%. Since June, the bank has made six rate cuts and MacLam is saying there are signs economic activity is gaining momentum.

However, he says that momentum is in jeopardy in the face of possible U.S. tariffs. And with the clock ticking on the Trump administration's February 1st tariff threat, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is meeting again today with the premiers. Janice McGregor reports. The premiers met amongst themselves yesterday. Sources told CBC News that while they discussed the idea of a tariff stimulus package, nothing has been presented to the premiers yet. Donald Trump's concrete actions have yet to materialize, so there won't be precise numbers for anyone until people see what's hitting them. But

BC Premier David Eby yesterday said both levels of government are reworking their fiscal plans. British Columbia should know that we are preparing for the worst and we're going to be in a position to support them alongside the federal government. There are some things in the short term the federal government can do even while parliaments prorogued employment insurance, for example, that's your first line of defense in the event of mass layoffs. But if things erupt into retaliatory strikes and the federal books begin to balloon with extra tariff revenue, the House of Commons would need to approve how those billions are then divvied up across affected industries and workers. Janice McGregor, CBC News, Ottawa.

Meanwhile, a new survey is suggesting there is overwhelming support within the business community for Canada to stand firm against any tariff action by the United States. A survey commissioned by KPMG shows eight in 10 business leaders want a targeted dollar-for-dollar retaliatory response. It's also suggesting that the majority of businesses polled are delaying capital investments until there is clarity on Canada-U.S. trade. First Nation delegates are in the process of selecting a new leader for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs following last year's death of Grand Chief Kathy Merrick.

The assembly, which represents 63 communities, is hosting a by-election in Winnipeg. Four candidates are in the running. Kathy Merrick played a central role in calls last year to search a Winnipeg area landfill for the remains of two murdered indigenous women. Senate confirmation proceedings are underway in Washington for Robert Kennedy Jr. Kennedy is U.S. President Donald Trump's pick to be the administration's health secretary. Richard Madden reports. Richard Madden, Jr. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is one of the few Trump nominees who stoked anger from both parties.

Democrats criticized his skepticism of vaccines against COVID, polio, measles, his potential conflicts of interest while Republicans criticize his pro-choice views on abortion. And now his cousin, Caroline Kennedy made a rare public plea urging the Senate to deny his confirmation, calling him a predator who relishes in despair and violence. Bobby preys on the desperation of parents of sick children

vaccinating his own kids while building a following hypocritically discouraging other children, vaccinating his own kids, while building a following hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs. Now more than 15,000 doctors signed a letter protesting Kennedy's nomination, saying he's not qualified to lead one of the most influential posts in government. Now if he's confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary,

Kennedy would oversee powerful government agencies like the Centre for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. Richard Madden, CBC News, Washington. Now to northern India, where the confirmed number of fatalities following a stampede at the Kumeya festival continues to grow. At this point, the number of dead has reached 30. That's emergency response officials clearing the crowds to get to the injured. The festival is the world's largest religious event.

Hundreds of millions of Hindus are expected to gather over the course of the six-week festival, and today is considered the most auspicious day of the holiday. And that is The World This Hour. Remember, you can listen to us wherever you get your podcasts. The World This Hour is updated every hour, seven days a week. For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.