The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/29 at 17:00 EST

Episode Date: January 29, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/29 at 17:00 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, the world is our. I'm Tom Harrington. Fentanyl and its victims are a focus for Donald Trump's nominee for Commerce Secretary. Howard Lutnick told senators at his confirmation hearing the threat of 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods is designed to encourage a tougher strategy from Canada. You know that the labs in Canada are run by Mexican cartels. So this tariff model is simply to shut their borders with respect. Respect America. If we are your biggest trading partner, show us the respect,

shut your border and end fentanyl coming into this country. Lutnick says if the U.S. is satisfied with Canada's border measures, there won't be any tariffs. The White House says the Saturday, February 1st deadline still holds. Public Safety Minister David McGinty is responding to Lutnick, saying Canada is beefing up border security. I think we should take Mr. Lutnick's comments seriously. I think we should take them at face value. And I think we should continue reminding our American neighbours how far we've come and

Canadians how far we've come. We had a very strong border. We have an even stronger border today. And I'm quite convinced that the evidence that's being presented to the administration will break through. McGinty says data shows from October 2023 to October 2024, 43 pounds of fentanyl went from Canada to the U.S. That's compared to nearly 22,000 pounds from Mexico.

At least some of the premiers agree with the approach. We must take President Trump's statements on border security seriously and to take action immediately rather than focusing on inflaming the issue with rhetoric around retaliation. Alberta Premier Daniel Smith is also advocating Canada meet the Trump administration's demand on border security. The president wants the flow of migrants and fentanyl across the border brought to an end, but Smith also admits. Is this likely to end the threat of tariffs entirely?

I don't think so. I think there will be other things that we will need to work on and we will do so. Meanwhile, a survey of business leaders found 8 in 10 want Canada to respond with targeted dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs. The Bank of Canada has lowered its key interest rate again. It dropped it by a quarter of 1% to 3%. Governor Tiff Macklem says inflation has remained at the target level and economic activity is growing. But that stability is in danger if the US carries out the threat to put tariffs on Canadian goods. Macklem says the bank is preparing. As we consider our monetary policy response we will need to carefully assess the

downward pressure on inflation from weakness in the economy and weigh that against the upward pressure on inflation from higher input prices and supply chain disruptions. The bank has lowered its GDP growth projections to 1.8% for 2025 and 2026. South of the border, the US Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged. It sits at 4.25 to 4.5%. The central bank cites uncertainty about the impact of President Trump's economic policies and that includes his proposed tariffs as well as plans to deport millions of illegal immigrants.

Officials in northern India have confirmed 30 people were killed in a stampede at a Hindu religious gathering and dozens more injured. The Mahakum festival is held once every 12 years. About 400 million people were expected to attend by the time it wraps up next month. Neha Punya has the latest. Police are blaming the stampede on a group of pilgrims they say breached security barricades and ran over tens of thousands of devotees who had been waiting to enter the waters off the river Ganges.

Vaibhav Krishna is a senior police officer overseeing security at the Mahakum. The barricades broke and that's when pilgrims who were lying down closed the security barriers and others who were waiting on the other side were trampled in the crush. But eyewitnesses and those who've lost family members in the tragedy are blaming poor crowd control. The government has ordered a probe. Meanwhile, the news of the stampede is not dissuading pilgrims, with tens of thousands still streaming into the venue.

And many more are queuing up for a holy bath, something Hindus believe will cleanse their sins and grant them salvation. Neha Punia for CBC News, New Delhi. And that is Your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Tom Harrington. Thanks for listening.