The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/19 at 23:00 EST

Episode Date: February 20, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/19 at 23:00 EST

In Scarborough, there's this fire behind our eyes. A passion in our bellies. It's in the hearts of our neighbors. The eyes of our nurses. And the hands of our doctors. It's what makes Scarborough, Scarborough. In our hospitals, we do more than anyone thought possible. We've less than anyone could imagine.

But it's time to imagine what we can do with more. Join Scarborough Health Network and together, we can turn grit into greatness. Donate at lovescarborough.ca. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Neil Herland. The president of Ukraine is firing back at Donald Trump. Volodymyr Zelensky has watched his words carefully when it comes to the American president.

But after being trashed by Trump online, Zelensky is criticizing his most important ally. Krystal Gamansing reports. The American commander-in-chief is letting his thumbs fly, typing out a lengthy attack on his Truth Social page, including this line. A dictator without elections. Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a country left. I would like Trump's team to have more truth. All of this definitely doesn't have a positive impact on Ukraine.

Zelensky's office said it was prepared to share polling data with the U.S.'s special envoy to Russia and Ukraine to prove Russian disinformation is seeping into the highest ranks of American society. A war of words erupting in the face of a war-weary nation. Crystal Gamansing, CBC News, London. One of the organizers of the 2022 Freedom Convoy in Ottawa was sentenced Wednesday. Pat King was already found guilty of mischief. David Fraser reports. Pat King walked into court surrounded by supporters as he prepared to learn his sentence. Credit for time already served, he now faces a three month conditional sentence.

His lawyer, Natasha Calvino. Mr. King will spend the next 90 days, three months back in Alberta under house arrest, and it'd be followed by a period of probation. This comes three years after King's arrest. As a leader and online promoter of the massive protests against COVID-19 measures and the Liberal government, he was known for his bombastic online presence.

King was arrested on the third week of the protests after the feds used the Emergencies Act to end it. And he's the first key figure to be sentenced. Leaders Tamara Leach and Chris Barber are due to be sentenced next month. The Crown had asked for King to be sentenced to 10 years. As it stands, he'll be on probation for another year after his house arrest, but that could be appealed. David Fraser,

CBC News, Ottawa. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's taking seriously allegations made about Alberta Health Services. The former CEO claims she was being pressured to sign or extend contracts with private clinics despite the fact they would lead to higher costs. Smith says her government will support an auditor general investigation but she adds Alberta Health Services has resisted change. AHS leadership has always shown us resistance and it is clear that they would rather keep all surgeries in hospitals only operated by Alberta Health Services, which would have resulted in 62,000 fewer surgeries for

Albertans last year. Athana Menzelopoulos, the former CEO of Alberta Health Services, filed a 1.7 million dollar wrongful dismissal suit last week. Canada's plans for a high-speed rail project may finally be gaining momentum after decades of false starts. The high-speed trains would zip passengers from Toronto to Quebec City. Sarah Levitt reports. For Toronto, for Toronto. At Montreal's train station, passengers hand over their tickets to be scanned.

Their trip to Toronto takes just over five hours, so news of a possible high-speed train that would take three hours instead is promising. I'm very excited by it. I can't wait. But with that excitement comes skepticism. I think it's an election coming up, right? Today I'm announcing the launch of Alto, the largest infrastructure project in Canadian history. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promises Canadians a high-speed rail line from Toronto to Quebec City will happen.

And he says it'll boost the country's economy while using Canadian steel and aluminum to build it. It begins with the conception of a design and development plan. Many hurdles remain, including finding the estimated nearly $100 billion this rail line could cost. Sarah Levitt, CBC News, Montreal. And that is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Neil Herland.