The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/23 at 06:00 EST

Episode Date: February 23, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/23 at 06:00 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 Gavin Day. The Vatican says Pope Francis had a peaceful night after a respiratory crisis and blood transfusions. The pontiff has been in hospital for over a week suffering from pneumonia.

He was said to be in critical condition on Saturday. Megan Williams says more. This morning, the Vatican said the Pope had slept through the night. Still, he remains in critical condition after his worst health crisis so far. When on Saturday he suffered from what the Vatican called a prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis that required high flow oxygen. The Vatican health update last night also said that blood tests showed thrombocytopenia. That's a condition that makes it harder for blood to clot and increases the risk of bleeding.

Pope Francis also has anemia, a low red blood cell count that adds to his weakness. The real danger, said his doctors on Friday night, is the Pope getting sepsis, germs from the pneumonia leaking into his bloodstream and reaching the heart or liver. Still, the prognosis remains uncertain, with many Cardinals and Vatican officials here saying only that they're praying for the Pope. Francis was hospitalized nine days ago for bronchitis that developed into double pneumonia. Megan Williams, CBC News, Rome.

Voting is underway in Germany's election. Over 59 million people are eligible to go to the polls today to elect their next government. Conservative leader Friedrich Merz has been leading most polls to become Germany's next chancellor. But a victory for Merz's Christian Democrats would still require an alliance with at least one other party. The 69 year old Merz has stated he would not align with the far-right alternative for Germany party. The

country's faltering economy and a succession of deadly attacks have made migration and security a focal issue in the election. British Columbia has taken new measures to keep prescription opioids off the streets. People in that province who rely on those drugs can no longer bring them home. But as Jessica Chung reports, there are concerns about how this new model will work. Opioids like hydro-morphone tablets used to be taken home around a dozen at a time by those with prescriptions under British Columbia's safer supply program Now the province has scrapped the take-home model and says new patients who get prescribed opioids under the program

Will need to take them under the supervision of a pharmacist They give me 14 a day I can't take 14 or take two then run back hour. Lorna Byrd says the change is completely unrealistic and would mean going to the pharmacy six to seven times a day. The Safer Supply Program provides regulated opioids to drug users with a prescription as a way of giving people an alternative from toxic and deadly street drugs.

The sweeping change was announced on Wednesday, effective immediately. The province says it's meant to prevent the diversion of prescription opioids into the illicit market. I think it's going to be a nightmare. Sydney Salos, a pharmacy assistant, says this will set many recovering addicts back. If they have to come in multiple times a day, what is that going to mean for them? It's going to screw them over a lot. Jessica Chung, CBC News, Vancouver.

US state leaders had dinner with President Donald Trump Saturday night at the White House. Trump hosted the National Governors Association evening dinner and reception. Rather than take shots at his enemies including Democrats, Trump actually extended a rare olive branch for what he says is for the good of the country. If we can help you're gonna call me up and we'll take care of it. You'll call the secretaries, you'll call the cabinet members but if they don't do the job and I think they will, you'll call me and we'll take care of it. And that's a Republican or Democrat and I'll take maybe the Democrat call even first. How about that? Can I say that? It was the first time Trump hosted the dinner since becoming president the second

time. Health Canada has issued a recall for a kids sunscreen. It includes the kids by baby Gannick's SP50 mineral sunscreen. It says an impurity was found in the products at levels above the allowed limit, which may pose health risks. Officials are asking the public to stop using the products and contact a healthcare professional if there are any concerns. And that is The World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Gavin Day.