The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/23 at 10:00 EST

Episode Date: February 23, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/23 at 10:00 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. Voting is underway in Germany. Polls suggest a strong result for the far-right AFD party, but the centre-right oppositionD party but the center-right

opposition appears poised to win as Abby Kugadasen reports no party is likely to form a majority government on their own nationwide some 59 million people are eligible to cast their ballots but one in five potential voters remain undecided this week hoping to sway some of them the conservatives who lead in the polls with about 30 percent held their final rally last night. Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz has been being tough on immigration, a central part of his platform, but looked to differentiate himself from the far-right AFD which seeks mass deportation. Merz said if all immigrants left the country for 24

hours, nothing would work in Germany anymore. Even though the far right has about 20 percent support and may finish second, Meritz has made it clear he would not form a coalition with them if he wins. A similar pledge has been made by all the other major parties too. Abhi Kualdas in CBC News, Berlin. Tens of thousands of people on the streets of Beirut as they head into the funeral for former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September.

The ceremony is being held at Lebanon's biggest sports arena. It's also recognizing dozens of Hezbollah's fighters killed in the recent war with Israel. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia launched more than 200 drones overnight. It comes as France and Britain's leaders prepare for face-to-face meetings with President Donald Trump in Washington. The CBC's Anna Cunningham has more from London. Monday, the president will host France's president Emmanuel Macron. And on Thursday, the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit the White House as well.

The White House is preparing. So too is Europe. At the Elysee Palace in Paris and Downing Street in London, there's a sense that these meetings will be a moment of tension in the relationship between Europe and the US. The UK's Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirming today that Britain will unveil a significant package of sanctions against Russia Monday. Europe and Ukraine were excluded by the US from negotiations with Russia to end its war in Ukraine, the biggest war on the European continent since 1945.

Macron and Stammer hope to change that. Anna Cunningham, CBC News, London. An estimated one million Canadian snowbirds travel to the US. As President Donald Trump threatens tariffs and talks about annexing Canada, many of those who spend the winter down south are angered by the threats. Some are even cancelling their travel plans. Campbell McDermott has the details. I thought there's no way I can go down and spend any money in the U.S. Aside from during the pandemic,

Bob Blumer has traveled to Florida every March for 20 years. But this year, the retiree from Coburg, Ontario has different plans. Basically just frustration and listening to Trump and all his rhetoric talking about Canada becoming the 51st state. Blumer's not the only one. Fort Lauderdale realtor Alexandra DuPont says she's never had so many property listings from Canadians. And I have zero Canadian buyers right now. She says Trump's threats come as Canadians are already feeling the pressure of a weak loonie and rising costs.

The US Travel Association has warned that even a 10% reduction in Canadian travel could mean nearly $3 billion in lost spending. Stephen Fine is the president of Snowbird Advisor Insurance. He says it is unclear how many Canadians will boycott US travel. There's definitely some negative sentiment and people considering alternate destinations. Campbell McDermott, CBC News, Ottawa. Health Canada has issued a recall for a kids sunscreen. It includes the Kids by Baby Gannix

SPF 50 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. contact a health care professional if there are any concerns. And that is The World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Gavin Day.