The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/23 at 21:00 EST

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/23 at 21:00 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 four candidates running to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader and prime minister will face off in two televised debates starting tomorrow, and as JP Tasker reports, the disqualified candidate Ruby Dalla is appealing her removal.

I'm ready to fight for Canada. Liberal leadership contender Christia Freeland is trying to hold off a Mark Carney coronation, releasing a new ad that plays up her prairie roots sent her hard scrabble early life on the family farm in Alberta. Who is ready to stand up for Canada with me? Karney has a commanding lead in money and endorsement. I felt that the country needed some big changes. Much more of a focus on the economy. One candidate, former MP Ruby Dalla was barred from running last week. Today she announced

she will appeal that decision. Please do not disqualify me. It will not send the right message for our party to immigrants and for young people and women. Now the race is entering its crucial next chapter. The four remaining candidates will face off in two debates. One in French on Monday and another in English on Tuesday. The debates come as polls show the Liberals are back in contention after months on the back foot.

JP Tasker, CBC News, Ottawa. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to visit Ukraine tomorrow, his final official visit to meet with the Ukrainian president on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion. Chris Brown reports from Ukraine. Hardly anyone in Ukraine believes Vladimir Putin wants peace, especially after Russia launched the largest drone attack of the war on Kiev and other cities. But Donald Trump claims he does, and so on Sunday, President Vladimir Zelensky tried to repair his strained relationship with the US president.

We're partners, and I want Trump to be on our side, said Zelensky. Trump has called Zelensky a dictator and has openly questioned his leadership abilities. But Zelensky also said Ukraine would not agree to Trump's demand to hand over a reported $500 billion in rights to critical minerals. The US president now considers previous military assistance to be a loan that must be repaid. Tomorrow, the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, Zelensky will host a major gathering of world leaders

here in Kiev, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to be here. Chris Brown, CBC News, Kiev. Now to Germany. Supporters of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union celebrate the party's win in early results in the national election. Friedrich Merz is on track to become the country's next chancellor. Merz is promising to put together a new coalition government as quickly as possible.

Mertz vows to leave the AfD out of any coalition talks. The far-right party came in second, the Social Democrats under outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz placed third. The Vatican says Pope Francis is still in critical condition at a hospital in Rome, but it also says the Pope is alert and aware. The leader of the Catholic Church was admitted to hospital more than a week ago with pneumonia. The CBC's Megan Williams reports from Rome. On Sunday, the Pope received two units of red blood cells, which helped boost his hemoglobin levels and stabilize his platelet levels. But tests show early signs of kidney failure, with the situation for now under control.

Francis is awake and alert and took part in a mass inside his hospital room this morning, but he's still on high flow oxygen through nasal tubes. Meanwhile, visitors at the Vatican express their hope that the Pope makes it out of danger. I was shocked. I didn't think he was that bad. Said this pilgrim from the Canary Islands. He has been a really good Pope. This evening, a mass was held in one of Rome's basilicas, where hundreds prayed for the Pope.

Megan Williams, CBC News, Rome. And that is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Neal Herland.