The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/03/04 at 11:00 EST

Episode Date: March 4, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/03/04 at 11:00 EST

What does a mummified Egyptian child, the Parthenon marbles of Greece and an Irish giant all have in common? They are all stuff the British stole. Maybe. Join me, Mark Fennell, as I travel around the globe uncovering the shocking stories of how some, let's call them ill-gotten, artifacts made it to faraway institutions. Spoiler, it was probably the British. Don't miss a brand new season of Stuff the British Style. Watch it free on CBC Gem. From CBC News, it's the World This Hour. I'm Joe Cummings.

As of this morning, the Trump administration's tariff threats against Canada officially became a reality. And it means Canada and the United States are now in a trade war. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a news conference scheduled in Ottawa for this hour where he's expected to detail Canada's specific response. His office is saying the prime minister will be joined by finance minister Dominique Leblanc,

foreign affairs minister Melanie Jolie, and Public Safety Minister David McGinty. At the same time across the country, the premiers are reacting. New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says her government is in the process of bringing in a number of countermeasures, and she's committed to supporting New Brunswick workers and New Brunswick businesses. Susan Holt, New Brunswick Premier We've been working hard to develop a plan that includes support for affected New Brunswickers and communities, relief for New Brunswick businesses, including those most impacted

by tariffs, such as our forestry sector, fisheries sector, agriculture sector, and manufacturing industries. We've taken concrete steps to knock down interprovincial trade barriers, and we've put in place the tools you need to help you buy new Brunswick-made products. As for Ontario Premier Doug Ford, he appeared this morning on CNN. I have to tell you Canadians love Americans, we love the U.S. It's one person that's causing these problems. I've talked to senators and congresspeople and governors, Republicans and Democrats, not one of them agree with them. The market is speaking loud and clear.

The market is going to go downhill faster than the American bobsled team. And as Ford suggests, the stock markets in the U.S. are plunging today. The Dow Jones, the S&P, and the NASDAQ are all in the red. And these losses have now wiped out all the gains that accompanied Trump's return to the White House. Meanwhile, in the face of the Trump administration's ongoing border demands, the Customs and Immigration Union in this country is concerned about staffing levels at the Canada Border Services Agency. The union's national president is saying the agency is short at least 2,000 frontline officers, and he says this will impact any long-term demands for border searches to be increased.

Away from the economic front, the day after the Trump White House announced it is pausing its military aid to Ukraine, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky says he is prepared to sign the U.S. rare minerals deal. President Trump has said the deal is key to achieving peace in Ukraine. This as the European Commission has finalized a plan now that will see EU countries dramatically increase their defense spending. Crystal Gmansing has the details from London. We are in an era of rearmament. Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission president, says it's the most dangerous of times.

For the protection of the continent, investments are required. I do not need to describe the grave nature of the threats that we face. A pool of nearly 800 billion euros is being made available to enable bloc nations to make the needed investments. I'm shocked. This is unbelievable what's unfolding. Oleksandr Mureshko is a Ukrainian MP. If there will be casualties and human lives lost because of this,

I think Mr. Trump should seriously think about how he's going to enter in history. If you didn't have our military equipment... During that explosive meeting last week, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky of not wanting peace and gambling with World War III. Crystal Gamansing, CBC News, London. Arab leaders are meeting in Cairo today to finalize a formal response against President

Trump's call for the Gaza Strip to be transformed into a beach destination. The summit includes regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The support of either country is critical for any post-war plan for the territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he remains committed to the Trump idea of developing quote, a different Gaza. And that is The World This Hour. Remember, you can listen to us wherever you get your podcasts. The World This Hour is updated every hour, seven days a week.

For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.