The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/03/15 at 07:00 EDT

Episode Date: March 15, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/03/15 at 07:00 EDT

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 Peter Dock. Defense Minister Bill Blair says Canada is reexamining its planned purchase of American-made F-35 fighter

jets. Prime Minister Mark Carney's new government is under intense pressure to ditch the 19 billion dollar deal in light of President Donald Trump's threats to annex Canada and the ongoing trade war. CBC's Murray Brewster reports. The F-35 has long been the preferred choice of the Air Force to replace its aging CF-18s. In June 2023, the federal government, under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, signed a contract with U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin to buy 88 F-35s. Canada has already put down its money for the first 16 F-35s, but is now considering backing out of the rest of the order.

But we are also examining other alternatives, whether we need all of those fighter jets to be F-35s. The Swedish-manufactured Saab Grippen placed second to the F-35 in the Canadian fighter jet competition. Blair hinted strongly the federal government will look at the proposal again. Canada isn't alone in reconsidering the F-35 purchase. Portugal signaled this week it was dropping its program, citing the reliability of the US as an ally. Murray Brewster, CBC News, Ottawa.

As Trump continues to threaten Canada with tariffs and annexation, one of our top allies, Great Britain, has been relatively quiet. But Foreign Secretary David Lammy talked to Catherine Cullen for this week's edition of CBC Radio's The House. I recognize that there has been anxiety here in Canada at this time. How could I not with Canadian family? But I'm absolutely clear that Canada will remain and continue to be a proud sovereign nation. You can hear Catherine's full interview with Lemmy on The House. That's right after the 9 o'clock edition of World Report,

9.30 in Newfoundland. Prime Minister Mark Carney has made good on at least one of his campaign promises. During the Liberal leadership race, he pledged to eliminate the controversial federal carbon tax. Within hours of being sworn in yesterday, Carney did just that. CBC's David Thurton reports. We will be eliminating consumer fuel charge immediately. Carney signed an order which will in effect end the collection of the federal carbon tax, a major liberal climate policy. The national carbon price still applies to emissions from big industrial emitters but consumers who used to pay the federal carbon tax are exempt as of

April 1st. Eligible households will receive one last federal rebate next month. Pierre Pauliev casting doubt Carney will actually follow through. This is the carbon tax law. It's in place today. Until Parliament is recalled, this carbon tax law will be the law of the land. The government can adjust the carbon levy through regulation, but it's unlikely Parliament will be recalled to change the legislation. Sources say Carney is expected to trigger an election this month, sending Canadians to the polls by late April or early May. David Thurton, CBC News, Ottawa. 3, 2, 1, ignition and go.

SpaceX has sent four crew members to the International Space Station to rescue stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The Crew Dragon spacecraft was launched last night from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The capsule is expected to arrive late tonight. The two astronauts have been stranded in space for more than 280 days. And Hudson's Bay says it will begin liquidating its entire business as soon as next week, unless it finds a more viable path forward.

The department store chain has 80 stores. It says it's being forced toward a full liquidation because exhaustive efforts have not turned up the financing the company needs to restructure. Hudson's Bay is Canada's oldest company. And that is your World This Hour. You can listen to us anytime on voice-activated devices such as Google Home. For CBC News, I'm Peter Dock.