The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/03/17 at 00:00 EDT

Episode Date: March 17, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/03/17 at 00:00 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 Neil Herland. Prime Minister Mark Carney has inherited a trade war with Canada's closest ally,

and threats of annexation straight from the White House. As JP Tasker reports, the new Prime Minister is already being put to the test. Canada's new Prime Minister taking part in a centuries-old St. Patrick's Day parade in Montreal. It's a rare moment of joy for Mark Carney as he grapples with a national crisis. And to be honest with you, Canada only works as a state. Carney takes the reins of power as President Donald Trump ramps up the rhetoric against Canada,

threatening to torpedo the country's economy with even more tariffs. We can't control President Trump's behaviour. We can control our behaviour. Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the US.S., says Carney has a plan to save the country from economic ruin and annexation. But she says a Carney-Trump call to discuss those tensions won't come right away. Of course, he should talk to the president, and I hope that they do talk.

Instead, Carney is headed to the U.K. and France this week to meet with what he calls reliable trade partners. JP Tasker, CBC News, Ottawa. The CBC's Rosemary Barton is traveling with Prime Minister Mark Carney. She explains why this trip is so significant. This is the Prime Minister's first official trip overseas, and he's chosen two countries that for very symbolic reasons.

The first visit will be with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Then it's on to London, where Prime Ministeri will meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss whether they can do more between the United Kingdom and Canada. Carney will also have an audience with King Charles. This comes just weeks after Justin Trudeau had one of his own. The timing of this is extraordinary, just days after being sworn in as Prime Minister and forming a cabinet and now taking this trip. The timing is important for political reasons here. First, it sends a message to Donald Trump about who Canada considers to be its closest

allies at this challenging time. And second, it sends a message to Canadians about who is the best position to take on Donald Trump. That, of course, is supposed to be likely to be the ballot box question heading into an election in a matter of just days. It's a playbook that worked for Doug Ford in Ontario, and so it's one that the federal liberals are trying. The CBC's Rosemary Barton traveling with the prime minister. Houthi authorities now say 53 people were killed when U.S. missiles hit a militant stronghold in northern Yemen. Leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi is vowing more attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says airstrikes on Houthi targets will continue until the militant group loses the capacity to hit the Red Sea. This strike in Yemen is about their ability, the ability of the Houthis to strike global shipping and attack the U.S. Navy and their willingness to do it. What we can't ignore and the reason why the president mentioned Iran is because the Iranians have supported the Houthis. They provided them intelligence, they provided them guidance, they provided them weaponry. There's no way the Houthis would have the ability to do this kind of thing unless they had support from Iran.

In North Macedonia, authorities have arrested 20 people after a fire in a nightclub killed at least 59. The country's prime minister says the club's license was issued illegally. Dominic Velaitis reports on the tragedy. The club in Kacharni was packed when the fire broke out in the early hours of the morning. Nearly 60 people were killed in the blaze. Many more were injured. Eyewitness video taken before the fire shows a band playing on stage flanked by flares, the white sparks of which appear to set the ceiling alight.

As well as those killed, nearly 160 people were injured in the fire. At one of the hospitals treating them, relatives wait anxiously for news of their loved ones. The owner of the nightclub has reportedly been detained by the authorities in connection with the fire, while arrest warrants have been issued for several others. Dominic Velaitis for CBC News, Riga, Latvia. And that is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Neil Herland.