The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/03/18 at 11:00 EDT

Episode Date: March 18, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/03/18 at 11:00 EDT

The following is advertiser content from Audible. Shift your beliefs and revolutionize your life with Self-Help, the latest from bestselling author and spiritual teacher Gabby Bernstein. Listen to a sample now. Even if your current life circumstances don't align with your deepest desires, trust this, you're already on the path. Witnessing the parts of you that hold you back from inner peace and a life you desire is the first step toward change.

We cannot heal what we cannot see, and we cannot transform what we won't accept. The moments in our lives when we're on our knees, struggling with addiction, going through a divorce, walking away from a career, receiving a diagnosis, Those terrifying moments in life are the catalyst for our greatest awakening and transformation. They are the moments that crack us open to the possibility of believing something new. They are the moments when we surrender to let self-help. Explore over 890,000 titles on audible.ca by signing up for a free 30-day trial and start listening today.

From CBC News, it's the World This Hour. I'm Joe Cummings. We start with Canada's inflation rate, which is on the rise. Statistics Canada says it jumped to 2.6 percent last month, up from 1.9 in January. Analysts say the end of the federal government's two-month GST holiday was a key factor behind the sudden surge in consumer prices. The GST was lifted from a range of products just prior to the Christmas shopping season, but came back into effect in the middle of February.

Now to the Middle East, where health ministry officials in Gaza say Israeli airstrikes killed more than 400 people overnight. It is by far the biggest Israeli attack on Gaza in two months, and it breaks the Gaza ceasefire, which had been in place now since January. Crystal Gmancing has more. Wrapped bodies are piled up together in Gaza City, overhead the hum of Israeli surveillance drops. We were sleeping, then suddenly woke up on the strikes, says Mohammed Badir.

The renewed attacks come as Israel continues to pressure Hamas to agree to an extension to phase one of the ceasefire and release more hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas has been holding out to move ahead with phase two of talks as both sides had previously agreed. Danny Danin is Israel's UN ambassador. We will show no mercy on our enemies. Let me be very clear, Israel will not stop until all of our hostages are back home. Hamas says the strikes expose Israel's true intentions to, quote, spill the blood of innocent civilians. Crystal Gammansing, CBC News, Jerusalem.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are scheduled to speak on the telephone today, and the U.S. president is expected to push his Russian counterpart to agree to a proposed ceasefire agreement with Ukraine. Here's Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrei Sabia. Andrei Sabia, Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Ukraine Now is the time for diplomacy. We do really believe that with the leadership of President Trump, we could achieve long-lasting, just peace. Ukraine has agreed to the proposal, but it's believed Russia continues to demand a series

of concessions. Four Eastern European countries are on the verge now of pulling out of an international agreement on landmines. It's known as the Ottawa Treaty, and its goal is to eliminate anti-personnel mines. Dominic Volaititis has the details. In a joint statement, the defence ministers of Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania blamed Russian aggression for their move to recommend withdrawing from the so-called Ottawa Treaty, the 1997 landmark international agreement created and promoted by Canada to address the global humanitarian

crisis caused by anti-personnel landmines. More than 160 countries have signed the treaty. To date, none have left. If approved by their respective parliaments, quitting will allow Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to start stockpiling landmines again. The four countries, which all share a border with Russia, say their defence forces need flexibility and freedom of choice to potentially use weapons to protect their borders and bolster NATO's vulnerable eastern flank.

Dominic Velaitis for CBC News, Riga, Latvia. Prime Minister Mark Carney, having departed London overnight, has now touched down in a caloweed. He's making the visit to meet with Inuit leaders and make an announcement on Arctic security and sovereignty. Defence Minister Bill Blair and Chief of Defence Staff Jenny Caragnan are on hand with the PM. The American Kennel Club is out with its annual list of the country's most popular purebred

dogs and for the third year running, the French Bulldog is number one. With its compact size, affectionate nature, and charming personality, the club says the French Bulldog offers what many pet owners are looking for. Rounding out this year's top five are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Poodles. And that is the World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.