The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/03/18 at 17:00 EDT

Episode Date: March 18, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/03/18 at 17:00 EDT

Hey, it's me, Michael Buble. You hear that? That's the sound of the Junos, the biggest party in Canadian music. I'll be there hosting. Sum 41 will be rocking out on stage for the last time, plus a whole lineup of amazing performances. And guess what?

You're all invited. All bring the tux, you bring the snacks. Let's make it a night to remember. Don't miss the Junos, live from Vancouver, March 30th at 8 Eastern on CBC and CBC Jam. From CBC News, the world is our. I'm Tom Harrington. The White House says it has taken what it calls the first step towards peace in Ukraine.

The statement comes after a highly anticipated phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Briar Stewart has the details. The call between the two leaders lasted for two and a half hours. At the end of it, Russia's president announced that he had agreed to a limited ceasefire, which would halt attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days. The White House also says that negotiations around a maritime ceasefire aimed at stopping attacks on the Black Sea will begin immediately. While Washington says these moves should be considered a step towards peace, it falls far short of what the US had been pushing for and what

Ukraine had already agreed to. A month-long truce across the entire front line. During the call, Putin pushed for a condition he's already articulated. He wants military aid to Ukraine to be stopped and the country prevented from mobilizing soldiers as part of a ceasefire deal. Demands that Kiev and its European allies will see as unacceptable. Prior steward, CBC News, London. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says from now on negotiations with Hamas will happen only under fire.

He says the overnight strikes in Gaza were just the beginning. Gaza officials say the Israeli strikes killed hundreds of Palestinians, and the United Nations is warning about the consequences of the broken ceasefire. Chris Reyes reports. Chris Reyes, UN Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, said that the UN's Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, briefed the Security Council on the aftermath. Fletcher reported, many of those killed are women and children. What is gains made during the ceasefire destroyed?

Israel is defending its actions and justifying its strikes against Hamas. Israel Deputy UN Ambassador Jonathan Miller. Instead of asking why Hamas continues to prolong this war, instead of asking these questions, certain members choose instead to malign Israel. Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour called on the council to hold Israel accountable. Stop this criminal action. Stop them from denying our people food in the month of Ramadan. Act. The U.S. sided with Israel and called on the council to condemn Hamas. The IDF confirmed that the strikes killed a Hamas leader in Gaza. Chris Reyes, CBC News, New York.

Mark Carney says his government is ready to ensure the security of Canada's North. The Prime Minister announced nearly seven billion dollars in funding on his trip to Iqaluit. Most of that is earmarked for new measures to secure the North. Canada is strong when we build constructive nation-to-nation partnerships. And it's strong when we work with Inuit, Métis and First Nations communities across the North and across the country. And that's why Canada's new government is taking action to protect the North, affirm our sovereignty, but to also develop our potential. Carney also announced more than $500 million in infrastructure funding.

It includes affordable housing investments and upgrades to multiple power facilities across the North. Canada's inflation rate saw a sharp spike last month. Statistics Canada says it jumped to 2.6 percent from 1.9 in January. Analysts say the sudden surge in consumer prices was due to the end of the federal government's two-month GST holiday. The tax was lifted on a range of products just prior to the Christmas shopping season. It was brought back into effect in the middle of February. New Brunswick's projected deficit is expected to balloon to nearly $600 million in the coming fiscal year.

This is a budget that recognizes the economic reality we are facing as a province and as a country. Finance Minister Rene Legasse says the document includes a $50 million contingency fund to deal with U.S. tariff threats. This is the first budget tabled by the Liberal government since it won election in October. Despite the financial strain, the government says it will fulfill its promise on health care. The province is boosting that department's funding by nearly $293 million.

And that is Your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Tom Harrington. Thanks for listening.