The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/03/20 at 03:00 EDT

Episode Date: March 20, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/03/20 at 03:00 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. Federal investigators are set to release their initial findings today

after the plane crash last month in Toronto. The Transportation Safety Board is looking into the circumstances surrounding the mishap that injured more than 20 people. Delta Flight 4819 flipped upside down while landing at Pearson Airport. As Thomas Dagler reports, the incident is also at the centre of a growing number of lawsuits. At least nine was just on this plane. At least nine Canadians who say they were injured in that fiery crash last month are now suing Delta Airlines, claiming in new lawsuits filed in U.S. Federal Court that the company and its subsidiary Endeavour Air failed to properly train staff.

The plaintiffs, all passengers on that flight from Minneapolis to Toronto, blame the crash on negligence by the crew. It's the latest in a series of lawsuits filed in the case. Canada's Transportation Safety Board says it's not yet pointing to a cause. The TSB's Ken Webster previously said investigators would be examining the fuselage and the snowy runway. We've already removed the cockpit voiceage and the snowy runway. We've already removed the cockpit voice recorder, the flight data recorder, and we've sent them to our lab for further analysis. Delta hasn't yet responded in

court to the new lawsuits but recently offered each passenger $30,000 US saying the proposal comes with no strings attached. Thomas Daigle, CBC News, Toronto. Starting today, China is implementing retaliatory tariffs on Canadian agricultural products. That's in response to Canada slapping 100% tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. As Lisa Shing reports, Canadian farmers could suffer. It's devastating to our bottom line. Andre Harp, chair of the Canadian Canola Growers Association, says he's watched the value of the crop he grows drop since November.

The uncertainty of it, we can't survive without it. In effect now, China's 100% tariffs on Canadian canola oil and peas, and 25% on seafood and pork. A tit for tat after Canada followed the US, slapping corresponding tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles and steel and aluminum last fall. So, Harp is calling on the federal government to drop the EV tax, saying there may be some room to negotiate since canola seed was spared from this round of tariffs, the majority of which goes to China.

It feels like I'm sitting on a park bench between two elephants. Farmers say the federal government bolstering a loan program isn't good enough. It hasn't responded to CBC News about whether it would consider taking off the EV tariff. Lisa Sheng, CBC News, Toronto. US tariffs are pushing some Canadians to look for safe havens to ride out the storm, and more people are choosing gold. As Arthur White-Crummey reports, dealers say demand from small-scale investors is reaching pandemic-era levels.

Ten gram gold bars here. Canada Gold did brisk business during the pandemic, selling bullion from storefronts across the country. The COVID-19 shutdowns caused stock markets to tank, and Canadians gobbled up gold as a safe haven. Now, Donald Trump's tariffs are driving a new wave of economic anxiety, and CEO Tyler Whitmore says Canadians are coming back for more. We typically place one major order per month, and at the moment we're placing two orders per week. Larissa Sprott is president of Sprott Money, where sales of gold and silver are up 25%

compared to last year. She says people always look for safety when there's fear in the markets. There's a feeling of like, I actually have a physical asset. If something were to happen, I've got it on hand. TD Bank is also seeing a bump in its precious metal sales. Global head of commodity strategy Bart Melick says gold offers protection. We tend to think that gold will move fire. This week, the price of one ounce of gold neared $4,400. Arthur Whitecrummy, CBC News, Ottawa.

Iran has released a French citizen who is imprisoned for more than 880 days on security charges. The release of Olivier Grandot comes as France and the rest of Europe try to restart negotiations with Iran. And that is your World This Hour. I'm Neal Hurland.