The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/03/25 at 04:00 EDT

Episode Date: March 25, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/03/25 at 04:00 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. A Russian diplomat says talks between the United States and Russia on Ukraine were useful. The two sides met Monday in Saudi Arabia. Meantime, the Canadian military is

planning for a possible peacekeeping mission to Ukraine. It would only happen if a ceasefire is reached between Russia and Ukraine. Murray Brewster reports. Lieutenant General Steve Boivin is Canada's military operations commander. We are working off a number of assumptions and developing contingency plans. Boivin has been given the unenviable task of planning for a deployment of Canadian troops should there be a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. A ceasefire is not a give-in. Even still, in early March, Canada signaled it is willing and ready to contribute soldiers. There is broad skepticism about the coalition of the willing.

The U.S. envoy overseeing Russia-Ukraine peace talks has dismissed it outright. Defense Minister Bill Blair has said U.S. backing of the plan is critical. There's important discussions that need to take place with respect to security guarantees for Ukraine. A recent report by a Washington-based think tank has warned that given the 2,000-kilometer front line, the peacekeeping force might have to be massive, as many as 100,000 troops. Marie Brewster, CBC News, Ottawa. Now to the federal election. The Bloc Québécois is trying to sway voters after starting this campaign behind Mark Carney's

liberals in the opinion polls. As Rafi Boujikanean reports, the party is trying to seize the moment after the liberals refused to pay a $75,000 fee to take part in a French language debate. Yves-François Blanchet at a rally in Quebec City looking to mark this moment. moment, telling his supporters liberal leader Mark Carney just disqualified himself as a voice to represent Quebec, after the grids refused to pay $75,000 to take part in a French language debate that would've been hosted by the private network TVA. It in turn cancelled the event. This guy is supposed to be strong enough to face Donald Trump.

And then we say, hey, come in Quebec and discuss with us, because you want us to vote for you. Oh, I won't go. There is still one official French debate scheduled for April 16. Rafi Boujikani on CBC News, Quebec City. Measles cases are tricking upwards in Canada, but can a tracking tool from the COVID pandemic help tame the spread? Jennifer LaGrasse has more. We really don't always have a great handle on how much measles virus is circulating in

our population. But we could if only Canada was tracking the highly contagious respiratory virus in wastewater, says Eric Arts. He's a microbiology professor at London Ontario's Western University. Across Canada, there's been more than 500 reported measles cases this year, but Arts says that number is likely higher. We could identify where the measles virus might be spreading and then put in public health measures. What's devastating is that this is preventable.

Dr. Caroline Quash is a pediatric infectious disease specialist. Surveys show majority of Canadian parents want their children vaccinated. She says about 3 to 5 percent are against all types of vaccines. Though health officials say wastewater surveillance could better address this group, the tool has been scaled back across the country. The Public Health Agency of Canada's online tracker doesn't currently include measles. Jennifer LaGrasse, CBC News, Toronto. A painting of U.S. President Donald Trump hanging at the Colorado state Capitol will be taken down

after Trump complained about how his face looked, calling it purposefully distorted. The image shows a chubby-faced Donald Trump. Former Colorado state senator Kevin Grantham commissioned the painting by artist Sarah Boardman and he defends the work. Listen, this is a artist with a great reputation. She's got a great body of work. If I remember correctly from a prior conversation, she's also a Republican and a Trump supporter. The idea that anything was done with ill intent, I don't think is correct. And that is your World This Hour. I'm Neal Herland.