The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/04/16 at 12:00 EDT

Episode Date: April 16, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/04/16 at 12:00 EDT

Readers have been waiting for a new novel from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for 12 years. On my podcast Bookends, Chimamanda tells me what was happening behind the scenes, about the sudden loss of both of her parents and how her mother's spirit brought her back to fiction. Sometimes I do not even want to talk about my mother because I get ridiculously emotional. But she kind of helped me start writing because she realized that I might go mad if I wasn't... If the thoughts all had to stay inside. Search for bookends with Matea Roach to hear the rest of that conversation. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Mandi Sham. The Bank of Canada is taking a wait and see approach on

interest rates. After seven consecutive monthly cuts, it is now leaving its lending rate unchanged at 2.75%. Peter Armstrong has more. The Bank of Canada is struggling with many of the same things the rest of us are, namely all this uncertainty. Just consider how the Bank of Canada began its explanation of this decision. It says, the major shift in direction of U.S. trade policy and the unpredictability of tariffs have increased uncertainty, diminished prospects for economic growth and raised inflation expectations. The bank forecasted two distinct scenarios, one where the trade war remains rather limited in scope, where growth cools but only temporarily, but also a scenario where it lasts longer and bites deeper. In that scenario, Canada dives into a recession and inflation surges.

So in a way, the bank is saying it wants to save any changes it may make to interest rates until it sees how this trade war actually unfolds. Peter Ernst on CBC News, Toronto. The first of two leader debates happens tonight in Montreal, this one in French. But one leader won't be taking part. This morning the Green Party's Jonathan Pedneau had his invitation withdrawn. He is calling it undemocratic. It follows a coordinated campaign by the Bloc Québécois and Conservative commentators,

people who are less interested in informing Canadians than they are in protecting their political turf. They're afraid. And they're afraid not of chaos or confusion, but they're afraid of a clear voice that's calling for change and that's fighting for Canadians. Debate organizers withdrew the Queen's invitation to participate, saying the party was not fielding a full slate of candidates. The party says that was a strategic decision to avoid vote splitting in writings that may have led to a conservative victory. The debate starts at

6 p.m. Eastern time. It was moved up two hours to avoid a conflict with the Montreal Canadiens game. The number of cross-border travelersllers going from Canada to the US dropped dramatically in March. That's according to the US Customs and Border Protection. The agency says nearly 900,000 fewer people entered the US from Canada compared to the same period last year. That's a 17% decline in travel. Observers say it's largely driven by Donald Trump's trade war, Canada

bashing and 51st state taunts. March is typically one of the busiest months for US bound travel with many people heading south for spring break. The UK Supreme Court has ruled on the legal definition of a woman. The High Court determined is based on a person's sex at birth. But the judges emphasised trans people still have existing legal protections against discrimination. Anna Cunningham has more. For Women Scotland, the group that led this legal appeal celebrating outside the UK Supreme Court. They appealed to the UK's highest court after a long runningrunning battle with the Scottish government. Their dispute was over its argument that transgender people with a gender recognition certificate are entitled to sex-based protections.

Judge Hodge says the ruling was unanimous. The terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. The UK government says this legal ruling provides clarity for services including hospitals and sports clubs. But for the trans community across the UK, it could have far-reaching consequences. Anna Cunningham, CBC News, London. The Ukrainian parliament has extended martial law in the country until August. It allows the Ukrainian government to continue mobilising troops. It also allows for the ongoing suspension of the

elections. Just one of Ukraine's 357 parliamentarians voted against the extension. Martial law was initially declared in February of 2022, shortly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. And that is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Mandi Shamm.