The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/04/17 at 15:00 EDT

Episode Date: April 17, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/04/17 at 15:00 EDT

1942, Europe. Soldiers find a boy surviving alone in the woods. They make him a member of Hitler's army. But what no one would know for decades, he was Jewish. Could a story so unbelievable be true? I'm Dan Goldberg. I'm from CBC's personally, Toy Soldier. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, the world this hour, I'm Julianne Hazelwood. The second of two federal leaders debates happens tonight. And again, the Green Party won't be taking part. But that's not stopping it from getting its message out. David Thurton reports on the Green climate

plan. We will end, and it is high time we do so, the era of fossil fuels. Not in 10 generations, but now. Green Party leader Jonathan Pedno says his party would fast track the transition away from oil and gas. Instead, Greens would focus on large-scale wind, solar and hydroelectricity generation. As for zero emission nuclear power, Pedneau says the world doesn't need another Chernobyl nuclear disaster. I was in Ukraine myself in 2022 when the Russians were invading and we had fears about not just,

of course, about Chernobyl. I don't think anyone wants to live next to a nuclear plant in this unstable world right now, especially not when we have so many other resources we can bank on. Headless says the Greens would instead direct federal funding to renewables. David Thurton, CBC News, Montreal. Tune in tonight for a CBC Radio News special on the federal leaders English language debate. Susan Bonner and P. H. Hattapattai will bring you full coverage along with analysis and the leaders Q&A sessions with reporters after the debate. And then it's your chance to

weigh in during a special edition of Cross Country Checkup with Ian Hannemancing. It all gets underway 7pm Eastern on CBC Radio and the CBC News app. Ontario's premier says he's going to streamline mining permits and speed up resource development, including in the so-called Ring of Fire. Doug Ford says the move will help protect the economy from Donald Trump's tariffs and create new jobs in northern Ontario's mineral-rich region. We believe in moving forward, creating economic opportunities for First Nations, for northern communities, for all of Ontario. We have the critical minerals the world wants.

We're going to get them out of the ground by Ontarians. We're going to refine them right here in Ontario by Ontarians. And then we're going to ship them around the world. The new bill gets rid of several environmental assessments and many First Nations say they're concerned about plans to mine their traditional land without their consent. Premier Ford says the goal is to cut red tape, not avoid meaningful consultations with First Nations. Ontario has added another 109 confirmed and probable cases of measles to its tally. The growth over the last week brings the total number of cases in the outbreak to 925. Ontario Public Health says the continuing spread is mainly due to transmission among people who haven't been immunized. Alberta is also reporting an increase in measles with

83 cases confirmed. Meanwhile, Quebec may report its outbreak over if no new cases are reported by Saturday. In this very galaxy, far, far away lies a planet that scientists say has a remarkable chemical signature, one that could be made by living organisms. Science reporter Anand Ram has more. This moment in history of science will be viewed as a paradigm shift. Nikku Mathusuthin isn't shy about what his latest research could mean. He's with the University of Cambridge and suggests new data from a planet more than 120 light-years away carries signs of life.

We have found signs of biosignature molecules, both of which are produced uniquely by life here on Earth. The planet, K2-18b, is thought to be an ocean world. The smelly signal detected is dimethyl sulfide, produced here on Earth by cabbage and marine algae. I understand that publics are necessarily excited. But scientists urge caution. Yanqin Wu studies the makeup of exoplanets at the University of Toronto. Once the signal is confirmed, we have to figure out whether it's made by life exclusively.

Confirmed or not, Wu expects more discoveries like this as the James Webb Space Telescope uncovers endless worlds that we never knew existed. Anand Ram, CBC News, Toronto. And that is your World This Hour. Remember, you can listen to us wherever you get your podcasts updated every hour, seven days a week. And for news anytime visit our website cbcnews.ca. For CBC News, I'm Julianne Hazel Wood.