The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/04/20 at 08:00 EDT

Episode Date: April 20, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/04/20 at 08:00 EDT

When they predict we'll fall, we rise to the challenge. When they say we're not a country, we stand on guard. This land taught us to be brave and caring, to protect our values, to leave no one behind. Canada is on the line and it's time to vote as though our country depends on it. Because like never before, it does. I'm Jonathan Pedneau, co-leader of the Green Party of Canada. This election, each vote makes a difference. Authorized by the Registeredleader of the Green Party of Canada. This election, each vote makes a difference. Authorized by the registered agent of the Green Party of Canada.

From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Claude Fay. It's getting down to the wire for the federal party leaders as Canadians get ready to head to the polls in just eight days. Some have already cast their ballots during advance voting. The numbers have been strong. Already more than two million people have voted. Yet the parties are just still trying to roll out details of their platforms. Here's the CBC's chief political correspondent, Rosemary Barton.

I mean, I think it tells us what we kind of already knew that the people are very engaged in this election, perhaps in a way we have not seen in some time. They were motivated to vote. I should point out that in 2021, almost 5.8 million voters turned out for advance polls. That was over the course of four days. This is 2 million in just one day, to give you an idea. It also shows obviously that people are interested in having more opportunities to vote rather than just on election day. And as you mentioned, it was without voters, that number anyways,

without voters having seen any costed platforms because the liberals and the NDP only released theirs on Saturday. The conservatives say that theirs is coming in the coming days. So that also suggests to me that having these policies and all these numbers add up is perhaps not the most important thing for voters right now and not a big part of their consideration as they make their decisions. Rosemary Barton, CBC News, Ottawa. In a recorded Easter message, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky says Ukrainians know who they're fighting for and will not lose faith. But he had harsh words for Vladimir Putin.

He has accused the Russian president of not respecting his own temporary ceasefire. Freelance reporter Vilym Marks has the latest. Two very different soundtracks are playing this Easter weekend. In Ukraine's major cities like Kharkiv, air raid sirens indicate more missiles could rain down. While in Moscow, prayers are offered up during an Easter service at the city's Orthodox Cathedral, attended by President Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader had announced on Saturday an unexpected one-day ceasefire. He said in a public video he'd ordered all Russian forces to cease military activity

along their front lines in Ukraine. But Ukraine's Zelenskyy said this ceasefire was a sham and insisted the Russian army had continued attacks overnight on Ukraine's front line troops, with dozens of Russian shells fired Saturday night. He released his own Easter video on social media. Evil will have its hour, Zelenskyy said, but God will have his day. The two countries swapped hundreds of prisoners this weekend, a concession for Easter that the United Arab Emirates had brokered.

Villamar, CBC News, London. To Australia. A search and rescue helicopter scours the coastline near Sydney. At least six people have drowned there this weekend as the shore was pounded by huge swells. The remnants of tropical cyclone Tam are stirring up waves bigger than five meters in some parts. Many of those killed were swimming or fishing off the rocks. Stephen Pearce heads up a New South Wales lifeguard organization. In all my time at Surfly Saving I've never seen a start to this long weekend with the amount of confirmed drownings and potential drownings that we've seen.

The search continues for some missing people. Officials say all the drownings were preventable if people had heeded the warnings. At the Vatican, Pope Francis waves to those gathered in St. Peter's Square as he prepared to deliver the Easter blessing. The pawn have made a brief appearance, drawing cheers from the crowd of thousands. Francis briefly met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who is spending the holiday in Rome with his family.

The 88-year-old Francis is still recovering from double pneumonia that kept him hospitalized for weeks. Canada and the U.S. will renew their storied hockey rivalry on the ice today. The women will face off at the IHF World Championship in the Czech Republic shooting for gold. Canada advanced to the final yesterday routing Finland 8-1. The Americans got by host Czechia 2-1. P puck drop is set for noon Eastern time. And that is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Claude Fink.