The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/05/16 at 13:00 EDT

Episode Date: May 16, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/05/16 at 13:00 EDT

So our podcast House Party was supposed to end right after the election, but we're really not done with the party yet. Yeah, there's way too much to talk about still with the new government and everything. That's right. House Party is now going until the end of June and I am excited to keep nerding out about politics with you guys. I'm Catherine Cullen. I'm Daniel Thibault. And I'm Jason Markossoff. And you can find House Party in the feed for the house wherever you get your podcasts.

From CBC News, the world this hour, I'm Julianne Hazelwood. The jury at the sexual assault trial of five former world junior hockey players has been discharged. That means the judge alone will determine the outcome of the case. Her decision was informed by a note sent by a juror. It expressed concerns that some defense lawyers reportedly whispered and laughed while appearing to discuss the jury. In response, defense teams cited potential prejudice that the jurors may have against them could jeopardize a fair trial. Both the Crown and defense have agreed to the change. All five men have

pleaded not guilty to the alleged sexual assault in London, Ontario in 2018. Several Manitoba communities are hoping for rain to provide some relief as wildfires burn across the province. Strong winds and dry weather have made firefighting conditions difficult. Two people have died and hundreds have been forced to evacuate across Manitoba's southeast, including in the rural municipality of Piney. But Councillor Ken Prosu says the weather is starting to shift. All of a sudden we could feel the temperature drop. I don't know how many degrees. So we knew the rain was coming.

And then all of a sudden the skies just opened up. It was a blessing. And then it just changed everything. Provincial officials say there are 21 active fires in the province. They're hopeful the rain will continue. Israel has launched dozens of airstrikes across northern and southern Gaza, killing nearly 100 people. There are reports Israeli forces are also attacking by ground and sea, and Israeli officials are telling Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate immediately, raising fears of

a wider offensive. They say the strikes are aimed at terrorist targets and are intended to raise the pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages. Ukraine and Russia are agreeing to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each. Their peace negotiator struck the deal at the first face-to-face talks between the two nations in years. But as Briar Stewart reports, a ceasefire remains out of reach for now. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations pulled away from a palace in Istanbul after brief talks.

At the end, Kiev and its allies accused Russia of not wanting peace. Moscow said it was satisfied with the talks and is awaiting a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Trump had said he doubted there would be a breakthrough at the talks, saying nothing will happen until he sits down with Russia's president. Ukrainian officials said Moscow made a number of unacceptable demands, including requiring Ukraine to withdraw its troops from embattled territory before there's a ceasefire. The EU is preparing another round of sanctions against Russia, and they want the US to act too.

A bipartisan group of US senators is pushing a bill which would sanction countries that import Russian oil such as India and China. Briar Stewart, CBC News, London. The annual Michelin Guide has arrived in Quebec. Nine restaurants were awarded coveted stars. Kobino Odiro has more details. On the 2nd tour! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Quebec City's La Tanière is now only the second restaurant in Canada to get a two-star honour.

One Michelin describes as, we're taking a trip detour to go eat at. And it's an honour they are savouring. Michelin describes chef François-Emmanuel Nicolle as avant-garde. It's a great honor. From day one, it was always the goal to put Quebec culture in the eyes of the world, and I think today is a big win. This is the first Michelin guide in Quebec. In total, nine restaurants were given Michelin stars when the guide dropped. Three restaurants from Montreal now have stars, including Sabayan. Co-owner and chef Patrice Demer says his restaurant is unique. But we never thought we would get a star here.

In total, 102 Quebec restaurants are now recognized by the world-renowned Michelin guy. Kubino Duro, CBC News, Montreal. And that is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Julianne Hazelwood.