The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/05/31 at 03:00 EDT

Episode Date: May 31, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/05/31 at 03:00 EDT

At Desjardins Insurance, we know that when you own a law firm, your bar for everything is high. That's why our agents go the extra mile to understand your business and provide tailored solutions for all its unique needs. You put your heart into your company, so we put our heart into making sure it's protected. Get insurance that's really big on care. Find an agent today at Desjardins.com slash business coverage. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Claude Fague. Thousands of people on the prairies

are fleeing rapidly spreading wildfires, waiting to see where the wind blows flames. In Manitoba, the military is helping to fly trap people out of northern communities. And in Saskatchewan, there are growing concerns over the spread of a large fire in the north. Both provinces are under provincial states of emergency. Alexander Silberman reports. Pray for rain. Manitoba Premier Wab Kanu urging residents to remain calm in the face of widespread fires. Upwards of 17,000 people in the province now evacuated from their homes.

The past few days have been very challenging. That may continue. A wildfire is raging on the edge of Flynn Flawn, and the fear is winds could push the flames inside the city. All 5,000 people who live there have been ordered out. Evacuations are also underway in several remote northern communities. The military helping to get people out by plane. Across the border in Saskatchewan, fires are also threatening homes and forcing

evacuations. The province's largest fire, burning 305,000 hectares, a situation wildfire officials warn could get worse. Alexander Silberman, CBC News, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The wildfire situation in northwestern Ontario is getting worse. Deer Lake First Nation, near the Manitoba border, has now declared a state of emergency. Deer Lake Chief Leonard Mamakezik says an evacuation of the community's most vulnerable and all community members is underway. He says the fire has surrounded the community's airport. It got worse overnight because the wind shifted. So as of 930 or 9 o'clock this morning, just getting the paperwork done to declare a state

of emergency and do full evac with other partners in Ontario with PIAC and MNR. Meanwhile, Webakwe First Nation has also declared a state of emergency. The process of evacuating vulnerable people is underway and other residents are being asked to stay indoors and wait for more information. Donald Trump has announced that he'll double steel and aluminum import tariffs to 50 percent this coming Wednesday. He says to protect the two sectors in the United States and those he called their wonderful workers.

He made the steel announcement at a rally at a U.S. steel plant in Pennsylvania last night where he also vowed to stop any countries evading the new rate. If you don't have steel, you don't have a country. You don't have a country. You can't make a military. What are we going to do? Say, let's go to China to get our steel for the army tanks and for the boats and ships. A strong steel industry is not just a matter of dignity or prosperity and pride.

It's above all a matter of national security. The news on aluminum tariffs came later in a social media post. Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Melanie Jolie responded to the tariffs. In an online post last night, Jolie said the federal government continues to fight the quote unjustified and unlawful tariffs with retaliatory actions and strong domestic support packages. Jolie adds she has been in constant contact with steel and aluminum producers and their workers and looks forward to formal meetings with them in the next few days for what she

calls advancing their plan. To Singapore. There you are. How are you? Yes, nice to see you again. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett met with Japanese Defense Minister Jin Nakatani as part of the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore. Hegseth has warned a threat from China is real and is pushing allies in the Indo-Pacific

to spend more on their own defense needs. Today, China's Navy conducted combat readiness patrols around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Hegseth is expected to hold trilateral talks with Nakatani and Australia. And that is Your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Claude Pig.