The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/08/15 at 11:00 EDT

Episode Date: August 15, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/08/15 at 11:00 EDT

We are gathered here today to celebrate life's big milestones. Do you promise to stand together through home purchases, auto-upgrades, and surprise dents and dings? We do. To embrace life's big moments for any adorable co-drivers down the road. We do. Then with the caring support of Desjardin insurance, I pronounce you covered for home, auto, and flexible life insurance. For life's big milestones, get insurance that's really big on care at Dejardin.com slash care. from cbc news the world this hour i'm claude fagg u.s president donald trump is on route to

alaska where he'll meet with russian president vladimir putin trump's looking to end the war in ukraine aboard air force one reporters asked if territorial swaps are on the table trump said that's not up to him they'll be discussed but i've got to let ukraine make that decision. And I think they'll make a proper decision. But I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get him at a table. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky says he hopes the discussions open up a path to what he's calling just peace, adding it's time to end the war in that Ukraine is counting on the U.S. The meeting between Trump and Putin is happening against the backdrop of a rapidly shifting economy in Russia. After launching his invasion of Ukraine, Putin plowed largely.

amounts of money into the country's military, stimulating the economy and driving up wages and production. But lately, the country's GDP has been falling. Chris Brown has more. In Moscow, grocery prices are soaring. After three years of heavy government spending on the war, inflation is now biting. Outside the Kremlin, people were hoping this leader summit can change that. The war is dragging on and the economy is falling, said Yevgen. I'd like the conflict to be resolved. I'd like them to agree on ending the special military operation, said another woman, Anastasia.

Russia's energy sales, especially oil, and especially to China, have been crucial. But Trump has threatened secondary sanctions on countries like India for buying Russian oil. Russian families have received sizable government payouts for having their fathers, partners, and sons sign up and fight in Ukraine, payouts that have thus far helped mute a significant backlash against Russia's estimated 1 million war casualties. Chris Brown, CBC News, London. Air Canada is expecting to cancel hundreds of flights today as a strike deadline looms.

The airline's flight attendants could walk off to job early Saturday morning unless they can reach a last-minute deal with their employer. Passengers with upcoming flights are watching closely like Martin Parent, who hopes to fly from Montreal to Newfoundland next week with his daughter competing in track and field at the Canada Summer Games. Well, I'm extremely upset. So she's qualified.

We've been thinking about this for the last four months. She's trained. And now, you know, it's just my wife and I. And we both said that we were going to be there. Like we booked our hotels months ago. Flight's the same thing. So it's extremely nerve-wracking because we have no clue if we're going to be able to make it.

Air Canada has asked the federal government to step in and send the dispute to binding arbitration. The union representing the flight attendants is expected to respond to the request by noon eastern today. Residents in Conception Bay North and Newfoundland are starting to hear whether their homes were destroyed by wildfire. The Kingston wildfire has grown to more than 9,000 hectares in size and has burned about 100 homes in the area. Newfoundland Premier John Hogan gave an update earlier this morning. People in Conception Bay North area are starting to receive word from their municipalities and the RCMP about structure losses that are impacting their communities. So to those who

have received that terrible unfortunate news who have lost their homes, our thoughts are with you all. Hogan says firefighters hope to get six water bombers and a heavy capacity helicopter airborne later today as long as the cloud ceiling lifts to allow the aircraft to take off. Meanwhile, Fire crews on Vancouver Island are hoping heavy rain in the forecast will help them get a raging fire under control. The Mount Underwood Fire, just south of the city of Port Alburny, has been growing in size this week. More than 500 properties in the area are still without power due to the fire. But over on the mainland, the south coast is under a rainfall warning. Environment Canada says up to 80 millimeters could fall in just a day.

The weather service warns the rains could bring flash flood. And that is your world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Claude Fade.