The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/08/16 at 15:00 EDT

Episode Date: August 16, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/08/16 at 15:00 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 Gina Louise Phillips.

After months of failed negotiations, federal jobs minister Patty Haidu is intervening in the dispute between Air Canada and its flight attendants. She's ordering an end to the strike and the airlines lockout and imposing binding arbitration on the outstanding issues. Michelle Song has more. About 12 hours after Air Canada flight attendants walked off the job, Federal jobs minister, Patty Heidu, ordered flight attendants back to work. She says Canadians have already sacrificed too much during a period of economic uncertainty. It is clear that the parties are not any closer to resolving some of the key issues that remain, and they will need help with an arbitrator.

Just yesterday, the union declined Air Canada's proposal for binding arbitration. But now, with no deal and a lockout, Heidu says she has to step in. But critics worry the use of this legislation will impact workers' rights. I absolutely reject the notion that our government is anti-union. The main sticking points for flight attendants are wages and unpaid groundwork. Time before and after a flight in which they're expected to work but are not paid. And QP says Haidu's decision sets a terrible precedent. Michelle Song, CBC News, Toronto.

Three major wildfires continue to burn out of control in Newfoundland and Labrador. On the one hand, better weather is helping, but at the same time, more evacuation alerts were issued today. Heather Gillis has the latest. About 150 people in the community of freshwater, just south of the Kingston Fire in Conception Bay North, are now under evacuation alert, as northerly winds could push flames in their direction. But there was little change in the fire overnight. It's still out of control, estimated at about 95 kilometers square. Friday's light rain and today's cooler temperatures are helping.

Water bombers were delayed this morning due to low cloud ceilings, but they plan a heavy aerial attack this afternoon. The fire has destroyed at least 100 homes and buildings, including a school. Today, officials have been continuing to assess the damage and notify people who have lost their homes. Meanwhile, evacuees near the Paddy's Pawn fire burning in St. John's returned home last night, but tens of thousands of people near both fires remain under a state of emergency, because the fires still not contained.

Heather Gillis, CBC News, St. John's. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky will be hoping for a productive meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. He's heading to the White House on Monday to discuss Trump's summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Ukrainians had hoped Trump would pressure Putin into a ceasefire, but that no longer seems to be the plan. Lisa Sching reports. At a church service in the city, In Zaporizia, Ukraine, there's disappointment in the outcome of U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. We will keep suffering.

Bombs will keep falling on us, says Chaplain Victor Katch. On social media, Trump changed his message, saying the best way to end the war is to go directly to a peace agreement, not a mere ceasefire. This morning, European leaders are reiterating any deal must involve security guarantees for Ukraine. But on Fox News, Trump suggested the country will have to bend. Russia is a very big power, and they're not. After his call with Trump, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky continued to call for a real and lasting peace. Zelensky and potentially some European leaders will meet with Trump in Washington Monday.

Lisa Xing, CBC News, Washington. BC is going to provide $2.5 million in funding to help poultry farmers reduce the risk their flocks will get avian flu. The program will help egg and poultry producers equip their barns with tools such as air filters and ultraviolet light systems. And that is the world this hour. Remember, you can listen to our podcast anytime.

We update every hour, seven days a week. You can also listen to us anytime on voice-activated devices like Amazon Echo or Google Home. For CBC News, I'm Gina Louise Phillips. Thank you.