The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/10/16 at 05:00 EDT

Episode Date: October 16, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/10/16 at 05:00 EDT

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and a digital business library full of on-demand resources. Benefit together with Chambers Plan. Learn more at hellochambers.ca. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Neil Hurland. Canadian home sales declined last month for the first time since the spring. That's according to the latest report from the Canadian Real Estate Association. But there's still some optimistic news.

Lisa Sching explains. September's home sales were down by 1.7% compared with August. That ended a series of gains that started, back in April. The reason for that slump, fewer people buying homes in cities like greater Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Montreal, but the greater Toronto area and Winnipeg, seeing sales tick up. And even though the Bank of Canada lowered interest rates in September, the Canadian Real Estate Association's senior economist, Sean Cathcart, says we might not see the effects of that rate cut until later in the fall. We certainly did see that

happened last year, where October was the month where things really sprang to life. Even with this dip, the number of sales was still up compared with the last several years. In fact, up 5.2% compared with the same time last year and the highest it's been since 2021.

Lisa Scheng, CBC News, Toronto. The leader of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, is warning U.S. President Donald Trump not to carry out CIA coups. Maduro made the comment amid rising tension between the United States and Venezuela. On Wednesday, President Trump publicly confirmed that he authorized the CIA to conduct

covert operations in Venezuela, accusing the country of sending mentally on migrants and drugs into the U.S. But when asked by a reporter if he would try to assassinate President Maduro, Trump refused to say, Oh, I don't want to answer a question like that. That's a ridiculous question for me to be given. not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn't it be a ridiculous question for me to answer? The U.S. has been blowing up Venezuelan boats that it claims are trafficking drugs. Uruguay has legalized euthanasia becoming the first country in South America

to approve assisted suicide in Parliament. The Senate in Uruguay approved euthanasia with 20 out of 31 votes, Courts in Colombia and Ecuador have decriminalized the practice, but this is the first time a legislature has approved it in the predominantly Catholic Latin America. Canada's cool climate and plentiful water is making it a prime location for artificial intelligence data centers. Canada already has more than 300 data centers,

and the industry is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to construct more. Yvette Brent reports. Every time AI is used to make a video or search facts, it uses energy and water. Data centers like this large Microsoft one under construction right now in Etobico, Ontario, can use up to a swimming pool full of water per day for cooling. But senior Microsoft Director Alistair Spears says they're working to avoid using that much water by venting in cold air. So one of the great things about building in Canada and in colder climates is that we can just use free air cooling from outside air temperatures.

Former Amazon employee in Washington water scientist Nathan Wangusi says data industry pledges to cut water consumption for cooling within the next five years don't add up. It is not possible for any of the big tech companies today to meet water positive by 2030 or even 2050 unless they go bankrupt. As the data center boom hits Canada, city staff must decide if projects are worth any resource cost to their community. Yvette Brent, CBC News, Vancouver. And finally, the Toronto Blue Jays' one. game three last night in the American League Championship series. This is Victor Robles, down to Guerrero, and that is going to do it. The Blue Jays make a statement.

The Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 13 to 4, redeeming themselves after losing two games at home this week. Seattle now leads the series two games to one. Game four is tonight in Seattle. And that is your world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Neil. Herland.