The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/10/21 at 04:00 EDT

Episode Date: October 21, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/10/21 at 04:00 EDT

The spirit of innovation is deeply ingrained in Canada, and Google is helping Canadians innovate in ways both big and small, from mapping accessible spaces so the disabled community can explore with confidence, to unlocking billions in domestic tourism revenue. Thousands of Canadian companies are innovating with Google AI. Innovation is Canada's story. Let's tell it together. Find out more at g.co slash Canadian Innovation. From CBC News, the world this hour.

I'm Neil Hurland. The Toronto Blue Jays are headed to the World Series. Last night, the Jays beat the Seattle Mariners in game seven of the American League Championship Series. Final score 4-3. Toronto will now face the L.A. Dodgers in the World Series starting Friday. Jamie Strasson reports. Who else, swinging a flyball to left field. That goes a Rosarena.

She's gone. Who else but George Springer? Down 3-1 in the seventh inning, the 36-year-old heart and soul of this Blue Jay team lifted a three-run home run that put the Blue Jays ahead for good, earning a spot in the World Series for the first time since 1993. I'm just so happy for everybody here, our fans, our city, our country. Springer's 381-foot blast set off a sustained frenzy.

As it has been all year, it was a team effort, all hands on deck. Pitcher Kevin Gosman, who started two games in this series, came out of the bullpen and was the winning pitcher. Next up, a date in the World Series with the storied Los Angeles Dodgers. Game one, Friday in Toronto. This is a season to remember. Jamie Strash and CBC News, Toronto. The votes are still being counted in Alberta municipal elections, but the incumbent mayor of Calgary, Joti Gondek, conceded defeat last night.

I will offer my congratulations to the winner and their team once we have a final result. Campaigns are tough, and both of the frontrunners should be very proud of their accomplishments. This year's results are taking longer because the ballots are being counted by hand. The race for Edmonton mayor is also too close to call. Japan has a new prime minister, and for the first time ever, it's a woman. Liberal Democratic Party has formed a coalition with another party to form government. We're waiting for the latest Canadian inflation numbers this morning. Economists expect to see that inflation ticked up again in August.

These numbers are key to whether the Bank of Canada is going to cut interest rates next week. Peter Armstrong reports. For a long stretch there, inflation was the single most important indicator on the economic horizon. Now, though, with a full-blown trade war with the U.S., that concern has shifted away from inflation and focused almost entirely now on growth. GDP contracted in the second quarter of this year. Exports fell 27%. Canada has dodged an outright recession so far.

And Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklam says the economy is set to recover, but not by very much. We do expect growth to resume in the second half of the year, but with weakness in business investment and exports, and uncertainty about jobs, GDP growth is likely to be soft. And in light of that softness, the Bank of Canada believes the economy needs a boost. It cut rates last month, and investors believe it will cut again next week, even if the inflation numbers today show prices are starting to climb once again. Peter Armstrong, CBC News, Toronto.

A 20-year-old musician from Calgary won a silver medal at the prestigious Chopin piano competition in Warsaw last night. The second award in the silver medal goes to Kevin Chen from Canada. Kevin Chen was one of 11 finalists. He wins the equivalent of $65,000 Canadian. American Eric Liu won gold. Here's Calgary's Kevin Chen with his final performance. And that is your world this hour.

ABC News. I'm Neil Hurland.