The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/12/03 at 22:00 EST

Episode Date: December 4, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/12/03 at 22:00 EST

This ascent isn't for everyone. You need grit to climb this high this often. You've got to be an underdog that always over-delivers. You've got to be 6,500 hospital staff, 1,000 doctors, all doing so much with so little. You've got to be Scarborough. Defined by our uphill battle and always striving towards new heights. And you can help us keep climbing.

Donate at lovescarbro.cairbo. from CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Neil Hurland. Canada's new culture minister started his tenure by falling into a minefield in his home province. Now Mark Miller is defending his stance on the status of the French language after backlash from Quebec's premier. Kate McKenna has more. No, I said what I said. Official languages Minister Mark Miller isn't backing down. On his first full day in his new job as minister, he said he was fed up with how the debate about the French language is often about identity and politics.

He refused to say the French language is in decline in Quebec, saying only it is under threat and that it's weakened in North America. This foray into a deeply sensitive topic yielded a quick reaction in Quebec. Premier Francoe Lago called Miller a disgrace for all Quebecers and questioned how the new Canadian culture minister will be able to attend any Quebec events. Miller said Lago's comments hurt, but he says he has supported moves to protect the French language made by the previous Trudeau government, which he was part of. Kate McKenna, CBC News, Ottawa.

There's political turmoil tonight for the BC Conservatives. The party says it's removed its leader in a vote of no confidence. But as Yasmin Rania reports, John Rustad says he's not leaving. So I'm currently still the leader of the party. John Rustad insists nothing has changed, despite the party's board saying he was removed as leader after a vote of no confidence from the majority of the party's caucus. In a news release, the party says its board of directors decided Rustad is, quote, professionally incapacitated.

But Rustad claims that is not a constitutional mechanism that can remove him. The party says Surrey White Rock MLA, Trevor Halford, has been appointed as interim leader. Halford declined to comment on the caucus vote, saying the party now needs to work together. I think it's paramount that we get stability. But some MLAs like Corky Newfelds say they still support Rustad. Who do you consider to be the leader of your party? Right.

This is John Rustad. Wednesday's vote comes after months of rising tension within the party over Rustad's leadership. He has kicked out two MLAs and three others have resigned. from the party in the past year. Yasmin Ranea, CBC News, Vancouver. Calgary police have charged a teenage boy with creating sexualized images of teen girls using AI. Staff Sergeant Mark Ogey says the victims were all from local high schools.

He says the accused found real photos and allegedly used AI to sexualize them and then posted the images on social media. We need people to understand that this is not a joke, it's not a prank. This is the most extreme form of bullying. a criminal offense. We will take steps to stop this behavior. The boy has been charged with making, possessing, and distributing child exploitation material and with criminal harassment. There is fresh hope tonight in the fight against dementia, and it comes from an unexpected shot. As Jennifer Lagrasse reports, the shingles vaccine

may have an extra benefit. We're extremely excited about this research in my group. Dr. Pascal Geltzitzer is the lead author of a new study. out of Wales. It builds on previous findings, but now shows that a shingles vaccine may slow progression of dementia and reduce the risk of dying from the disease. Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. The vaccine used in this study contains a weakened form of the virus. Preventing a disease is one thing. Dr. Donald Weaver is a neurologist in Toronto. But being able to actually therapeutically change its natural history, its course, is something completely different.

It's unclear why the vaccine offers protection. The theory is that anything that reduces inflammation in the brain can protect against dementia. The vaccine in this study isn't available in Canada, but initial research on the one available here shows it may also lower the risk of dementia. Jennifer Lagrasa, CBC News, Toronto. And that is your world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Neil Hurland. Thank you.