The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/12/18 at 07:00 EST

Episode Date: December 18, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/12/18 at 07:00 EST

Hi, Steve Patterson here, host of The Debaters, the show where we answer your most burning questions, like, do candles deserve more appreciation? Canada's best comedians wax on about it in this week's new episode, so listen wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, The World This Hour. I'm Claude Fagg. The trade deal known as Kuzma is up for review in the new year. In recent weeks, Donald Trump's chief trade negotiator floated the possibility, that the U.S. President could walk away from the North American trade agreement.

But Prime Minister Mark Carney tells CBC that Trump hasn't given him any indications he's interested in ripping up the deal. Darren Major has more. We talked about the process for reviewing, renegotiating, Kuzma. Prime Minister Mark Carney met with his U.S. and Mexican counterparts on the sidelines of the FIFA World Cup draw earlier this month. Carney said much of their private deliberations laid out the groundwork for the upcoming Kuzma. Kuzma review. Just days after that meeting, U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer suggested it's possible Trump could tear up the agreement during the coming negotiations. Could it be exited? Yeah, it could be exited? Could it be revised? Yes. Could it be renegotiated?

Yes. Greer tabled a report to Congress just yesterday that said Trump will only commit to keeping Kuzma if changes are made. But Carney says that the president hasn't given him any indication that he's interested in leaving the deal. Rather, the prime minister says, Trump is looking for adjustments to the trade pact. The U.S. is currently imposing hefty tariffs on a number of Canadian sectors, including steel and aluminum. Carney says addressing those levies will need to be part of the Kuzman negotiations in the new year. Derrim Major, CBC News, Ottawa. The European Union has committed to finance Ukraine's war efforts over the next two years. And this morning in Brussels, it's debating how. The majority of member states support using frozen Russian assets to provide a loan

to Kyiv. But there are some detractors. Crystal Gamansing has more. Leaders have a choice today, borrow against their own budget to keep Ukraine afloat, or use some of the Russian frozen assets held mostly in Belgium. Belgium has fought against the idea, fearing legal liabilities and Russian retaliation. Victor Orban is the Prime Minister of Hungary and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. To give money means war. The issue of what the EU calls the repatriation loans runs the risk of fracturing the unity among the bloc of nations. Leaders have pledged to share any legal liabilities from using the Russian frozen assets.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen still acknowledges it will be a tough day. Most important part is that at the end of the day, we have secured the funding for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky says the decision by EU leaders must make Russia feel like its desire to continue the war next year is pointless. Crystal Gamanssing, CBC News, London. Tears and sobbing filled a Jewish funeral home in Sydney, Australia today. A funeral was held for 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest victim of the Hanukkah massacre. Fifteen people were murdered last Sunday. Rabbi Yehoram Olman delivered a eulogy for the girl.

The tragic. Totally cruel and fathomable murder of young Matilda is something that's painful to all of us as if our own daughter was taken from us. A 24-year-old is now charged in connection with the deadly attack. He's accused of 59 counts, including murder and terrorism. The federal and Ontario governments are expected to sign a deal today. It will reduce their regulatory burden on large projects, including the road to the ring of fire. Ontario finance minister Peter Bethan Falvey says both governments want to get things done faster. This is an opportunity right now to work together, to get faster permitting, to get through the red tape, to get to the yes or no for capital to have certainty to be going forward with multi-year plans. The Canadian press is reporting Ottawa has agreed to eliminate work that duplicates impact assessments for large projects.

And that could be the final piece needed to begin building three roads to, the mineral-rich ring of fire next year. Two First Nations are currently leading environmental assessments of those roads. And that is your world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Claude Fag.