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

Episode Date: December 18, 2025

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

There are two kinds of Canadians, those who feel something when they hear this music. And those who've been missing out so far. I'm Chris Howden. And I'm Neil Kuksal. We are the co-hosts of As It Happens. And every day we speak with people at the center of the day's most hard-hitting, heartbreaking, and sometimes hilarious news stories. Also, we have puns.

Here Why As It Happens is one of Canada's longest running in most beloved shows. You can find us wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Claude Faye. The federal and Ontario governments say they're streamlining approvals for infrastructure and resource projects. The agreement will see proposed projects no longer subject to federal impact assessment. Instead, the projects would only need approval through the Ontario environmental assessment process. Prime Minister Mark Carney says this reduces duplication in the assessment phase.

By working together, we'll be providing greater certainty to builders so we can turbocharge the construction of the infrastructure Ontario and Canada needs to build our economy strong. Carney says increased regulation over the past two decades has suppressed business investment growth by 10%. The two governments also agreed to complete assessments of road construction to the ring of fire region by June of next year. I took this decision solely out of a sense

of duty for my party, for Quebec, and for my country. Pablo Rodriguez made it official today announcing his resignation as the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party. Pressure had been mounting after allegations surfaced that some liberals were paid a cash vote to vote for him in last summer's leadership race. Today Rodriguez repeatedly said he had done nothing illegal or unethical, but he'd become a distraction at a time when the party needed to concentrate on winning the next election. The Quebec Liberal Party is bigger than annual us. It has weather storms.

It has risen time and time again, and it will rise again. Quebecers go to the polls on October 5th next year. Donald Trump is promising Americans an economic boom, the likes of which the world has never seen. The U.S. President addressed the nation in a year-end televised speech last night. His forecast of the future comes, as some polls suggest, he's taking a hit. Most of that is due to the rising cost of living. Willie Lowry reports from Washington.

In many ways, this was a classic Trump speech. The U.S. president speaking for just 18 minutes, relatively brief for him, but spending much of that time railing against the Biden administration, blaming the former president for much of what he believes is wrong with the U.S. I inherited a mess, and I'm fixing it. When I took office, inflation was the worst in 48 years, and some would say in the history of our country, which caused prices to be higher than ever before, making life unaffordable for millions and millions of Americans. Trump kept the focus primarily on domestic issues, though he touted his foreign policy achievements, mostly helping to end or quiet conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. The speech felt harried at times as he rushed through his list of achievements

and sought to convince Americans that the economy was back on track. Willie Lowry, CBC News, Washington. Meanwhile, the U.S. says it will sell a massive package of weapons to Taiwan. The arms are worth more than $10 billion. They include military software, medium-range missiles, howitzers, and drones. The State Department says the sale is in the United States' economic and security interests. but China is slamming the move.

A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry says the sale undermines national security and sends the wrong message to pre-independence forces. Beijing has become increasingly aggressive towards Taiwan, insisting it must reunify with the mainland. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a plan to fight anti-Semitism. After gunmen opened fire at a Jewish event in Sydney, on Sunday, killing 15 people. The Attorney General and Minister for Home Affairs

will develop a package of legislative reforms to crack down on those who spread hate, division, and radicalization. It will target people who preach a religious hate speech that promotes violence and increased penalties. It will also make hate an aggravating factor in sentencing people who make online threats

and harassment. And that is your world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Claude Fagic. Thank you.