The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/12/22 at 13:00 EST

Episode Date: December 22, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/12/22 at 13:00 EST

From CBC News, the world this hour, I'm Martina Fitzgerald. New numbers from Health Canada suggest the country is experiencing a wave of flu cases not seen in years. And as Lisa Sching reports, along with that, hospitalizations are also on the rise. This year is an H3 and 2 season. Infectious disease specialist, Isaac Boghash, on why the country is experiencing the highest flu positivity rate in the last three seasons. He says the rise in cases is because the H3N2 strain of influenza A known for more severe infections is circulating the most.

The component that protects us against H3N2 is not as good as we'd like it to be. And that's because the virus changes with time. According to Health Canada, the country saw 27.7% of tests come back positive for the second week of December. Flu hospitalizations are increasing too. Even if the vaccine isn't as robust as health professionals wanted to be, it's still important to get the shot to protect yourself and others, says pharmacist Diana Kang. The vaccine is there to help reduce risk of getting the infection, but it is also there to help reduce severity. Experts say cases will peak around Christmas. Lisa Xing, CBC News, Toronto.

Air travel can be stressful, especially during the holidays. And as it turns out, all that stress leads to a spike in unruly behavior. CBC News has analyzed more than 300,000 aviation events over the last 25 years. Megan Fitzpatrick has details of the findings. I'm excited about Santa coming. 10-year-old Rachel Lynch not particularly stressed as she arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport this morning, but her dad Ryan says he can understand why some fellow passengers might be on edge this time of year. He wasn't surprised by CBC's findings that suggest December sees the highest

proportion of disruptive passenger reports. To me, it makes sense because the stress of the holidays, everybody's traveling, there's a lot more people. Airlines file the reports to transport Canada when someone disrupts or threatens the normal operations of a flight. Behavior can range from smoking in the bathroom to verbal abuse, physical aggression, and intoxication. About one in five cases analyzed by CBC News mentioned alcohol.

And of all the days in December, the analysis showed Christmas Day has the highest portion of disruptive passengers. Megan Fitzpatrick, CBC News, Mississauga. Prime Minister Mark Carney is appointing Mark Wiseman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S. A statement from the Prime Minister's office says Wiseman's career spans three decades in law, business and finance, and he has experience with both countries' economies, financial markets, and institutions. The appointment comes as Canada and the U.S. are locked in a trade war

and ahead of a formal review of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Denmark is denouncing the appointment of a special envoy to Greenland by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Arctic Island is a self-governing territory of Denmark. When Louisiana governor, Jeff Landry, was appointed as the new envoy on Sunday, he said it would be an honor to make Greenland a part of the U.S. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen says it is unacceptable for anyone to challenge the island's sovereignty. In a statement, Greenland's prime minister says the territory belongs to Greenlanders. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated he wants to annex the island for its mineral

resources and American security. Barry Manilow has lung cancer. The 82-year-old is postponing shows in January to undergo surgery. Manilow is a Grammy winner with a career spanning six decades. He's known for hit recordings, including Mandy, and this one, I write the songs. In a social media post, he says a recent MRI found a cancerous spot. But he says the early diagnosis means no chemo, just chicken soup, and I love Lucy reruns. And that is your world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Martina Fitzgerald.

Oh