The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/12/23 at 06:00 EST

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/12/23 at 06:00 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 it's the world this hour i'm joe cummings in what is the largest bombardment in months ukrainian officials say russia fired more than 600 drones and three dozen missiles into ukraine overnight the widespread attack continued for hours with at least three people being killed including a four-year-old child Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky says the barrage has destroyed homes and knocked out the power grid across 13 regions of the country. Zelensky says the bombardment just before Christmas and during peace talks is a, quote, clear signal of Russian priorities. All this says Canada's operational military command is looking at the possibility of establishing permanent bases in Latvia.

It is one potential solution to keep the country's NATO deployment in the Baltic region, the long term. Murray Brewster has more. We're looking at every option, very much understanding that we've got a limited number of troops. Lieutenant General Steve Bovin is in charge of Canada's military operations, at home and abroad. He says planners under his command have embarked on a study about how to keep the deployment in Latvia going until 29. We're looking at whether it would make sense to permanently base people forward. Bovain underlines, however, no decision has been made. No recommendations have gone to the chief of the defense staff or the government on the notion of permanent basing. Right now, about 2,200 Canadian troops cycle through Latvia

roughly every six months, a costly, time-consuming exercise that means there are very few soldiers left over for other missions. At least one other NATO ally, Germany, has already embraced the idea and plans to have troops permanently stationed in Lithuania by 2027. Murray Brewster. CBC News, Ottawa. A BC family says Flair Airlines wouldn't let them on a flight they'd paid for, citing a Transport Canada policy that the regulator says doesn't exist. Tanya Fletcher reports. What am I going to do?

Rebecca Colson describes the moment her family was blocked from boarding a Flair Airlines flight from Abbotsford to Toronto. She and her husband traveling with a baby and two dogs. After a smooth check-in, they were suddenly denied. boarding at the gate. Flair's reason, a policy stating that each adult can only travel with either one infant or one pet. They said this policy is very internal, so internal that it's not on their website. The airline told CBC News, if an infant and pet are traveling together, Transport Canada regulations require that each be accompanied by a separate adult. Transport Canada maintains that's not the case, saying, quote, there are no Transport Canada requirements related to

passengers traveling with both infants and pets. However, individual airlines may have their own policies or restrictions. The family wound up flying with Air Canada instead. Flair has since clarified its policy online and agreed to pay some compensation. Tanya Fletcher, CBC News, Vancouver. Thanks to the Trump administration's tariff campaign, it's been a difficult year, to say the least, for Canada's automotive sector. But in Windsor, a reimagined classic is sparking some optimism. Emma Loop explains. That's the Canadian-built muscle car that's turning heads across the continent. The reborn Dodge Charger six-pack is assembled in Windsor, but is racking up awards in the U.S. It's won top-gearsed U.S. car of the year and the Detroit News' vehicle of the year.

The 550 horsepower six-pack started rolling off the line in Windsor earlier this month. The six-pack embodies the enduring cross-border nature of the North American auto industry. For Canada's car capital, the Reborn Charger is also a glimmer of hope. Windsor's unemployment rate was among the highest in Canada for much of the year. Mike Stevenson is from Unifor Local 444, which represents workers at the plant. Stalantis is putting these cars here in spite of the tariffs, so that's a testament to the workforce. The six-pack is now a finalist for North American car of the year. The winner will be revealed next month at the Detroit Auto Show.

Emma Loop, CBC News, Windsor. And that is The World This Hour. I'm Joe Cummings.