Year in review: A look at events in July 2025

A look at news events in July 2025:

1 – Canada turned 158. To celebrate, Ottawa hosted a ceremony with Prince Edward making a speech at LeBreton Flats Park. Prime Minister Mark Carney also spoke at the event on what was his first Canada Day since taking office in March. 

2 – Sean “Diddy” Combs will stay behind bars after a judge denied his bail request. The hip hop mogul was convicted of prostitution-related offences, but a jury acquitted him of the top charges in his sex crimes case. The 55-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison but the more serious charges could have landed him behind bars for life, had he been convicted. Combs has been behind bars since his arrest in September.

2 – Canada was battling about 470 wildfires in what officials said was a “severe” fire season. This year’s number of wildfires is only half of 2023’s record figure, but it’s still much higher than this point in other recent years. Alberta firefighting crews were battling more than 60 wildfires, with 18 designated as out of control. In Saskatchewan, the number of active wildfires more than tripled in the last week. An out-of-control fire was threatening Lytton, B.C., a village still rebuilding after being wiped out by another wildfire four years ago.

4 – At least 24 people were dead, and a frantic search continued for many others missing in Texas after a storm unleashed nearly a foot of rain and sent floodwaters spilling out of a local river. Authorities said the destructive force of the fast-rising waters washed out homes and swept away vehicles. Hundreds of rescues happened around Kerr County, including at least 167 by helicopter, with the total number of missing not known. However, the local sheriff said between 23 and 25 of them were girls who had been attending a Christian summer camp along the river.

6 – Roughly 40,000 fans packed Birmingham’s Villa Park soccer stadium for Ozzy Osbourne’s last-ever live performance. Hard rock royalty also turned out for the event, with the original lineup of Osbourne’s band Black Sabbath performing in front of their hometown crowd. The daylong music festival also included performances by Anthrax and Guns N’ Roses. The 76-year-old Osbourne, who has Parkinson’s disease, sang solo and songs with Black Sabbath while sitting on a black throne.

6 – Alejandro Kirk was named to his second all-star team, joining  Toronto Blue Jays teammate Vladimir Guerrero Junior at Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game. 

7 – Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith agreed to study new energy corridors between their provinces while increasing interprovincial trade. The pair signed two memorandums of understanding in Calgary that laid out their agreements to a feasibility study of new pipelines and rail lines between the provinces. They also laid out how Alberta and Ontario would increase the trade of alcohol and vehicles between them. 

7 – U.S. President Donald Trump began firing off letters to governments around the world threatening high tariffs unless they strike trade deals. But he also extended his own deadline for making those deals. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will sign an order delaying his threatened tariffs until Aug. 1. Canada is not targeted by those global tariffs and the Prime Minister’s Office said it was still working toward a July 21 deadline.

8 – A senior researcher at the Pew Research Center said Canada stands out as one place where views of the U.S. have changed significantly as President Donald Trump pursues his global trade war and his talk of annexation. The centre’s new poll said nearly 60 per cent of Canadians viewed the United States as a top threat – up from 20 per cent in 2019. It surveyed people in 25 countries. Many people in Europe cited Russia as the top threat, and those in the Asia-Pacific region commonly pointed to China.

8 – Hamilton, Ontario’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was announced as the cover athlete of NBA 2K26. Last season’s scoring champ and finals MVP was to be featured on the game’s standard edition. The Canadian averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and five rebounds per game, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 68-14 record. NBA 2K26 will launch in September.

9 – A report on festival and public celebrations safety said all B.C. events should get risk assessments. It was among several recommendations made by a former B.C. Supreme Court chief justice. Christopher Hinkson was appointed after a vehicle racing through a Vancouver street festival killed 11 people and injured dozens more in April. Hinkson’s report recommendations also included stronger inter-agency co-ordination and more accessible education and planning resources.

9 – Five kids in Ontario who baked a 544-kilogram Nanaimo bar claimed it was the largest one ever made. The group snatched an unofficial record set just weeks earlier, when culinary arts students at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, B.C., created a confection weighing 45 kilograms less. The fudge factory said they received some biting messages from the dessert’s namesake community after announcing the feat. The same group of Ontario kids already holds the current Guinness World Record for the largest Nanaimo bar, having baked a 240-kilogram bar in 2020.

10 – U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 35-per-cent tariffs on Canadian imports on Aug. 1. The president posted a letter sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney on social media, saying that if Canada works to stop the flow of fentanyl, he may consider a tariff adjustment. However, Trump also pointed to other issues, including supply management in the dairy sector and trade deficits, as aggravations. Canada and the U.S. had committed to working on a new economic and security agreement with a July 21 deadline for the deal.

11 – Alberta and Ottawa agreed on a $203-million project for 25 new affordable housing projects across the province. Provincial Social Services Minister Jason Nixon said the funding will see more than 2,300 affordable units built in Alberta. Federal Prairies Economic Development Minister Eleanor Olszewski said the funding is an example of what can happen when governments work together. 

11 – Boeing reached a settlement on Friday with a Canadian man whose wife and three children were killed in a deadly 2019 crash in Ethiopia. The jury trial at Chicago’s federal court had been set to start a few  days later to determine damages for Paul Njoroge of Toronto. His family was heading to Kenya in March 2019 aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 when it malfunctioned and plummeted to the ground. The wreck killed all 157 people on board. 

12 – U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was going to levy tariffs of 30 per cent against the European Union and Mexico starting Aug. 1. Trump detailed the planned tariffs in letters posted to his social media account saying it is due to fentanyl crossing the border. It’s a move that could cause massive upheaval between the U.S. and two of its biggest trading partners. Mexico’s government described the move by Trump as “unfair treatment.” Trump’s letter didn’t address if USMCA-compliant goods would still be exempt from the Mexico tariffs after the deadline, as it would be with Canada.

12 – Iga Swiatek claimed her first Wimbledon title at the All-England club, defeating Amanda Anisimova. Swiatek’s victory on a sunny afternoon at Centre Court took just 57 minutes and gave Swiatek her sixth Grand Slam title overall. She is now 6-0 in major title matches. She already had a trophy in the other major tournaments, including the French Open, U.S. Open, and Roland-Garros. 

13 – Montreal police said an alleged associate of Quebec billionaire Robert Miller, who was accused of sex crimes, was arrested. They say the 76-year-old suspect is believed to have been part of Miller’s circle. The 81-year-old Miller has denied the allegations, but now suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease, requiring around-the-clock care. A Quebec Superior Court judge recently stayed Miller’s 24 sex-related charges because he was too ill to stand trial, but stressed it was not an acquittal. 

13 – Italy’s Jannik Sinner defeated two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain to win his first Wimbledon championship. It’s the reverse of the outcome from their epic French Open final five weeks ago. Sinner earned his fourth Grand Slam title overall, moving him one away from Alcaraz’s total as the young rivals separate themselves from the rest of the pack in men’s tennis. Among those who watched the final in London today were Kate, the Princess of Wales, Prince William and two of their children. 

13 – Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup. The English soccer team dominated European champions Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final in New Jersey. U.S. President Donald Trump was at the MetLife Stadium for the game and got a smattering of boos when he was briefly shown on the mega-screen. MetLife will host the 2026 World Cup final next year. 

14 – U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to punish Russia with 100-per-cent tariffs if there was no deal to end the more than three-year war in Ukraine within 50 days. He made the announcement in Washington alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. He did not give specifics on how the tariffs would be implemented. 

14 – The U.S. Supreme Court said it would allow President Donald Trump to put his plan to dismantle the Education Department back on track. The move will see nearly 1,400 employees laid off. The court paused an order from U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston, who issued a preliminary injunction reversing the layoffs and calling into question the broader plan. Joun says the layoffs will likely cripple the department. 

14 – Seattle Mariners’ slugger Cal Raleigh won Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby this year. With his dad pitching to him and his brother catching last night, this season’s home run leader blasted out 54 homers in all, and beat Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero 18-15 in the final round to take the $1 million prize.

14 – An Indian-born runner who was believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner died at age 114 after being hit by a car. Local media in India say Fauja Singh sustained severe head injuries in a hit-and-run incident while he was crossing the road. Singh became the oldest man to run a full marathon in 2011 at the age of 100 in Toronto. 

15 – The first-ever visitors to the International Space Station from India, Poland and Hungary arrived back on Earth. The private crew splashed down in the Pacific off Southern California to wrap up a two-week mission aboard a SpaceX capsule. The flight was chartered by Axiom Space. Each country paid $65 million apiece for the mission, which was commanded by veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who is now with Axiom.

15 – A Calgary police officer was charged with two counts of second-degree murder. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said the charges were linked to the fatal shooting of two people after a slow speed pursuit in 2023. At the time, police had said the situation’s “rapidly changing dynamics” led one officer to shoot the occupants of a stolen cube van. The officer charged appeared in court and was released on bail with conditions. The charged officer had 13 years of service with Calgary police at the time of the shooting.

16 – Prime Minister Mark Carney said a new 25 per cent tariff on all steel originating in China will take effect by the end of the month. He travelled to Hamilton, Ont., to announce measures to protect the Canadian steel industry in wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s global trade war. Carney said Canada will also impose import quotas based on the amount of steel imported from each country last year. There are no immediate changes to U.S. counter tariffs as Canada works toward a new economic deal with the United States by Aug. 1.

17 – Some First Nations leaders left a meeting with the prime minister early, frustrated at what they feel is a lack of engagement. Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Grand Chief Cody Diabo said chiefs expected time to connect with the prime minister and cabinet ministers. He calls the meeting “a facade” and says it was neither engagement nor consultation. Prime Minister Mark Carney promised the meeting to hear First Nations’ concerns with the government’s major projects law.

18 – British Columbia’s health minister said a 10-year-old girl with a rare disease shouldn’t suffer because experts disagree. The province had cut off funding for a drug that costs $1 million per year. Vancouver Island 10-year-old Charleigh Pollock is the only person in B.C. with Batten Disease. Health Minister Josie Osborne “sincerely” apologized to the girl’s family and said the drug’s funding has been restored.

19 – Police said nearly two dozen victims and the driver in a vehicle ramming on the streets of L.A. were taken to hospitals and trauma centres. City officials revealed that a crowd of people waiting to enter a nightclub along a busy boulevard early this morning was hit. Officers said when they arrived they had to stop bystanders attacking the driver, who was later found with a gunshot wound. A street vendor whose food cart was crushed by the car said a fight broke out near the venue before the ramming.

20 – Scottie Scheffler dominated the British Open, leading by as many as seven shots and closing with a 68 to win by four shots. It was Scheffler’s second major win of the year after the PGA Championship. He now moves on to the U.S. Open next year with a chance to complete the Grand Slam. Canadian Corey Conners finished eight shots back of Scheffler to be tied for 10th.

21 – Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said her communities need to be equity partners in any major projects that move forward on traditional territory. Indigenous communities took issue with recently passed provincial and federal laws aimed at fast-tracking major infrastructure projects to stimulate the economy. Woodhouse Nepinak said it was important that First Nations leaders and premiers meet as equals and have conversations that protect First Nations’ rights. She joined Canada’s premiers at the start of their three-day meeting in central Ontario and says today’s conversations were productive.

22 – Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had a productive meeting with the country’s premiers about the state of trade negotiations with the United States. He said his government will only accept the best trade deal for Canada. Canada-U.S.

22 – The Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, died at 76 years old. The gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of Black Sabbath died only a few weeks after his farewell show. No cause of death was given but Osbourne revealed he had Parkinson’s disease in 2020 after suffering a fall. Black Sabbath’s 1969 self-titled debut has been likened to the Big Bang of heavy metal – arriving at the height of the Vietnam War and breaking up the hippie party.

24 – Hulk Hogan died at age 71. Florida police confirmed the death of one of the biggest stars in WWE history after officers responded to a call about a cardiac arrest. The mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years. He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

24 –  Five former world junior hockey team members accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a London, Ont. hotel room were found not guilty. In announcing her ruling, the judge said she wasn’t satisfied that the cases against Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote were proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

24 – After more than 60 hours trapped underground, three B.C. mine workers were rescued. Red Chris mine operator Newmont Corp. said the three men – contractors for the B.C.-based Hy-Tech Drilling – were safely brought to the surface. The trio were reported to be in good health and spirits.

25 – Much Rewind has launched on YouTube as an archive of MuchMusic’s celebrity interviews. Early uploads include Much VJ interviews with Missy Elliott, Christina Aguilera and Eminem. Shorter clips from some interviews will be posted on Instagram and TikTok.

26 – A mass stabbing at a Walmart sent 11 people to the hospital in Traverse City, Mich. Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said investigators believe it was a random act and that the 42-year-old male suspect in custody acted alone. Shea wouldn’t offer a motive for the attack with a folded knife, only saying the man appears to be a Michigan resident. The Sheriff’s office also says people in the store assisted in apprehending the suspect and treating the victims. Officers say all 11 people are being treated at the region’s largest hospital in northern Michigan, four in serious condition. Authorities in Michigan are seeking charges of terrorism and assault with intent to murder against the suspect. 

26 – Toronto gave Canadian pop icon The Weeknd a key to the city as the star returns to his hometown to play four shows. Toronto Mayor Oliva Chow presented the ceremonial honour to the Scarborough-born singer in recognition of how he has “reshaped modern music” and supported health and humanitarian causes. The Grammy Awards winner said he’s honoured to receive the key to the place where he found his voice, adding he’s committed to helping the next generation find theirs. 

26 – The Canadian government condemned Hong Kong’s law enforcement authorities after they issued bounties on 19 pro-democracy activists, some of whom live in Canada. The reaction from Ottawa came after Hong Kong police announced warrants and rewards for the activists accused of contravention of a national security law for their roles in promoting self-determination in the Chinese region. In a joint statement, Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Canada would not tolerate “transnational repression abroad.” Vancouver-based activist Keung Ka-wai — whose name is on the new warrant list — says he is grateful to hear about the support from the federal government.

27 – At least 21 people were shot dead this morning in an attack on church premises in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Officials say the attack was carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force, a group of rebels backed by the Islamic State. There are also reports of at least three charred bodies, as several nearby houses and shops were set alight. 

27 – The European Union averted a trade war with the United States after agreeing to a framework setting a 15 per cent tariff on most goods entering America. U.S. President Donald Trump said the EU has agreed to buy $750 billion worth of American energy, invest $600 billion more than it already has in the U.S. and make a major military equipment purchase. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the energy purchases would be over the next three years and would help ease the dependence on natural gas from Russia among the bloc’s countries. She said both sides agreed on “zero for zero tariffs on a number of strategic products,” like all aircraft and component parts, certain chemicals and generic drugs as well as some agricultural products, natural resources and critical raw materials. However, Trump says a 50 per cent tariff on European steel would remain. Other deals have also been announced for Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. 

28 – Prime Minster Mark Carney said the government is cutting several Atlantic Canada travel fees to bring Canadians closer together. Speaking in P.E.I., Carney said the government’s total annual costs of the various reductions in fares and tolls will be about $100 million. But he predicted the changes would generate increased traffic and lower the cost of living. Among the fees set to drastically go down as of Aug. 1 is the toll for an average vehicle crossing the Confederation Bridge linking P.E.I. to Canada’s mainland.

29 – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she wanted the province’s electoral officer to approve a proposed referendum question on separation without court delays. The question asks if Alberta should become a sovereign country and leave Canada. Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure announced he had referred the proposed question to the courts so a judge could decide if the question contravenes Canada’s Constitution. Smith and Justice Minister Mickey Amery say red tape shouldn’t stop Albertans from starting the petition process.

30 – Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said the governing council came to a clear consensus in deciding to hold its key interest rate steady at 2.75 per cent. Macklem said Canada’s economy has yet to deteriorate sharply in the face of U.S. tariffs with underlying inflation showing some stubbornness amid trade uncertainty. 

30 – Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations this September. Carney said Palestinian statehood depends on Hamas being excluded from next year’s elections. The announcement came as at least 48 Palestinians were killed while waiting for food at an Israeli-controlled crossing in the Gaza Strip. The Shifa Hospital reports dozens more Palestinians were wounded amid the chaos.

31 – Canadian aid was being airdropped into Gaza after Israel loosened its restrictions on food and medicine reaching the Palestinian territory. It came after Ottawa announced its intention to recognize Palestinian statehood a day prior. There’s been international outcry over starvation in Gaza. Ottawa and Canadian charities urged Israel to allow truckloads of aid into Gaza to be distributed through the United Nations after hundreds were shot dead at Israeli-run aid sites.

31 – A Nova Scotia First Nation said it was launching a seafood market this year. It’s part of the Glooscap First Nation’s economic plan to keep profits from its businesses in the community. The First Nation’s investment arm said the seafood market will feature local products caught and processed by its members. The market is expected to create 30 jobs once it opens later this year.

31 – U.S. President Donald Trump signed off on an executive order pushing 35 per cent levies on Canada beginning Aug. 1. Earlier, the president said he hasn’t spoken to Canada, although he suggested Prime Minister Mark Carney may have tried to reach out.