World Report - July 30: Wednesday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: July 30, 2025

Bank of Canada leaves interest rate unchanged at 2.75%. Tsunami advisories and warnings cancelled in BC and western United States, but Chile is on red alert. Canada is considering recognizing Palestinian statehood. Ticks that can potentially spread sickness move into new territory across Canada. Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot hosts tense debate ahead of next month's by-election. US President Donald Trump says he will impose a 25 per cent tariff on all goods from India, as of August 1st. More heavy rain expected in Beijing, as people in China's capital deal with flooding. Thousands line the streets of Birmingham, England, for Ozzy Osbourne's funeral procession.

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This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report. Good morning. I'm Marcia Young. The Bank of Canada is leaving its overnight interest rate unchanged. That was the prediction from many economists. Uncertainty still lingers over what will happen with Canada-U.S. trade talks. Our senior business reporter, Nisha Patel, has more. For the third time in a row, the Bank of Canada,

held its key interest rates steady at 2.75%. The bank says there's still pressure in underlying inflation, and while U.S. tariffs are disrupting trade, the Canadian economy is showing resilience. Amid the ongoing uncertainty, GDP in the second quarter likely fell 1.5%. The bank says if the current tariff scenario remains, economic growth will pick up to 1% in the second half of the year. But if the trade war escalates, GDP will continue to contract. Bank of Canada Governor Tiff MacLam. If a weakening economy puts further downward pressure on inflation and the upward price pressures from trade disruption are contained,

there may be a need for a reduction in the policy interest rate. Some market watchers are betting the central bank is done lowering rates for now. Others predict there could be one more cut by the end of the year. Nisha Patel's CBC News, Toronto. Coastal British Columbia is no longer under a tsunami advisory, neither is the U.S. West Coast. But it was a tense situation overnight after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck eastern Russia. Large waves rippled out. Two million people in Japan were ordered to evacuate to higher ground. Warnings have now

been downgraded or lifted completely there. It's a similar situation in Hawaii. But Chile has upgraded its tsunami warning to its highest. The red alert covers most of Chile's Pacific coastline. More rain is expected to fall on China's capital. People living in Beijing and its surrounding areas have been dealing with flooding and heavy downpours for days. Dozens of people have died. Lisa Sching has more and how people there are coping.

With muddied bare feet, Yamping walks through her home in Miying District, a rural suburb of Beijing hardest hit. I've lived here for over 20 years. I've never seen anything like this, she says. Beijingers and villagers in the suburbs, reeling from days of torrential rain, reportedly a year's worth in four days. Dozens have died after downpours caused flooding,

landslides, rivers to turn into mud. In many areas, there's no power nor water. The central government allocating 200 million yuan about $40 million Canadian dollars for relief, including the evacuation of more than 80,000 people, where roads, power, and communication lines were destroyed. Rescuers repelled down cliffs, navigating treacherous terrain. As rescue efforts continue, there's more rain expected in the coming days.

Lisa Sheng, CBC News, Toronto. CBC News has learned Canada is considering whether to recognize Palestinian statehood. A government source says Prime Minister Mark Carney will raise the issue at a virtual cabinet meeting later today. The UK said yesterday it will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire. Megan Fitzpatrick is in our Parliamentary Bureau. And Megan, what is Canada's path to considering Palestinian statehood? Yeah, so the timing of this consideration comes as other G7 nations have made announcements in recent days. So yesterday it was the UK and British Prime Minister.

Kier Starrmer saying they would recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza and other conditions were attached to that. We know Prime Minister Mark Carney and Sturmer did speak by phone yesterday about this decision. When France made its decision that it would recognize statehood in September, it did not attach any conditions to that commitment. So when Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked Monday if Canada would follow France's decision, he did say that Canada supports a two-state solution, a quote, and viable Palestine living in peace and side by side in peace and security with Israel. So he didn't quite give a yes or no, but we do know that that issue will be discussed with Cabinet this afternoon. A former Canadian diplomat who served at the UN, Louise Blay, said on power and politics last night that France is likely leading the way on rallying

other G7 countries, including Canada, to join their position. And I think there was a lot of corridor and a lot of meetings at the UN over the past two days behind the scenes to try to get a lot of European countries and Canada to follow suit. And she thinks Canada's position is shifting slightly in part because of the humanitarian suffering in Gaza right now. She was referring there to the meetings at the UN this week, a conference organized in part by France, where the two-state solution was discussed. We'll have to watch and see if anything comes out of this cabinet meeting this afternoon. and if Canada does make any announcements. Thank you, Megan.

You're welcome. Megan Fitzpatrick reporting in Ottawa. US President Donald Trump is making another new tariff threat this time against India. On social media, he says the U.S. will start imposing a 25% tariff on all goods from India as of August 1st. That is also the deadline for Canada to reach a deal with the U.S. Trump says he is not planning to extend that deadline. The Alberta riding of Battle River Crowfoot has hosted a tense debate ahead of next month's by-election. Conservative leader Pierre Polyev squared off against nine of his challengers.

And as Julia Wong reports, Pahliav faced a lot of criticism. I absolutely 100% agree. If you want to run for an area, you need to live here. Pointed words attacking Pierre Pollyev, the conservative leader. one of ten candidates at a forum for the Battle River Crowfoot by-election. Polyev lost his Ottawa area riding in April's federal election. Independent candidate Bonnie Critchley is taking issue with him running now in Alberta. I have no personal aspirations. I don't want to do this.

But it is important to me that we have a voice in Parliament. I firmly believe that Monsieur Pueleev is too busy with his own personal ambitions to give Iraq's backside about us. Grant Abraham is a candidate with the United Party of Canada. Pandering to Ontario and Quebec to get this gentleman elected and you're paying the price. That's what's going on. Pollyov says there can be upsides to having a leader of a political party as the area's MP.

That leader can bring a very powerful megaphone to the local issues of the community. While Pollyov was the main target of attacks, he remained subdued and connected issues he has previously campaigned on to voters in the rural writing. Your right to protect and keep your firearms. That is a local issue. Voters head to the polls, August 18th. Julia Wong, CBC News, Camrose, Alberta.

Ticks are expanding their range into new parts of the country. That expanded territory brings an increased risk of tick-borne illnesses. As Jennifer Yoon tells us, scientists say Canadian authorities must find new ways to stop the spread of the disease-carrying bubble. You can create clear pathways. Nagar Elmia is demonstrating how she's made her backyard less welcoming for ticks. Ticks don't like hard services. So using concrete, rocks, wood chips, gravel.

Elmere is a scientist at Canada's National Collaborating Center for Environmental Health. So like planting plants that are resistant to deer and rodents, like lavender is really good. And she says efforts like this are crucial as tick populations appear in areas they never have before, thanks to a changing climate. So Canada-wide, we're seeing ticks are expanding northwards into new territories. As tick populations increase, so are the number of people showing up with tick-borne illnesses, some of which can become serious, according to Dr. Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queen's University.

And it's not just Lyme disease. We've now seen the rise of another infection called anaplasmosis. And then very, very recently, within the last year or two, We've begun to see cases of a parasitic infection called Babesios. Evan says tracking the number of people getting sick with tick-borne illnesses is crucial to curbing the spread. And I think we're getting better and better at that, but we're still not perfect. Elmia says she'd like to see a comprehensive surveillance program across Canada and for people to take precautions when they're spending time near ticks,

like tucking their pants into their socks, using tick repellent, and checking their bodies thoroughly after spending time outdoors. Jennifer Yun, CBC News, Toronto. A marching band plays the Black Sabbath hit Iron Man on the streets of Birmingham, England. They led the public funeral procession of the band's former frontman. Thousands of people lined the route to pay their respects to Ozzy Osbourne. His wife Sharon and some of his children stopped at a shrine of flowers on their way. to their private family funeral.

Ozzie Osbourne died last week. He was 76 years old. That is World Report. I'm Marcia Young.