Your World Tonight - Diddy verdict, Gaza ceasefire talks, hurricane forecasts more difficult, and more

Episode Date: July 2, 2025

Sean “Diddy” Combs is convicted on prostitution-related charges, but found not guilty of more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges. We look at the jury’s verdict, and the reaction.And: U.S. President Donald Trump says Israel has agreed to the “necessary conditions” to get a ceasefire in Gaza. But it’s unclear what’s been agreed to – if anything.Also: Canada’s hurricane forecasters are losing information from three key satellites – with just weeks to go until peak storm season.Plus: The projects for the One Canadian Economy bill, Prime Minister Carney talks EV mandates with automakers, the Dalai Lama says he will have a successor, Trump’s spending bill faces a challenge in the House, and more.

I'm Joshua Jackson, and I'm returning for the Audible original series, Oracle, Season 3, Murder at the Grandview. Six forty-somethings took a boat out a few days ago. One of them was found dead. The hotel, the island, something wasn't right about it. Psychic agent Nate Russo is back on the case, and you know when Nate's killer instincts are required, anything's possible.

This world's gonna eat you alive. Listen to Oracle Season 3, Murder at the Grandview, now on Audible. This is a CBC Podcast. The reaction is that we're pleased that he's finally been held responsible for two federal crimes're pleased that he's finally been held responsible for two federal crimes, something that he's never faced in his life. He still faces substantial jail time.

Both sides claim at least a partial victory, as music mogul Sean Diddy Combs is found guilty of some, but not all, charges in connection to a series of often violent sex parties. A judge will now decide how long he spends in jail. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Julianne Hazelwood. It's Wednesday, July 2nd, just before 6 PM Eastern. Also on the podcast. I think that there is no ceasefire

until the tanks and guns and RPGs stop firing. That's when there's a ceasefire, not when someone makes a public statement. Public statements from U.S. President Trump and Israeli officials suggest an agreement is close for a ceasefire in Gaza and that Hamas is considering the terms. But until an actual deal is in place,

hostages remain in captivity and the fighting and dying continues. Sean Diddy Combs has multiple Grammy Awards, his own clothing line, fragrances, vodka. Now the American hip-hop mogul has something else attached to his name too, a felony conviction. Combs was found guilty today of two charges related to prostitution, but he was found not guilty of other, more serious charges. Ifil Musa reports. Cheers outside the Manhattan courthouse in support of Sean Diddy Combs.

The hip-hop mogul was acquitted this morning on charges that could have brought a life sentence, racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Combs was accused of using his money, his power and physical force to manipulate his ex-girlfriends into hundreds of drug-fueled sex marathons, known as freak-offs with men. Prosecutors alleged Combs violated the Rackete influenced and corrupt Organizations Act or Rico. But ultimately the jury did not agree. The defense's entire narrative from day one was look,

our client is not a great person. Our client is a domestic abuser. Elise Adamson is a former federal prosecutor, but that's not what we're here for. We're here for Rico RICO in sex trafficking. And what really happened was willing participation in unconventional sexual activity. And clearly that resonated with the jury.

Now we're showing on the hot track, melt like it's hot wax. But Combs was convicted of two prostitution-related offenses for flying ex-girlfriends, including singer Cassie Ventura and male sex workers around the country to engage in sexual encounters. We would have liked to have seen convictions on the RICO charges and the sex trafficking charges. Douglas Wigdor is Ventura's attorney.

Cassie prompted this investigation by the Southern District, and now Sean Combs stands before the court as a convicted felon of two federal crimes. He faces significant incarceration. Ventura testified for days about her turbulent 11-year relationship with Combs, which started after she signed with his bad boy record label. She told the court combs would order her to do sexual things she found humiliating. And when things didn't go his way, combs would beat her. The high profile federal trial involved the testimony of former employees of combs, male escorts and federal agents, with crowds of people

gathered outside the courthouse each day. I'm just so sad. Gianca Rose was among them. She says she's devastated by today's outcome. I just thought finally something was going to happen for sexual assault survivors and like we're going to get our moment and sad that nothing actually you know really happened. Combs could face up to 10 years in prison for each of his two convictions. He has been denied bail as he awaits his sentencing. Ivo Musa, CBC News, Toronto.

U.S. President Donald Trump says Israel is ready to agree to a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas to put the war in Gaza on hold at least temporarily. Trump made the announcement, as he often does, in a post on social media. He urged Hamas to take the deal warning they won't get a better one. Tom Perry reports from Jerusalem. In Gaza, where the horrors of war have become a daily routine, U.S. President Donald Trump's talk of a ceasefire is met with a mix of hope and well-earned skepticism.

We hope he's being honest this time, says Adnan al-Assar. We're used to him not being honest. We hope he's serious, like he was during the Israel-Iran war, when he said the war should stop, and it stopped. Trump can stop this war if he wants to. The U.S. president posted on social media last night Israel has agreed to what he calls the necessary conditions for a 60-day ceasefire. Trump urged Hamas to make a deal,

warning the group things will not get better for them, only worse. Today, Hamas said it was studying the new proposal, while Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will be in Washington to meet Trump next week, did not appear to be softening his position. Netanyahu, telling an Israeli business group he's determined, there will be no Hamas whenever this war ends. We're not going back to that, he says, it's over. Israel's foreign minister Gideon Sarr today had a similarly stern message.

Hamas still holds 50 of our hostages in crew captivity. The war can end tomorrow if it releases them and lays down its arms. We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire. With Hamas fighting for its survival and Israel for the group's annihilation, compromise is hard to come by. Frank Lowenstein is a former U.S. special envoy for Middle East peace. He says Trump can warn Hamas all he wants, that this deal is the best they'll get, but the group at this point has little to lose. I mean, it's not as if the IDF can attack with any more sort of aggressiveness than they have already. The humanitarian situation is a sort of catastrophic. It really can't get any worse. So it's been one of the problems with these

negotiations really over the course of the past years. Where does the leverage come to get Hamas to do what everybody would like them to do, which is to release the hostages, you know, and agree to disarm and leave Gaza Strip? It all leaves Palestinian civilians in a deadly bind, trapped in a war they didn't start, one that no one so far has been able to stop, hoping this time might be different. Tom Perry, CBC News, Jerusalem. this time might be different. Tom Perry, CBC News, Jerusalem. The U.S. says Iran's decision to suspend cooperation with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog is unacceptable. The International Atomic Energy Agency has been monitoring Iran's nuclear program for

years and was attempting to inspect the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities caused by American and Israeli airstrikes. Today, Tehran officially suspended its cooperation with the IAEA. But U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce says Iran needs to comply with its international obligations. It is, we'll use the word, unacceptable that Iran chose to suspend cooperation with the IAEA at a time when it has a window of opportunity to reverse course and choose a path of peace and prosperity. Iran must cooperate fully without further delay. Iran says it won't cooperate until certain conditions are met, including the security of nuclear facilities and scientists.

Coming right up, Canada has vowed to increase the production of electric vehicles, but there's rumbling from the auto sector that the mandate is keeping them stuck in reverse. Also, the next steps for a new law that gives Ottawa the ability to fast-track infrastructure projects. Plus, the politics behind finding the Delilah Lama's successor. Canada's big three automakers met with the Prime Minister today in Ottawa, looking for ways to avoid the speed bumps laid by Donald Trump. The US President isn't shy about wanting to steal Canadian auto jobs, moving them south of the border. And the industry's leaders are looking for signs of hope as Canada and the US work toward

completing a new trade deal by July 21st. Kate McKenna has that story. Here to talk about the importance of the auto sector and ensuring its continuing success. Before meeting with the Prime Minister, Brian Kingston made his priorities clear. He's the President of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association, representing three major automakers, GM, Stellantis and Ford. Collectively, they employ more than 62,000 Canadians, and they find themselves on the front lines of the trade war.

But Kingston says there's more Canada can do to protect jobs. We'll be discussing EV mandates, of course, as well as a range of other policies. Well the EV mandate itself is not sustainable. The targets that have been established cannot be met. The EV mandate seeks to force automakers to sell more electric vehicles. Starting next year, 20% of new car sales need to be battery powered or hybrid, ramping up to 100% by 2035. Industry has said for months it's unrealistic and makes Canada less competitive.

David Adams is the president and CEO of Global Automakers of Canada. We're aligned with where the prime minister is coming from, that we need to control the things in our ability to control, to make ourselves more competitive, and addressing these zero emission vehicle mandates is key. Today's meeting comes at a pivotal moment for the auto industry. It has faced direct and repeated threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said as recently as a few weeks ago that he wants to pull Canadian auto jobs south of the border. We don't want your

cars in all due respect. Conservative industry critic Raquel Dancho says the mandate has got to go as soon as possible. So at a time when we have a cost of living crisis, this could not come at a worse time. At a time when we're in a tariff battle with the United States to really impact our auto sector in this way would be very detrimental. So for a number of reasons, we absolutely oppose the ED mandates. But Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne wouldn't say whether the government would repeal the mandate. We're always going to be there to support the industry and our workers. The Prime Minister's office says the meeting was about the trade war, its impact,

and the work towards getting a new deal to end it by July 21st. Yesterday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said those talks are progressing. Look we'll see we're doing what's necessary in order to get the best deal for Canadians. If Ottawa ends up repealing the mandate it would be added to a graveyard of Trudeau-era policies dropped by Carney including the consumer carbon tax and most recently the digital services tax. Kate McKenna, CBC News, Ottawa. Mark Carney promised again and again during the election to build and to build fast. A controversial new law gives the Prime Minister and his cabinet the power to do just that.

Soon they'll start handpicking energy and infrastructure projects that they consider national priorities. David Thurton looks at the next steps. What we can see is that there's a number of failed projects around the country. Jay Kolsla, a former top public servant used to work on federal energy policy. He's seen firsthand how Canada has struggled to build big things. I think about the Ring of Fire in particular. We've been talking about that for a decade. Other such

projects that are sitting out there, Bay Du Nord is an offshore oil project. And I think about East-West Transmission Alliance. How many times have we been wanting to do that in this country and they're not being built? And we could keep going. Sources tell CBC News that Cabinet ministers are meeting through the summer to implement Carney's vision. To build on a scale and pace not seen in decades. It's expected Cabinet will soon come up with a list of energy and infrastructure projects deemed to be in the national interest. Those projects will

receive upfront approval, then speed through an environmental review and printing process within two years. This is his file and he has to take it very seriously. Kolsla, now with the public policy forum think tank, has some unsolicited advice for the prime minister. That guy needs to be walking around every day in his vest pocket with a list of the 20 projects, pulling it out and saying what's off the rails, what's on the rails. Another burning priority, getting Indigenous consultation right. Some First Nations have vocally opposed Carney's plans. This legislation was very rushed.

Cindy Woodhouse-Nipinac is the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. Many want prosperity but not at the expense of their rights. So it's not always an easy one-size-fits-all approach. And I think that opening up and dialogue between government officials and First Nation governments need to happen. And it's a two-way street. Dialogue happens both ways, not one way ramming something through. One Inuit-owned corporation, though, backs what's behind the legislation.

We're ready to go. We've been ready to go for a number of years. And Raphael Audoin is with the Kiva Look Hydrofiber Link, a transmission line that aims to connect Nunavut's mainland to the national grid and high-speed internet, a project that's shovel-ready, she says, but lacking something else. That is the one defining hurdle in the development of those major projects that are 100% Indigenous-led and owned, is the fact that access to capital is hard.

Expectations are high that Kearney will unleash Canada's economic potential, releasing a logjam caused by permitting, lack of financing, and a failure to respect Indigenous rights. On that front, Carney will hold summits with Indigenous leaders in the nation's capital in about two weeks. David Thurton, CBC News, Ottawa. Donald Trump's signature legislation package, what he named the big, beautiful bill, is inching toward approval. It promises major tax cuts and new spending on immigration reform and the military, but it will also slash social services, including health care for millions. Democrats are adamantly against it, and they're urging their Republican colleagues to join them. Katie Simpson has more from Washington. It's shameful. It is shameful. I'm disgusted that we are here debating this trash.

An angry debate raged on the floor of the House. Democrats ramping up their efforts to try to stop the big, beautiful bill. President Donald Trump's signature legislation that will pay for the promises he made to voters. Former speaker Nancy Pelosi among the opponents railing against the controversial package. This big beautiful bill, well if beauty is in the eye of the beholder then you GOP you have a very blurred vision of what America is about. The legislation extends existing tax cuts for the middle class and expands them for the wealthy. There's billions in new spending for the military and immigration as Trump ramps up his

deportation efforts, a key selling point for Republicans including Congressman Mark Alford. The one big beautiful bill reverses four years, four long years of Biden's open border policies with a generational investment in border security. But this bill adds trillions of dollars to the national debt. And there are massive cuts to social programs, including food assistance and health care. At least 17 million people, some of the most vulnerable in America, would lose their health insurance, mostly through cuts to the Medicare program, which provides support to the disabled and working poor. Republican Mark Wayne Mullen argues too many able-bodied adults

are qualifying for help when they should instead get a job. We don't pay people in this country to be lazy. Trump has set a deadline of July 4th to get the bill passed and signed, though it's unclear if there is enough support among Republicans. Some are opposed to the health care cuts while others are against the spending increases. I urge my colleagues to put America first, support the rule and pass the one big beautiful bill. Republican Congressman Mark Alford brought props onto the House floor to rally his party, standing beside a sign with a photoshopped image of Donald Trump and fireworks encouraging members to pass the bill.

A tactic that was mocked by Democrat Jim McGovern. Mr. Speaker, cult much? You know, I mean that gentleman's poster says it all. It's not about American families. It's about one big party for Trump. It's about swelling up his ego. Democrats are united against the legislation, which means if four House Republicans join them,

the big beautiful bill will not pass. It serves as another test of the slim and unpredictable Republican majority that currently controls Congress. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. The Dalai Lama turns 90 this weekend, and he has a gift for his Tibetan Buddhist followers, clarity. After years of questions about whether he'll have a successor after his death,

the spiritual leader now confirms he will, possibly before his death. And neither he nor Beijing will be making that choice. Colin Butler explains. In a video message to Tibetan Buddhist followers, the Dalai Lama, their spiritual leader, draws a clear line. The 600-year-old institution that bears his name will not end with him. Only his trusted circle has the authority to recognize his successor. No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter, he says. Those words are being heard as a message to the Chinese government. They come as

celebrations begin for the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday in a Himalayan town in northern India where he's lived in exile since the age of 23. That year, 1959, he crossed the snow-crowned mountains on foot, fleeing Chinese forces as they crushed a Tibetan uprising and tightened their hold on his homeland. Today, China was quick to push back. Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning says China protects religious freedom but insists the next Dalai Lama must be found inside China, chosen by drawing from a golden urn and approved by the Chinese Communist Party. All in line, she says, with law, history and ritual. This is actually a religious matter.

Shrikant Khandapalli is a China studies expert in New Delhi. He points out the striking irony, an officially atheist country insisting on the right to choose a reincarnated monk. China has no role in this, in this process, in this procedure of selecting the reincarnation. The Dalai Lama isn't appointed. He's found Tibetan Buddhists believe he's the reincarnation of an ancient holy figure. The new Dalai Lama isn't appointed. He's found. Tibetan Buddhists believe he's the reincarnation of an ancient holy figure. The new Dalai Lama is born around the time the old one dies and is chosen as a child by senior monks who search for signs through visions, omens, and tests. This time though, might be different. The new Dalai Lama might be chosen while the old

one is still alive. He might end up being a she and she could be an adult. And that adult might be chosen from among the Tibetan community spread around the world. Who it is doesn't matter. Among the Tibetan exiles in Toronto, he's a living link to home. Dalai Lama is all this one, very, very special. It's like our umbrella, it's like our house, it's like our voice. The battle now is over who controls that voice, a struggle with global stakes. Not just about faith, but about freedom, identity, and who gets to shape the soul of a people.

Colin Butler, CBC News, London, Ontario. A storm is brewing in the world of weather forecasting. The US government is going to stop sharing crucial weather data from three of its military satellites, citing cybersecurity concerns. Environment Canada says it can get by without the info, but other forecasters, including Canada's weather network, rely on it for accuracy and to provide life-saving details on approaching hurricanes. Shayna Luck reports. Hurricane forecasts around the world rely on data gathered by satellites in orbit. Some crucial data comes from three of the U.S. Department of Defense's military satellites.

And starting August 1st, it says it will stop feeding that data to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. NOAA says forecasting won't be compromised and it still has plenty of tools to study hurricanes. But some scientists, including some in Canada, were alarmed. Andrea Garner studies climate science at Rowan University in New Jersey. It's kind of like saying, well your steering wheel is just one tool and a whole suite of tools that makes your car function, but you need the steering wheel. You need that tool in your arsenal to be able to really keep people out of harm's

way. Among other unique features, it can track the storms in the night, and it can help researchers observe hurricanes quickly gathering strength. Garner's research shows rapid intensification is happening more often. We really do need every tool at our disposal that we can have to be able to keep improving those forecasts and keep predicting those kinds of storms, especially as we're seeing this kind of quick strengthening of storms happening more frequently.

Hurricane specialist Andy Hazelton at the University of Miami is among those concerned about losing the military's unique data. They allow you to sort of see through the tops of the clouds and actually look at the rain and the ice structure underneath that tells us a lot about the hurricane structure. The U.S. Space Force told CBC it is replacing the existing satellites with two newer ones. One is already in orbit, but the military isn't yet sharing its data. The other one won't launch until next year. The Space Force says it will make the new data available to users, including NOAA, when the work is finished. NOAA says the

existing satellites are more than a decade past their expected lifespan, but Andy Hazelton says they're still important for this year's hurricane season. They won't be around forever, but as long as the data is good, which I think it still is, and that's what I don't know why they would turn it off. NOAA says the military told it the older system had a significant cyber security risk and planned to decommission it this week. But there was widespread alarm from forecasters around the world over the imminent loss of the data.

And after a specific request from NASA, the military says it's delayed cutting it off until August 1st. This puts the new deadline right in the middle of the Atlantic hurricane season. Shane O'Luck, CBC News, Halifax. And finally... That's sisters Claire and Annie Vander Kent playing a chair when they help design mid-century modern with harps for arms. On this side you can play different notes in an open G chord like they would on a guitar.

On this side you have special effects, you have your volume up, volume down. The chair is part of an exhibit called the Living Room Jam Sesh, a music room literally cooked up and put together by students at Holy Cross School in Strathroyd, Ontario. Now on display at the nearby Museum London. It's not just the chair, here's a taste of the couch with a backrest lined with slap pipes. Museum curator Devin Elliott says he was excited when the students approached the museum with the idea. Excited and a little skeptical. They made a very strong case for this. I didn't quite know what it would look like. They said, well, how about like a guitar or a table? That's a guitar. And I was like,

yeah, that sounds interesting. But again, I wasn't sure what it would look like. And then installed, we've got a guitar table right here. It took the students more than a year to complete the room. There's also student artwork on the walls. Claire Vanderkant says it's all worth it to see their vision realized. You don't have to have a music background, like you can just have fun with it because music is supposed to be for everybody. It doesn't have to sound good, I mean we've made it so it does sound good, but you can just have fun with it and just enjoy it, which is what it's all about, really. If you'd like to try your hand at playing the chair

you're sitting on or strumming a table, the exhibit is on in London until the end of August. Thank you so much for being with us. This has been Your World Tonight for Wednesday, July 2nd. I'm Julianne Hazelwood. Take care.