Year in review: A look at events in October 2025

By Canadian Press on December 15, 2025.

A look at news events in October 2025:

1 – The U.S. was under a government shutdown after lawmakers deadlocked and missed the deadline for funding the government. The law required agencies to furlough their non-excepted employees, while expecting employees who work to protect life and property to stay on the job but not get paid until after the shutdown ended. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that roughly 750,000 federal employees would be furloughed each day of the shutdown. with the total daily cost of their compensation at roughly US$400 million. This was the third time U.S. President Donald Trump had presided over a federal funding lapse, the first since his return to the White House.

1 – Renowned British conservationist and chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall died at 91. She lived among chimpanzees in Africa decades ago, documenting their using tools and doing other things previously thought to be done only by people. Her work in the 1960s transformed how the world perceived humans’ closest living biological relatives.

2 – U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised his country’s Jewish community a more visible police presence, after a deadly synagogue attack. An assailant drove a car into people outside a synagogue in northern England and then began stabbing them. Two people were killed and four others were seriously wounded in what police called a terrorist attack. Authorities say it happened on the holiest day of the Jewish year.

3 – Donald Trump ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza after Hamas agreed to free the remaining hostages held in the enclave. Hamas said it would accept some aspects of the agreement, but further talks were needed, as its statement left out Israel’s key demand – disarmament. Trump insisted they were ready for a lasting peace and said the bombing had to stop so hostages could be released safely. Mediators Egypt and Qatar welcomed the move, but Israel had yet to respond.

3 – The bill came due from King Charles’ spring visit to Canada. The royal visit cost the Defence Department more than $1.28 million, according to government documents. The pages showed nearly $825,000 went to the Royal Canadian Air Force flyover in Ottawa — the largest single expense from the visit. The King addressed Parliament during the May visit, delivering the Liberal throne speech and reaffirming the U.K.’s support for Canada amid threats of annexation and trade war from the U.S.

4 – The Toronto Blue Jays earned their first post-season victory in nine years. Alejandro Kirk belted two solo homers and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a solo shot as Toronto thumped the New York Yankees 10-1 in Game 1 of their American League Division Series. Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman allowed one earned run and four hits over almost six innings.

4 – An ostrich temporarily spared by a Supreme Court order at a B.C. farm died. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the bird at Universal Ostrich Farm had a prior injury and mobility issues, and its health declined rapidly in recent days despite treatment. The ostrich was part of a large flock ordered culled after an avian flu outbreak the previous year. The farm’s owners, along with their supporters, had been fighting that order for months.

5 – Global Affairs Canada said two Canadians had been detained in Israel for their involvement in a flotilla to Gaza. The agency said consular officials were in touch with local authorities and providing assistance to those who requested it. The Global Sumud Flotilla was a pro-Palestinian fleet of boats with lawyers, activists, and doctors aiming to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israeli forces had reportedly intercepted multiple boats in the fleet over the previous few days.

5 – The Toronto Blue Jays were just one win away from advancing to the American League Championship Series. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a grand slam and rookie starter Trey Yesavage was masterful in his fourth career big-league start as Toronto beat the New York Yankees 13-7. The victory gave Toronto a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five AL Division Series.

6 – Israeli and Hamas officials were holding indirect talks in Egypt on a U.S. peace plan to end the war in Gaza on the eve of its second anniversary. Hamas militants and affiliates had attacked Israel nearly two years earlier, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 240 hostage. Israel responded by bombarding the Gaza Strip, killing more than 67,000 people. The fighting spread anger, frustration and pain across Canada, while Israelis and Palestinians feared the region would never exit the cycle of violence.

6 – The short list for that year’s Giller Prize was released. Mona Awad’s sequel to the dark academia novel “Bunny” was among the six finalists for the $100,000 award. Also making the list was Souvankham Thammavongsa’s “Pick a Colour,” which explored a manicurist’s rich inner life. The Giller was to be handed out the following month.

7 – The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists for their American-based research into quantum mechanical tunnelling. The Nobel committee in Stockholm said the work by John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis provided opportunities to develop “the next generation of quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors.” The trio shared a prize worth the equivalent of US$1.2 million. The previous year, artificial intelligence pioneers John Hopfield and Canadian Geoffrey Hinton had won the physics prize for helping create the building blocks of machine learning.

7 – Two “Freedom Convoy” leaders were given 18-month conditional sentences in an Ottawa courtroom. Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were both convicted of mischief for their roles in the 2022 protest movement that gridlocked the downtown core of the nation’s capital for several weeks. Barber was also found guilty of counselling others to disobey a court order. Both were sentenced to 12 months of house arrest and another six months abiding by a strict curfew. Barber and Lich also had to do 100 hours of community service. The Crown had sought seven years in prison for Lich and eight years for Barber, while the defence had wanted absolute discharges.

8 – The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to three scientists for their work in the development of metal-organic frameworks dating back to 1989. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi, from universities in Japan, Australia and California respectively, shared the honour. The Nobel committee said the three laureates “had created molecular constructions with large spaces through which gases and other chemicals could flow.” It said these metal-organic frameworks could be used to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases or catalyze chemical reactions.

8 – U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of his peace plan. The initial agreement was confirmed by Israeli officials and Hamas, as well as mediator Qatar. Associated Press sources said Hamas would be releasing all 20 living hostages that weekend as the Israeli army moved out of 70 per cent of Gaza. Negotiators had been meeting in Egypt for days to hash out a Trump-backed peace plan he hoped would ultimately result in a permanent end to the two-year war and bring about sustainable peace in the region. Hamas announced the deal leading to the end of the war in Gaza, noting it would see the withdrawal of Israeli troops, aid entry and a prisoner exchange. The war had begun with Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead, devastated Gaza and upended global politics.

9 – Ontario declared its measles outbreak to be over. The outbreak had sickened more than 2,300 people over nearly a year and led to the death of a newborn. Almost three-quarters of the people infected with measles in Ontario were infants, children and adolescents. More than 96 per cent of them had been unvaccinated.

10 – The Canadian economy added a better-than-expected 60,000 jobs in September. Statistics Canada said the gains were concentrated in full-time work — as roughly 100,000 full-time jobs more than offset a drop in part-time work. Overall employment was up by 22,000 net jobs since the start of the year as tariffs from the United States continued to put pressure on some critical Canadian sectors. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.1 per cent.

10 – British Columbia’s jails were added to the growing list of sites behind picket lines. The province’s public service workers escalated their job action to pressure the government to come back to the bargaining table with a better offer. The government had said its last proposal to the union was fair in balancing workers’ needs and B.C.’s constrained fiscal position. The strike was in its sixth week, but job action ramped up quickly with a march in Vancouver the previous Friday and a rally at the legislature on Monday.

11 – Oscar winner Diane Keaton died in California at the age of 79. Keaton had won her only Academy Award for the starring role in Woody Allen’s 1977 satirical romantic comedy-drama “Annie Hall.” She was also known for memorable performances in “The Godfather,” “Baby Boom,” “Father of the Bride” and “First Wives Club.” She was best known for her quirky, vibrant manner and depth, which made her one of the most singular actors of her generation. Her legacy included a trail-blazing acting career, numerous awards and a lasting influence on both Hollywood and fashion, especially with her role in “Something’s Gotta Give.”

11 – The first of six Canadian activists detained by Israeli forces returned to Toronto and was greeted by family and supporters. Indigenous rights advocate Mskwaasin Agnew, who had been deported from Israel to Turkey before flying home, tearfully told reporters that she had been “kidnapped in international waters” and held illegally despite doing nothing wrong. The Israeli military intercepted nine boats carrying activists seeking to breach the Gaza blockade, detaining 145 people for deportation. Agnew condemned Israel for genocide and a “manufactured famine” in Gaza and urged Canada to impose sanctions as other detained Canadians awaited deportation from Israel and nearby countries.

12 – Amid hefty Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola products, which caused struggles for many Prairie farmers and associated businesses, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew asked Ottawa to scrap a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. In a letter, Kinew suggested Canada’s approach to protecting its vehicle industry had created a two-front trade war that disproportionately affected Western Canada. The premier added that the sharp drop in canola prices had negatively affected many businesses, including a vertically integrated pork producer in Manitoba that he claimed was reporting a $19-million-a-year impact due to the levies. China charged a 76 per cent tariff on Canadian canola seed imports and a 100 per cent tariff on canola oil, meal, and peas.

12 – Hamas released seven hostages into the custody of the Red Cross, the first to be released as part of a breakthrough Israel-Hamas ceasefire. There was no immediate information on their condition. Hamas had said 20 living hostages would be exchanged for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The ceasefire, which came into effect on Friday, followed the war that began with Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

13 – A New Brunswick man who had been wrongfully convicted for a murder that happened more than four decades earlier died. Innocence Canada said Robert Mailman died at the age of 77 in Saint John the previous week. Mailman and his friend Walter Gillespie were acquitted 40 years after they were wrongly convicted in the 1983 murder of George Leeman. Mailman had been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in 2023.

13 – Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” officially sold over 4 million album units in its first week on sale in the U.S. Industry data and analytics company Luminate said that was the biggest first week in modern music history, breaking a record set by Adele’s “25” in 2015. Swift also became the solo artist with the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, with 15. She had previously been tied with Drake and Jay-Z, who each had 14.

14 – Egypt said 15 Palestinian technocrats had been selected to administer postwar Gaza and take care of the daily life of the people. Egypt’s foreign minister told The Associated Press the names of the 15-member committee had already been vetted by Israel and approved by all Palestinian factions, including Hamas. The names had not been disclosed publicly. The Egyptian minister said the Board of Peace – which would govern Gaza and be chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump – should support and supervise the flow of finance and money, which would come as part of reconstruction efforts. He said Hamas members welcomed Trump’s plan and would have no role in the transitional period. Israel had to comply with a withdrawal from Gaza, allowing a flow of aid and the deployment of the administrative committee on the ground to ensure civilian security.

14 – Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a peace deal at a gathering of world leaders in Egypt the previous day. The gathering appeared designed to rally international support behind Donald Trump’s vision for ending the war in Gaza and the Middle East. The document was not shared with journalists in the room or made public.

15 – Canadian politicians called on Stellantis to fulfil its commitment to workers at one of the company’s assembly plants. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the automaker had a duty to live up to its promise to workers in Brampton after Stellantis announced plans to shift Jeep production there to the United States. The news came as part of the company’s multibillion-dollar plan to expand U.S. production by 50 per cent over the next four years. Stellantis said it continued to invest in Canada, including adding a third shift to the Windsor Assembly Plant, and that it was in talks with the government on the future of the Brampton facility.

16 – Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government would soon introduce a bill with tougher bail and sentencing rules for violent crime. Carney said the legislation would make bail more difficult to get for a half-dozen violent and organized crime offences, including human trafficking and sexual assault. The bill would allow for consecutive sentences for violent and repeat offenders. Carney also announced that the government would be hiring one thousand new RCMP personnel.

16 – Ace Frehley, original lead guitarist and founding member of the glam rock band Kiss, died at the age of 74 following a recent fall. Family members said in a statement that they were “completely devastated and heartbroken.” Kiss’s hits included “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Detroit Rock City,” and the band was known for theatrical stage shows with fireworks, smoking instruments and fake blood. Like the other band members, Frehley took on a persona – a face-painted, comic-book-style character known as “Space Ace.” Frehley and his bandmates Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Simmons and Stanley issued a statement saying they were devastated by his passing and affirming that Frehley was and would always be a part of KISS’s legacy.

17 – Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire with Israel and pledged to hand over the remains of all the dead hostages held in the Gaza Strip. This followed a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would green-light Israel to resume the war if Hamas did not live up to its end of the deal and return the bodies. But Hamas said some bodies had been buried in tunnels that were later destroyed by Israel, and heavy machinery was needed to dig through rubble to retrieve them. The group also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his call to cut aid to Gaza, saying it was an attempt to manipulate humanitarian needs for political gains.

18 – Many Canadians joined Americans protesting the Trump administration in rallies across North America and elsewhere. The “No Kings” movement reached as far as Paris and Berlin, which also held demonstrations. The Quebec chapter of Democrats Abroad — which represented American citizens living outside the country — organized a rally in Montreal. Among those in the crowd was an American from Chicago who was elated to see many Canadians supporting the movement.

18 – A Northern California aquarium raised more than $2 million for sea otter conservation in just two days, thanks in large part to superstar Taylor Swift. Officials with the Monterey Bay Aquarium said they were flooded with calls about buying a T-shirt showing two otters floating on their backs and decided to re-release it that week. The frenzy for the garment came after Swift wore the vintage tee in a release-party movie for her new “The Life of a Showgirl” album. It sent her fans on a quest to buy the shirt, last produced in the 1990s.

19 – Israel said it had struck targets in the southern Gaza Strip after claiming its troops came under fire from Hamas militants. The strike was the first major test of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire meant to halt more than two years of war. An Israeli security official said the transfer of humanitarian aid into the territory had been halted, but later said it would resume the next day. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a statement that the ceasefire remained in effect despite the incident.

19 – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his sixth home run of the post-season, while rookie Trey Yesavage struck out seven in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 6-2 win over the Seattle Mariners in the American League Championship Series. Sunday’s victory forced a Game Seven, with the series to be decided Monday night in Toronto. Addison Barger homered and drove in three early runs, and the Blue Jays turned three double plays behind Yesavage — two of them to escape bases-loaded jams. The winner would face the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

20 – British Columbia Conservative MLA Amelia Boultbee quit the party and said she would sit as an Independent. Boultbee said she would consider returning to the party only if leader John Rustad were ousted. She said her decision came after Rustad told her that if she didn’t like his leadership, she should — quote — “get the F-out.”

20 – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was named the American League Championship Series MVP. The Toronto Blue Jays booked their spot in the World Series after winning the ALCS four games to three, beating the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in Game Seven. The Blue Jays earned home-field advantage as they prepared to host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

21 – Inflation in Canada jumped to 2.4 per cent in September. That was an increase of half a percentage point from 1.9 per cent in August and slightly higher than economists had expected. Statistics Canada said the month’s increase was largely due to annual changes at the pumps and pressure at the grocery store. Gas prices continued to fall year-over-year mainly because of the removal of the consumer carbon price, but they were still up modestly on a monthly basis.

21 – France’s culture minister said security at the Louvre Museum in Paris had worked properly during a dramatic heist over the weekend. Thieves stole historic jewels from the museum two days earlier, including some linked to 19th-century French royalty. They used a basket lift to reach the Louvre’s façade, forced a window, smashed display cases and left with the jewels — in less than eight minutes. The culture minister launched an administrative inquiry alongside a police investigation.

22 – Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was setting an “ambitious” goal to double Canada’s non-U.S. exports in the next decade. Carney made the remarks in a speech to a crowd of students at the University of Ottawa, saying it would generate $300 billion more in trade. He said the core of his government’s strategy in the coming November budget would be to spur “unprecedented” investments in Canada over the next five years. The Nov. 4 budget would also include a climate competitiveness strategy, a new immigration plan and an international talent-attraction strategy.

22 – The Pentagon said a “new” press corps of 60 journalists who had agreed to follow a new media policy would be welcomed into the building to cover the U.S. military. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s staff would not say who the reporters were, although several smaller conservative outlets said they had agreed to the new rules. It came after virtually all mainstream journalism outlets the previous week refused to sign Hegseth’s new policy, which they said would restrict them to covering only news he had approved. Those reporters turned in their access badges.

23 – British Columbia Conservative Party Leader John Rustad stayed put. He said he would not quit, despite being asked to resign in a letter from seven members of his party’s management committee, which said “chaos” under his leadership had undermined the party’s credibility and destabilized its cohesion. The Conservative caucus had lost or kicked out five members since becoming the official Opposition in the previous year’s election.

23 – Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government introduced legislation with tougher bail and sentencing rules. Justice Minister Sean Fraser said the legislation would make bail more difficult to obtain for violent and organized crime offences. Fraser said it would impose a reverse onus on bail for certain offences — shifting the burden of proof from the prosecutor to the accused. It would also allow for consecutive sentences for violent and repeat offenders, meaning multiple sentences could not be served at the same time.

24 – Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Ontario would pause its U.S. ad campaign on tariffs in an effort to restart tariff talks. This came after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was stopping all trade talks with Canada over the ad, which featured footage of former president Ronald Reagan warning about tariffs and their economically devastating effects. Ford said he had spoken with Prime Minister Mark Carney before making the decision. Carney was en route to Asia, where he was expected to encounter Trump at back-to-back international summits.

24 – The Toronto Blue Jays opened the World Series with an emphatic Game 1 victory. Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk hit two-run homers, and Addison Barger hit a grand slam in an 11-4 win over the L.A. Dodgers Friday night at Rogers Centre. It was the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history. Toronto knocked L.A. starter Blake Snell out of the game in the sixth inning and scored nine runs in the frame.

25 – U.S. President Donald Trump said he was slapping Canada with an additional 10 per cent tariff over an anti-tariff TV ad airing in America. The ad was paid for by the Ontario government and aired the previous night during Game One of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. It was set to air again that night during Game Two before being paused on orders from Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Trump had suspended Canada-U.S. trade talks over the ad earlier in the week and said on his Truth Social platform that the additional tariff would be over and above what Canada was already paying.

25 – Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a four-hitter for his second consecutive complete game, and the defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1. The best-of-seven matchup was tied at one game apiece. Will Smith hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and had three RBIs for the Dodgers. The Jays’ Max Scherzer was set to start Game 3 when the series shifted to Dodger Stadium on Monday.

26 – A tentative deal was reached between the British Columbia General Employees Union and the provincial government to end strike action that had started eight weeks earlier. The union said in a statement that the agreement came on the eighth day of mediated talks between it and the province, adding it made “significant progress” on wages and other major issues at the heart of the dispute. It noted the four-year deal had to be ratified by its 34,000 members in a vote, while adding that members of the Professional Employees’ Union remained on strike.

26 – Authorities arrested two suspects in connection with the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The arrests were announced a week after the daring heist. Police said DNA found inside a motorcycle helmet left at the scene helped them track down one of the suspects. The theft, which took less than eight minutes, involved jewels valued at 88 million euros. Investigators from a special police unit made the arrests.

27 – The world’s oldest president won re-election in Cameroon. The country’s top court declared 92-year-old incumbent Paul Biya the winner. Clashes with security forces left at least four protesters dead ahead of the announcement. The opposition accused Biya of having a hand in the disqualification of his strongest rival and of manipulating the election in his favour.

28 – After 18 innings, the Los Angeles Dodgers came out on top to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays in California. Many things happened in the nearly seven-hour Game 3, including Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer being pulled after fouling off a pitch in the seventh inning. In the end, Dodger Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off homer to end the game. Game 4 in the best-of-seven Fall Classic was set to be played less than 24 hours after the end of Game 3, that night in Los Angeles.

28 – The Toronto Blue Jays evened the World Series with a 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. crushed a two-run homer off Shohei Ohtani, while Shane Bieber held L.A. to just four hits through five innings. The win shifted momentum back to Toronto after the Dodgers’ 18-inning marathon victory the night before. Game 5 was scheduled at Dodger Stadium, with Trey Yesavage set to face Blake Snell.

29 – The Bank of Canada cut its key interest rate by a quarter point to 2.25 per cent. It was the second consecutive cut as the central bank signalled it might be satisfied with where the policy rate stood as U.S. trade uncertainty continued. Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem said policy-makers felt that might be the right level to keep inflation close to the bank’s two per cent target while supporting the economy through tariff disruptions. The central bank also gave an update on its economic outlook, revealing it expected weak growth through the second half of 2025 and a modest rise in the years afterward.

30 – The Snuneymuxw First Nation purchased two British Columbia casinos, including the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond. A statement from the Nanaimo-area nation said the deal to buy the River Rock and Chances Maple Ridge would make its wholly owned development group the largest Indigenous gaming operator by revenue in Canada. The nation had entered into agreements with the current operator — Great Canadian Entertainment — to purchase the two casinos, although the deal remained subject to regulatory and other approval.

30 – King Charles stripped Prince Andrew of his title, meaning he would now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. For years, Andrew had faced sexual misconduct allegations since his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became public. It was almost unprecedented for a British prince or princess to be stripped of their title. It had last happened in 1919, when Prince Ernest Augustus — a royal and prince of Hanover — had his British title removed for siding with Germany during the First World War.

31 – The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the mandatory minimum child pornography sentences were unconstitutional. The top court said the mandatory one-year jail sentences for accessing or possessing child porn removed judges’ discretion to impose sentences other than imprisonment when appropriate. The decision affirmed a ruling of the Quebec Court of Appeal, which said the mandatory minimum sentences violated the Charter guarantee against cruel or unusual punishment. The Court of Appeal decision came from the cases of two men who had pleaded guilty to offences.

31 – The Toronto Blue Jays fell 3-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 at Rogers Centre. The World Series would continue with a Game 7 Saturday night in Toronto – with the Jays chasing their first World Series title since 1993.

The Canadian Press