Here’s your brand‑new edition of “Five Things We Learned This Week” for July 26 – August 1, 2025 – each highlight is entirely fresh and occurred within the past seven days:

1. Kamchatka Megaquake and Volcanic Eruptions Shake the Pacific

• On July 30, a massive 8.8 magnitude megathrust earthquakestruck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula – one of the strongest ever recorded – triggering global tsunami alerts; fortunately, the eventual tsunami impact was limited.

• Multiple volcanoes erupted in response, including Krasheninnikov (for the first time in centuries) and others like Klyuchevskaya and Shiveluch – fueling a volcanic spike across the region.

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2. USGS Issues Aftershock Forecast Following the Megaquake

• The USGS released a detailed aftershock forecast following the Kamchatka quake, projecting:

• a 2% chance of an additional magnitude-8 quake,

• 24% chance of a magnitude 7 or higher,

• and over 99% chance of further magnitude 4+ aftershocks in the coming week. 

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3. A Tragic Campground Accident in Canada

• On July 31, at Cumberland Lake Park Campground in British Columbia, a falling tree tragically killed a 26-year-old mother and her 5-month-old baby; authorities confirmed the tree was decayed, with no foul play suspected. A memorial is planned for August 10.

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4. Markets Brace for Trump’s Broad Tariffs

• On August 1, global markets reacted strongly after steep U.S. tariffs were imposed on key trading partners like Canada, Brazil, India, and Taiwan, triggering concerns over trade tensions and inflation; notably, Amazon’s shares fell 7% following underwhelming earnings, while pharma stocks fell after Trump demanded drug price cuts.

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5. Britain’s Eurosceptic Move: State of Palestine Recognition

• On July 30, Canada announced recognition of the State of Palestine, becoming one of the few Western countries to do so and signaling a geopolitical shift in global alignments.

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These five items span global shifts in geology, safety, markets, diplomacy, and hard-to-forget human stories – all contained within July 26 to August 1, 2025 and entirely new to this series.