10 Things Global News - 13th August 2025
The news from around the world
Trump Deploys Guard, Seizes DC Police Control
EU Leaders Back Ukraine’s Right to Choose Path
RSF Attack on Darfur Camp Kills 40 Civilians
Iran Arrested 21,000 During June War
Southern Europe Battles Deadly Heat and Wildfires
South Korea Jails Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee
Trump Weighs Lawsuit Against Fed Chair Powell
Mexico Hands Over 26 Cartel Figures to U.S.
UN Report Finds Systematic Torture in Myanmar
Israel Says Strike Killed Fake Aid Workers
President Donald Trump has taken federal control of Washington, D.C.’s police department and deployed National Guard troops, citing what he described as an “out of control” crime situation. The move, enabled by federal law for up to 30 days, brought an initial 100 Guard troops to the capital Tuesday, with more expected this week.
White House officials said 23 people were arrested overnight and six illegal handguns seized. The Guard’s duties include logistics, transportation, and a visible presence near the National Mall, though they will not carry weapons.
Mayor Muriel Bowser pledged cooperation but stressed the police chief remains in charge of officers. City officials note violent crime is down sharply, including a 50% drop in carjackings since 2024. Extending federal control beyond 30 days would require congressional approval. Trump’s action marks the first use of Section 740 of the Home Rule Act to take over D.C. police.
Sources: Associated Press, ABC News
European Union leaders, with Hungary as the sole exception, have issued a joint statement affirming Ukraine’s right to decide its own future ahead of Friday’s planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
The leaders stressed that any peace deal must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s security interests, respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, and ensure borders are not changed by force. They said meaningful negotiations require at least a ceasefire or reduced hostilities.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged an unconditional ceasefire before any concessions, warning that compromises without it would embolden Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ruled out ceding territory and warned Russia was preparing a new offensive.
Trump described the meeting as a “feel-out” session, while European leaders privately fear he could make concessions to Moscow without Kyiv’s involvement. The EU has pledged readiness to contribute further to security guarantees for Ukraine.
Sources: The Guardian, RFI
Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have attacked the Abu Shouk displacement camp outside el-Fasher in North Darfur, killing at least 40 people and injuring 19, according to local rights groups. Witnesses said some victims were shot in their homes while others were gunned down in public.
The camp, home to hundreds of thousands displaced by conflict, has faced repeated attacks during the war between the RSF and the Sudanese army. El-Fasher remains the army’s last major foothold in Darfur and is under heavy assault. The UN warns families trapped there face famine conditions, with over 60 malnutrition deaths reported in one week.
Satellite imagery from the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab showed 40 vehicles in the camp’s northwest, consistent with reports of the attack. The two-year civil war has killed over 40,000 people, displaced about 12 million, and left parts of Sudan in famine.
Sources: BBC, The Hill
Iran’s police say they detained 21,000 suspects during the 12-day conflict with Israel and the United States in June. Police spokesperson Saeed Montazerolmahdi said arrests followed a surge in public reports, which rose by 41 percent during the war.
Authorities set up over 1,000 checkpoints nationwide, citing security needs. Of those detained, 261 were suspected of espionage and 172 of unauthorized filming. Officials also reported deporting 2,774 Afghan migrants accused of being in Iran illegally, with some suspected of spying. Police handled 5,700 cybercrime cases, including online fraud, during the conflict.
The war, from June 13–24, saw Israeli airstrikes kill nearly 1,100 people in Iran, including military commanders, while Iranian retaliatory strikes killed 28 in Israel. Since late June, Iran has executed seven men convicted of spying for Israel, raising fears among activists of further executions. This is the first time police have given a full arrest tally for the war.
Sources: Associated Press, Al Jazeeera
A fierce heatwave across southern Europe has triggered deadly wildfires, killing at least three people and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. Red heat alerts are in place in parts of Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the Balkans, with temperatures exceeding 40C and reaching 44C in parts of Spain and Portugal.
Spain has deployed nearly 1,000 soldiers to fight blazes, including one near Madrid that killed an equestrian worker. Thousands have been evacuated from regions such as Castile and Leon and the tourist hub of Tarifa. In Portugal, over 1,300 firefighters are battling major fires, with Morocco sending aircraft assistance.
Greece is fighting more than 150 fires, prompting mass evacuations on Zakynthos and in western Achaia. Fires have also struck Turkey, Albania, Montenegro and Croatia. Scientists warn the climate crisis is fuelling hotter, drier summers, driving record-breaking fire seasons across the Mediterranean.
Sources: CNN, BBC
A Seoul court has issued an arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon Hee on charges including stock manipulation, bribery, and election meddling. Kim, 52, joins her husband, ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol, marking the first time in South Korea’s history that a former presidential couple is jailed simultaneously.
The court cited concerns she might destroy evidence. Prosecutors allege she made more than 800 million won ($578,000) in a price-rigging scheme involving Deutsch Motors between 2009 and 2012. She is also accused of accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church in exchange for business favours and interfering in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and last year’s general elections.
Kim, who denies all charges, was transferred to Seoul Southern Detention Center after a four-hour court hearing. She will be held in solitary confinement, similar to the cell where her husband is awaiting trial over a failed martial law bid.
Sources: JoongAng Daily, BBC
President Donald Trump has threatened to allow a “major lawsuit” against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, intensifying pressure for an interest rate cut. Trump criticised Powell’s handling of renovations at the Fed’s Washington headquarters, alleging mismanagement and cost overruns reaching $3 billion for a project he said should have cost $50 million.
The president, who has repeatedly urged large rate cuts, attacked Powell on social media for keeping borrowing costs steady in 2025 despite expectations for reductions later this year. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump is considering the lawsuit but offered no further details.
Prosecutors did not specify when or by whom the suit might be filed. Powell has defended the renovation work, and the Fed declined comment. Trump has previously called for Powell’s resignation but said he will wait out his term, due to end in May, before naming a successor.
Sources: CNBC, Bloomberg
Mexico has transferred 26 high-ranking cartel and criminal network figures to U.S. custody in a coordinated operation with the Trump administration. The group includes leaders from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Sinaloa Cartel, and other violent trafficking organizations. Charges range from large-scale drug smuggling and money laundering to murder, kidnapping, and human smuggling.
Among those extradited is Abigael González Valencia, a senior CJNG figure and leader of Los Cuinis, who has been fighting U.S. extradition since 2015. Also transferred was Roberto Salazar, wanted for the 2008 killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, and Servando Gómez Martinez, former Knights Templar cartel leader.
U.S. officials agreed not to seek the death penalty against any of the men. Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the move a milestone in efforts to dismantle dangerous cartels, while U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson said the transfer enhances safety in both nations.
Sources: Associated Press, US Dept of Justice
United Nations investigators have accused Myanmar’s security forces of carrying out systematic torture, including against children as young as two, according to a new report by the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM). The findings, covering July 2024 to June 2025, are based on over 1,300 sources, including eyewitness accounts, forensic evidence, and official documents.
Victims were subjected to beatings, electric shocks, strangulation, gang rape, and removal of fingernails with pliers. Some torture resulted in death. Children were often detained as proxies when authorities could not locate their parents, particularly those linked to opposition movements. Nearly 30,000 people have been arrested since the February 2021 coup, including political opponents, journalists, and activists.
The IIMM has identified both high-level commanders and direct perpetrators. Investigators warn that a severe funding shortfall threatens their ability to gather evidence, potentially undermining future justice efforts.
Sources: Straits Times, The Guardian
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it carried out an airstrike in Gaza that killed five armed men posing as World Central Kitchen (WCK) staff. According to the IDF, the operatives were near a vehicle marked with the aid group’s emblem in Deir al-Balah, wore yellow vests, and posed a threat to troops. Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories verified with WCK that neither the vehicle nor the men were affiliated with the organization.
The IDF said the strike followed real-time observation and confirmation before targeting. WCK condemned the misuse of its identity, warning it endangers civilians and aid workers.
The incident comes amid continued fighting in Gaza, where Israel says it has increased aid flows after international pressure. The Hamas-run health ministry reported 89 Palestinian deaths from Israeli fire in the past 24 hours, a figure Israel disputes.