10 Things Global News - 16 July 2025
Important Stories from Around the World
What’s Inside
Pentagon Cuts LA Military Deployment Amid Ongoing Legal Dispute
American Granted Russian Citizenship After Spying for Moscow in Ukraine
Slovakia Blocks EU Sanctions as U.S. Shifts on Ukraine
Israel Strikes Syria Amid Deadly Sectarian Clashes in Sweida
Nvidia to Resume AI Chip Sales to China After U.S. Reversal
French PM Proposes Scrapping Holidays to Tackle Soaring Deficit
UK Secretly Relocates Afghans After Massive Data Breach
Waltz Defends UN Nomination Amid Criticism Over Messaging Scandal
Global Childhood Vaccinations Stall as Misinformation and Conflict Erode Gains
Convicted backpacker killer dies, leaving key questions unanswered
Pentagon Cuts LA Military Deployment Amid Ongoing Legal Dispute
The Pentagon announced Tuesday it will withdraw 2,000 of the 4,000 National Guard troops deployed in Los Angeles during Trump-era immigration raids. The move follows legal challenges and widespread criticism from California officials who argued the military presence was unnecessary and inflammatory. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth framed the reduction as a response to improved security, crediting the troops with restoring order.
Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass welcomed the partial withdrawal but called for a full exit, labeling the deployment a political stunt that disrupted local governance. A prior federal court ruling declared Trump’s initial mobilization illegal, citing violations of constitutional limits. However, an appellate court temporarily upheld the deployment, citing presidential authority.
Roughly 2,000 troops and 700 Marines remain. Some have supported federal raids, including recent operations at cannabis farms. Civil rights concerns persist, particularly regarding the military’s expanded role in immigration enforcement and its effect on due process protections.
American Granted Russian Citizenship After Spying for Moscow in Ukraine
Daniel Martindale, a U.S. citizen who spent two years secretly aiding Russian forces from within Ukraine, has been granted Russian citizenship by presidential decree. At a televised ceremony in Moscow, Martindale received his passport and swore allegiance to Russia, calling the country his “family.”
Russian officials said Martindale provided intelligence on Ukrainian troop movements while posing as a missionary in Donetsk Oblast. He reportedly contacted Russian intelligence voluntarily in 2022 and was later instructed to wait in the city of Vuhledar until Russian troops arrived. His information allegedly supported operations to seize Kurakhove near Pokrovsk.
Martindale’s extraction was described as a “complex evacuation” by Russian authorities, who feared for his safety as battles intensified. Russian media said he had previously studied in Russia and entered Ukraine by bicycle from Poland just before the full-scale invasion.
His case highlights the Kremlin’s continued efforts to recruit foreign nationals in support of its military campaign.
Slovakia Blocks EU Sanctions as U.S. Shifts on Ukraine
The European Union failed to pass its 18th package of sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, as Slovakia withheld approval amid concerns over proposed gas import bans. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed disappointment but said she remains hopeful for a deal, with the decision now hinging on Slovak support.
The sanctions package targets Russian energy revenue, banks involved in sanctions evasion, and includes a proposed floating cap on oil prices. It also seeks to ban transactions with Nord Stream pipelines.
The impasse came as EU ministers welcomed a shift in U.S. rhetoric. President Trump announced new arms transfers to Europe for Ukraine and threatened secondary sanctions on nations trading with Russia, but EU leaders called for Washington to share more of the financial burden.
Kallas and others stressed that EU support already rivals U.S. aid and that solidarity requires both funding and clear commitment across the Atlantic.
Israel Strikes Syria Amid Deadly Sectarian Clashes in Sweida
Israel launched a second day of airstrikes Tuesday in Syria’s Sweida region, targeting government forces amid escalating clashes between Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin fighters. Over 160 people have been killed since Sunday, according to observer groups.
The violence has surged near the Israeli border, where Israel says it is acting to protect the Druze minority and enforce demilitarization. Israeli officials accused Syrian troops of breaching ceasefire terms and entering the area with heavy weaponry. Drone strikes and visible destruction were reported in Sweida as Israeli warplanes hit tanks and a police station.
Druze spiritual leaders initially accepted a ceasefire brokered with Syrian officials, but later denounced the agreement, alleging continued shelling and abuses by government forces. Videos showed looting, executions, and mistreatment of Druze fighters.
The clashes come amid fragile rule by Syria’s new government, which replaced Bashar Assad in December but has struggled to gain trust from minority communities following prior sectarian violence.
Nvidia to Resume AI Chip Sales to China After U.S. Reversal
Nvidia will restart sales of its H20 artificial intelligence chips to China, following U.S. government approval announced Monday. The decision marks a reversal of previous export restrictions imposed in April due to national security concerns. CEO Jensen Huang said licenses to resume shipments were confirmed after discussions with U.S. officials, including a recent meeting with President Trump.
The H20 chip was designed to comply with prior U.S. limits and had been central to Nvidia’s efforts to retain market access in China, which accounted for 13% of 2024 sales. Washington’s approval comes as part of a broader trade deal involving rare earth magnets and technology access.
Officials said the shift allows American firms to compete globally while restricting China’s access to the most advanced semiconductors. Nvidia had previously warned that restrictions could cost $8 billion in Q2 revenue. Rival AMD also plans to resume exports of its MI308 chips under the updated policy.
French PM Proposes Scrapping Holidays to Tackle Soaring Deficit
French Prime Minister François Bayrou has unveiled sweeping measures to cut €43.8 billion from the national budget, including a proposal to eliminate two public holidays—Easter Monday and Victory in Europe Day—amid warnings of a looming debt crisis. France’s public deficit hit 5.8% of GDP in 2024, well above the EU’s 3% ceiling.
Bayrou described the debt as a “mortal danger” and said the country faces a fiscal cliff unless action is taken. Other austerity measures include freezing civil servant salaries, capping welfare spending, and cutting healthcare costs by €5 billion. Defence spending will be spared and even boosted.
The proposals, aimed at reducing the deficit to 3% by 2029, have sparked criticism across the political spectrum. Opponents have called the holiday cuts an attack on national identity and working-class families.
Bayrou lacks a parliamentary majority and may face a no-confidence vote if consensus on the budget cannot be reached.
UK Secretly Relocates Afghans After Massive Data Breach
The UK government has admitted to secretly relocating thousands of Afghans under a classified scheme triggered by a 2022 data breach that exposed personal information of nearly 19,000 applicants to the Afghan resettlement program. The breach was only discovered in 2023 when data appeared on Facebook. A High Court superinjunction prevented reporting on the incident until it was lifted this week.
So far, 4,500 Afghans have been relocated, with another 8,000 expected. The scheme, now closed, has cost up to £450 million. Defence officials acknowledged the breach was caused by an MoD employee who mistakenly shared a full spreadsheet. That official remains employed, though no disciplinary action has been confirmed.
While a review judged the threat from the breach “limited,” the list may have included Taliban targets. Critics, including MPs and rights lawyers, called the secrecy a failure of accountability and transparency, warning of precedent-setting censorship via legal orders.
Waltz Defends UN Nomination Amid Criticism Over Messaging Scandal
Mike Waltz, President Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, faced a contentious Senate hearing Tuesday marked by clashes over his past conduct and future agenda. Waltz pledged sweeping UN reforms, calling the body bloated and overly politicized, and vowed to focus it on its original mission. He promised to push back against what he described as anti-American bias, including criticism of U.S. policing and historical land seizures.
However, senators also pressed Waltz about a Signal group chat incident in which he added a journalist to discussions about Yemen strikes. Waltz defended his use of the app as secure and authorized, noting the White House cleared him of wrongdoing, though the Pentagon’s investigation remains ongoing.
Despite strong Democratic opposition, Republican senators voiced support. Waltz said he would confront China’s privileged UN status and reaffirm U.S. leadership. His nomination now moves to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a vote.
Global Childhood Vaccinations Stall as Misinformation and Conflict Erode Gains
Global childhood vaccination rates held steady in 2024, with 89% of infants receiving at least one dose of the DTP vaccine and 85% completing the series. Despite this, more than 14 million children received no vaccines at all, and 20 million missed at least one dose, according to data released by WHO and UNICEF.
Nine countries—including Nigeria, India, and Sudan—accounted for over half of zero-dose children. Conflicts and humanitarian crises continue to drive sharp disparities in access, with 26 fragile states housing half of the world’s unvaccinated infants.
Measles coverage also improved marginally, yet 60 countries saw major outbreaks due to coverage rates falling short of the 95% target. Experts warn that declining aid, misinformation, and health system strain threaten to reverse progress.
Recent U.S. policy shifts, including withdrawal from WHO and cuts to vaccine funding, have exacerbated challenges for Gavi-supported countries, though immunization gains were noted in several low-income nations.
Convicted backpacker killer dies, leaving key questions unanswered
Bradley John Murdoch, convicted of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2005, died this week in Alice Springs Hospital at age 67 after a battle with cancer. Murdoch was serving a life sentence for Falconio’s 2001 killing and the attempted abduction of Falconio’s girlfriend, Joanne Lees.
Lees had escaped after being bound and assaulted, sparking a massive investigation across Australia. Although DNA evidence and witness identification led to Murdoch’s conviction, Falconio’s body was never found. His death ends any hope that Murdoch might reveal the location. Under “no body, no parole” laws introduced in 2016, parole had been contingent on such a disclosure.
The case gripped both Australian and UK media for decades, with multiple appeals, public speculation, and continued pleas from the Falconio family. Despite a $500,000 reward and renewed calls for information, the mystery of Falconio’s final resting place remains unsolved.