10 Things Global News - 18 August 2025
The news from around the world
European Leaders Join Zelensky in Washington
Wildfires Ravage Spain and Portugal
Putin Signals Openness to Ukraine Security Guarantees
Indonesia Probes $18 Billion Oil Scandal
Deadly Blast at U.S. Steel Plant Puts Future in Doubt
German Minister Warns on China’s Aggression
Kuwait Arrests 67 After Tainted Alcohol Deaths
Mass Protests in Israel Over Gaza War Plans
Air Canada Strike Defies Back-to-Work Order
Qantas Fined $90M Over Illegal Job Cuts During COVID
European leaders are heading to Washington for a high-stakes White House meeting with President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will join the talks.
The gathering follows Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which ended without a ceasefire agreement. Trump has since ruled out Ukraine reclaiming Crimea or joining NATO and suggested Zelensky could end the war “almost immediately” by accepting territorial concessions.
European leaders remain uneasy, warning against any deal rewarding Russian aggression. Zelensky has rejected proposals to cede Donbas, while Moscow continues strikes. The White House session will test whether the US is willing to offer Ukraine new security guarantees as part of a potential settlement, amid ongoing European calls for a “swift peace.”
Sources: RFI, The Guardian
Wildfires sweeping across Spain and Portugal have forced mass evacuations and triggered one of the largest civil protection mobilisations in Europe. In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cut short his holiday to visit Ourense and León, meeting emergency teams and pledging full government support. More than 1,900 troops and 13,600 security forces have been deployed, with Sánchez describing the operation as “probably” the largest in European history.
Spain is battling 20 major fires, with Galicia, León, Extremadura, and Asturias among the hardest-hit areas. At least three people have died, and thousands have been evacuated as more than 115,000 hectares have burned, including 50,000 in Galicia alone. Temperatures exceeding 44°C are expected to worsen conditions in the coming days.
Portugal is also under strain, with over 3,200 firefighters tackling nine major fires, mostly in the north and centre. At least one person has died, and 139,000 hectares have burned since July, prompting a request for EU firefighting support.
Sources: EuroNews, DW
Russian President Vladimir Putin has, for the first time, agreed that the United States and Europe could offer Ukraine security guarantees similar to NATO’s collective defense pledge. The shift came during his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska, according to Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, who called the move “game-changing.”
The proposed arrangement would provide Ukraine with Article 5-style protection without full NATO membership, an option long opposed by Moscow. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said details of how the guarantees would work are still to be negotiated, with discussions expected at the White House on Monday when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Trump alongside European leaders.
Zelensky welcomed the development as “historic” but stressed that any deal must deliver practical security on land, at sea, and in the air. European leaders have pledged to back a reassurance force to protect Ukraine once hostilities cease.
Sources: Associated Press, BBC
Indonesian authorities have launched one of the country’s largest corruption investigations in decades, targeting fuel imports by state-owned oil giant Pertamina. The probe focuses on irregularities between 2018 and 2023 that allegedly cost the state about $18 billion.
Among those implicated is reclusive oil trader Mohammad Riza Chalid, long known as the “Gasoline Godfather” for his dominance of fuel imports, mostly from Singapore. Chalid is accused of enriching himself through opaque contracts involving a Pertamina-linked storage company. He has failed to appear after being summoned three times and is believed to have left for Malaysia in February. Authorities have seized vehicles and cash tied to him and are pursuing an Interpol Red Notice.
The investigation has already detained more than a dozen executives, including Chalid’s son, and questioned over 250 witnesses. President Prabowo Subianto has framed the case as a key test of his commitment to fighting corruption in state-owned enterprises.
Sources: Japan Times,Straits Times
A fatal explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works near Pittsburgh has raised new questions about the future of one of America’s last integrated steelmaking hubs. The Aug. 11 blast killed two workers and hospitalized ten others after a gas valve failed during maintenance preparations, releasing coke oven gas that ignited. The cause remains under investigation by the federal Chemical Safety Board.
The Clairton facility, the largest coking operation in North America, employs nearly 1,300 people. It has a history of accidents and costly environmental violations, with $57 million in fines and settlements since 2020. Two of its six batteries of ovens were damaged in the latest blast, while two more are running at reduced capacity.
Nippon Steel, which recently completed a $15 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel, has pledged continued investment in the Mon Valley, but the explosion could test its commitment to modernizing the century-old plant.
Sources: Associated Press, USA Today
Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul has criticized what he called China’s “increasingly aggressive behaviour” in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas. His comments came ahead of a visit to Japan and Indonesia, where he is expected to emphasize security and economic cooperation.
Wadephul said China’s actions threaten “fundamental principles of global co-existence” and urged stronger international rules backed by law. He praised Japan’s solidarity with Europe over Ukraine and described both Japan and Indonesia as vital partners for Germany given their size and economic potential.
His remarks follow heightened regional tensions after China said its military “drove away” a U.S. destroyer near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, while Washington insisted the operation complied with international law. The minister’s stance highlights Europe’s growing concerns over security in the Asia-Pacific at a time when Beijing’s alignment with Moscow continues to cause friction with the West.
Sources: Reuters, Straits Times
Kuwaiti authorities have arrested 67 people accused of producing and distributing illegal alcohol that has killed 23 people and poisoned dozens more. The Interior Ministry said six operating factories and four others under construction were shut down during raids in residential and industrial areas. A Bangladeshi national, identified as the head of the criminal network, was among those detained.
The Ministry of Health reported 160 cases of methanol poisoning linked to the drinks, with 51 patients requiring kidney dialysis and 31 needing mechanical ventilation. Victims were mostly Asian nationals, including around 40 Indian citizens who were hospitalised, according to India’s embassy.
Kuwait bans the import and production of alcohol, but illicit drinks are often made in unsafe facilities without oversight. Methanol, a toxic alcohol commonly used in industrial products, can be deadly when consumed, with delayed symptoms that complicate treatment. Authorities said investigations are ongoing.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Jerusalem Post
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis staged nationwide protests and a partial strike Sunday, demanding the government end the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages. The demonstrations, organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, drew vast crowds in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square and other cities. Organizers estimated nearly half a million people took part.
Protesters voiced concern that Israel’s planned assault on Gaza City would endanger the roughly 50 hostages believed to remain in captivity, about 20 of them thought to be alive. Families of captives, opposition leaders, unions, universities, and businesses joined the strike, while police made dozens of arrests and used water cannons to clear roads.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the protests, warning they strengthened Hamas. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said its campaign to capture Gaza City could last months, and stepped up bombardment of the enclave as the humanitarian crisis deepened.
Sources: Washington Post, The Guardian, Al Jazeera
Air Canada’s operations remain grounded as more than 10,000 flight attendants continue their strike, defying a government back-to-work order issued under the Canada Labor Code. The walkout, which began early Saturday, has already led to the cancellation of over 700 daily flights and stranded thousands of passengers.
On Sunday, the airline canceled 240 additional flights after the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) rejected a directive from the Canada Industrial Relations Board to resume duties by 2 p.m. ET. The union vowed to challenge the order, calling it a violation of workers’ rights, and accused the government of caving to corporate pressure.
Air Canada said flights would not resume until Monday evening at the earliest and warned it could take a week or more to stabilise operations. The airline has offered passengers refunds, credits, or rebooking on other carriers, though options remain limited during peak travel season.
Sources: CNN, CTV News
The Federal Court has ordered Qantas to pay a record $90 million for illegally outsourcing more than 1,800 ground handling jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Justice Michael Lee said the penalty, the largest in Australian industrial relations history, reflected the gravity of the airline’s misconduct.
Almost half of the fine, $50 million, will be paid to the Transport Workers Union, which pursued the case. A separate hearing will decide how the remaining $40 million is allocated, and whether it will go to affected staff.
The case followed Qantas’s 2020 decision to outsource ground handling operations at 10 airports, a move the court later ruled unlawful. The airline has also paid $120 million into a compensation fund for former employees.
CEO Vanessa Hudson apologised to the 1,820 workers impacted, but the court questioned Qantas’s sincerity, noting it “resisted until it could resist no more” before accepting responsibility.