10 Things Global News - 19 August 2025
The news from around the world
Trump Hosts Zelensky, Europe on Ukraine Peace
Kim Orders Rapid Nuclear Expansion Amid US Drills
Hamas Accepts Ceasefire Plan, Israel Holds Back
Air Canada Talks Resume as Strike Defies Order
Spain Endures Worst Wildfire Season in Decades
M23 Rebels Quit Talks as DR Congo Violence Grows
Myanmar Junta Sets December Election Amid Civil War
Republican States Send More Troops to US Capital
Hurricane Erin Triggers Evacuations on Outer Banks
Trump Vows to End Mail-In Voting Ahead of Midterms
President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders at the White House on Monday in a bid to advance talks on ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting followed Trump’s recent Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump confirmed he had spoken with Putin by phone for 40 minutes and was working to arrange a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky, with the possibility of a later trilateral session.
The talks touched on potential U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelensky said discussions included a $90 billion U.S. arms deal financed through European funds, along with U.S. purchases of Ukrainian drones to support domestic production. No final agreements were reached, but Zelensky expected details to be settled within 10 days.
European leaders pressed for a ceasefire as a prerequisite for talks, a position Trump questioned. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted negotiations could not move forward without halting hostilities.
Sources: CNN, BBC
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for a “rapid expansion” of his country’s nuclear weapons program during a visit to the newly launched destroyer Choe Hyon, citing U.S.–South Korean military exercises that he said could “ignite a war.” The drills, which began Monday, are scheduled to last eleven days and include large-scale live-fire training events. Pyongyang has long condemned them as rehearsals for invasion.
Kim told officials that the regional security environment required North Korea to accelerate nuclearization and modernize its navy. He expressed satisfaction that efforts to make the fleet both high-tech and nuclear-armed were progressing as planned, with a formal assessment expected in October.
South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, has pledged dialogue and measures to reduce tensions, but Pyongyang has dismissed his initiatives as unrealistic. Kim reiterated that North Korea’s security would be ensured only by making its enemies afraid.
Sources: Japan Times, Le Monde
Hamas announced it has accepted a ceasefire proposal involving a 60-day suspension of hostilities and the release of a first group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Mediated by Egypt and Qatar, the deal would initially cover around 10 living captives, with additional phases aimed at a broader agreement.
The plan was conveyed to Israel on Monday, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled he was not prepared to accept a partial arrangement. He insisted Israel’s position remains the release of all hostages alongside disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Hamas had returned to the table only under threat of an Israeli assault on Gaza City, which he described as a turning point in the conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump publicly backed Israel’s stance, stating that hostages would only be freed once Hamas is “confronted and destroyed.”
Sources: The Guardian, Times of Israel
Air Canada and the union representing 10,000 flight attendants resumed negotiations Monday for the first time since a strike began over the weekend, disrupting travel for an estimated 130,000 passengers per day. The Canada Industrial Relations Board declared the strike illegal and ordered attendants back to work by noon Monday, but the Canadian Union of Public Employees has defied the directive, saying it will not return without a negotiated settlement.
Union leaders argued the dispute stems from low pay and unpaid ground duties, with members performing about 35 hours of uncompensated work monthly. The airline has offered a four-year package with a 38% increase in compensation, but the union says this does not adequately address inflation or unpaid time.
Air Canada estimated that more than 2,500 flights had been canceled since Thursday, affecting around 500,000 customers. Prime Minister Mark Carney urged both sides to resolve the dispute quickly, citing major national disruption.
Sources: CNN, New York Times
Spain is experiencing its worst wildfire season in 30 years, with more than 40 active blazes and 31,000 people evacuated since August 12. Satellite data estimate that nearly 350,000 hectares have burned so far this year, surpassing the previous record set in 2022.
The majority of the fires are concentrated in Castile and León, Galicia, and Extremadura, while flames have also spread into the southern slopes of the Picos de Europa mountains. Authorities have closed a 50-kilometer stretch of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route and cut rail services in affected regions.
Four people have died during the latest wave, including a firefighter killed when his truck overturned in León. Spain has deployed 3,000 troops and 50 aircraft to assist, with reinforcements offered by several EU countries. Officials warn that extreme heat and dry conditions continue to fuel the disaster, though cooler weather is expected in coming days.
Sources: El Pais, Reuters
The M23 rebel group has suspended peace negotiations with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government, accusing the authorities of violating a recent ceasefire agreement. Talks were scheduled to resume in Qatar on Monday, but M23 representatives did not attend, alleging that government forces continued attacking their positions. The Congolese military, in turn, accused M23 of launching near-daily assaults in North and South Kivu.
The ceasefire had been signed last month in Qatar and was meant to pave the way for a permanent peace deal. It runs parallel to a separate U.S.-brokered agreement between Congo and Rwanda, which has been accused of backing the M23 — charges Rwanda denies. Thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced during the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, ISIL-linked Allied Democratic Forces rebels killed at least 52 civilians in North Kivu this month, underscoring the multiple threats destabilising eastern Congo despite repeated international mediation efforts.
Sources: BBC, Al Jazeera
Myanmar’s military government has announced the first phase of a general election for December 28, its first since the 2021 coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian administration. Authorities say the vote will be held in three phases, extending into January, with dates for the later rounds yet to be confirmed due to security concerns.
The Union Election Commission said voting will take place in more than 300 constituencies across the country, including areas controlled by anti-junta armed groups. State media reported that 55 political parties have registered, though the banned National League for Democracy will not participate. Many opposition groups have vowed to boycott the process.
Analysts and Western governments have already dismissed the polls as a sham aimed at entrenching military rule. The country remains engulfed in conflict, with thousands killed and millions displaced since the generals seized power under Min Aung Hlaing.
Sources: NPR, Reuters
Hundreds more National Guard troops are being sent to Washington, D.C., following President Donald Trump’s order to bolster security in the capital. Governors from Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia confirmed deployments totaling nearly 900 soldiers, joining the 800 D.C. Guard members already mobilized. Officials said the force could grow to over 1,700 in the coming days.
The move has been framed by Trump and Republican allies as a response to crime, but statistics show violent offenses in the city have fallen 26% since 2024, reaching a 30-year low. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called the deployment politically motivated, while Sen. Chris Van Hollen labeled it an “abuse of power.”
Troops have been stationed near tourist sites and federal property, often unarmed, though officials expect that to change. Local police reported 137 arrests over the weekend, but critics argue the surge is a manufactured emergency.
Sources: ABC News, Barrons
Hurricane Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, continued its path northward on Monday, prompting evacuations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks as forecasters warned of life-threatening surf and flooding. The storm, which briefly reached Category 5 strength over the weekend, weakened back to a Category 3 late Monday with sustained winds of 125 mph. At that time, Erin’s center was located about 690 miles southwest of Bermuda and roughly 780 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras.
Although Erin is expected to remain offshore, officials cautioned that its effects will be felt along much of the Eastern Seaboard. Swells of up to 20 feet are forecast, with rip currents and flooding likely across barrier islands.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, where tourists and residents faced long waits at ferry docks. Tropical storm watches and storm surge alerts were issued, with forecasters expecting dangerous conditions to persist through Thursday.
Sources: CBS News, Associated Press
President Donald Trump said Monday he would “lead a movement” to eliminate mail-in voting before the 2026 midterm elections, pledging to sign an executive order targeting ballots and voting machines. In posts Trump repeated his longstanding claims that mail-in ballots enable widespread fraud, assertions election experts say are false. He argued that elections “can never be honest” under the current system and promised to restore “honesty and integrity” to voting.
Trump’s plan, according to aides, includes requiring voter ID, shifting to watermark paper ballots, and eliminating what he described as lax voting laws. Legal experts countered that the Constitution grants authority over election procedures to states and Congress, not the president, and predicted courts would block any attempt to enforce such measures through executive order. The debate underscores Trump’s continuing push to reshape election rules heading into 2026.