10 Things Global News - 8th August 2025
The news from around the world
Israel Moves to Occupy Gaza City in War Escalation
Indonesia to Treat 2000 Gazans on Remote Island
Trump and Putin Plan Talks
Trump Nominates Stephen Miran to Fed Board
France Brings Wildfire Under Control
WHO Critical of Cancelling Vaccine Research
Meta Secures $29 Billion AI Data Center Deal
Judge Halts Construction at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
Cambodia and Thailand Accept ASEAN Monitors
Putin’s India Visit Almost Finalised as Ties Deepen
Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved a plan to take military control of Gaza City, marking a major escalation in the nearly two-year war. The operation, initiated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will involve the forced displacement of the remaining Palestinian population from the city to central Gaza. Netanyahu’s office said humanitarian aid will be delivered outside the combat zones, but provided no details on logistics.
The plan still requires full government approval, which may come by Sunday. Israeli officials described the operation as aiming to encircle Hamas militants remaining in Gaza City while preparing for a ground offensive. Nearly 90% of Gaza is already under military control or inaccessible to Palestinians, and aid groups warn that further displacement will deepen famine conditions.
Netanyahu denied intentions to govern Gaza, stating instead that a third party would manage postwar administration. Meanwhile, domestic opposition to the war is growing, with Israeli protesters and families of hostages demanding a ceasefire.
Sources: Al Jazeera, NPR
Indonesia has announced plans to treat 2,000 war-wounded Palestinians from Gaza at a medical facility on Galang Island, a remote former refugee camp off the coast of Sumatra. The treatment centre will also temporarily shelter accompanying family members. Officials say this is a humanitarian initiative, not a resettlement effort, and that all patients will return to Gaza once recovered.
The plan was announced by President Prabowo Subianto’s spokesman, who said instructions had been given to the Defense and Foreign Ministries to implement the operation. Galang was chosen due to its isolation and history as a safe zone — first for Vietnamese refugees and later for Covid-19 patients.
The move comes amid wider international pressure on countries to host displaced Palestinians. Indonesia had previously denied reports that it would accept long-term refugees. Religious leaders in Indonesia remain cautious, warning against any arrangement that might aid permanent displacement or Israeli territorial expansion
Sources: The Guardian, Jakarta Globe
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet in the coming days, with discussions reportedly underway to hold the summit in the United Arab Emirates. The meeting could take place as early as next week, as Trump’s Friday deadline for Russia to agree to a Ukraine ceasefire approaches. Trump said there was a “very good prospect” of a summit with both Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, though the Kremlin has dismissed trilateral talks for now.
Russian officials insist the summit was initiated by the U.S., while Trump claims Moscow made the request. Tensions persist over the meeting format, with Kyiv concerned it may be sidelined from negotiations. A recent U.S. envoy visit yielded vague but “constructive” exchanges, and both sides are maneuvering diplomatically.
Russia continues large-scale attacks on Ukraine while promoting terms seen by Kyiv as de facto surrender. European leaders have expressed alarm, fearing Trump may accept a settlement that benefits Moscow.
Sources: BBC, Washington Post
President Trump has nominated Stephen Miran, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and a central figure in his trade agenda, to temporarily fill a vacancy on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. Miran would replace Adriana Kugler, who resigned months before her term’s scheduled end in January.
If confirmed by the Senate, Miran would gain a vote on interest rate policy, aligning with Trump’s calls for lower borrowing costs. While the role is temporary, Miran could later be elevated to Fed chair, a position Trump has suggested he may fill in 2026 when Jerome Powell’s term ends.
Miran, a Harvard-trained economist and former Treasury official, is known for promoting Trump’s tariff strategy and for his sharp critiques of the Fed. His nomination comes amid broader tensions between the White House and central bank over rate policy, inflation management, and political independence.
Confirmation timing remains unclear ahead of the Fed’s next meeting in mid-September.
Sources: CNN, New York Times
France’s most destructive wildfire in 75 years has been brought under control, authorities confirmed late Thursday, though it is expected to burn for several more days. The blaze, which erupted Tuesday in the southern Aude region, killed one person, injured 13 — including 11 firefighters — and destroyed over 17,000 hectares of land, an area larger than Paris.
More than 2,000 firefighters, supported by helicopters and water-bombing aircraft, were mobilized to battle the flames, which spread rapidly due to strong winds and dry vegetation. Officials cited climate change and prolonged drought as key factors driving the scale and intensity of the fire.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou described the event as an “unprecedented catastrophe,” while Environment Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher linked the blaze directly to climate change. Access to affected forests remains restricted, and residents have been urged not to return while firefighting operations continue. Dozens of homes and vineyards were destroyed.
Sources: France 24, BBC
The World Health Organization has sharply criticized the U.S. decision to cancel $500 million in mRNA vaccine research funding, calling it “unfortunate and untimely.” The move, announced Tuesday by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., halts 22 vaccine projects and terminates contracts, including at Emory University and with major pharmaceutical companies. Kennedy justified the decision by claiming mRNA vaccines fail to prevent respiratory infections and may encourage viral mutations — assertions widely rejected by scientists.
WHO officials emphasized the importance of mRNA as a flexible and fast-deployable technology for combating epidemic threats. Experts from institutions in the U.S. and UK expressed alarm, demanding Kennedy release the data underlying the decision. Critics say the cancellation threatens public health preparedness and undermines scientific progress.
Kennedy’s stance on vaccines — long viewed as fringe — now appears to be shaping national policy, prompting concern among former officials who warn the cuts may have global repercussions and chill future innovation.
Sources: New York Times, Health Policy Watch
Meta has selected Pimco and Blue Owl Capital to lead a $29 billion financing package for a major AI data center expansion in rural Louisiana. The deal marks one of the largest private infrastructure financings in U.S. tech, with Pimco expected to manage $26 billion in debt and Blue Owl contributing $3 billion in equity. The debt is likely to be issued as bonds backed by the data center assets.
The move supports Meta’s aggressive push into AI infrastructure, including its first large-scale “Prometheus” data center due online in 2026, and the scalable “Hyperion” project. Meta is also offloading $2 billion in existing data center assets as part of a co-development strategy.
Other major investors like Apollo and KKR had been in contention to lead the deal but lost out in the final round. Meta joins peers like Microsoft and xAI in tapping private capital to fund increasingly expensive AI infrastructure growth.
Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg
A federal judge has temporarily halted construction at Florida’s controversial migrant detention site in the Everglades, known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” The two-week pause was ordered to allow court arguments over whether the facility violates federal environmental law. While operations may continue, the order blocks all new paving, lighting, structures, and site expansion during this period.
The case, brought by environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, argues that the state-built center infringes on protected wetlands and bypasses federal review under the National Environmental Policy Act. State officials contend that because Florida built and operates the site, no federal review is required — despite the facility housing federal detainees.
The 3,000-capacity site was rapidly built in just eight days using emergency powers and now holds hundreds of detainees. A separate civil rights lawsuit challenges conditions inside. Governor Ron DeSantis’ office downplayed the court’s ruling, saying deportation efforts will continue without interruption.
Sources: Associated Press, NY Post
Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to allow ASEAN observers to monitor their fragile ceasefire after last month’s five-day border conflict that left at least 43 people dead and displaced over 300,000. Defence officials from both countries concluded four days of talks in Kuala Lumpur with a commitment to freeze troop movements and improve military communication. Observation teams will be stationed in each country, coordinated by ASEAN chair Malaysia, but will not cross the border.
The ceasefire, brokered on July 28, came after U.S. economic pressure. Washington warned that trade talks would be suspended unless hostilities ended, and subsequently lowered tariffs on goods from both countries. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has since nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Despite progress, tensions remain. Thailand still holds 18 Cambodian soldiers captured hours after the ceasefire began. While both sides extended the truce, future negotiations are planned to address unresolved issues, including repatriation of detainees.
Sources: Al Jazeera, ABC
India and Russia are close to finalising dates for President Vladimir Putin’s first visit to India since the invasion of Ukraine, according to Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Speaking during a visit to Moscow, Doval said summit-level meetings have historically guided bilateral ties and expressed hope the upcoming meeting would yield “tangible and substantial” outcomes.
While the exact date remains unconfirmed, sources say the leaders may also meet on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Tianjin this month. The visit would come amid heightened U.S. pressure on India to reduce energy and defence ties with Russia, which have remained resilient despite global tensions.
Doval and Russian officials discussed energy and defence cooperation, and reiterated support for a multipolar world order. Meanwhile, Cambodia’s prime minister has nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in a ceasefire in Southeast Asia—a diplomatic win India quietly welcomed amid global recalibrations.