10 Things Global News - 22nd August 2025
The news from around the world
Putin Presses Donbas Concessions in Peace Proposal
Netanyahu Backs Gaza Assault and Hostage Talks
Court Voids Trump’s $500M Fraud Penalty
Trump Orders Review of All US Visa Holders
Iran Holds First Naval Drill Since War With Israel
US and EU Advance Trade Deal With Car Tariff Cuts
Colombia Hit by Helicopter Strike and Car Bomb
US Tariffs on India Escalate Over Russian Oil
Italian Police Arrest Ukrainian in Nord Stream Case
Kim Jong Un Honors Troops Fighting for Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined conditions for a possible peace deal with Ukraine, demanding Kyiv withdraw from all of the eastern Donbas, abandon NATO membership ambitions, and bar Western troops from its territory, according to sources briefed on Kremlin talks. Putin presented the terms during a three-hour summit with Donald Trump in Alaska, where both leaders spoke of opening a path to peace but avoided specifics.
The proposal would freeze front lines in southern Ukraine while requiring Kyiv to cede remaining Donbas territory. Moscow signaled willingness to return small areas of Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions it controls. Ukraine has rejected giving up internationally recognized land, with President Volodymyr Zelensky insisting Donbas is critical to national survival.
European officials warned against concessions. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called territorial swaps a “trap,” stressing that Russia had not made a single concession and was intensifying attacks.
Sources: Reuters, BBC
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he has approved military plans to seize Gaza City while also instructing officials to pursue negotiations for the release of all hostages and an end to the war. His announcement comes just days after Hamas agreed to a proposal for a partial ceasefire, including the release of 10 hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners and a 60-day truce.
Israel has not responded to the plan, with Netanyahu reiterating that only a comprehensive deal securing all 50 remaining hostages would be acceptable. Military operations in Gaza have intensified, with tanks advancing toward the city and airstrikes striking displacement camps.
The UN estimates 90 percent of Gaza’s population has already been displaced, while local ministries warn the health system is collapsing. Hostage families in Tel Aviv continue to press for acceptance of a partial deal, warning that delay risks condemning their loved ones to death.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Times of Israel
A New York appeals court has voided the nearly $500 million civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump, easing a major financial burden but upholding his liability for fraud. The divided ruling concluded the fine was excessive under the Eighth Amendment, while preserving restrictions on Trump and the Trump Organization’s ability to conduct business in the state.
Attorney General Letitia James pledged to appeal, stressing that the court affirmed Trump, his company, and two of his children were liable for fraud by inflating property values to mislead lenders and insurers. The decision follows Trump’s prior conviction in the case, where Judge Arthur Engoron initially imposed a $354 million fine later raised with interest.
The panel’s opinions reflected deep divisions, with some judges favoring a retrial and one calling for dismissal. Trump celebrated the ruling as “total victory,” though the fraud judgment itself remains in place.
Sources: CNN, New York Times
The Trump administration announced a sweeping review of more than 55 million people holding valid U.S. visas, a major expansion of its immigration crackdown. The State Department confirmed that all visa holders are now subject to “continuous vetting,” including social media checks, to identify potential ineligibility. Any holder found to have overstayed, broken U.S. law, or supported terrorism could see their visa revoked and face deportation.
Officials said more than 6,000 student visas have already been canceled this year, mostly for legal violations such as assault, drunk driving, or terrorism-related issues. Around 4,000 cases were linked directly to infractions of U.S. law.
In a separate move, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the U.S. will stop issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers, citing road safety and the livelihoods of American truckers. Critics warned the policy could worsen labor shortages and signal broader risks for foreign workers in multiple sectors.
Sources: Associated Press, The Guardian
Iran has carried out its first military exercise since its 12-day war with Israel, with navy vessels launching cruise missiles and drones at sea targets in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean. The “Sustainable Power 1404” drill, broadcast on state television, featured the frigate IRIS Sabalan and a smaller ship, the IRIS Ganaveh, firing Nasir and Qadir missiles, while coastal batteries also joined the maneuvers.
The exercise comes weeks after Israeli strikes destroyed Iranian air defense systems, nuclear facilities, and other sites. Iranian officials said the show of force demonstrates readiness to repel any future attacks. Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh stated that new missiles are now deployed for use “against any adventurism.”
Meanwhile, Iran has halted cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has monitored its nuclear sites. France, Germany, and the UK warned that if no agreement is reached by August 31, they will trigger the reimposition of United Nations sanctions, further straining Iran’s already fragile economy.
Sources: ABC News, Associated Press
The United States and European Union have detailed the next stage of their new trade agreement, which includes reducing tariffs on European car exports to the U.S. from 27.5% to 15%. The change could take effect within weeks once the EU introduces legislation to eliminate some tariffs on U.S. industrial goods. German automakers, which exported $34.9 billion in cars and parts to the U.S. in 2024, are expected to benefit significantly.
The agreement sets a ceiling of 15% on most European exports, covering sectors such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber. However, EU negotiators failed to secure lower rates for wine and spirits, prompting criticism from French producers. Brussels did, however, secure favorable terms for other products, including aircraft parts, cork, and generic pharmaceuticals.
Both sides also pledged to work on cooperation in digital trade and economic security, while exploring quota-based reductions for steel and aluminum tariffs.
Sources: Bloomberg, Le Monde
Colombia suffered one of its deadliest days this year on Thursday when a police helicopter was brought down in Antioquia and a car bomb exploded in Cali, leaving at least 13 people dead and dozens injured.
President Gustavo Petro confirmed that eight police officers were killed when their helicopter, on an operation to eradicate coca crops, was struck by a drone and caught fire before crashing. Antioquia’s governor said the aircraft was flying over coca fields at the time. Defense officials reported several other injuries.
Hours later, a vehicle packed with explosives detonated outside a military aviation school in Cali, killing five and wounding more than 30. The blast damaged nearby homes and schools, prompting the mayor to impose new restrictions.
Petro initially suspected the Gulf Clan cartel but later blamed dissident FARC factions, vowing to designate them as terrorist groups. The UN reports coca cultivation reached a record 253,000 hectares in 2023.
Sources: Times of India, Le Monde
Washington’s trade tensions with New Delhi deepened Friday after Donald Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro accused India of acting as a “laundromat” for Russian crude oil and confirmed tariffs of up to 50 percent will take effect on August 27. Navarro said Indian refiners were profiting by importing discounted Russian oil, processing it, and reselling it globally at higher prices, which he claimed helps fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The measures include a 25 percent tariff linked to trade disputes and another 25 percent tied to oil imports. Navarro rejected arguments that India needs Russian supplies for energy security, calling the practice “profiteering.” He added that the policy “perpetuates the war.”
India strongly rejected the charges. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said targeting India was misguided since China and Europe remain larger buyers of Russian energy. He called the tariffs “extremely unfortunate,” insisting India’s imports are market-driven and necessary to ensure energy for 1.4 billion people.
Sources: Times of India, South China Morning Post, The Hill
Italian police have arrested a Ukrainian man suspected of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions. The man, identified as Serhiy (or Serhii) K, was detained near Rimini on a European arrest warrant issued by German prosecutors. He is suspected of being part of a team that planted explosives under the Baltic Sea, damaging three of the four gas pipelines linking Russia to Germany.
Investigators say the group chartered a yacht from Rostock and sailed toward the Danish island of Bornholm, where divers allegedly attached explosives to the pipelines. The blasts, on 26 September 2022, ruptured Nord Stream 1 and parts of Nord Stream 2, cutting a key energy route to Europe during the height of the region’s energy crisis.
German prosecutors accuse Serhiy K of playing a leading role in coordinating the sabotage, though not as a diver. He faces charges of sabotage and causing an explosion once extradited to Germany.
Sources: The Guardian, BBC
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a ceremony in Pyongyang to honor soldiers who fought alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine, state media reported Friday. Kim praised the troops as “heroic” and said their operations in Russia’s Kursk region demonstrated “the fighting spirit of the heroes.” He laid flowers at a memorial wall, met with bereaved families, and attended a concert and banquet for returning soldiers.
The event marked the latest public recognition of North Korea’s military role in Russia’s war. Earlier reports from South Korean lawmakers, citing intelligence, estimated that about 600 North Korean soldiers had been killed out of a deployment of 15,000. Ukrainian officials now assess that Pyongyang has expanded its support, with up to 20,000–30,000 additional troops, though Western diplomats suggest the actual figure may be lower.
Kim’s ceremony underscores North Korea’s open alignment with Moscow as the conflict continues.
Sources: Reuters, Kyiv Independent
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