10 Things Global News - 26th August 2025
The news from around the world
Israeli Strikes Kill 20 at Gaza Hospital
Illinois Leaders Reject Trump’s Troop Threat
Trump Signals Willingness to Meet Kim Jong Un
Australia Cuts Ties With Iran Over Attacks
Typhoon Kajiki Kills Three, Floods Hanoi Streets
Trump Moves to Fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook
Trump Signs Order Targeting Flag Burning
Taiwan Expands Drills as Philippines Deepens Ties
Oil Prices Rise on War Risks and Rate Hopes
Korean Air Places $50B Boeing Aircraft Order
Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on Monday killed at least 20 people, including five journalists and several medical staff, according to health officials. The first strike hit the hospital’s facade, and as rescuers and journalists rushed to assist, a second strike struck the same area, causing further casualties and chaos. Dozens were also wounded in the attack.
The journalists killed included freelancers and contractors working with Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and Middle East Eye. Among them was Mariam Dagga, who had recently reported on children suffering from starvation. Emergency responders and hospital staff were also among the dead.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described the incident as a “tragic mishap,” and the Israeli military announced an inquiry. Critics, including international media associations and the United Nations, condemned the strike, calling it part of a broader pattern of attacks on hospitals and journalists during the 22-month war.
Sources: New York Times, Associated Press
Illinois leaders on Monday denounced President Donald Trump’s threat to deploy military forces in Chicago, calling it unnecessary and politically motivated. Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson said neither the state nor the city had requested federal intervention. They argued crime rates in Chicago have been falling, with murders down more than 30 percent year on year and other major offenses sharply reduced.
Trump said the military could move into Chicago on less than 24 hours’ notice, repeating his criticism of city leadership and suggesting he might use regular troops in addition to the National Guard. Pentagon officials have conducted preliminary planning but emphasized no orders have been given.
Pritzker called the threat an “authoritarian” attempt to intimidate political rivals, while Attorney General Kwame Raoul warned the state would pursue legal action if troops were deployed. Illinois officials also criticized cuts to federal safety funding earlier this year.
Sources: Reuters, The Independent
President Donald Trump said he is open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, raising the prospect of renewed diplomacy after a White House meeting with South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung. Lee urged Trump to help establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, praising his prior efforts and suggesting he was the “only person” who could resolve tensions.
Trump, who met Kim three times during his first term, said he “looked forward” to another encounter, possibly this year. He described his relationship with Kim as strong and suggested such talks could improve relations. Lee, elected in June, traveled with South Korean business leaders who pledged more than $150 billion in U.S. investments.
The meeting came as North Korea has continued weapons testing and strengthened ties with Moscow. Kim recently oversaw missile launches, while U.S. officials warn Pyongyang is advancing nuclear and missile capabilities. Despite Trump’s optimism, Pyongyang has rejected recent U.S. overtures.
Sources: CNN, The Guardian
Australia has severed diplomatic relations with Iran after intelligence agencies concluded Tehran directed at least two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incidents “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression” that sought to divide the community.
ASIO director Mike Burgess said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) orchestrated the 2024 firebombing of Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue and an earlier attack on Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Sydney. He described a “layer cake of cut-outs” used to conceal Iran’s role, including offshore criminal networks.
The Iranian ambassador and three officials were expelled and given seven days to leave, marking the first expulsion of an ambassador from Australia since World War II. Operations at Australia’s embassy in Tehran were suspended.
The government will legislate to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. Officials stressed that Australians of Iranian heritage must not be blamed for the regime’s actions, urging unity against foreign interference.
Sources: ABC News, Sydney Morning Herald
At least three people have been killed and ten injured after Typhoon Kajiki struck Vietnam, bringing fierce winds and torrential rains that damaged nearly 7,000 homes and inundated large areas of farmland. The storm made landfall late Monday in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces before moving into Laos, leaving behind severe flooding in northern and central regions, including Hanoi, where streets were submerged and traffic disrupted.
Authorities reported the destruction of thousands of trees and hundreds of electricity poles, causing widespread blackouts across multiple provinces. The national weather agency warned of further downpours, flash floods, and landslides as rainfall exceeded 300 millimetres in some areas.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directed local leaders and ministries to mobilize forces and resources for relief and recovery, with the military placing more than 346,000 personnel on standby. Over 44,000 residents were evacuated before the storm’s arrival, with relief operations now underway.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Vietnam Plus
President Donald Trump said he was firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook “effective immediately,” escalating his confrontation with the central bank. In a letter posted online, Trump claimed Cook made false statements on mortgage applications, citing “sufficient cause” to remove her from office.
Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the Fed board, rejected the dismissal. She said the president had no legal authority to fire her and vowed to continue her work. Her attorney, Abbe Lowell, pledged to fight the move in court.
The extraordinary clash highlights growing pressure on the Fed’s independence. Trump has repeatedly criticized Chair Jerome Powell and recently removed the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Market reaction was muted, with the dollar slightly weaker and long-term Treasury yields rising. Cook’s term runs until 2038, and any replacement could tilt the seven-member board in Trump’s favor.
Sources: FT, Politico
President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute flag burning, challenging a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that protects it as free speech. The order argues burning a flag may fall outside constitutional protection if it incites imminent lawless action or constitutes “fighting words.”
Trump said violators should face one year in jail and added that foreign nationals convicted could lose visas or face deportation. Attorney General Pam Bondi was instructed to prioritize prosecutions and pursue litigation to bring the matter back before the Court, now more conservative than in 1989.
Civil liberties advocates called the move unconstitutional, stressing the First Amendment’s protection of political expression. Hours after the order was signed, a combat veteran was arrested for setting a flag alight near the White House, detained under park rules prohibiting open fires.
Sources: Associated Press, NBC News
Taiwan is intensifying preparations for a possible Chinese attack through military reforms, expanded civil defense, and large-scale war games, while the Philippines is quietly strengthening “unofficial” defense links with Taipei.
President William Lai’s government has raised defense spending plans, extended conscription, and revamped the Han Kuang exercises to simulate urban warfare and missile strikes. Last month’s Urban Resilience Exercise included air raid drills in every major city, with volunteers acting as casualties and residents practicing evacuations. Lai argues preparation is essential to deter war, though many Taiwanese remain skeptical about the likelihood of an imminent Chinese invasion.
In parallel, Manila has increased contacts with Taiwanese military officials and is expanding infrastructure on its northern islands near Taiwan. A senior Philippine official said geography would make involvement in any U.S.-China conflict “inevitable.” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently warned that his country could be dragged into a cross-strait crisis, drawing sharp rebukes from Beijing.
Sources: BBC, Japan Times
Oil prices rose Monday as Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian energy sites raised fears of supply disruption and the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled a possible rate cut. Brent crude settled at $68.80 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate at $64.80, with both benchmarks extending last week’s gains.
Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian infrastructure, including a blaze at the Ust-Luga fuel terminal and a fire at the Novoshakhtinsk refinery. Attacks also targeted the Druzhba pipeline, which carries crude to Hungary and Slovakia. U.S. officials said sanctions on Russia could follow if peace talks fail, while additional tariffs on Indian imports of Russian oil are due to take effect later this week.
At Jackson Hole, Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated conditions may justify cutting rates in September, lifting investor sentiment. Still, analysts cautioned that higher tariffs could slow global growth and temper fuel demand.
Sources: Reuters, Oilprice
Korean Air has signed a landmark $50 billion agreement to purchase more than 100 Boeing aircraft, spare engines, and long-term maintenance services. The deal was finalized in Washington during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, and is one of the largest single aircraft orders in recent years.
The package includes $36.2 billion for 103 Boeing passenger and cargo planes, $690 million for 19 spare engines from GE Aerospace and CFM International, and a $13 billion maintenance contract with GE Aerospace running for 20 years. The aircraft mix will modernize the fleet with Boeing 777s, 787s, and 737s, as well as eight 777-8 freighters, with phased deliveries through 2030.
Korean Air said the deal strengthens ties with the U.S. aviation sector and boosts competitiveness as the airline merges with Asiana Airlines. Boeing estimated the order would support 135,000 American jobs.