Middle East & Gaza crisis
- Norges utenriksminister Espen Barth Eide is attending a UN summit in New York to promote a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. He denounces Israel’s veto power over negotiations and leads a working group with Japan on boosting the Palestinian economy. France’s recognition of Palestine lends momentum to the initiative ReutersVG.
- Israel has begun humanitarian pauses and daily fighting pauses in select areas of Gaza, while initiating aid airdrops and protected corridors amid UN warnings about imminent famine The Guardian+3Hindustan Times+3ABC News+3.
- International pressure is mounting — the WHO, Amnesty, and others warn of a man-made catastrophe in Gaza; meanwhile, leaders like UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are urging President Trump to increase diplomatic pressure on Israel, even as the Trump administration maintains its support for Israeli leadership The Times.
Russia–Ukraine conflict
- Russia is escalating its offensive in Ukraine with kamikaze-style assaults, drone strikes, and prolonged bombardments, aiming gradually to seize territory near Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk. Civilians are being evacuated under dire conditions as Ukrainian defenders attempt to hold the line The Guardian.
- In response to Ukrainian drone attacks around St Petersburg, President Putin canceled Russia’s navy day celebrations and scaled back related events The Independent.
Global economy & trade
- U.S. and EU strike a landmark trade deal that imposes a 15 % baseline tariff on most EU exports. The agreement aims to preempt a potential trade war between the world’s two largest economies Global News+3Global News+3The Guardian+3.
- The trade deal covers approximately one-third of global GDP and was announced in Scotland during meetings involving President Trump and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen The Guardian.
Climate & environment
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued a landmark advisory opinion declaring that countries are legally obligated under international law to fight climate change. Violating these duties may allow legal action by affected states, especially against historically high-emitting countries Reuters.
- The UN declared 2025 the “International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation”, and a global conference in Dushanbe produced the Dushanbe Glacier Declaration, calling for coordinated glacier monitoring, climate mitigation policies, and greater climate finance for vulnerable communities Wikipedia.
- The 2023–2025 global coral bleaching event is continuing and is now the worst on record, affecting around 84 % of the world’s coral reefs, largely due to warming ocean temperatures tied to climate change Wikipedia.
Europe & wildfires
- A record heatwave since June has triggered massive wildfires across the Mediterranean and southern Europe. France, Greece, Spain and Turkey have seen extensive evacuations, injuries, and some casualties Wikipedia.
- In the UK, the third heatwave of the summer resulted in widespread hosepipe bans and yellow/amber heat-health alerts across multiple regions, with drought conditions now declared in areas like the Midlands Wikipedia.
Regional & other developments
- France and Saudi Arabia are mobilizing a renewed push at the UN for a two-state solution to bring an end to the Gaza conflict, coordinating diplomatic efforts and calling for urgent resolution The Guardian+4Hindustan Times+4The Times+4.
- Australia’s Labor government faces rising domestic pressure to sanction Israel and formally recognize a Palestinian state, after pledging $100 million in relief but being criticized for insufficient action The Guardian.
- Maldives has inaugurated the upgraded Velana International Airport, funded through a USD ~302 million UAE-backed investment aimed at boosting tourism and infrastructure timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- • At the Shanghai World AI Conference, companies such as XtalPi are displaying the latest developments in AI, underscoring China’s ambitions for technology leadership English. timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- • China’s Shaolin Temple chief abbot is being investigated for channeling project funds for his personal use, adding public scrutiny raised by allegations of corruption at religious organizations ndtv.com.
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