International News Briefs for Friday, August 11, 2025
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Monday, August 11, 2025.
Israeli Military Assassinates Five Al Jazeera Journalists in Gaza
Aug 11, 2025
The Israeli military has assassinated one of the most prominent journalists in Gaza, Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, along with four of his colleagues at the network. They were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a media tent outside Al-Shifa Hospital. Al Jazeera decried the targeted killing as a “desperate attempt to silence the voices exposing the impending seizure and occupation of Gaza.” Funerals were held today for Anas al-Sharif, his fellow colleague Mohammed Qreiqeh, cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Moamen Aliwa, and their assistant Mohammed Noufal.
The attack came just weeks after Al Jazeera, the Committee to Protect Journalists and a top U.N. official all warned al-Sharif’s life was in danger after Israel accused him of being a member of Hamas. Israel took responsibility for Sunday’s strike. At the time, U.N. Special Rapporteur Irene Khan blasted Israel for spreading unfounded accusations about him; today she called for sanctions against Israel for murdering the Al Jazeera team.
According to officials in Gaza, Israel has killed 238 journalists over the past 22 months. On Sunday, fellow Palestinian journalist Ibrahim Abu Moussa condemned Israel’s targeting of journalists.
Ibrahim Abu Moussa: “The occupation says that by killing the journalists, the truth will be stopped and that its crimes will not be exposed. But I tell the occupation that your bombardment on us increases our determination and resolve in conveying the voice and the suffering of our people in Gaza, and we show your crimes against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”
We will speak to the managing editor of Al Jazeera after headlines.
U.N. Security Council Holds Emergency Meeting over Israel’s Plan to Expand Military Operations in Gaza
Aug 11, 2025
In other news on Gaza, the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting Sunday over Israel’s plan to expand its military operation and to seize Gaza City and other areas. Britain, France, Greece, Denmark and Slovenia issued a joint statement saying the plan risks “violating international humanitarian law.”
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced Australia will recognize a Palestinian state next month, following similar calls by Britain, France and Canada.
This comes as health officials in Gaza say at least five more Palestinians, including a child, have starved to death over the past day, bringing the total to at least 222, including over 100 children.
On Saturday, a 15-year-old boy named Muhannad Eid was killed in Nuseirat after being hit by an aid pallet that had been dropped from the air into Gaza. This is Muhannad’s brother.
Muhannad Eid’s brother: “Despite the famine and the hard conditions that we live in, my brother went to get aid that was dropped into the sea by airplanes. A box fell on him directly, and he was martyred.”
As Many As 100,000 People Rally in Tel Aviv to Oppose Netanyahu’s Plan to Escalate War in Gaza
Aug 11, 2025
In Israel, as many as 100,000 people rallied in Tel Aviv Saturday to oppose Netanyahu’s plan to escalate the Gaza war. This comes as families of hostages held in Gaza have called for a general strike to oppose Netanyahu’s plan. This is Lishay Lavi, whose husband, Omri Miran, is being held hostage in Gaza.
Lishay Lavi: “We are here today to call on Israel’s largest companies, trade unions and the tech sector to stop everything in order to save our hostages and our soldiers. We are doing this because we have no choice.”
Major Protests Held All Over the World Against Israel’s Plans to Expand War in Gaza
Aug 11, 2025
Major protests were held this weekend from Malaysia to Turkey against Israel’s plans to expand its war on Gaza. In London, police arrested 532 people at a protest to show support for the group Palestine Action, which has been banned as a terrorist organization.
Footage Shows Palestinian Activist Odeh Hadalin Filmed Moment He Was Fatally Shot by Israeli Settler
Aug 11, 2025
In news from the West Bank, the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has published footage of an Israeli settler fatally shooting the prominent Palestinian Odeh Hadalin. The footage was recorded by Hadalin himself on his phone. The settler, Yinon Levi, can be seen firing a shot. Then the footage cuts off after Hadalin is hit. Levi was briefly held under house arrest but has since been released.
Sudan: 63 People Die of Malnutrition in City of El Fasher in Northern Darfur
Aug 11, 2025
In Sudan, 63 people have died of malnutrition in the city of El Fasher in northern Darfur, according to a health official in the region who spoke to AFP. El Fasher has been under siege by the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces, who have been in conflict with Sudan’s army since 2023. The death toll is likely an undercount, since it only includes individuals who were able to reach hospitals in the area.
President Trump and Russian President Putin to Hold Summit in Alaska on Friday
Aug 11, 2025
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold their summit in Alaska on Friday. European leaders are calling for Ukraine to be involved in the talks. They’ve offered their own counterproposal rejecting a Russian plan that would trade Ukrainian-held parts of the Donetsk region for a ceasefire — this according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal.
On Sunday, Russia and Ukraine traded drone attacks, with Ukraine hitting the southern Russian region of Saratov, killing one person and damaging several apartments and an industrial facility. On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more pressure on Russia to end the war.
President Volodymyr Zelensky: “We clearly understand the threats. All our partners understand the threats just as clearly. Everyone sees that there has been no real step from Russia toward peace, no action on the ground nor in the air that could save lives. That is why sanctions are needed, pressure is needed, strength is needed — the strength, first and foremost, of the United States, the strength of Europe, the strength of all nations in the world that want peace and stability in international relations. If Russia does not want to stop the war, then its economy must be stopped.”
NYT: Trump Secretly Signs Directive Approving Pentagon to Target Drug Cartels
Aug 11, 2025
The New York Times has revealed President Trump has secretly signed a directive approving the Pentagon’s use of military force on foreign soil to target Latin American drug cartels. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum lashed out at Trump’s move, saying, “The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military. We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out.” Earlier this year, the Trump administration designated seven organized crime groups in Mexico as foreign terrorist organizations.
DOJ Launches Probes into New York Attorney General Letitia James and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff
Aug 11, 2025
In the latest escalation against his perceived political enemies, President Trump’s Justice Department launched investigations into New York Attorney General Letitia James and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff. Attorney General Pam Bondi has tapped a special attorney to investigate mortgage fraud claims against Schiff and James. The DOJ also issued a subpoena to James for records about her successful civil lawsuits against the Trump Organization and the National Rifle Association. James won her civil case against Trump back in 2023, accusing him of unlawfully inflating the value of his properties to receive favorable deals on loans.
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Peruvian Immigrant Held at NYC ICE Facility Sues Trump Administration
Aug 11, 2025
A Peruvian immigrant, Sergio Alberto Barco Mercado, held at the ICE facility at 26 Federal Plaza in New York has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration condemning his conditions in detention. Mercado was arrested on Friday after making a scheduled court appearance. His lawsuit alleges that immigrants have to sleep on concrete floors and lack access to a lawyer, and that dozens of people are crammed into a small space.
Meanwhile, New York City police arrested 15 people at a protest near 26 Federal Plaza on Friday. They were demonstrating against the deplorable conditions faced by immigrants in ICE detention.
WaPo: Trump Removes IRS Commissioner After a Conflict over Tax Data of Immigrants
Aug 11, 2025
On Friday, President Trump removed the head of the IRS shortly after a conflict over tax data used to help locate undocumented immigrants, according to a Washington Post report. IRS Commissioner Billy Long was a former Republican congressmember nominated by Trump to lead the agency and was only in the job for two months before he was removed.
The Department of Homeland Security had sent the IRS a list of tens of thousands of suspected undocumented immigrants, but the IRS was able to verify less than 3% of the names submitted. The White House then requested additional information, which the IRS declined to provide.
Defense Secretary Hegseth Reposts Video of Pastor Saying Women Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Vote
Aug 11, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing criticism after reposting a CNN video of the Christian nationalist pastor Doug Wilson, who believes women shouldn’t be allowed to vote. Hegseth attached a message to the video, saying, “All of Christ for All of Life.” Wilson is the co-founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, an ultra-conservative Christian church. Wilson also claimed slavery promoted “affection between the races” in the South. The Pentagon has confirmed Hegseth is a member of a church affiliated to Wilson’s movement.
President Trump Threatens Homeless People to Immediately Move Out of Washington
Aug 11, 2025
President Trump is calling on homeless people to immediately “move out” of Washington, D.C. It’s unclear what legal authority the president could use to evict people. It comes as the administration is reportedly preparing to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to the nation’s capital. President Trump is planning to hold a press conference today on crime in D.C., this despite the fact that rates of violent crime in the nation’s capital have been falling in recent years.
Trump Administration Wants to Settle with UCLA for $1 Billion
Aug 11, 2025
The Trump administration is looking for a $1 billion settlement with UCLA in exchange for over $500 million in research funding, after the Justice Department accused the school of alleged antisemitism on campus — that’s according to a draft settlement agreement viewed by The New York Times. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the settlement proposal “extortion.” It comes as Columbia University agreed to pay over $220 million to settle with the government and after Brown University agreed to spend $50 million in local workforce development programs under pressure from the Trump administration.
Armenia and Azerbaijan Sign Agreement Aimed at Ending Decades of Conflict
Aug 11, 2025
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met with President Trump on Friday and signed an agreement aimed at ending decades of conflict. Under the deal, the U.S. would be given exclusive development access to a new transit corridor through Armenia that would link Azerbaijan to an enclave sandwiched between Armenia and Turkey. The corridor will be called TRIPP, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. Iran criticized the U.S. plan for the transit corridor, which would run close to the Iranian border.
Colombia Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe Dies After Being Shot in June
Aug 11, 2025
Colombian presidential candidate and senator Miguel Uribe died today, two months after he was shot at a campaign rally in the capital Bogotá. Uribe underwent emergency surgery after being shot and was hospitalized in intensive care since June, before succumbing to his injuries. The suspected teen shooter was arrested at the scene, and police have detained several others in connection to the shooting.
Nagasaki Commemorates 80th Anniversary of U.S. Atomic Bombing
Aug 11, 2025
On Saturday, twin bells tolled in Nagasaki as the city commemorated 80 years since the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb. The attack on August 9, 1945, killed 74,000 people, three days after the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, which killed 140,000 people. At the ceremony, the mayor of Nagasaki called for an end to all wars, saying, “If we continue on this trajectory, we will end up thrusting ourselves into a nuclear war.”