International News Briefs for Monday, August 18, 2025
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Monday, August 18, 2025.
Trump to Host Zelensky at White House After Alaska Summit with Putin Fails to Secure Peace Deal
Aug 18, 2025
President Trump is meeting today at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Finland and Italy, as well as NATO chief Mark Rutte and the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. This comes three days after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska but failed to secure a peace agreement. Ahead of the Alaska talks, Trump had vowed Russia would face “very severe consequences” if Putin did not agree to stop the war, but Trump then dropped his call for a ceasefire. Putin is insisting on Ukraine giving up the eastern Donbas region as a condition for ending the war. Putin spoke on Friday.
President Vladimir Putin: “But at the same time, we are convinced that for the Ukrainian settlement to be sustainable and long-term, all the root causes of the crisis, which have been discussed repeatedly, must be eliminated. All of Russia’s legitimate concerns must be taken into account, and a fair balance in the security sphere in Europe and the world as a whole must be restored. I agree with President Trump — he spoke about this today — that, of course, Ukraine’s security must also be ensured.”
Putin and Trump did not take any questions after giving brief remarks. On Sunday night, Trump posted a message online saying, “Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.” Trump said Zelensky must give up on joining NATO or reclaiming Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Trump officials have floated the idea of the U.S. offering Ukraine some sort of security guarantee.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has accused Putin of trying to “humiliate diplomatic efforts” by launching attacks over the past day that killed at least 10 people, including three children, in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia.
State Dept. Halts Visas for Children in Gaza Seeking Urgent Medical Care
Aug 18, 2025
Image Credit: HEAL Palestine
The U.S. State Department has halted all visitor visas from Gaza, including for children who need urgent medical care. The move was announced on Saturday, one day after far-right activist Laura Loomer posted a video complaining that injured Palestinian children are coming to the United States for care.
The U.S.-based Palestine Children’s Relief Fund decried what it called a “dangerous and inhumane decision.” The group said, “Medical evacuations are a lifeline for the children of Gaza who would otherwise face unimaginable suffering or death due to the collapse of medical infrastructure in Gaza.”
Amnesty Accuses Israel of Waging “Deliberate Campaign of Starvation” in Gaza
Aug 18, 2025
Amnesty International has accused Israel of carrying out a “deliberate campaign of starvation” that is “systematically destroying the health, well-being and social fabric of Palestinian life.” At least 263 Palestinians have now starved to death amid the Israeli blockade.
Meanwhile, Israel is intensifying its attacks on Gaza City as it moves to forcibly evict the city’s entire population. On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, killing at least seven people. Hamas has accused Israel of engaging in a “new wave of genocide and displacement” over its plans to relocate all residents of Gaza City.
This is a Palestinian medical student in Gaza City, who sent this voice memo to a colleague in the United States.
Palestinian medical student: “I just want to die right now. I think it’s the only way I will find relief. I don’t want to be displaced again. I’m so tired. I’m so tired. I wish I could see you soon, even just for a moment, and hug you, before I die.”
Ex-Israel Military Intel Chief: Palestinians “Need a Nakba Every Now and Then to Feel the Price”
Aug 18, 2025
Image Credit: IDF
Israel’s Channel 12 has aired leaked recordings of Israel’s former military intelligence chief saying 50 Palestinians must die for every victim of October 7. In the recording, Aharon Haliva is heard saying, “It does not matter now if they are children.” He said, “They need a Nakba every now and then to feel the price.”
Bolivia: Right-Wing Candidates to Face Off in Presidential Runoff in October
Aug 18, 2025
In Bolivia, two right-wing candidates are headed for a presidential runoff in October. The results of Sunday’s election end more than a generation of rule by the socialist MAS party — which stands for Movement for Socialism. Bolivian Senator Rodrigo Paz, who is the son of a former Bolivian president, placed first in Sunday’s vote and will face off against the former right-wing President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, who finished second. Former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was barred from running, urged his supporters to deface their ballots in protest. In the end, 19% of the ballots were deemed to be invalid. The official candidate from the MAS party won just over 3% of the vote, barely enough for the party to keep its legal standing as a national party.
Over a Million Protest in Israel Calling for End to War and Hostage Deal
Aug 18, 2025
In Israel, over 500,000 protested in Tel Aviv Sunday to demand an end to the war in Gaza and for the Israeli government to reach a deal to free the hostages in Gaza. Over a million people took part in protests across Israel as the families of Israeli hostages called for a “nationwide day of stoppage.” This is Lishay Miran-Lavi, the wife of Omri Miran, who is being held in Gaza.
Lishay Miran-Lavi: “Last week, we decided to call to everyone in Israel, to all the citizens, to stop, take a day and stop all the country, in one saying: Please release the hostages, bring them home, and stop the war. We are really caring about our dears that’s over there. My Omri is over there 681 days. I miss him. Our daughters, Roni and Alma, really miss him, and I’m really, really scared and afraid about his life. I want him here, and I want all the hostages here.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the protesters, saying, “Those who call to end the war delay the hostages’ release and guarantee that the horrors of October 7 will return.”
Three States to Send National Guard to D.C. as Trump Expands Takeover of City
Aug 18, 2025
The Trump administration is expanding its takeover of Washington, D.C., with the Republican governors of West Virginia, Ohio and South Carolina agreeing to send at least 700 additional National Guard troops to the city. In a major shift in policy, NPR reports National Guard troops in D.C. may soon be carrying weapons.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has backed down from its plan to install the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as D.C.’s emergency police chief, after the city sued U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
This comes as video has gone viral of six masked federal officers detaining and tackling a food delivery driver after he left a coffee shop in Northwest Washington on Saturday morning. The officers violently tackled the man, Cristian Enrique Carias Torres of Venezuela, to the ground and appeared to use a stun gun on him. He was then taken away in an unmarked car as bystanders screamed at the officers.
On Saturday, thousands of protesters marched to the White House to condemn Trump’s takeover of Washington.
Protesters: “Troops on the corner, feds on the block! Troops on the corner, feds on the block! The fascist takeover must be stopped! The fascist takeover must be stopped!”
ICE Detains 7-Year-Old Student in NYC
Aug 18, 2025
Image Credit: Family handout
New York immigration advocates are demanding the release of a 7-year-old elementary school student who was taken into custody along with her 19-year-old brother and their mother at a routine check-in with ICE at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan last week. This is the first known ICE arrest of a New York City child under the age of 18 during Trump’s second term. The City reports the girl and her mother were transferred to a newly reopened family detention camp in Dilley, Texas, while the teen was sent to the troubled Delaney Hall ICE jail in Newark, New Jersey. The family is from Ecuador and lives in Queens. This comes as some Democratic lawmakers are calling for Governor Kathy Hochul to shut the power off at 26 Federal Plaza to stop what they call ICE’s occupation of that building.
Report: U.S. Deploys 4,000 Marines & Sailors to Southern Caribbean as Trump Eyes Attacking Drug Cartels
Aug 18, 2025
CNN is reporting the U.S. military is deploying more than 4,000 Marines and sailors to the southern Caribbean along with a nuclear-powered attack submarine, spy aircraft, several destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser. The move comes after President Trump signed a secret directive authorizing the use of military force to carry out operations in Latin America under the guise of targeting drug cartels.
CBO Confirms GOP Budget Law Will Trigger $500 Billion in Medicare Cuts
Aug 18, 2025
The Congressional Budget Office has confirmed President Trump’s new budget law will trigger over $500 billion in Medicare cuts in coming years. Democratic Representative Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania said, “Republicans knew their tax breaks for billionaires would force over half a trillion dollars in Medicare cuts — and they did it anyway.” The Republican law also includes $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts.
Pakistan: Over 300 Killed in Climate Changed-Induced Flooding
Aug 18, 2025
In northwestern Pakistan and Kashmir, at least 337 people have died in climate change-induced flash floods. Dozens of people remain missing as landslides partially buried at least 10 villages.
El Salvador Extends Mass Detention Without Trial Until 2027
Aug 18, 2025
El Salvador’s government will continue to detain more than 80,000 people accused of being gang members and swept up under President Nayib Bukele’s state of emergency. Salvadoran lawmakers voted Friday to extend their imprisonment for at least two more years without trial, even as prosecutors have not yet presented any evidence linking tens of thousands of people to gangs. Protests broke out in the capital San Salvador with the families of detainees calling for their relatives’ release and an end to Bukele’s state of emergency. This is a Salvadoran mother whose son is being detained.
bq. Salvadoran mother: “My son has been there for four years. On May 10th, he completed three years, and now he’s entering his fourth. Now I hear the news. They’re saying there’s a two-year extension for him. How many more years do they have to hold him? Why do they give me this and not release him?”
Florida Radio and TV Host Rob Lorei Dies, Helped Start WMNF
Aug 18, 2025
The longtime Florida radio and TV host Rob Lorei has died at the age of 70. He was among the founding members of WMNF Community Radio in Tampa, where he worked for over 35 years. He appeared on Democracy Now! a number of times, including in 2009 when we broadcasted Democracy Now! from Tampa.
Rob Lorei: “So, you know, frankly, I wonder about the model of public broadcasting, whether or not relying on those local donations, relying on CPB funding for a small fraction of the funding, whether or not that’s a good model. I often look over at England and look at those licenses that people pay for radio and television, and think, ’Wouldn’t that be a better way to fund broadcasting?’ We wouldn’t have to go hat in hand to Congress every year and ask for a small appropriation.”