World News Live Updates: Former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe convicted of bribery and witness tampering
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From geopolitics to climate, tech to social change, News18 World live blog delivers real-time updates on what is the latest from around the globe
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From geopolitics to climate, tech to social change, News18 World live blog delivers real-time updates on what is the latest from around the globe
Jul 29, 2025 09:15 IST
North Korea demands recognition as nuclear state to resume talks
The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, has dismissed current US diplomatic overtures, stating that Washington must accept her country as a nuclear weapons state for talks to restart, as per a report in AP. While describing the personal relationship between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump as 'not bad,' she asserted that North Korea will not give up its nuclear arsenal. Her statement suggests Pyongyang is rejecting the current US framework for denuclearization and is seeking a new approach that acknowledges its nuclear status as a precondition for any future negotiations.
Jul 29, 2025 09:07 IST
North Korea rejects dialogue overtures from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol
In its first official comment on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration, North Korea has dismissed his calls for dialogue, according to a report in The New York Times. The rejection is a significant setback for any immediate prospects of improving inter-Korean relations. President Yoon had proposed a 'bold plan' offering substantial economic aid to North Korea, contingent on Pyongyang taking concrete steps toward denuclearization. This response from North Korea continues a period of heightened tensions on the peninsula, marked by its frequent missile tests and strong opposition to joint military exercises between South Korea and the US.
Jul 29, 2025 09:07 IST
Israeli settler kills Palestinian activist from award-winning film in West Bank
An Israeli settler has reportedly killed Palestinian activist Odeh Hadalin in the occupied West Bank community of Masafer Yatta, Al Jazeera says in a report. Hadalin was a resident featured in the documentary 'No Other Land,' which won an audience award at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival for its portrayal of the community's struggle against forced displacement. The incident occurs amid a documented increase in settler violence in the West Bank and the ongoing threat of eviction faced by residents of Masafer Yatta, an area designated by Israel as a military firing zone. The killing has prompted renewed calls for the protection of Palestinian civilians and has drawn further international scrutiny to Israeli settlement activities, which are considered illegal under international law.
Jul 29, 2025 09:07 IST
Global liver cancer cases projected to nearly double by 2050, study finds
Global liver cancer cases are projected to surge from 870,000 annually to 1.52 million by 2050 if current trends persist, as per a report in France 24. The study, published in The Lancet, identifies key drivers for the increase as obesity, alcohol consumption, and hepatitis. Citing data from the Global Cancer Observatory, the report notes that liver cancer is currently the sixth most common cancer worldwide, prompting calls from researchers for enhanced prevention efforts to mitigate the anticipated rise in cases and the subsequent strain on global healthcare systems.
Jul 29, 2025 09:07 IST
Global demand and drought strain Morocco's argan oil industry
High global demand for argan oil from the beauty industry, coupled with severe drought conditions, is threatening Morocco's argan forests and the economic stability of the rural women who depend on its production, according to a report in AP. The strain is causing deforestation and accelerating desertification within the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve, an ecosystem designated by UNESCO in 1998. This situation poses significant supply chain and reputational risks for the global cosmetics industry, which relies on this 'liquid gold.' Furthermore, it highlights an economic disparity where local female producers often receive a disproportionately small share of the profits from the high-value international market, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability and ethics of the current production model.
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3 minutes ago
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‘Hamas No Longer A Strategic Threat': Ex-Israeli Security Chiefs Urge Trump To Help End Gaza War
Washington/Tel Aviv: A group of over 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former heads of Mossad and Shin Bet, have written an open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to intervene and press Israel to bring an immediate end to the war in Gaza. The signatories, who now form the Commanders for Israel's Security (CIS), include high-profile people such as Tamir Pardo, former Mossad chief, Ami Ayalon, former head of Shin Bet, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon. They have appealed directly to Trump, citing his influence over Israeli leadership. 'It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel,' the letter states. The group believes that continued military operations are unnecessary and have shifted the war beyond its original objectives. 'Your credibility with the vast majority of Israelis augments your ability to steer Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and his government in the right direction: end the war, return the hostages and stop the suffering,' the letter reads. Their plea comes as Netanyahu signals plans to intensify military action in Gaza, even as indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas appear to have stalled. Meanwhile, conditions on the ground have deteriorated. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023. The ministry reported 94 deaths in the last 24 hours alone, including at least 24 people who were killed while seeking aid. These claims remain difficult to verify due to restrictions preventing international journalists from independently entering Gaza. The humanitarian crisis has escalated. The territory continues to face severe shortages of essential supplies due to Israeli restrictions on incoming aid. The ministry says at least 180 people, including 93 children, have died of malnutrition. UN-backed agencies warn that famine is no longer a risk but a reality. The letter from the retired officials followed the circulation of two recent hostage videos released by the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. The footage showed emaciated Israeli captives and triggered a wave of condemnation. In response, Netanyahu assured their families that efforts to secure the hostages' release would not stop. An unnamed Israeli official told local media that Netanyahu seeks to achieve this through a complete military defeat of the Hamas, a strategy the hostage families and their supporters oppose. The group representing hostage families strongly criticised the idea of a renewed offensive. 'Netanyahu is leading Israel and the hostages to doom,' they said. Former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon echoed this sentiment. 'At first, this war was a just war, a defensive war, but when we achieved all military objectives, this war ceased to be a just war,' he said. The CIS letter makes a direct appeal to Trump, reminding him of his past influence in Lebanon. 'Stop the Gaza War! On behalf of CIS, Israel's largest group of former IDF generals and Mossad, Shin Bet, Police and Diplomatic Corps equivalents, we urge you to end the Gaza war. You did it in Lebanon. Time to do it in Gaza as well,' they wrote. Israel's diplomatic standing has eroded globally, with mounting civilian casualties in Gaza drawing international condemnation. Public opinion in many countries has shifted against Israel, adding pressure on Western governments to demand an end to the conflict. It remains uncertain whether President Trump, who has consistently stood by Netanyahu, will act on the appeal. Last week, the U.S. president acknowledged reports of 'real starvation' in Gaza, despite Netanyahu's denials.
Time of India
3 minutes ago
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3 minutes ago
- First Post
Israel mulls Gaza annexation, military rule after failed ceasefire talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to decide on renewed military action in Gaza after the collapse of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas. As diplomatic channels falter, Israeli leaders are weighing options ranging from expanded military operations to annexation, even as internal divisions deepen and hostages remain in captivity. read more Israeli troops deploy with their tanks near the border fence with the Gaza Strip on August 1, 2025. AFP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with his security cabinet this week to decide the country's next steps in Gaza, following the collapse of indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas. A senior Israeli official suggested that renewed military action remains a likely option. During a visit to Israel last Saturday, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said he was working closely with the Israeli government to devise a strategy for ending the conflict. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Despite international pressure, Israeli leaders have floated plans to escalate the military campaign in Gaza and potentially annex parts of the war-torn enclave. The failed negotiations in Doha were aimed at advancing a US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, during which humanitarian aid would enter Gaza and Hamas would release half of the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Following Netanyahu's meeting with Witkoff last Thursday, a senior Israeli official stated that 'an understanding was emerging between Washington and Israel' of the need to transition from a truce to a comprehensive agreement that would 'release all hostages, disarm Hamas, and demilitarise the Gaza Strip,' one of Israel's key conditions for ending the war. According to a person acquainted with the situation, Israel saw the envoy's visit as 'very significant.' But later on Sunday, the Israeli official signalled that pursuit of a deal would be pointless, threatening more force: 'An understanding is emerging that Hamas is not interested in a deal and therefore the prime minister is pushing to release the hostages while pressing for military defeat. Israel's Channel 12 on Monday cited an official from his office as saying that Netanyahu was inclining towards expanding the offensive and seizing the entire Palestinian enclave. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Strategic clarity' What a 'military defeat' might mean, however, is up for debate within the Israeli leadership. Some Israeli officials have suggested that Israel might declare it was annexing parts of Gaza as a means to pressure the militant group. Others, like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir want to see Israel impose military rule in Gaza before annexing it and re-establishing the Jewish settlements Israel evicted 20 years ago. The Israeli military, which has pushed back at such ideas throughout the war, was expected on Tuesday to present alternatives that include extending into areas of Gaza where it has not yet operated, according to two defence officials. While some in the political leadership are pushing for expanding the offensive, the military is concerned that doing so will endanger the 20 hostages who are still alive, the officials said. Israeli Army Radio reported on Monday that military chief Eyal Zamir has become increasingly frustrated with what he describes as a lack of strategic clarity by the political leadership, concerned about being dragged into a war of attrition with Hamas militants. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the report but said that the military has plans in store. 'We have different ways to fight the terror organization, and that's what the army does,' Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said. On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which included a call on Hamas to hand over its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. Hamas has repeatedly said it won't lay down arms. But it has told mediators it was willing to quit governance in Gaza for a non-partisan ruling body, according to three Hamas officials. It insists that the post-war Gaza arrangement must be agreed upon among the Palestinians themselves and not dictated by foreign powers. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar suggested on Monday that the gaps were still too wide to bridge. 'We would like to have all our hostages back. We would like to see the end of this war. We always prefer to get there by diplomatic means, if possible. But of course, the big question is, what will be the conditions for the end of the war?' he told journalists in Jerusalem. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
