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Last Updated:August 07, 2025, 09:24 IST
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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Stay informed with our World News Live Blog — your real-time window into global events. From major geopolitical developments and scientific breakthroughs to royal family updates and cultural milestones, we bring you fast, factual, and curated updates as they happen. Whether it’s unfolding conflicts, diplomatic shifts, climate alerts, or key moments in international politics, our live blog keeps you ahead of the news curve. Designed for readers who want both speed and substance, this is your go-to source for staying connected with the world — minute by minute, headline by headline.
Trump Proposes Ending Tariff Loophole Affecting Shein and Temu
US President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the ‘de minimis’ rule, a trade provision that allows shipments valued under $800 to enter the US without tariffs, Al Jazeera said in a report. This rule, established under Section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930, is central to the business models of Chinese e-commerce giants Shein and Temu, which ship vast quantities of individual, low-cost packages directly to US consumers. The number of such shipments exceeded one billion in 2023. Ending the exemption, a move that has bipartisan support in Congress, would increase operational costs for these firms, likely leading to higher prices for consumers. The policy change aims to level the competitive landscape for US domestic retailers, who are required to pay import duties, and addresses concerns about the entry of illicit goods.
Report Details Hamas's System For Paying Salaries In Gaza
Hamas continues to pay its government officials in Gaza using what is described as a secret financial system, even as the territory faces widespread destruction and a tightened Israeli blockade, according to a report in BBC. This continued financial capability, which baffles many observers, is seen as a sign of the group’s resilience and functional governance capacity. The system is believed to be an adaptation of historical financing methods, such as foreign funding, local taxation, and covert transfer networks like hawala. This ability to pay salaries is crucial for Hamas to maintain loyalty and operational cohesion, complicating both Israel’s war aim of dismantling the group and future international reconstruction efforts due to concerns over fund diversion.
Israel Faces Heightened Investor Scrutiny Amid Diplomatic Pressure
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund’s 2024 exclusion of several Israeli companies over their ties to settlements underscores a trend of heightened financial scrutiny facing Israel amid its increasing diplomatic isolation, Al Jazeera says in a report. This divestment action by the world’s largest sovereign fund, the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), is seen as setting a precedent that could pressure other institutional investors to conduct similar ethical reviews. The growing pressure on Israel’s investment climate is compounded by significant diplomatic and legal challenges from 2024, including the Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor seeking arrest warrants for Israeli leaders and the formal recognition of Palestinian statehood by European nations like Spain, Ireland, and Norway. These developments are creating a potential “chilling effect” on foreign direct investment and raising the reputational risk for companies associated with Israel.
China Finalizes Merger Creating World's Largest Shipbuilder
China is completing a merger between its two primary state-owned shipbuilders, China Shipbuilding Industry Company (CSIC) and China CSSC Holdings, to form the world’s largest publicly listed shipbuilding company, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. The final trading day for CSIC’s shares is set for next Tuesday, signaling the imminent completion of the consolidation. This strategic move is expected to enhance China’s industrial competitiveness by optimizing capacity and efficiency, while also accelerating the modernization of its navy by streamlining the construction of advanced military vessels. The creation of this new entity is anticipated to intensify competition in the global shipbuilding market, particularly for established leaders like South Korea and Japan, and is viewed by the US as a significant advancement of China’s strategic capabilities.
Aid Cuts Fuel Health Crisis in Southwest Ethiopia, MSF Warns
Health facilities operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in southwest Ethiopia are facing an overwhelming crisis due to severe aid reductions, according to a report in Al Jazeera. The organization is struggling to manage a surge in infant malnutrition and malaria cases, impacting both local communities and thousands of South Sudanese refugees sheltered in the area. The situation is symptomatic of a broader, severe underfunding of Ethiopia’s national Humanitarian Response Plan, placing immense strain on the country’s health system and increasing the risk of social instability due to unmet basic needs. These aid cuts compromise the operational capacity of humanitarian groups and expose vulnerable populations to heightened risks of mortality and disease.
European Court Ruling Hinders German 'Safe Country' Deportation Policy
A recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) verdict will hinder Germany’s plans to curb irregular immigration by complicating the designation of ‘safe countries of origin’ for deportations, according to a report in Deutsche Welle. The ruling emphasizes that asylum applications cannot be automatically dismissed based on a ‘safe country’ list and that each case requires an individual assessment of its specific circumstances. This decision comes as Germany faces rising asylum applications and intense domestic political pressure to accelerate deportations. The verdict is expected to slow down the asylum process, increase the strain on Germany’s reception systems, and impact the implementation of the broader EU Pact on Migration and Asylum by reinforcing the legal right to individual assessment for all asylum seekers.
Family Of Palestinian American Killed In West Bank Settler Attack Calls For US Intervention
The family of Khamis al-Ayyad, a Palestinian American, is calling for a US investigation into his death following an Israeli settler attack in the occupied West Bank, according to a report in The Guardian. Ayyad died from smoke inhalation last week while trying to extinguish fires reportedly set by settlers who attacked the town of Silwad, near Ramallah. His brother stated that Ayyad fainted while fighting the blaze, which had engulfed homes and cars, and subsequently died en route to the hospital. The incident is highlighted amid a rising number of US citizens killed in the territory.
Taliban Accused Of Weaponizing Judicial System To Oppress Women In UN Report
The UN’s independent investigator on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, stated that the Taliban have “weaponized” the country’s legal and judicial system to oppress women, actions that could amount to “crimes against humanity,” according to a report in AP. In a formal report to the UN General Assembly, Bennett noted that since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban suspended the 2004 constitution and other laws that protected women’s rights, including those criminalizing gender-based violence. This systematic dismantling of legal protections has turned the judicial system into an instrument of oppression, further isolating the regime politically and severely hindering Afghanistan’s socio-economic prospects by excluding half its population from public life.
Japan Marks 80th Anniversary Of Hiroshima Bombing With Call For Disarmament
Japan held a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, with the nation’s Prime Minister urging all countries to work towards nuclear disarmament, according to a report in BBC. The event, held on August 6, commemorates the first use of a nuclear weapon in history, which occurred in 1945. The call for disarmament comes amid heightened global geopolitical tensions and stalled arms control efforts, highlighting Japan’s consistent advocacy for a nuclear-free world while it simultaneously remains under the security of the US nuclear umbrella.
Tropical Storm Ivo Forms in Eastern Pacific, Threatens Coastal Mexico
Tropical Storm Ivo formed on Wednesday in the eastern Pacific Ocean, with forecasters expecting it to impact Mexico’s southwest coast with heavy rain and dangerous surf, AP says in a report. Located approximately 195 miles south-southeast of Acapulco, the storm registered maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. The Hurricane Center in Miami predicts Ivo will move parallel to the coast and could strengthen to near-hurricane force by the end of the week. This development poses a risk of flash floods and mudslides for coastal communities and is expected to disrupt maritime shipping operations in the region.
Migrant Group Marches North In Mexico Following Activist's Arrest
Approximately 300 migrants, accompanied by a Catholic priest and escorted by police, began a walk northward from the southern Mexican city of Tapachula on Wednesday, AP says in a report. The march commenced one day after authorities arrested Luis Rey Garcia Villagran, a prominent migrant rights activist, on allegations of human trafficking. The group has stated their goal is not to reach the US border. The event has drawn a response from Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum.
France Tightens Visa Rules For Algerian Diplomats Amid Deportation Row
French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the tightening of visa rules for Algerian diplomats, escalating a diplomatic row over Algeria’s refusal to accept its nationals who have been ordered deported from France, according to a report in France 24. The move signals a significant deterioration in relations, which were already strained by France’s recent recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, a position that angered Algeria. This new policy is part of a broader push by the Macron government for stricter immigration enforcement and comes amid a backdrop of recurring historical tensions between the two nations. The visa restrictions could provoke reciprocal measures from Algeria and complicate France’s strategic interests in North Africa, where Algeria is a key regional and energy partner.
Media Groups Call For End To Forced Starvation And Journalist Killings In Gaza
Al Jazeera Media Network, along with other organizations, has signed a joint letter demanding an end to the alleged forced starvation and targeted killings of journalists in Gaza, as per a report in Al Jazeera. The letter explicitly claims that media personnel are being starved to death “deliberately, and in real time.” This action occurs against a backdrop of numerous warnings from UN agencies about a deepening famine and reports from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) highlighting an unprecedented number of journalist casualties in the conflict. The allegations, if substantiated, could constitute severe violations of Humanitarian Law, which prohibits using starvation as a method of warfare and mandates the protection of journalists as civilians.
