Plus, Gaza's young musicians sing and play in the ruins of war.

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Daily Briefing

Daily Briefing

By Kate Turton

Hello. Today we're covering Zelenskiy's London visit ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska. Elsewhere, Trump wants to extend federal control over Washington police, and WhatsApp says Russia is trying to block its service.

Plus, Gaza's young musicians sing and play in the ruins of war.

 

Today's Top News

 

Starmer talks with Zelenskiy in the garden of 10 Downing Street in central London, Britain August 14, 2025. BEN STANSALL/Pool via REUTERS

  • With just one day to go until a US-Russian summit on ending the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, visited London to shore up European support for efforts to prevent any agreement that would carve up Ukrainian land.
  • Trump threatened "severe consequences" if Russia's Vladimir Putin does not agree to peace in Ukraine but also said that a meeting between them could swiftly be followed by a second that would include the leader of Ukraine.
  • Trump said he would ask the Republican-controlled Congress to extend federal control of Washington's city police force beyond 30 days, escalating his campaign to exert presidential power over the nation's capital. Trump can expect a flurry of lawsuits if he tries to do so without Congress's approval. Here is why.
  • Prominent Donald Trump supporter and private security executive Erik Prince says he plans to keep his forces in Haiti for 10 years under an arrangement that will eventually give his firm a role in the country's tax-collection system.
  • Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has approved plans for a settlement that would split East Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank, a move his office said would bury the idea of a Palestinian state.
  • Talks to create the world's first legally binding treaty to tackle plastic pollution are at risk of ending without a deal as countries race to find a potential compromise on the final day of negotiations in Geneva.
  • Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
  • The African Union has backed a campaign to end the use by governments and international organisations of the 16th-century Mercator map of the world in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa's size.
 

Business & Markets

 
  • After years of sitting on the sidelines, US crypto companies are lining up to go public, buoyed by friendly policies under Trump's second administration that have pushed the value of global cryptocurrencies to a record $4.2 trillion.
  • For more markets news, watch our daily rundown.
  • Pharmaceutical research and development firms in China are increasingly interested in procuring critical supplies known as reagents from local manufacturers, industry executives and managers said, as they seek to cut costs and delivery times.
  • Tesla car sales in Norway have jumped by 24 percent in the first half of the year, bucking a trend as once loyal customers especially in Europe ditch the brand. Maria Mannes explains to Reuters World News that many Norwegians are taking the view to separate the company from the person who is leading it.
  • WhatsApp accused Moscow of trying to block millions of Russians from accessing secure communication after calls on the messaging app were restricted, as Russia promotes home-grown social media platforms and seeks greater control over the country's internet space.
  • As President Trump prepares to meet Vladimir Putin, an effort to punish Indian purchases of Russian crude complicates a delicate post-war supply balance. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists discuss how traders view this crucial pincer moment.
 

Gaza's young musicians sing and play in the ruins of war

 

Sama Najam plays a string musical instrument inside a tent in Gaza City, August 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

A boy's lilting song filled the tent in Gaza City, above an instrumental melody and backing singers' quiet harmonies, soft music that floated into streets these days more attuned to the deadly beat of bombs and bullets.

The young students were taking part in a lesson given on August 4 by teachers from the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, who have continued classes from displacement camps and shattered buildings even after Israel's bombardments forced them to abandon the school's main building in the city.

Read more
 

Culture Current

Filmmaker Amy Berg poses for a portrait outside musician Jeff Buckley's former apartment in New York City, U.S., August 7, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper

In this week's edition of Culture Current, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Amy Berg reflects on the cult musician Jeff Buckley’s legacy, the women who shaped him and why his voice still resonates nearly three decades after his death.

Read more