Daily flyovers
Latest news for 19 August 2025
Quick hits of consequential news from all corners of the world.
- 01
ISRAEL
Waiting for an answer.
Hamas has reportedly agreed to an Arab-brokered proposal that’d see it release around half its remaining hostages over two phases during a 60-day truce. It’s apparently based on a US proposal from June. Israel has yet to comment. (BBC)
Comment: Sunday’s large-scale protests in Israel are a reminder that a majority of Israelis now back a war-ending deal with Hamas to free the hostages. But Netanyahu’s response (warning these demonstrations will embolden Hamas and delay progress) is a reminder this latest Arab proposal is not exactly a done deal.
- 02
UNITED STATES
We want in.
The Trump Administration is reportedly in talks to buy 10% of struggling US chipmaker Intel, making the government Intel’s single largest shareholder. (Bloomberg $)
Comment: Some degree of greater government involvement is now pretty bipartisan — the reported deal involves converting the firm’s Biden-era grants into equity. The bigger question is whether this will help turn the chipmaker around — DC has long flagged Intel as America’s best (last?) bet for US-owned, home-grown chipmaking.
- 03
SPAIN
Soldiers fight fire.
Spain has deployed another 500 soldiers to help respond to deadly wildfires raging across the Iberian Peninsula. (France24)
Comment: Fires have already burned the equivalent of half a million football pitches in Spain this year.
- 04
DR CONGO
Peace no more?
The Rwanda-backed ‘M23’ rebel group operating in the Congo’s east has walked away from Qatar-hosted peace talks, accusing the Congolese government of not upholding a previous truce (allegations the Congo is levelling back at M23). The two sides were due to sign a peace deal in Qatar yesterday (Monday). (BBC)
Comment: These Qatar-brokered M23-Congo talks have run in parallel with the US-brokered Rwanda-Congo deal from June.
- 05
CANADA
Back to work.
Union leaders for Air Canada’s 10,000 flight attendants have just announced a tentative agreement with the airline, seemingly ending a strike that’s impacted upwards of half a million travellers since late last week. (CBC)
- 06
THAILAND
Crypto tourism.
The Thai government has announced a program for tourists to convert cryptocurrencies into the local baht, as a way to boost its sagging tourism sector. (CoinTelegraph)
- 07
INDIA
Signs of a thaw?
The foreign ministers of rivals India (Jaishankar) and China (Wang) have met in Delhi, with Wang also scoring a call on India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi. (AP)
Comment: There’s talk of a China-India thaw in play, but the reality is mutual suspicion runs deep, not just after their infamous high-altitude melee in 2020, but also China’s unabashed role in helping Pakistan spar with India earlier this year.