Daily World Briefing, Aug. 12

Trump announces deployment of National Guard in Washington, D.C.

U.S. President Donald Trump said at a White House press conference Monday that he is deploying the National Guard to assist in restoring law and order and public safety in Washington, D.C.

Trump also stated that he has formally invoked the Home Rule Act to place the Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control.

"This is Liberation Day in D.C., and we're going to take our capital back," Trump said.

Iraq, Iran sign security MoU to boost border coordination

Iraq and Iran signed here on Monday a joint security agreement on security coordination along the shared borders between the two countries.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani and Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji, according to a statement by the prime minister's media office.

The statement did not provide details of the MoU.

Hundreds evacuated as wildfires spread across north-western Spain

Hundreds of residents have been evacuated as multiple wildfires continue to blaze the northwestern Spanish region of Castilla y Leon, with authorities battling dozens of flames fueled by extreme heat and dry conditions.

One of the most serious fires, which began on Saturday afternoon, has reached the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Las Medulas, an area known for its historic Roman gold mines and rich natural woodland. Residents of Las Medulas and nearby Carucedo and Orellanwere were evacuated over the weekend.

"We are surrounded; the town is encircled by flames," Carucedo Mayor Alfonso Fernandez told regional digital media outlet LeonNoticias, calling the situation devastating for the community.

Türkiye's Erdogan slams Israel over Gaza, calls for uninterrupted aid

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of running a "network of massacres" and seeking to prolong his political survival at the cost of further bloodshed in the region.

"We will not allow Netanyahu and the network of massacres to drag our region into bigger disasters just to extend their political lifespans," Erdogan told reporters after a cabinet meeting. He described Israel as a "terror state" and condemned what he called the "brutality, barbarity, massacre, torture and oppression" inflicted on Palestinians.

Erdogan said Türkiye was working to halt the violence in Gaza and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians facing severe shortages.

UN humanitarians demand urgent action in Gaza

UN humanitarians on Monday demanded urgent action as Gaza's health authorities reported that more than 100 children have died from malnutrition since the war began in October 2023.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said its relief partners in Gaza described surpassing the 100 deaths as a "devastating milestone that shames the world and demands long overdue urgent action."

More than 300,000 children remain at severe risk, and more than a third of the Gaza population reports not eating for days at a time, the World Food Programme said.■