04.08.2025 – WEEKLY BRIEFING

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  • Tsunami waves hit Russia, US, Japan after magnitude 8.8 quake – 30.07.2025

On July 30, 2025, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia triggered significant seismic and geopolitical impacts on both regional and global scales. Occurring near the Kamchatka Peninsula, this historic quake prompted tsunami warnings and evacuations in numerous Pacific countries and territories, including Russia, Japan, the United States, Chile, Colombia, French Polynesia, and Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands. The earthquake also led to an eruption of the active Klyuchevskoy volcano in Kamchatka. While no fatalities were reported, some structural damage and minor injuries occurred. Air and maritime traffic faced major disruptions; more than 90 vessels were evacuated from Honolulu Harbor, and hundreds of flights were canceled. Experts noted that the shaking was less intense than expected for such a magnitude, due to specific characteristics of the epicenter. Overall, these events once again underscored the scale of seismic risks along the Pacific Ring of Fire and the critical importance of regional preparedness.

  • Dragon Bravo Fire Grows to Largest Wildfire in the Continental U.S. – 02.08.2025

As of August 2025, the Dragon Bravo wildfire in Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park has burned for nearly a month, consuming over 114,000 acres and becoming the largest wildfire of the year in the continental United States. The fire has been fueled by an unusually hot, dry, and windy weather pattern, worsened by one of the driest monsoon seasons on record. The blaze, which began on July 4 following a lightning strike, initially spread under a controlled burn strategy. However, on July 11, strong winds pushed the fire beyond containment lines, destroying multiple structures including the Grand Canyon Lodge and the North Rim Visitor Center. The North Rim and all nearby hiking trails have since been closed. Exceptionally low humidity and parched vegetation have accelerated the fire’s spread, while the region’s complex topography has made suppression efforts particularly difficult. The most active part of the fire is currently burning in the Kaibab National Forest just outside the park, where firefighting teams are focusing on protecting the Kaibab Lodge and nearby facilities.

  • Hamas says it will allow aid for hostages if Israel halts airstrikes, opens permanent humanitarian corridors – 03.08.2025

As of August 3, 2025, Hamas announced its willingness to coordinate with the Red Cross to deliver humanitarian aid to hostages held in Gaza, on the condition that Israel opens permanent humanitarian corridors and suspends airstrikes during aid distribution. The statement came after Hamas released a widely criticized video showing a hostage being held in poor conditions. Israeli authorities estimate that around 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with only about 20 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, with the number of people reported to have died from hunger and malnutrition rising to 175. Although Israel has slightly increased aid deliveries due to international pressure, UN agencies report that land-based assistance remains insufficient. Some aid convoys have been looted, and many civilians attempting to access aid have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel that killed more than 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. Since then, ongoing Israeli military operations have raised the death toll in Gaza to over 60,000.

Russian volcano erupts for first time in more than 500 years – 03.08.2025

On the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East, the Krasheninnikov Volcano has erupted for the first time since the 15th century, generating an ash plume reaching six kilometers in height. While no immediate threat to populated areas has been reported, the eruption occurred shortly after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the nearby Kuril Islands, prompting tsunami alerts in three coastal regions. Experts suggest both events may be linked to the powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the region the previous week-one of the strongest in recorded history-which triggered widespread evacuations and tsunami warnings as far as Chile and French Polynesia. Russian seismologists had previously warned of prolonged seismic aftershocks. The Kamchatka Peninsula, part of the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire, remains under close observation due to its high seismic and volcanic risk.

  • Trade representative backs Trump’s punitive approach to global tariffs – 03.08.2025

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer defended President Donald Trump’s recent 50% tariff on Brazilian goods, stating it is legally justified under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, despite the move being driven by concerns over Brazil’s social media policies and the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Greer emphasized that U.S. presidents have historically used such powers for geopolitical purposes, while Brazil maintains its judiciary is independent and denies any interference. Trump, showing support for Bolsonaro, compared the legal actions against him to his own experiences. Meanwhile, U.S.-Canada trade negotiations have stalled amid political tensions, with Trump linking future trade deals to Canada’s stance on Palestinian statehood.

  • Dozens of migrants die in boat capsize off Yemen – 04.08.2025

At least 68 migrants, mostly Ethiopian nationals, have died after a boat carrying around 157 people sank off the coast of Yemen’s Abyan province due to bad weather, with only 12 survivors and many still missing, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Yemen, despite being in the midst of a prolonged civil war, remains a key transit route for migrants from the Horn of Africa heading to Gulf countries in search of work. The IOM warned that such crossings are increasingly dangerous, with hundreds of deaths reported in recent months, and called for stronger legal migration pathways to reduce reliance on smugglers who often send boats out in unsafe conditions to avoid patrols.

  • Ukrainian drone attack sets Russian oil depot on fire as Zelenskyy announces prisoner exchange – 04.08.2025

A Ukrainian drone strike on an oil depot near Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi caused a major fire on Sunday, prompting over 120 firefighters to respond and briefly halting flights at Sochi Airport, while additional drone and missile attacks were exchanged between both sides, resulting in injuries in Russia’s Voronezh region and Ukraine’s Mykolaiv. Russia claimed to have intercepted 93 drones overnight, while Ukraine reported intercepting 60 of 76 drones and one missile, with others striking various regions. The escalation follows one of the deadliest weeks in Ukraine and comes amid a new August 8 peace deadline set by U.S. President Trump, who also threatened additional sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy announced an agreement with Russia for a new prisoner exchange involving 1,200 individuals following talks in Istanbul, though no ceasefire progress has been achieved.

  • South Korea begins removing loudspeakers on border with North to reduce tensions – 04.08.2025

South Korea has begun dismantling loudspeakers used for broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda along the border, in a move the defense ministry described as a practical step to reduce tensions without compromising military readiness, as President Lee Jae Myung’s administration seeks to revive dialogue with Pyongyang. The broadcasts, which included news, information about democracy, and K-pop music, were reactivated in June 2024 in response to North Korea sending hundreds of trash-filled balloons across the border. North Korea has not commented on the recent move, but Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong-un, recently dismissed Seoul’s outreach, criticizing its reliance on the U.S. and signaling continued disinterest in diplomacy amid growing North Korea-Russia ties. The two Koreas remain technically at war, with relations strained in recent years by military tensions and Pyongyang’s advancing weapons program.


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