Trump Issues Warning to Putin | Bitcoin Hits Record High | Hook News Brief

Trump-Putin meeting: Europe lists demands to end Ukraine war

Kim Keon Hee arrested over bribery and stock fraud

Trump appears to forget Alaska is in the US

Trump says US-Russia trade ties hinge on Ukraine peace deal

India and Pakistan conduct concurrent naval exercises off Gujarat coast

Peace at what cost? How Alaska Summit may force Ukraine to cede territory

Why Trump wants to remove homeless from Washington DC

Why Al Jazeera is calling killing of 5 Gaza journalists a targeted attack

China tightens censorship with new digital ID system

Geopolitics

Utsav Parekh

14 AUG 2025 | 05:40:32

HOOK NEWS BRIEF | 14.08.25

Trump threatens “severe consequences” if Putin doesn’t end Ukraine war

US President Donald Trump has threatened “very severe consequences” if Russia doesn’t end its war on Ukraine. The threat comes just ahead of Friday’s Alaska summit between Trump and Putin. Trump issued his latest threat after a virtual meeting with European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Europeans were trying to ensure that Trump did not sideline Ukrainian interests during his summit with Putin. The Europeans reiterated that “peace in Ukraine could not be decided without Ukraine”. After his call with the Europeans, Trump said that if the summit with Putin goes well, he would call for a trilateral meeting between Putin, Zelenskyy and himself “almost immediately”.

Over 100 aid groups condemn Israel for weaponising aid

Over 100 international NGOs, including Doctors without Borders and Oxfam, have condemned Israel for blocking aid from entering the Gaza strip. The group of NGOs released a statement saying, “Despite claims by Israeli authorities that there is no limit on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, most major international NGOs have been unable to deliver a single truck of life-saving supplies since 2 March.” The NGOs say that Israel’s “militarised food distribution scheme has weaponised starvation and curated suffering.” The outcry by the aid groups comes as Israel has launched a new operation to take over Gaza City. Over a 100 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday amid the new offensive, marking the deadliest day in a week.

Bitcoin hits all-time high mark of $124,000

Bitcoin hit a record high today during early Asian trading. It has surpassed the $124,000 mark. The cryptocurrency’s surge is being fuelled by rising expectations of a rate cut by the US Federal Reserve. The Trump administration has also made institutional investments in crypto easier, which has led to a buying spree. Last week, Trump signed an executive order allowing retirement funds to more easily invest in cryptocurrencies.