South Korea’s rookie investors lose small fortunes amid AI stocks frenzy
South Korea's stock market has attracted a wave of novice investors amid booming demand for chips used in AI.
International body votes to convene emergency meeting over Nicaragua
Nicaragua's move to extend Ortega's rule and bar rivals from elections triggers a near-unanimous OAS rebuke.
California becomes first US state to set efficiency rules for replacement tires
Regulations that would block sale of older tires praised by environmental groups amid rightwing backlash
California has become the first state in the nation to mandate that replacement tires be energy efficient, a major auto industry regulation set to block the sale of older tires and make vehicles on the road greener.
State regulators have said the new rules will reduce emissions and drivers’ fuel costs. But the rules – which come as the Trump administrations fights to block other California restrictions to promote greener cars – have already sparked a rightwing backlash, with one conservative news outlet calling the policies a “massive overreach”.
Continue reading...Iran Update, August 19, 2026 – Institute for the Study of War
- Iran Update, August 19, 2026 Institute for the Study of War
- Iran Update Special Report, August 17, 2026 Critical Threats
- IRAN WAR WEEK 25, day #6: Naval blockades are still not territorial claims. Re-enlist to play GTA VI Daily Kos
- Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (August 12 - 19, 2026) - The Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute The Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute
- Iran Update Map, August 19, 2026 Institute for the Study of War
Pentagon quizzes NATO allies on political loyalty, documents reveal
NATO allies probed on loyalty to US policies in Pentagon questionnaire obtained exclusively by Al Jazeera.
Lebanon hands former Syrian army general to Damascus after arrest warrant
The transfer is the first from Lebanon involving a Syrian military officer who fled after al-Assad's government fell.
Trump announces ‘most crushing economic operation ever’ against Iran
US president also says any country that trades with Iran will 'face tremendous economic consequences'.
Who is Natalie Harp, Trump’s right-hand woman?
One of Trump's longest serving and most loyal aides, Harp was thrust again into the spotlight when Democrat Jon Ossoff noted her closeness to the president.
Young vapers ‘at risk of breathing problems and becoming smokers’
Review by paediatricians links child vaping with poor respiratory health such as coughing, wheezing and asthma
Young people who start vaping risk developing breathing problems and going on to smoke cigarettes, children’s doctors have warned.
Child vaping is consistently linked with poor respiratory health, such as coughing, wheezing, bronchitis symptoms and asthma exacerbations, while vapes have been shown to act as a gateway to smoking cigarettes, according to one of the most comprehensive reviews of the available evidence so far undertaken by the Royal College of Child and Paediatrics Health.
Continue reading...Trump’s snub of South Korea sends region scrambling – Politico
- Trump’s snub of South Korea sends region scrambling Politico
- ‘No Interest’: North Korea Dismisses Reduced U.S. Drills With South Korea The New York Times
- Trump says US-South Korea exercises are 'insulting' to North Korea's Kim abcnews.com
- Opinion | Trump inverts his own foreign policy mantra The Washington Post
- North Korea Rejects Trump’s Drills-Cut Overture as an Empty Gesture WSJ
More than 750 US service members wounded since start of Iran War – CNN
U.S. conducting stealth operation to transport oil through Hormuz – axios.com
- U.S. conducting stealth operation to transport oil through Hormuz axios.com
- Iran has lost significant control of the Strait of Hormuz CNN
- How the U.S. Navy Is Helping Get Oil Through the Strait of Hormuz The New York Times
- Iran’s Attacks on Ships in Hormuz Mount, Testing U.S. Military Restraint WSJ
- Hormuz traffic slows as uncertainty over waterway persists Reuters
American Tourists Face Backlash After Breaking A Bizarre Italian Rule They Had No Idea Existed – AOL.com
- American Tourists Face Backlash After Breaking A Bizarre Italian Rule They Had No Idea Existed AOL.com
- American couple risked fine after breaking Italian law in most innocuous way The Independent
- ‘Embarrassing’ American tourists break obscure law in Italian hotspot with common behavior — and face $300 fine New York Post
- Couple cop stares, realised something wrong News.com.au
- Locals Kept Staring at American Tourists. They Realized Mistake They’d Made Newsweek
What the social media addiction lawsuit could cost Meta
Landmark trial against Meta could lead to fines and fundamental changes in Facebook and Instagram's operations.
Trump’s Plan to Squeeze Iran’s Economy Will Live or Die in Dubai – WSJ
- Trump’s Plan to Squeeze Iran’s Economy Will Live or Die in Dubai WSJ
- What to Know About Iran’s Economic Ties With Gulf Countries The New York Times
- August 19, 2026 — UAE suspends all trade and financial transactions with Iran CNN
- UAE's financial embargo on Iran after missile threat puts rivalry back in spotlight Reuters
- Iran loses key economic lifeline in Middle East that Trump's sanctions couldn't reach as deadlock persists Fox News
EXCLUSIVE: Mossad chief, Syrian foreign minister discussed Turkish military deployments before strikes, sources say – Reuters
- EXCLUSIVE: Mossad chief, Syrian foreign minister discussed Turkish military deployments before strikes, sources say Reuters
- Syrian foreign minister to Axios: Israeli bombing of airbase was unjustified axios.com
- Ankara rejects Israeli ‘allegations’ on airbase, but Syrian officials confirm Turkish visit The Times of Israel
- US pressure on Israel needed for peace in Syria aljazeera.com
- Israel Strikes Air Base in Syria, Drawing Ire From the U.S. The New York Times
Prince Harry and Meghan ‘moving back to Britain this month’
Reports say Duke and Duchess of Sussex intend to relocate from US, with children to start British school in September
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to return to live in Britain, six years after leaving for the US, it has been reported.
The couple and their two children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are expected to relocate later this month to a non-royal residence.
Continue reading...Mike Lindell offers to fund recount in Minnesota Republican primary for governor
MyPillow founder and Trump ally lost primary to Lisa Demuth by 11 points, but still refuses to concede defeat
The pillow salesman, Trump supporter and election denier Mike Lindell has offered to personally fund a recount and audit of every paper ballot cast in Minnesota’s Republican gubernatorial primary, which he lost last week.
Lindell’s announcement on Wednesday escalates his bid to challenge the results of last week’s vote, after finishing a distant second to the Minnesota house speaker, Lisa Demuth.
Continue reading...Trump says he plans to meet Kim Jong Un later this year
US President Donald Trump praised his relationship with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.
Ecuador intelligence chief and five Americans killed in Kenya helicopter crash
Michele Sensi-Contugi, and his wife Stephany Hollihan among the seven people killed in the crash.