- ‘Absolutely unacceptable’: Japan condemns visit by Vladimir Putin to disputed Kuril Islands The Guardian
- ‘Absolutely unacceptable’: Japan PM Takaichi condemns Putin’s visit to disputed Kuril Islands CNBC
- Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 13, 2026 Institute for the Study of War
- US backs Japanese sovereignty over disputed islands after Putin visit Euronews.com
- Putin visits disputed island near Japan, drawing Tokyo's ire Reuters
Taiwan says it was hit by ‘abnormal’ AI-assisted cyber-attack – The Guardian
- Taiwan says it was hit by ‘abnormal’ AI-assisted cyber-attack The Guardian
- Hackers used autonomous AI agents to attack Taiwan. Is this the future of cyberwarfare? CNN
- Autonomous AI attacks pose 'clear and present danger' to critical infrastructure The Register
- Taiwan says it was targeted last month in AI-driven hacking campaign Reuters
- Chinese Hackers Created a 'Near-Autonomous' Attack Using Open-Source AI PCMag
Israeli forces order families to evacuate homes in Qusra
Israeli forces have ordered Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank to evacuate their homes in Qusra
Russian plot to kill Ukrainian American thwarted in Warsaw, says Polish PM – The Guardian
- Russian plot to kill Ukrainian American thwarted in Warsaw, says Polish PM The Guardian
- Poland arrests Russian allegedly hired to kill Ukrainian-American who was 'inconvenient to the Putin regime' Fox News
- Poland says it thwarted a Russian plot to kill American citizen in Warsaw NBC News
- Kremlin hired assassin to murder American on Polish soil, says Tusk The Telegraph
- Russian plot to kill American citizen thwarted by Poland, prime minister says: "First situation of its kind" CBS News
Colombia earthquake: Hospitals adapt to save lives amid widespread damage
Earthquake damages Cali's hospitals, forcing medical staff to prioritize critical patients as rescue teams work nonstop.
Kennedy Center board votes again to renovate building and inscribe Trump’s name on it – report
The center has until next week to present plan to judge who had blocked earlier rehab and name change
The board of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington is said to have voted once again to move forward with Donald Trump’s controversial plan to temporarily shutter the building for substantial renovations, as well as to inscribe the US president’s name on the facade of its building, despite a federal order for his name to be removed from the signage.
The board – mostly handpicked, staunch allies of the president – voted “to close the Kennedy Center’s main building, while keeping a newer addition to the campus, known as the Reach, open for limited programming and to operate as an active memorial to John F Kennedy”, according to the New York Times, which was first to report the results.
Continue reading...Judge dismisses Trump lawsuit that claimed Harvard failed to protect Jewish students
Federal court rules administration failed to plausibly show ongoing violation of civil rights law
A US federal judge has dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit that claimed Harvard University failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment in the aftermath of the war in Gaza.
In a ruling on Thursday morning, US district judge Richard Stearns in Boston said the administration’s lawsuit – filed in March – failed to plausibly show an ongoing violation of federal civil rights law on Harvard’s campus.
Continue reading...Family of Irish plane crash victim awarded $29m in damages
A jury in Chicago in the US awarded the sum to Michael Ryan's family after his widow Naoise Connolly Ryan brought a civil suit against Boeing.
The U.S.-Led Middle East Order Is Over. The Mecca Agreement Proves It. – Council on Foreign Relations
- The U.S.-Led Middle East Order Is Over. The Mecca Agreement Proves It. Council on Foreign Relations
- Turkey lays out plans for defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Reuters
- Mutual defence: The alliances that preceded Turkiye-Pakistan-Saudi pact Al Jazeera
- The Mecca agreement’s message to Washington The Hill
- What to make of a new Saudi-led defence pact The Economist
Israeli troops force families from homes amid settler terror campaign in West Bank
Former PM of Israel calls events ‘concerted and meticulous attempt at ethnic cleansing’ against Palestinians
Israeli troops have forced two Palestinian families to leave their besieged West Bank homes, the day after a top Israeli commander personally promised he would end a violent settler campaign to drive them out.
Israeli soldiers also took over eight other homes in Qusra early on Thursday, telling the village’s mayor, Abdul Azim Wadi, that the buildings were needed for a days-long operation to remove the settlers. They later relinquished six. Settlers still roam the village.
Continue reading...What you need to know about the water crisis in Puerto Rico – Yale Climate Connections
- What you need to know about the water crisis in Puerto Rico Yale Climate Connections
- One Puerto Rico condo building, 10 families, no water NPR
- Puerto Rico is rationing water amid historic drought Reuters
- With Puerto Rico’s water crisis, climate change meets ineptitude Los Angeles Times
- Philly Puerto Rican community pressures federal officials to act amid ‘humanitarian crisis’ WHYY
Mangione lawyers to meet federal prosecutors amid reports of plea deal
Mangione faces two federal charges of stalking resulting in death, each carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Europe swelters in latest wave of extreme heat
UK records its hottest day of the year as the temperature in west London reaches 38.1 degrees Celsius.
Carrick urges Manchester United to sign more transfers to boost title bid
United's preseason outlay pales in comparison with some of their fellow title contenders.
Judge nixes Trump lawsuit alleging Harvard did not protect Jewish students
Ruling latest setback in Trump administration response to Gaza war protests that swept college campuses.
Behind England’s bumper A-level results lie record levels of regional disparities
Need for Burnham to tackle regional inequality could not be clearer as London becomes ‘educational outlier’
Andy Burnham has put regional inequality at the top of his agenda as prime minister, and nowhere is the need for doing so clearer than in education.
As England’s A-level results were published on Thursday morning, students across the country were pictured celebrating a bumper crop of results, with record rates of As and A*s.
Continue reading...Top Forbes editor reportedly fired after receiving $6m from business associate
Randall Lane left his job last month after accepting money from founder of firm that does business with magazine
The top editor of Forbes left his job last month and was reportedly dismissed for accepting $6m from the founder of a firm that does business with the magazine.
The New York Times reported this week that Randall Lane was paid by RJ Shook, whose company, Shook Research, worked with Forbes since 2016 to publish rankings of wealth advisers. The payment was made after Shook sold a majority stake in the company to a private equity firm a year ago.
Continue reading...Nearly 100 children detained as adults under UK-France migration deal
Figures emerge in critical letter to Home Office from organisation appointed to scrutinise detention facilities
Nearly 100 children have been wrongly identified and detained as adults under Shabana Mahmood’s “one in, one out” deal with France, the Guardian can disclose.
Home Office staff said that of 304 age-disputed cases arising from the scheme over nine months, 94 (31%) – were ultimately found to be minors. Children are supposed to be excluded from the scheme, while government policy limits immigration detention of unaccompanied children to 24 hours.
Had been awaiting deportation for more than six months, despite being supposed be held for up to 28 days only “in exceptional cases”.
Were being readied for removal to France despite having TB or requiring hospital treatment.
Faced removal after being separated from family members with whom they had travelled, which she said had a “particularly damaging impact”.
Continue reading...Large explosion rips through Italian munitions factory – Reuters
- Large explosion rips through Italian munitions factory Reuters
- Explosion rocks ammunition factory near Rome, Italian police say euronews.com
- KNDS Ammunition Plant in Italy Hit by Fire, Explosion Bloomberg.com
- Massive explosion rocks Italian ammunition plant that produces artillery for Ukraine The Kyiv Independent
- Huge explosion at ammunition factory in Rome causes fright but no injuries AP News
Poland arrests man who allegedly tried to kill Ukrainian American
The suspect has been identified as a Russian citizen who planned to kill one of Moscow's critics in Warsaw.