LIVE Updates | Latest India & World News Aug 28: Trump renames Lake Ontario, China warns of flood threat as Nepal-Tibet death toll rises

Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Iran concluded without progress towards bridging the differences between Tehran and Washington, with Iran maintaining its existing conditions for ending the conflict, according to a senior security source cited by CNN-News18.

Munir travelled to Tehran for high-level discussions but returned after only a day, despite the trip initially being scheduled for two days.

Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports have been hit by a cyber-attack in which hackers accessed the data of about 8.7 million customers.

The demolition of a modernist arts ​complex in the Georgian capital Tbilisi has ignited outrage from some residents about ‌the future of the city's skyline and from the Italian architects who designed it. Known locally as the Rike Tubes, the Rike Park Music Theatre and Exhibition Hall was constructed between 2011 and 2012 under the previous government, ​led by pro-Western reformer Mikheil Saakashvili.

Air India’s mounting losses may well reach Singapore’s parliament, with an opposition politician questioning the commercial logic of Singapore Airlines backing the Tata-owned airline, which has reportedly asked for a $1.5 billion bailout from its stakeholders to help effect a turnaround.

Pakistan and Kuwait on Thursday signed an agreement to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, including in areas such as training, capacity building and border management. The pact was signed during a meeting between the Pak defence minister and a high-level Kuwaiti delegation.

In a significant departure from tradition, Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay ditched his usual seat at the state Assembly and sat next to his cabinet ministers on Thursday. A video of the TVK chief's rare gesture in going viral on social media.
 

The Opposition Congress party will stage ‘padayatras’ across all districts of the State on August 29 to register a protest against the proposed reduction of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park.

A large number of Meira Paibi activists held a massive torch rally in Imphal on the night of August 27, demanding that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be updated before the commencement of the national Census exercise.

Russia has criticised the UN tribunal that convicted former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic, who died in hospital in The Hague while serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes.

The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) of disregarding impartiality and fair treatment for political reasons, saying this would remain part of the tribunal's "legacy".

“The deliberate disregard for basic rules of impartiality and fair treatment of convicted persons for political reasons will forever remain part of the unenviable ‘legacy’ of the ICTY,” it said.

Mladic, 84, died Thursday while in UN custody. He was convicted in 2017 of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war. His conviction included responsibility for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed. His life sentence was upheld in 2021.

Ethiopian asylum seekers in Israel are facing possible deportation after the government revoked group protection that had shielded them from removal. Israel granted the protection in 2021 amid the civil war in Ethiopia, but it was withdrawn in January 2024 after authorities said conditions had improved. The High Court upheld the decision in December 2025.

The Population and Immigration Authority is now reviewing individual asylum cases, with 1,334 applications from Ethiopian citizens still pending. Rights groups have challenged the deportation process, citing the international principle of non-refoulement.

The issue has also raised concerns for children born and raised in Israel to Ethiopian asylum-seeking parents, many of whom speak Hebrew and attend Israeli schools. A Tel Aviv court is due to hear a related case on September 22.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir and Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich to overcome their differences and run together in the upcoming election.

In a video posted on social media on Thursday, Netanyahu said the right-wing parties had won when they contested elections together but lost when they ran separately. 

Netanyahu pointed to the 1992 election, arguing that divisions among right-wing parties had contributed to their failure to cross the electoral threshold and the subsequent victory of the Left. He warned that a similar outcome could happen in the upcoming election if Ben-Gvir and Smotrich remain divided.

Netanyahu said he understood there were "personal grievances" between the two leaders but urged them to set those differences aside. He added that he would invite both politicians for talks in the coming days and make a "supreme effort" to secure an agreement.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">בן גביר וסמוטריץ׳ חייבים להתאחד למען ניצחון הימין! <a href="https://t.co/Ariq9URU1F">pic.twitter.com/Ariq9URU1F</a></p>&mdash; Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) <a href="https://x.com/netanyahu/status/2093020826559750317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Former Mossad deputy chief and current Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak has warned of growing anti-Israel sentiment in Egypt, urging Israel to prepare for all possible scenarios despite the peace treaty between the two countries.

Ben-Barak expressed concern over Egypt's military expansion and what he described as rising tensions along Israel's southern border. He also cited alleged developments in Sinai and growing anti-Israel currents in Egypt as issues requiring closer attention.

According to Israeli radio station 103FM, Ben-Barak said the expansion of Egypt's military was particularly concerning because, in his assessment, it appeared to be directed towards Israel without clear justification. He called for a combination of diplomatic efforts and stronger military preparedness, saying Israel should remain ready for any potential development along its border with Egypt.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will step up efforts to isolate Iran economically when he meets G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Asheville, North Carolina, next week, a US official said Thursday.

US officials are expected to urge G20 members to comply with Washington's sanctions on Iran as the Trump administration intensifies economic pressure on Tehran amid the ongoing Middle East war.

Bessent is expected to make direct appeals to foreign counterparts during bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering. The Treasury official did not disclose which ministers Bessent is scheduled to meet or whether his talks will include China.

The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors are due to meet in Asheville on Monday and Tuesday, with the gathering also taking place against a backdrop of global trade tensions.
 

Venezuela is considering plans to withdraw from OPEC, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could deliver another blow to the oil cartel it helped establish more than six decades ago.

The proposal has reportedly been discussed with US officials, although no final decision has been made. 

A decision to leave the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would mark a major shift for Venezuela, one of OPEC's founding members. The move comes amid sweeping political changes in Caracas following US President Donald Trump's removal of longtime Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and Washington's takeover of the country's oil sales.

A San Francisco federal judge has ruled that the Pentagon's decision to blacklist artificial intelligence company Anthropic was illegal.

US District Judge Rita Lin found that the Department of Defense violated the First Amendment when it designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk.

Lin said the designation appeared to have been driven by a desire to make a public example of the company. While acknowledging that the government is entitled to deference on national security matters, she found that the Pentagon's action lacked an "articulable basis."

A federal judge in Boston has blocked a US Postal Service regulation that would have given the agency greater control over mail-in ballots ahead of the midterm elections.

US District Judge Indira Talwani issued the order on Thursday, delivering another legal setback to President Donald Trump's efforts to change rules governing mail-in voting.

The executive order had directed the US Postal Service to track mail-in ballots and potentially reject ballots submitted by people who were not on a federal list of eligible voters.

US President Donald Trump has hinted that Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams could be a contender to replace Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary.

During a recent interaction, McAdams asked Trump about Leavitt's departure. Trump praised his outgoing press secretary but then turned to McAdams and asked, "You?" He followed it with, "How about you?" while suggesting she could take over the White House briefing room.

Trump earlier joked about Leavitt's decision to step down, saying, "I found out Karoline Leavitt likes her children more than she likes Trump," referring to her choice to prioritise her two young children.

Karoline Leavitt completed her final day as White House Press Secretary on Thursday (Aug 27), ending her tenure as the 36th person to hold the post. The White House described Leavitt, who was the youngest person to serve as press secretary, as a key defender of President Donald Trump's administration and its "America First" agenda.

During her tenure, Leavitt became known for combative exchanges with reporters and outspoken defence of the administration's policies on immigration, national security and foreign affairs. The White House praised her for defending Trump's agenda and expanding access to the briefing room for new media outlets.

A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Gulf of Aden early Friday (Aug 28) between Somalia and Yemen, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The shallow earthquake occurred at 12:07 am local time, or 9:07 pm GMT on Thursday, the USGS said. The epicentre was located about 145 kilometres off the coast of Somalia.

Click to read

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday (Aug 27) rejected US President Donald Trump's move to rename Lake Ontario, saying the body of water will remain "Lake Ontario - then, now and always".

Here's what he said

Chinese authorities have warned that an artificial lake formed by a massive mudslide on the China-Nepal border is at "high risk" of breaching, raising fears of another surge of floodwater downstream as rescue teams continue searching for more than 1,400 missing people.

All you need to know HERE

Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Iran concluded without progress towards bridging the differences between Tehran and Washington, with Iran maintaining its existing conditions for ending the conflict, according to a senior security source cited by CNN-News18.

Munir travelled to Tehran for high-level discussions but returned after only a day, despite the trip initially being scheduled for two days.

Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports have been hit by a cyber-attack in which hackers accessed the data of about 8.7 million customers.

The demolition of a modernist arts ​complex in the Georgian capital Tbilisi has ignited outrage from some residents about ‌the future of the city's skyline and from the Italian architects who designed it. Known locally as the Rike Tubes, the Rike Park Music Theatre and Exhibition Hall was constructed between 2011 and 2012 under the previous government, ​led by pro-Western reformer Mikheil Saakashvili.

Air India’s mounting losses may well reach Singapore’s parliament, with an opposition politician questioning the commercial logic of Singapore Airlines backing the Tata-owned airline, which has reportedly asked for a $1.5 billion bailout from its stakeholders to help effect a turnaround.

Pakistan and Kuwait on Thursday signed an agreement to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, including in areas such as training, capacity building and border management. The pact was signed during a meeting between the Pak defence minister and a high-level Kuwaiti delegation.

In a significant departure from tradition, Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay ditched his usual seat at the state Assembly and sat next to his cabinet ministers on Thursday. A video of the TVK chief's rare gesture in going viral on social media.
 

The Opposition Congress party will stage ‘padayatras’ across all districts of the State on August 29 to register a protest against the proposed reduction of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park.

A large number of Meira Paibi activists held a massive torch rally in Imphal on the night of August 27, demanding that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be updated before the commencement of the national Census exercise.

Russia has criticised the UN tribunal that convicted former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic, who died in hospital in The Hague while serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes.

The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) of disregarding impartiality and fair treatment for political reasons, saying this would remain part of the tribunal's "legacy".

“The deliberate disregard for basic rules of impartiality and fair treatment of convicted persons for political reasons will forever remain part of the unenviable ‘legacy’ of the ICTY,” it said.

Mladic, 84, died Thursday while in UN custody. He was convicted in 2017 of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war. His conviction included responsibility for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed. His life sentence was upheld in 2021.

Ethiopian asylum seekers in Israel are facing possible deportation after the government revoked group protection that had shielded them from removal. Israel granted the protection in 2021 amid the civil war in Ethiopia, but it was withdrawn in January 2024 after authorities said conditions had improved. The High Court upheld the decision in December 2025.

The Population and Immigration Authority is now reviewing individual asylum cases, with 1,334 applications from Ethiopian citizens still pending. Rights groups have challenged the deportation process, citing the international principle of non-refoulement.

The issue has also raised concerns for children born and raised in Israel to Ethiopian asylum-seeking parents, many of whom speak Hebrew and attend Israeli schools. A Tel Aviv court is due to hear a related case on September 22.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir and Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich to overcome their differences and run together in the upcoming election.

In a video posted on social media on Thursday, Netanyahu said the right-wing parties had won when they contested elections together but lost when they ran separately. 

Netanyahu pointed to the 1992 election, arguing that divisions among right-wing parties had contributed to their failure to cross the electoral threshold and the subsequent victory of the Left. He warned that a similar outcome could happen in the upcoming election if Ben-Gvir and Smotrich remain divided.

Netanyahu said he understood there were "personal grievances" between the two leaders but urged them to set those differences aside. He added that he would invite both politicians for talks in the coming days and make a "supreme effort" to secure an agreement.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">בן גביר וסמוטריץ׳ חייבים להתאחד למען ניצחון הימין! <a href="https://t.co/Ariq9URU1F">pic.twitter.com/Ariq9URU1F</a></p>&mdash; Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) <a href="https://x.com/netanyahu/status/2093020826559750317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Former Mossad deputy chief and current Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak has warned of growing anti-Israel sentiment in Egypt, urging Israel to prepare for all possible scenarios despite the peace treaty between the two countries.

Ben-Barak expressed concern over Egypt's military expansion and what he described as rising tensions along Israel's southern border. He also cited alleged developments in Sinai and growing anti-Israel currents in Egypt as issues requiring closer attention.

According to Israeli radio station 103FM, Ben-Barak said the expansion of Egypt's military was particularly concerning because, in his assessment, it appeared to be directed towards Israel without clear justification. He called for a combination of diplomatic efforts and stronger military preparedness, saying Israel should remain ready for any potential development along its border with Egypt.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will step up efforts to isolate Iran economically when he meets G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Asheville, North Carolina, next week, a US official said Thursday.

US officials are expected to urge G20 members to comply with Washington's sanctions on Iran as the Trump administration intensifies economic pressure on Tehran amid the ongoing Middle East war.

Bessent is expected to make direct appeals to foreign counterparts during bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering. The Treasury official did not disclose which ministers Bessent is scheduled to meet or whether his talks will include China.

The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors are due to meet in Asheville on Monday and Tuesday, with the gathering also taking place against a backdrop of global trade tensions.
 

Venezuela is considering plans to withdraw from OPEC, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could deliver another blow to the oil cartel it helped establish more than six decades ago.

The proposal has reportedly been discussed with US officials, although no final decision has been made. 

A decision to leave the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would mark a major shift for Venezuela, one of OPEC's founding members. The move comes amid sweeping political changes in Caracas following US President Donald Trump's removal of longtime Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and Washington's takeover of the country's oil sales.

A San Francisco federal judge has ruled that the Pentagon's decision to blacklist artificial intelligence company Anthropic was illegal.

US District Judge Rita Lin found that the Department of Defense violated the First Amendment when it designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk.

Lin said the designation appeared to have been driven by a desire to make a public example of the company. While acknowledging that the government is entitled to deference on national security matters, she found that the Pentagon's action lacked an "articulable basis."

A federal judge in Boston has blocked a US Postal Service regulation that would have given the agency greater control over mail-in ballots ahead of the midterm elections.

US District Judge Indira Talwani issued the order on Thursday, delivering another legal setback to President Donald Trump's efforts to change rules governing mail-in voting.

The executive order had directed the US Postal Service to track mail-in ballots and potentially reject ballots submitted by people who were not on a federal list of eligible voters.

US President Donald Trump has hinted that Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams could be a contender to replace Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary.

During a recent interaction, McAdams asked Trump about Leavitt's departure. Trump praised his outgoing press secretary but then turned to McAdams and asked, "You?" He followed it with, "How about you?" while suggesting she could take over the White House briefing room.

Trump earlier joked about Leavitt's decision to step down, saying, "I found out Karoline Leavitt likes her children more than she likes Trump," referring to her choice to prioritise her two young children.

Karoline Leavitt completed her final day as White House Press Secretary on Thursday (Aug 27), ending her tenure as the 36th person to hold the post. The White House described Leavitt, who was the youngest person to serve as press secretary, as a key defender of President Donald Trump's administration and its "America First" agenda.

During her tenure, Leavitt became known for combative exchanges with reporters and outspoken defence of the administration's policies on immigration, national security and foreign affairs. The White House praised her for defending Trump's agenda and expanding access to the briefing room for new media outlets.

A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Gulf of Aden early Friday (Aug 28) between Somalia and Yemen, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The shallow earthquake occurred at 12:07 am local time, or 9:07 pm GMT on Thursday, the USGS said. The epicentre was located about 145 kilometres off the coast of Somalia.

Click to read

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday (Aug 27) rejected US President Donald Trump's move to rename Lake Ontario, saying the body of water will remain "Lake Ontario - then, now and always".

Here's what he said

Chinese authorities have warned that an artificial lake formed by a massive mudslide on the China-Nepal border is at "high risk" of breaching, raising fears of another surge of floodwater downstream as rescue teams continue searching for more than 1,400 missing people.

All you need to know HERE

Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Iran concluded without progress towards bridging the differences between Tehran and Washington, with Iran maintaining its existing conditions for ending the conflict, according to a senior security source cited by CNN-News18.

Munir travelled to Tehran for high-level discussions but returned after only a day, despite the trip initially being scheduled for two days.

Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports have been hit by a cyber-attack in which hackers accessed the data of about 8.7 million customers.

The demolition of a modernist arts ​complex in the Georgian capital Tbilisi has ignited outrage from some residents about ‌the future of the city's skyline and from the Italian architects who designed it. Known locally as the Rike Tubes, the Rike Park Music Theatre and Exhibition Hall was constructed between 2011 and 2012 under the previous government, ​led by pro-Western reformer Mikheil Saakashvili.

Air India’s mounting losses may well reach Singapore’s parliament, with an opposition politician questioning the commercial logic of Singapore Airlines backing the Tata-owned airline, which has reportedly asked for a $1.5 billion bailout from its stakeholders to help effect a turnaround.

Pakistan and Kuwait on Thursday signed an agreement to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, including in areas such as training, capacity building and border management. The pact was signed during a meeting between the Pak defence minister and a high-level Kuwaiti delegation.

In a significant departure from tradition, Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay ditched his usual seat at the state Assembly and sat next to his cabinet ministers on Thursday. A video of the TVK chief's rare gesture in going viral on social media.
 

The Opposition Congress party will stage ‘padayatras’ across all districts of the State on August 29 to register a protest against the proposed reduction of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park.

A large number of Meira Paibi activists held a massive torch rally in Imphal on the night of August 27, demanding that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be updated before the commencement of the national Census exercise.

Russia has criticised the UN tribunal that convicted former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic, who died in hospital in The Hague while serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes.

The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) of disregarding impartiality and fair treatment for political reasons, saying this would remain part of the tribunal's "legacy".

“The deliberate disregard for basic rules of impartiality and fair treatment of convicted persons for political reasons will forever remain part of the unenviable ‘legacy’ of the ICTY,” it said.

Mladic, 84, died Thursday while in UN custody. He was convicted in 2017 of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war. His conviction included responsibility for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed. His life sentence was upheld in 2021.

Ethiopian asylum seekers in Israel are facing possible deportation after the government revoked group protection that had shielded them from removal. Israel granted the protection in 2021 amid the civil war in Ethiopia, but it was withdrawn in January 2024 after authorities said conditions had improved. The High Court upheld the decision in December 2025.

The Population and Immigration Authority is now reviewing individual asylum cases, with 1,334 applications from Ethiopian citizens still pending. Rights groups have challenged the deportation process, citing the international principle of non-refoulement.

The issue has also raised concerns for children born and raised in Israel to Ethiopian asylum-seeking parents, many of whom speak Hebrew and attend Israeli schools. A Tel Aviv court is due to hear a related case on September 22.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir and Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich to overcome their differences and run together in the upcoming election.

In a video posted on social media on Thursday, Netanyahu said the right-wing parties had won when they contested elections together but lost when they ran separately. 

Netanyahu pointed to the 1992 election, arguing that divisions among right-wing parties had contributed to their failure to cross the electoral threshold and the subsequent victory of the Left. He warned that a similar outcome could happen in the upcoming election if Ben-Gvir and Smotrich remain divided.

Netanyahu said he understood there were "personal grievances" between the two leaders but urged them to set those differences aside. He added that he would invite both politicians for talks in the coming days and make a "supreme effort" to secure an agreement.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">בן גביר וסמוטריץ׳ חייבים להתאחד למען ניצחון הימין! <a href="https://t.co/Ariq9URU1F">pic.twitter.com/Ariq9URU1F</a></p>&mdash; Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) <a href="https://x.com/netanyahu/status/2093020826559750317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Former Mossad deputy chief and current Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak has warned of growing anti-Israel sentiment in Egypt, urging Israel to prepare for all possible scenarios despite the peace treaty between the two countries.

Ben-Barak expressed concern over Egypt's military expansion and what he described as rising tensions along Israel's southern border. He also cited alleged developments in Sinai and growing anti-Israel currents in Egypt as issues requiring closer attention.

According to Israeli radio station 103FM, Ben-Barak said the expansion of Egypt's military was particularly concerning because, in his assessment, it appeared to be directed towards Israel without clear justification. He called for a combination of diplomatic efforts and stronger military preparedness, saying Israel should remain ready for any potential development along its border with Egypt.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will step up efforts to isolate Iran economically when he meets G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Asheville, North Carolina, next week, a US official said Thursday.

US officials are expected to urge G20 members to comply with Washington's sanctions on Iran as the Trump administration intensifies economic pressure on Tehran amid the ongoing Middle East war.

Bessent is expected to make direct appeals to foreign counterparts during bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering. The Treasury official did not disclose which ministers Bessent is scheduled to meet or whether his talks will include China.

The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors are due to meet in Asheville on Monday and Tuesday, with the gathering also taking place against a backdrop of global trade tensions.
 

Venezuela is considering plans to withdraw from OPEC, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could deliver another blow to the oil cartel it helped establish more than six decades ago.

The proposal has reportedly been discussed with US officials, although no final decision has been made. 

A decision to leave the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would mark a major shift for Venezuela, one of OPEC's founding members. The move comes amid sweeping political changes in Caracas following US President Donald Trump's removal of longtime Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and Washington's takeover of the country's oil sales.

A San Francisco federal judge has ruled that the Pentagon's decision to blacklist artificial intelligence company Anthropic was illegal.

US District Judge Rita Lin found that the Department of Defense violated the First Amendment when it designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk.

Lin said the designation appeared to have been driven by a desire to make a public example of the company. While acknowledging that the government is entitled to deference on national security matters, she found that the Pentagon's action lacked an "articulable basis."

A federal judge in Boston has blocked a US Postal Service regulation that would have given the agency greater control over mail-in ballots ahead of the midterm elections.

US District Judge Indira Talwani issued the order on Thursday, delivering another legal setback to President Donald Trump's efforts to change rules governing mail-in voting.

The executive order had directed the US Postal Service to track mail-in ballots and potentially reject ballots submitted by people who were not on a federal list of eligible voters.

US President Donald Trump has hinted that Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams could be a contender to replace Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary.

During a recent interaction, McAdams asked Trump about Leavitt's departure. Trump praised his outgoing press secretary but then turned to McAdams and asked, "You?" He followed it with, "How about you?" while suggesting she could take over the White House briefing room.

Trump earlier joked about Leavitt's decision to step down, saying, "I found out Karoline Leavitt likes her children more than she likes Trump," referring to her choice to prioritise her two young children.

Karoline Leavitt completed her final day as White House Press Secretary on Thursday (Aug 27), ending her tenure as the 36th person to hold the post. The White House described Leavitt, who was the youngest person to serve as press secretary, as a key defender of President Donald Trump's administration and its "America First" agenda.

During her tenure, Leavitt became known for combative exchanges with reporters and outspoken defence of the administration's policies on immigration, national security and foreign affairs. The White House praised her for defending Trump's agenda and expanding access to the briefing room for new media outlets.

A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Gulf of Aden early Friday (Aug 28) between Somalia and Yemen, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The shallow earthquake occurred at 12:07 am local time, or 9:07 pm GMT on Thursday, the USGS said. The epicentre was located about 145 kilometres off the coast of Somalia.

Click to read

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday (Aug 27) rejected US President Donald Trump's move to rename Lake Ontario, saying the body of water will remain "Lake Ontario - then, now and always".

Here's what he said

Chinese authorities have warned that an artificial lake formed by a massive mudslide on the China-Nepal border is at "high risk" of breaching, raising fears of another surge of floodwater downstream as rescue teams continue searching for more than 1,400 missing people.

All you need to know HERE

Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Iran concluded without progress towards bridging the differences between Tehran and Washington, with Iran maintaining its existing conditions for ending the conflict, according to a senior security source cited by CNN-News18.

Munir travelled to Tehran for high-level discussions but returned after only a day, despite the trip initially being scheduled for two days.

Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports have been hit by a cyber-attack in which hackers accessed the data of about 8.7 million customers.

The demolition of a modernist arts ​complex in the Georgian capital Tbilisi has ignited outrage from some residents about ‌the future of the city's skyline and from the Italian architects who designed it. Known locally as the Rike Tubes, the Rike Park Music Theatre and Exhibition Hall was constructed between 2011 and 2012 under the previous government, ​led by pro-Western reformer Mikheil Saakashvili.

Air India’s mounting losses may well reach Singapore’s parliament, with an opposition politician questioning the commercial logic of Singapore Airlines backing the Tata-owned airline, which has reportedly asked for a $1.5 billion bailout from its stakeholders to help effect a turnaround.

Pakistan and Kuwait on Thursday signed an agreement to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, including in areas such as training, capacity building and border management. The pact was signed during a meeting between the Pak defence minister and a high-level Kuwaiti delegation.

In a significant departure from tradition, Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay ditched his usual seat at the state Assembly and sat next to his cabinet ministers on Thursday. A video of the TVK chief's rare gesture in going viral on social media.
 

The Opposition Congress party will stage ‘padayatras’ across all districts of the State on August 29 to register a protest against the proposed reduction of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park.

A large number of Meira Paibi activists held a massive torch rally in Imphal on the night of August 27, demanding that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be updated before the commencement of the national Census exercise.

Russia has criticised the UN tribunal that convicted former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic, who died in hospital in The Hague while serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes.

The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) of disregarding impartiality and fair treatment for political reasons, saying this would remain part of the tribunal's "legacy".

“The deliberate disregard for basic rules of impartiality and fair treatment of convicted persons for political reasons will forever remain part of the unenviable ‘legacy’ of the ICTY,” it said.

Mladic, 84, died Thursday while in UN custody. He was convicted in 2017 of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war. His conviction included responsibility for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed. His life sentence was upheld in 2021.

Ethiopian asylum seekers in Israel are facing possible deportation after the government revoked group protection that had shielded them from removal. Israel granted the protection in 2021 amid the civil war in Ethiopia, but it was withdrawn in January 2024 after authorities said conditions had improved. The High Court upheld the decision in December 2025.

The Population and Immigration Authority is now reviewing individual asylum cases, with 1,334 applications from Ethiopian citizens still pending. Rights groups have challenged the deportation process, citing the international principle of non-refoulement.

The issue has also raised concerns for children born and raised in Israel to Ethiopian asylum-seeking parents, many of whom speak Hebrew and attend Israeli schools. A Tel Aviv court is due to hear a related case on September 22.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir and Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich to overcome their differences and run together in the upcoming election.

In a video posted on social media on Thursday, Netanyahu said the right-wing parties had won when they contested elections together but lost when they ran separately. 

Netanyahu pointed to the 1992 election, arguing that divisions among right-wing parties had contributed to their failure to cross the electoral threshold and the subsequent victory of the Left. He warned that a similar outcome could happen in the upcoming election if Ben-Gvir and Smotrich remain divided.

Netanyahu said he understood there were "personal grievances" between the two leaders but urged them to set those differences aside. He added that he would invite both politicians for talks in the coming days and make a "supreme effort" to secure an agreement.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">בן גביר וסמוטריץ׳ חייבים להתאחד למען ניצחון הימין! <a href="https://t.co/Ariq9URU1F">pic.twitter.com/Ariq9URU1F</a></p>&mdash; Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) <a href="https://x.com/netanyahu/status/2093020826559750317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Former Mossad deputy chief and current Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak has warned of growing anti-Israel sentiment in Egypt, urging Israel to prepare for all possible scenarios despite the peace treaty between the two countries.

Ben-Barak expressed concern over Egypt's military expansion and what he described as rising tensions along Israel's southern border. He also cited alleged developments in Sinai and growing anti-Israel currents in Egypt as issues requiring closer attention.

According to Israeli radio station 103FM, Ben-Barak said the expansion of Egypt's military was particularly concerning because, in his assessment, it appeared to be directed towards Israel without clear justification. He called for a combination of diplomatic efforts and stronger military preparedness, saying Israel should remain ready for any potential development along its border with Egypt.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will step up efforts to isolate Iran economically when he meets G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Asheville, North Carolina, next week, a US official said Thursday.

US officials are expected to urge G20 members to comply with Washington's sanctions on Iran as the Trump administration intensifies economic pressure on Tehran amid the ongoing Middle East war.

Bessent is expected to make direct appeals to foreign counterparts during bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering. The Treasury official did not disclose which ministers Bessent is scheduled to meet or whether his talks will include China.

The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors are due to meet in Asheville on Monday and Tuesday, with the gathering also taking place against a backdrop of global trade tensions.
 

Venezuela is considering plans to withdraw from OPEC, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could deliver another blow to the oil cartel it helped establish more than six decades ago.

The proposal has reportedly been discussed with US officials, although no final decision has been made. 

A decision to leave the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would mark a major shift for Venezuela, one of OPEC's founding members. The move comes amid sweeping political changes in Caracas following US President Donald Trump's removal of longtime Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and Washington's takeover of the country's oil sales.

A San Francisco federal judge has ruled that the Pentagon's decision to blacklist artificial intelligence company Anthropic was illegal.

US District Judge Rita Lin found that the Department of Defense violated the First Amendment when it designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk.

Lin said the designation appeared to have been driven by a desire to make a public example of the company. While acknowledging that the government is entitled to deference on national security matters, she found that the Pentagon's action lacked an "articulable basis."

A federal judge in Boston has blocked a US Postal Service regulation that would have given the agency greater control over mail-in ballots ahead of the midterm elections.

US District Judge Indira Talwani issued the order on Thursday, delivering another legal setback to President Donald Trump's efforts to change rules governing mail-in voting.

The executive order had directed the US Postal Service to track mail-in ballots and potentially reject ballots submitted by people who were not on a federal list of eligible voters.

US President Donald Trump has hinted that Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams could be a contender to replace Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary.

During a recent interaction, McAdams asked Trump about Leavitt's departure. Trump praised his outgoing press secretary but then turned to McAdams and asked, "You?" He followed it with, "How about you?" while suggesting she could take over the White House briefing room.

Trump earlier joked about Leavitt's decision to step down, saying, "I found out Karoline Leavitt likes her children more than she likes Trump," referring to her choice to prioritise her two young children.

Karoline Leavitt completed her final day as White House Press Secretary on Thursday (Aug 27), ending her tenure as the 36th person to hold the post. The White House described Leavitt, who was the youngest person to serve as press secretary, as a key defender of President Donald Trump's administration and its "America First" agenda.

During her tenure, Leavitt became known for combative exchanges with reporters and outspoken defence of the administration's policies on immigration, national security and foreign affairs. The White House praised her for defending Trump's agenda and expanding access to the briefing room for new media outlets.

A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Gulf of Aden early Friday (Aug 28) between Somalia and Yemen, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The shallow earthquake occurred at 12:07 am local time, or 9:07 pm GMT on Thursday, the USGS said. The epicentre was located about 145 kilometres off the coast of Somalia.

Click to read

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday (Aug 27) rejected US President Donald Trump's move to rename Lake Ontario, saying the body of water will remain "Lake Ontario - then, now and always".

Here's what he said

Chinese authorities have warned that an artificial lake formed by a massive mudslide on the China-Nepal border is at "high risk" of breaching, raising fears of another surge of floodwater downstream as rescue teams continue searching for more than 1,400 missing people.

All you need to know HERE