Lead Story
Trump threatens to bomb Oman, floats declaring Strait of Hormuz US territory as Iran deadline expires
A 60-day US-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending their war and reaching a deal on Iran's nuclear program expired on August 17, 2026 with no agreement reached. In a Fox News interview, President Trump threatened to strike Oman if it 'gets in the way' of a deal over control of the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran's Mehr News Agency said Tehran had reached an agreement with Muscat on a plan for traffic through the waterway. Trump also said declaring the Strait of Hormuz a US territory was 'a great idea,' saying 'we have total control over the strait,' and demanded Iran 'put up the white flag of surrender' in the ongoing US-Israel war, now in its fifth month.
Read more →Lead Story
Trump threatens to bomb Oman, floats declaring Strait of Hormuz US territory as Iran deadline expires
A 60-day US-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending their war and reaching a deal on Iran's nuclear program expired on August 17, 2026 with no agreement reached. In a Fox News interview, President Trump threatened to strike Oman if it 'gets in the way' of a deal over control of the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran's Mehr News Agency said Tehran had reached an agreement with Muscat on a plan for traffic through the waterway. Trump also said declaring the Strait of Hormuz a US territory was 'a great idea,' saying 'we have total control over the strait,' and demanded Iran 'put up the white flag of surrender' in the ongoing US-Israel war, now in its fifth month.
Kushner and Netanyahu agree US general should oversee Hamas disarmament in Gaza
After an hours-long meeting in Jerusalem on August 17, 2026, US envoy Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed that Gaza's 'demilitarization' should begin with Hamas handing over its weapons for decommissioning under the supervision of an American general. The two also agreed to set up two working groups, one on disarmament and demilitarization and another on sanitation, clean water and public health in Gaza, and agreed that no reconstruction would begin before Hamas disarms. The meeting followed Kushner's talks a day earlier with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt, and was also attended by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Read more →Kushner and Netanyahu agree US general should oversee Hamas disarmament in Gaza
After an hours-long meeting in Jerusalem on August 17, 2026, US envoy Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed that Gaza's 'demilitarization' should begin with Hamas handing over its weapons for decommissioning under the supervision of an American general. The two also agreed to set up two working groups, one on disarmament and demilitarization and another on sanitation, clean water and public health in Gaza, and agreed that no reconstruction would begin before Hamas disarms. The meeting followed Kushner's talks a day earlier with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt, and was also attended by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Indonesia earthquake death toll rises to 53 as nearly 1,000 aftershocks hamper rescues
Rescue teams in eastern Indonesia recovered six more bodies over the weekend, raising the death toll from the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara province to 53 as of August 18, 2026, according to the country's National Disaster Management Agency. About 5,000 people have fled their homes and 135 have been injured, while authorities have recorded nearly 1,000 aftershocks that continue to hamper recovery efforts. Rescuers are still digging through debris and landslides across six regencies on Flores Island, with three regencies, including hardest-hit Manggarai, remaining largely inaccessible.
Read more →Indonesia earthquake death toll rises to 53 as nearly 1,000 aftershocks hamper rescues
Rescue teams in eastern Indonesia recovered six more bodies over the weekend, raising the death toll from the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara province to 53 as of August 18, 2026, according to the country's National Disaster Management Agency. About 5,000 people have fled their homes and 135 have been injured, while authorities have recorded nearly 1,000 aftershocks that continue to hamper recovery efforts. Rescuers are still digging through debris and landslides across six regencies on Flores Island, with three regencies, including hardest-hit Manggarai, remaining largely inaccessible.
Mass grave with 25 bodies found in Sudan's Kurmuk after army retakes town from RSF
Sudanese authorities said a mass grave containing the bodies of 25 civilians, including women, children and health workers, was discovered near the town of Kurmuk in Blue Nile state, more than a month after the Sudanese army recaptured the strategic border town from the Rapid Support Forces on July 8, 2026. Local officials said the victims had been executed near Jebel Fankat, a hill the RSF had used as a launchpad for suicide drones during its assault on the town, though the circumstances of the deaths could not be independently verified. The discovery adds to mounting allegations of atrocities committed by the RSF during its occupation of Blue Nile, as fighting between the army and the RSF continues to displace civilians across the region.
Read more →Mass grave with 25 bodies found in Sudan's Kurmuk after army retakes town from RSF
Sudanese authorities said a mass grave containing the bodies of 25 civilians, including women, children and health workers, was discovered near the town of Kurmuk in Blue Nile state, more than a month after the Sudanese army recaptured the strategic border town from the Rapid Support Forces on July 8, 2026. Local officials said the victims had been executed near Jebel Fankat, a hill the RSF had used as a launchpad for suicide drones during its assault on the town, though the circumstances of the deaths could not be independently verified. The discovery adds to mounting allegations of atrocities committed by the RSF during its occupation of Blue Nile, as fighting between the army and the RSF continues to displace civilians across the region.
Ukraine says it retook 745 square kilometers from Russia in eight-month Dnipropetrovsk operation
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on August 12, 2026 that Ukrainian forces had completed an eight-month operation that liberated 745 square kilometers and 26 settlements across the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions since January, stripping Russia of nearly all the territorial gains it had made in Dnipropetrovsk after entering the region in June 2025. Zelenskyy said the operation was carried out 'exactly as planned' and that nearly 10,000 Russian soldiers were killed in the fighting. The announcement came as Zelenskyy separately warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for further escalation rather than peace, urging Ukraine's partners to increase sanctions pressure and bolster air defense support.
Read more →Ukraine says it retook 745 square kilometers from Russia in eight-month Dnipropetrovsk operation
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on August 12, 2026 that Ukrainian forces had completed an eight-month operation that liberated 745 square kilometers and 26 settlements across the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions since January, stripping Russia of nearly all the territorial gains it had made in Dnipropetrovsk after entering the region in June 2025. Zelenskyy said the operation was carried out 'exactly as planned' and that nearly 10,000 Russian soldiers were killed in the fighting. The announcement came as Zelenskyy separately warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for further escalation rather than peace, urging Ukraine's partners to increase sanctions pressure and bolster air defense support.