Israeli military admits for first time to firing on car that killed 5-year-old Hind Rajab, opens criminal probe
The Israeli military acknowledged on August 19, 2026, for the first time, that its forces fired on the vehicle carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab and six family members in Gaza in January 2024, reversing its earlier denials, and said it had opened a criminal investigation into the killing over apparent failures in coordinating the movement of a Palestine Red Crescent ambulance sent to rescue her. The admission came as part of the IDF's first comprehensive report on alleged war crimes since the war began in October 2023, in which its Fact Finding and Assessment Mechanism concluded reviews of 150 incidents — including the killing of 15 Palestinian paramedics — and referred a number of cases to the military's top lawyer to decide on criminal proceedings. The Hind Rajab Foundation said such investigations "overwhelmingly end without meaningful examination, prosecution, or punishment."
Read more →Israeli military admits for first time to firing on car that killed 5-year-old Hind Rajab, opens criminal probe
The Israeli military acknowledged on August 19, 2026, for the first time, that its forces fired on the vehicle carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab and six family members in Gaza in January 2024, reversing its earlier denials, and said it had opened a criminal investigation into the killing over apparent failures in coordinating the movement of a Palestine Red Crescent ambulance sent to rescue her. The admission came as part of the IDF's first comprehensive report on alleged war crimes since the war began in October 2023, in which its Fact Finding and Assessment Mechanism concluded reviews of 150 incidents — including the killing of 15 Palestinian paramedics — and referred a number of cases to the military's top lawyer to decide on criminal proceedings. The Hind Rajab Foundation said such investigations "overwhelmingly end without meaningful examination, prosecution, or punishment."
Russia pounds Ukraine in deadliest month of strikes since 2022, killing police officers in Zhytomyr and civilians in Zaporizhzhia
Russia launched another wave of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on August 19, 2026, part of what analysts describe as the deadliest month of long-range attacks since May 2022, with Moscow having fired 376 missiles in July alone. A Russian 'Banderol'-type jet-powered drone struck the National Police regional headquarters in Zhytomyr, killing two officers — a 32-year-old captain and a 39-year-old lieutenant colonel — and injuring at least 20 people, an attack the national police chief called deliberate terror against those who protect civilians. Zaporizhzhia was separately struck with KAB guided bombs that killed one person, injured six and started fires, with the wider Zaporizhzhia region hit more than 1,000 times in 24 hours, while further strikes were reported across the Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Donetsk and Dnipro regions.
Read more →Russia pounds Ukraine in deadliest month of strikes since 2022, killing police officers in Zhytomyr and civilians in Zaporizhzhia
Russia launched another wave of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on August 19, 2026, part of what analysts describe as the deadliest month of long-range attacks since May 2022, with Moscow having fired 376 missiles in July alone. A Russian 'Banderol'-type jet-powered drone struck the National Police regional headquarters in Zhytomyr, killing two officers — a 32-year-old captain and a 39-year-old lieutenant colonel — and injuring at least 20 people, an attack the national police chief called deliberate terror against those who protect civilians. Zaporizhzhia was separately struck with KAB guided bombs that killed one person, injured six and started fires, with the wider Zaporizhzhia region hit more than 1,000 times in 24 hours, while further strikes were reported across the Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Donetsk and Dnipro regions.
Trump says he plans to meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un later this year
President Trump told reporters on August 19, 2026 that he plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at some point this year, saying "I get along with him very well" and predicting Kim would be comfortable dealing with a 'smart president.' Trump did not offer details on timing or location for a prospective summit. He and Kim met three times during Trump's first term — in Singapore, Vietnam and at the Korean Demilitarized Zone — though those meetings ultimately failed to produce an agreement on North Korea abandoning its nuclear arsenal.
Read more →Trump says he plans to meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un later this year
President Trump told reporters on August 19, 2026 that he plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at some point this year, saying "I get along with him very well" and predicting Kim would be comfortable dealing with a 'smart president.' Trump did not offer details on timing or location for a prospective summit. He and Kim met three times during Trump's first term — in Singapore, Vietnam and at the Korean Demilitarized Zone — though those meetings ultimately failed to produce an agreement on North Korea abandoning its nuclear arsenal.
Iran weighs strikes on US bases in Europe and subsea Hormuz cables as tensions escalate, FT reports
The Financial Times reported on August 19, 2026, citing two unnamed Iranian regime insiders, that Tehran has mapped out potential strikes on US military assets in Europe — including Bulgaria's Bezmer air base, recently authorized to host US Air Force refueling aircraft and personnel supporting Middle East operations through October 1 — as a contingency should President Trump escalate the war. Iran has also examined attacking subsea fiber-optic cables running through the Strait of Hormuz if the conflict widens further, the report said, though the FT noted this reflects contingency planning rather than an order to attack. The disclosures came as shipping through the strait remained slow, with shipowners still cautious about the waterway's reopening, and as NATO said it was prepared to 'address any threat.'
Read more →Iran weighs strikes on US bases in Europe and subsea Hormuz cables as tensions escalate, FT reports
The Financial Times reported on August 19, 2026, citing two unnamed Iranian regime insiders, that Tehran has mapped out potential strikes on US military assets in Europe — including Bulgaria's Bezmer air base, recently authorized to host US Air Force refueling aircraft and personnel supporting Middle East operations through October 1 — as a contingency should President Trump escalate the war. Iran has also examined attacking subsea fiber-optic cables running through the Strait of Hormuz if the conflict widens further, the report said, though the FT noted this reflects contingency planning rather than an order to attack. The disclosures came as shipping through the strait remained slow, with shipowners still cautious about the waterway's reopening, and as NATO said it was prepared to 'address any threat.'