Top World News
More than 100 dead after goldmine collapses in Central African Republic
The collapse was caused by a landslide, while local officials say the death toll is likely to rise as recovery efforts continueMore than 100 people have died after an artisanal goldmine at a small village in western Central African Republic (CAR) caved in due to a landslide, local officials and aid workers said on Wednesday.The landslide happened on Tuesday afternoon in the village of Zamboye, about 50km (31 miles) from the town of Baboua and close to the border of Cameroon. Footage on social media appeared to show an avalanche of sand descend on a group of people, likely the miners, and cover them. Continue reading...
'What do you think he meant?' Pentagon insider fears Trump will drop a nuke
President Donald Trump's hardening stance on Iran has rattled even senior Republican officials and generals in his own Department of Defense, with one calling him "a madman who can't be trusted," according to an insider.Veteran White House reporter Brian Karem, in a report for Raw America, identified how Trump has been weighing using nuclear weapons against Iran over the past two months."One unnamed Pentagon official confided to Raw America that the president’s threat that 'a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,' which he posted to his Truth Social early last month, was seen as particularly alarming within the DoD," Karem wrote."After what Trump said back in July, everyone should have known this is on the table," the Pentagon official told Raw America. "What do you think he meant by that?"The comments follow a chilling statement from former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). The former Trump MAGA ally claimed in a post on X Sunday that the president discussed the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Iran in recent strategy meetings and called him "pure evil."Greene argued that Iran was "nowhere near creating a nuclear weapon," and that the U.S. military had "killed their leaders and innocent little children in a school, and Iran has controlled the Strait of Hormuz ever since and punished the region for their part in it.""And now our government is the one actually discussing lowering the nuclear threshold in order to use nuclear weapons against Iran even though Trump claims he’s won the war like 40 times and says the U.S. controls the [Strait of Hormuz]," Greene wrote.She described why that was so troubling."Trump promised no more foreign wars, but may actually be the one who delivers a nuclear holocaust that would likely drag the entire world into major conflict, economic depression, and mass human suffering we’ve never seen in our lifetimes and maybe throughout history," Greene added.
Brazil's top court beefs up protections for women against violent men
Brazil’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Wednesday to significantly expand the scope of the country’s landmark law to protect women from violence
Critics mock Trump as he tries 'worst ever movie reboot'
President Donald Trump was criticized on Wednesday after claiming he had a great relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, prompting backlash over his recent comments.Trump, who had called for U.S. military exercises with South Korea to be cut, claimed during an Oval Office press conference that continuing the drills would be unfair to North Korea's supreme leader."I do have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un," Trump said. "I didn't like the fact that we're doing these massive military exercises really against North Korea when I'm friendly with him."Commentators on social media were furious with the president's remarks."Maybe next time we shouldn’t elect someone President who kisses the a---- of Putin and Kim," David Yoffee, a frequent political commentator who self-describes as a Democrat, wrote on X."@RepDonBacon still waiting for you to pull your 29 years of honorable service out of the trash and do something that should not have to seem so brave. Please wake up, D̴r̴.̴ ̴J̴o̴n̴e̴s̴ Rep. Bacon," wrote attorney John Oleske in a post on X, calling on the veteran and GOP lawmaker to respond."Trump: Maybe Kim does a little 'military operation' and takes over South Korea in a Putin-ish manner. Maybe I look the other way unless $10 billion appears in my lap. Who knows," liberal political commentator Chris Robinson wrote on X."Worst reboot ever of the movie ‘The Interview’ with Seth Rogen and James Franco," journalist Nancy Levine Stearns wrote on X.Worst reboot ever of the movie ‘The Interview’ with Seth Rogen and James Franco. https://t.co/d9EIX5DwGR— Nancy Levine Stearns (@nancylevine) August 19, 2026
Five Americans among seven killed in safari helicopter crash in Kenya
Officials say all seven people onboard killed, including Telemundo executive and Ecuador intelligence chiefSeven people, including five Americans, were killed when a safari helicopter crashed on Wednesday morning in a remote part of northern Kenya, according to local police and the state department.Among the dead were an executive with Telemundo, the US-based Spanish-language network owned by NBC Universal, and the director of Ecuador’s national intelligence service. Continue reading...
Trump rages out of control as critics question grass-and-dictator rant: 'Complete lunatic'
President Donald Trump went on a rant Wednesday over the helipad construction, grass, his ballroom project, the Iran war and his relationship status with Kim Jong Un. Trump was outside the White House for a helipad press tour on the South Lawn when he gave a rambling update."It's very close to being finished, the hard work is done," Trump said, talking about the material and building process. "This is for many presidents, they will have it for a long time."He praised the construction crew, and talked about how it would be important for foreign leaders and White House events."Right now they're not impressed," he said. He also spoke in detail about the grass — and made an admission."It's in shock," Trump added. "But you come back in two or three weeks, this has all been redone. It's all been topsoiled. If you remember, it had big sunken areas in here, and was pretty bad. It was in bad shape, but this grass was the highest quality. It was given free of charge by ScottsMiracle-Gro. Scotts is a great company. They actually contributed to my campaign, I must be honest."Independent journalist Aaron Rupar captured Trump's comments, compiling a series of clips shared on social media."Here's a supercut of Trump just now ranting and raving like a complete lunatic outside the White House on topics including his military ballroom, warm relationship with Kim Jong Un, and how great things are going in Iran," Rupar wrote on X.Other media and political commentators weighed in on Trump's remarks.Reporter James Fallows raised a question."Challenge: Is there anyone who has worked in a non-Trump White House—as I did, eons ago, under Carter—who views this rant as other than *insane sundowner perseveration* fit for a Florida nursing home? To me, this is insane sundowner obsession. Anyone with first-hand WH experience who disagrees?" Fallows wrote on Bluesky.Max Berger, co-founder of Momentum Training Institute, an organization that trains progressive activists, argued Trump's focus on Kim Jong Un — and the president's claim he planned to meet with him — were revealing."The ultimate irony of Trump, like all fascists, is that he’s a weak person’s idea of a strong man. Trump is a pathetic simp for anyone who strokes his incredibly fragile ego because he can’t take an ounce of objective reality. Of course he gets along with another fat delusional nepo-baby," Berger wrote on Bluesky.
Trump pauses Canada tariffs threat, and hints at revival of Keystone XL pipeline
US president delays 50% tariffs by three days, and says contentious oil project ‘may be awoken from the grave’Canada has temporarily avoided a bruising 50% US tariff, reaching a Tuesday-evening agreement with Trump administration officials hours before a hike that would have affected $20bn worth of goods was set to take effect.Donald Trump posted late on Tuesday on social media that he had paused the tariffs for three days “based on the fact that Canada and the USA, subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL!” Continue reading...
Trump's gambit with 'despotic dictator' alarms analysts over costly backfire: WSJ
President Donald Trump is pushing to revive meetings with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, which analysts worry will backfire.According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, Trump has been urging his aides to set up a meeting with Kim as soon as this fall. The Journal described the "dramatic diplomatic quest" that analysts and U.S. officials worry could prove harmful if it leads to a bad deal."It appeases yet another despotic dictator based on a misperception that a personal relationship will actually achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives," Bruce Klingner, a former senior CIA officer in the Koreas, told The Journal.Anonymous officials told The Journal that Trump has privately discussed setting up an in-person discussion with Kim. Trump has suggested they meet during his next trip to Asia, which could be in November, when world leaders gather at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Shenzhen, China, officials told The Journal.Trump sees a one-on-one meeting with Kim as a chance to reopen dialogue with North Korea, but U.S. officials told The Journal they don't expect much progress. The Journal noted that North Korea's nuclear arsenal has grown and become more capable of striking the U.S. since Trump and Kim's previous three summits.On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social a picture of himself with Kim from the first administration, writing, "Despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture, there are many where we're smiling." He added, "Kim Jong Un and I get along GREAT!"Trump has also scaled back drills between the U.S. and South Korean militaries, partly citing his "very good relationship" with Kim. Victor Cha, an expert on North Korea at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told The Journal that the move gives him a chance to gesture toward Kim."He's made clear that he wants to meet Kim again," Cha said. "These exercises presented him an opportunity to do something concrete to show Kim he is serious about meeting."The U.S. doesn't formally recognize North Korea as a nuclear power. According to The Journal, as victory in Iran remains elusive, analysts worry North Korea will have a stronger hand to get Washington to change its mind."Ideationally, that's very important for North Korea," Cha said. "They've always wanted the U.S. to give up on denuclearization and just accept them as a nuclear weapons state."
Pentagon weighs 'once-in-a-generation' pivot as Trump exposes major 'vulnerability': WaPo
The Department of Defense is weighing a retreat and not rebuilding bases after President Donald Trump exposed Middle East vulnerabilities.According to a Tuesday article, the Pentagon's policy office is evaluating whether to retreat long-term from the Persian Gulf after Iranian strikes battered military bases. The Washington Post reported that damage to the bases presents a "once-in-a-generation" chance for the Pentagon to reevaluate its footprint in the Middle East."The war really did highlight the vulnerability...of U.S. forces in the region," Michael Ratney told The Post. Ratney is a former diplomat who served as the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia and deputy chief of mission in Qatar.The shift would leave battered bases unrepaired and move U.S. forces back, according to The Post. A person familiar with the change told The Post that U.S. Central Command is considering keeping in place shifts away from bases that were evacuated because they were too vulnerable to Iranian missile and drone attacks."Iran thinks we are in the traditional places," the person told The Washington Post. "And we are not."The Post noted that the Pentagon's retreat could impact U.S. allies in the Gulf because they rely on the presence of U.S. forces in the region for defense. The move could leave them "unable to defend themselves against Iranian attacks," according to The Post. The largest and most permanent bases in the Middle East are in the Persian Gulf, according to The Post. The headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet is in Bahrain, and countries like Kuwait host Army and Air Force assets, The Post added.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not yet ordered a formal review of U.S. posture in the region, The Post noted. An anonymous senior official who spoke to The Post called it "prudent planning" and said, "Decisions are going to have to be made on some of this stuff."
Trump playing 'dangerous game of chicken' after envoys halt negotiations: CNN
President Donald Trump told his administration's envoys to stop talks with Iran on Tuesday, CNN reported.CNN anchor Jake Tapper reported that Trump officials have told allies that they have shifted their strategy from "hammer Iran ASAP" to "strangle them over time," according to sources.Lawmakers have shared their concerns amid reports of dwindling weapon supplies and low morale among troops as the military operations have continued for nearly six months. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, reacted to the administration's reported change in an interview with Tapper."I think it's another indication that he has reached a strategic dead-end," Blumenthal said. "He has involved this nation in a seemingly endless, costly war. Just as the [USS] Abraham Lincoln is on an endless, seemingly indefinite deployment with no exit. The idea that he would 'strangle Iran' seems pretty magical thinking."He called out Trump for lack of strategy and cost of the war — from gas, groceries and worldwide economic backlash."He's playing a dangerous game of chicken," Blumenthal added.
Jim Acosta alarmed after allies warn Trump put US 'in a serious jam' with no way out
Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta warned that foreign allies are concerned that President Donald Trump's politics represent more than an aberration.During a recent episode of "The Jim Acosta Show," the former anchor and his guest, Jonathan V. Last from The Bulwark, said that the warning from abroad is that the United States needs more than a Democratic successor to Trump to avoid becoming 1930s Germany.Last and Acosta were talking about Trump's threats to take over Greenland and his preference for North Korea over South Korea."Is this permanent, or is this just unique to Trump?" Last asked Acosta. "Is it that Trump has some special magic...The whole international order looks at this and just is like, 'What are you going to do?'"Acosta told Last that he's been to functions attended by ambassadors, and said that a couple of ambassadors warned him that Trump echoes Germany at its darkest period."This was after when he gave the crazy bats--- election conspiracy theory speech, which we've all flushed out of our systems because we just move on to the next crazy thing that he does," Acosta said. "A pretty close U.S. allied ambassador for that country came up to me at a party — this was about a month ago or so — and said, 'Jim...This reminds me of 1930s Germany. What is happening in America right now?'" According to Acosta, "Another ambassador for another major U.S. ally standing next to this person was nodding and saying, 'Yep, that's what it reminds me of, too.'"He added, "People need to understand the rest of the world is starting to form this conclusion that the United States of America is just in a serious f------ jam right now, and nobody knows how we're going to get out of this."Shaking his head, Acosta made it clear that the world doesn't have faith in "this whole idea that some Democratic candidate is going to ride in on a white horse and change everything overnight."
Death and alleged torture of man in detention sparks protests in Syria
Picture showing White Helmets volunteer unconscious and with bruises on his body went viralSyrians have protested over the death of a man who was arrested and allegedly beaten by security forces, sparking widespread anger at a practice thought to have ended with the fall of Bashar al-Assad.A crowd gathered in the city of Aleppo, demanding accountability for the security forces who are alleged to have carried out the torture, with participants holding signs and slogans such as: “Do not repeat the same oppression that we revolted against.” Protests were also planned to take place in front of Syria’s parliament in Damascus on Tuesday, as well. Continue reading...
