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·15 August 2026 · 22:38 UTCBreaking

Hurricane Lala, 65 miles from Big Island, brings heavy rain, 70 mph gusts, flooding, and power outages; 18,000 customers without power, 130 in shelters

Hawaiian Electric restored power to 20,240 customers but 18,000 remain without electricity as crews assess a 42-mile span of downed transmission lines on the Hāmākua coast. Mayor Kimo Alameda said the next six to 10 hours will be telling, with North Kohala seeing gusts up to 70 mph and Highway 250 closed.

+2 sources3 updates

15 August 2026 · 21:05 UTCHurricane Lala threatens Hawaii with heavy rain and wind as state braces for first direct hit in 34 years; Big Island under hurricane warning 15 August 2026 · 20:21 UTCHurricane Lala pounds Hawaii's Big Island as Hilo and Kona airports shut down; Coast Guard closes ports on several islands

·15 August 2026 · 21:28 UTC

Virginia leaders respond to Virginia State University shooting that left five wounded; officials offer prayers, thank first responders

Governor Youngkin and his wife Adam prayed for a quick recovery, while Senator Warner said he was 'horrified' and Senator Kaine called it 'devastating to see another Virginia campus harmed by gun violence.' Attorney General Miyares noted no student should fear for safety on a college campus.

·15 August 2026 · 20:29 UTC

Bill Maher says USS Abraham Lincoln conditions make his 'blood boil'; acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao sends carrier home after 250+ days at sea

The carrier, carrying 5,000 sailors and Marines, was initially expected to return in May but was extended as U.S. forces remain engaged in the Middle East. Pollster Kristen Anderson suggested frustration, including reports of sailors attempting to jump off, may stem from uncertainty about the Iran war.

·15 August 2026 · 18:20 UTC

Iran tells Trump to 'accept reality' after he vows to declare Strait of Hormuz a US territory; deputy minister says it 'cannot be seized by tweet'

Gharibabadi's rebuke follows Trump's Friday rally remark that he will declare the strait a US territory 'after we finish defeating Iran.' Separately, the UAE said Iran attacked a state-owned oil ship in the strait on Saturday, escalating tensions.

+1 source·15 August 2026 · 18:15 UTC

Europe's tallest Virgin Mary statue, 55.6 meters, inaugurated in Polish village of Konotopie; Lech Walesa says 'I started with the Virgin Mary and I end with the Virgin Mary'

The statue surpasses Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer (38 meters) and Poland's Christ the King (52 meters), making it the largest of its kind in Europe. Bishop Wiesław Mering, noting the church's weakening, said 'Mary won't give up on Poland.'

·15 August 2026 · 18:15 UTC

Vessel attacked in Hormuz; Israeli strike kills 9 in Lebanon as Middle East tensions escalate

The Israeli strike in Lebanon was part of a broader escalation, with Iran asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz after the war began Feb. 28. About one-fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas passed through the waterway before the conflict.

·15 August 2026 · 17:04 UTC

Erdogan says Egypt could join Mecca defence pact signed by Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan; pledges continued Gaza support, plans Syria visit

The Mecca Pact, signed last Friday, commits signatories to treat an armed attack on one as an attack on all, a provision analysts compare to NATO's Article 5. Erdogan also said Ankara is prioritising reopening the Strait of Hormuz and credited Qatar with a mediating role in ending the regional conflict.

·15 August 2026 · 16:59 UTC

UK PM Andy Burnham urges 'reflection' after former Cambridge professor Jason Arday's sudden death; calls it 'a tragedy'

Arday's family said he 'sustained abuse' in a 'campaign of harassment' since becoming a professor, adding 'the campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason.' Cambridge professor Simon Baron-Cohen said Arday faced 'relentless scrutiny' and wasn't coping with the loss of his career and reputation.

·15 August 2026 · 16:33 UTC

Palestinian homes in Qusra remain under siege as U.S. urges Netanyahu to condemn militant settlers; families report months of attacks

Resident Marmar Ouda says he has erected metal fences and window bars after his nephew was killed by a settler five months ago, and 'death to Arabs' is spray-painted near his home. UN data shows over 2,200 Palestinians displaced in 2026 due to settler violence.

+1 source·15 August 2026 · 15:55 UTC

Hungary sinks two barges in the Danube to raise water levels at Paks nuclear plant, ensuring cooling as drought cuts capacity to 25%

The plant operates at about 25% capacity due to record-low Danube levels, and forecasts show the water dropping to a critical point by early Monday, forcing a turbine shutdown. Workers are also building an underwater barrier with 5,000 metric tons of stone, while Romania already shut its last reactor.

·15 August 2026 · 15:47 UTC

Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off Indonesia's coast, killing at least 47 and toppling buildings; tsunami warning lifted after 1.61-meter wave hits Riung

Rescuers have recovered at least 47 bodies, mostly in Sikka, Manggarai, and East Manggarai, with at least 50 people hospitalized. The quake triggered at least 235 aftershocks, the largest at magnitude 6.2, and flattened 157 houses, while landslides threaten to raise the death toll.

+1 source·15 August 2026 · 14:55 UTC

French family rescued after 16 hours stranded at sea when jet ski capsized off Thailand's Koh Samui; father and sons, 5 and 7, discharged from hospital

The father, 50, and his sons, 5 and 7, were found around 10 a.m. local time Friday after search efforts were suspended overnight. Rescuers used speedboats and jet skis to comb waters toward Koh Phangan; the family was taken to hospital but discharged shortly afterward.

+2 sources·15 August 2026 · 14:51 UTC

Trump says he'll declare Strait of Hormuz a US territory after 'we finish defeating Iran'; shipping traffic at 17% of pre-war levels

Iran's deputy foreign minister retorts that the strait 'cannot be seized with a tweet, an aircraft carrier, an executive order, or a campaign speech,' while only 151 ships transited in the past week. Iran's foreign minister says Tehran has not decided whether to resume negotiations with the US.

+1 source·15 August 2026 · 14:29 UTC

Pope Leo marks Assumption of Mary, reflecting on eternal destiny and praying for Holy Land, Ukraine, Russia, and earthquake-hit Colombia

The Pope celebrated Mass at the local parish and led the Angelus from Castel Gandolfo, where he returned for the feast as he did last year. He also invoked Mary's intercession for Christians facing discrimination and persecution, and for those affected by the recent earthquake in Colombia.

·15 August 2026 · 13:31 UTC

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visits Yasukuni Shrine, angering China and South Korea; he offered condolences to war dead on Instagram

China's foreign ministry said it 'strongly condemns' the visit and has lodged 'strong protests' with Japan. South Korea expressed 'deep regret' over the 'anachronistic' actions, urging Japanese leaders to show 'humble reflection and sincere remorse' through actions.

·15 August 2026 · 11:13 UTC

Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to stalking charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing; double jeopardy could end state case

Mangione admitted in court, 'I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan and he died,' as his legal team moved to dismiss the state case, arguing dual prosecutions violate New York's double jeopardy law. Manhattan prosecutors vowed to fight the dismissal, citing their commitment to seeking justice for Thompson.

+1 source·15 August 2026 · 08:55 UTC

South Korea's Lee urges talks with North Korea to replace armistice with peace regime; Seoul seeks safeguards to prevent conflict

Lee's proposal comes amid frozen ties, as Kim Jong Un has abandoned reunification and called the South its most hostile state. North Korea has rebuffed engagement offers, criticized Seoul's nuclear submarine plan, and denounced joint U.S.-South Korean drills as provocations.