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·14 August 2026 · 02:58 UTCBreaking

Karoline Leavitt departs as White House press secretary; speculation swirls over successor as Cheung calls her 'one of one'

Potential successors include Scott Jennings, who praised Leavitt as 'the greatest press secretary in the last 30 years,' and Alina Habba, a former Trump lawyer. Prediction market Kalshi ranks Habba, Kelly, Miller, and Daravi as top contenders, while some suggest the role may stay unfilled until after the midterms.

·14 August 2026 · 02:24 UTCBreaking

US could not verify Israeli warnings of Iran plots against Trump, sources say; CIA and Turkey lacked evidence, but Secret Service took precautions

The CIA could not corroborate specific threats since early last year, and a Turkish official said its agencies also lacked evidence. Despite this, White House and Secret Service ran a deception operation for Trump's flight out of Turkey, and Trump later launched strikes in Iran in February.

·14 August 2026 · 02:18 UTCBreaking

Romania shuts last nuclear reactor as drought-hit Danube drops to record low; state of energy emergency declared for August

Moldova, which relies on Romanian power for up to 60% of its shortages, now faces pricier imports from the west or rolling cuts. Romania activated a 330-megawatt lignite plant and paused Dacia and Ford production until 19 August to ease the deficit.

·14 August 2026 · 01:53 UTC

USS George Washington heads to Middle East amid reports of mental health and supply issues aboard USS Abraham Lincoln; US Central Command cites 10,000 flights

The Lincoln has been at sea for over 260 days, with the strike group expending 1.5 million pounds of ordnance. Other carriers like the USS Gerald R. Ford faced 11-month deployments, raising morale concerns.

·14 August 2026 · 01:31 UTC

Jared Kushner, Trump's envoy and son-in-law, may visit Israel next week for Gaza talks; plans to meet Egypt, Qatar, Turkey mediators in Cairo

The visit aims to advance the 20-point plan Trump proposed for Gaza, with the source noting Israel's valid concerns about disarming Hamas. Meanwhile, the ceasefire has been repeatedly violated, with over 1,250 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers killed since October.

+1 source·14 August 2026 · 01:12 UTC

Trump orders Navy to remove electromagnetic catapults from Ford-class carriers and revert to steam catapults; General Atomics warns of cost and schedule risks

General Atomics, which holds a $1.2 billion contract for EMALS on the USS Doris Miller, said nearly 50% of production is complete and changing course now would introduce significant risks. Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot, said even he wouldn't suggest how to engineer specific systems on ships.

·14 August 2026 · 00:53 UTC

Musician offers free hugs in quake-hit Cali as Colombia's victims need emotional support alongside medical aid, shelter

The 7.4 magnitude tremor killed at least 273 people and injured thousands, with hundreds still missing. As the 72-hour rescue window closed, volunteers held survivors close, and law student Oriana Ordonez noted many peers were left homeless and deeply sad.

+1 source·14 August 2026 · 00:12 UTC

Sultan of Brunei strips daughter-in-law of all royal titles over 'unbecoming' behavior; children's titles unaffected

The decree, issued by the sultan himself, cited conduct that 'tarnished the monarchy's good name' and showed disrespect toward Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, but no specific incident was disclosed. The couple's four children retain their titles, and no divorce has been announced.

Yesterday

·13 August 2026 · 23:42 UTC

Luigi Mangione may plead guilty in federal case over UnitedHealthcare CEO murder; double jeopardy could dismiss state charges, but DA vows to fight

A federal plea could still lead to life in prison on stalking charges, with US District Judge Margaret Garnett deciding his fate. The Manhattan DA's Office has vowed to challenge any plea that would 'defeat a just outcome' in the state murder case.

+1 source·13 August 2026 · 23:29 UTC

Massive explosion rocks Italian ammunition plant that produces artillery for Ukraine; no injuries reported, KNDS launches investigation

The blast occurred in the gunpowder processing unit at the Colleferro facility, about 60 kilometers from Rome, which also makes medium and large-caliber munitions for land and naval forces. Mayor Giulio Calamita said 'the situation is under control' as emergency crews evacuated employees to safe zones.

+1 source·13 August 2026 · 22:42 UTC

Ukrainian drones strike major oil refinery deep inside Russia, setting it ablaze; fourth attack in three days as Kyiv targets Moscow's oil sector

The Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat complex processes up to 74 million barrels of oil annually, and the attack wounded two civilians, per Bashkortostan Gov. Radiy Khabirov. Separately, a Russian refinery in Orsk suspended operations, with repairs potentially taking six months due to sanctions.

·13 August 2026 · 22:27 UTC

Polls close in Clacton by-election as Nigel Farage bids to become MP again; result expected at Clacton Leisure Centre between 05:00 and 07:00

The by-election has drawn a record 34 candidates, including 20 independents, after major parties shunned the contest. Farage has framed it as a "people versus the establishment" battle, and a Parliamentary Standards Commissioner investigation will resume if he wins.

+1 source·13 August 2026 · 22:27 UTC

Boat operator fined over $5,000 for waking sleeping polar bear with foghorn in Norway's Svalbard archipelago; fine issued under law protecting species since 1972

The fine, 50,000 kroner (about $5,255), was issued under the Svalbard Environmental Act, which prohibits needlessly disturbing polar bears, a protected species since 1972. The governor's statement noted that others on board reported the incident, and the person agreed to pay.

+1 source·13 August 2026 · 20:43 UTC

Luxury $9.1M superyacht sinks in Mediterranean days after delivery to owner; owner and passenger last to abandon ship as Italian Coast Guard investigates

The Amer F100, built by Permare in 2020, can host 10 guests and five crew, with a top speed of 28 knots. Authorities plan to deploy a 220-ton pontoon boat to retrieve the vessel, which sank at 23 feet off Sardinia's Emerald Coast.

·13 August 2026 · 20:43 UTC

Mali's junta pardons French intelligence officer Yann Vezilier, sentenced to 20 years for undermining state security; he is released and removed from the country

The pardon follows a year-long detention and a June sentencing that strained Mali-France relations, with France denouncing the charges as baseless. The Malian government emphasized the clemency does not challenge the trial's facts, while 82 Malian soldiers held since April were also freed.

·13 August 2026 · 20:41 UTC

USS George Washington heads toward Middle East after reports of mental health issues during Abraham Lincoln's long deployment

The Lincoln is one of two carriers in the region as the Navy blockades Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting supply hubs and causing mail shortages. Sen. Richard Blumenthal called the deployment significant amid ongoing operations against Iran.

+2 sources·13 August 2026 · 20:20 UTC

British Transport Police respond to Lewes train derailment as two seriously injured, major incident declared

About 150 passengers were on board when the Southern Rail train from London Victoria to Eastbourne derailed shortly before 16:00 BST. All passengers have been safely evacuated, but National Rail warns of major disruption between Lewes and Haywards Heath until further notice.

+1 source·13 August 2026 · 17:58 UTC

Poland thwarted Russian plot to kill American citizen in NATO country, PM says; first situation of its kind

The suspect, allegedly recruited by Russia's secret services, was detained on Aug. 7, and the operation was carried out with U.S. services, according to Poland's intelligence minister. Tusk warned that the Putin regime will try to eliminate people who are inconvenient for various reasons.

+1 source·13 August 2026 · 17:53 UTC

Next total solar eclipse, less than a year away, set to be a doozy; Aug. 2, 2027 event to last over six minutes in Egypt

The path of totality will cross the Strait of Gibraltar, southern Spain, Morocco, and Libya, with Benghazi receiving six minutes of totality. Egypt's Luxor gets 6 minutes 23 seconds, and the eclipse will be the longest since 2009, with no longer one until 2114.

+1 source·13 August 2026 · 17:22 UTC

Yemen's Houthis say they attacked Saudi Aramco refinery in Jazan with two drones; attack follows series of deadly strikes raising fears of all-out war

The Houthis said the attack was in response to Saudi violations of Yemeni airspace in Saada and Hajjah, with no immediate comment from Riyadh. Recent weeks have seen the deadliest Houthi attacks in years, including a strike on a commercial vessel that killed six and injured 10.

+2 sources·13 August 2026 · 16:29 UTC

Flock, maker of license plate cameras, announces platform changes to curb police misuse; CEO admits firm took too long to act

The changes include cutting data retention from 30 days to seven and automatically flagging abnormal searches, a feature previously used by only a third of its 7,000 law enforcement agencies. At least 50 cities had turned off Flock services, but 16 have returned in the last three months.