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+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.

·15 August 2026 · 08:23 UTC

Magnitude 7.7 Indonesia quake kills 20, thousands flee; resident says 'like we were on a trampoline'

Rescue efforts are hampered by landslides blocking roads, with focus shifting to finding victims buried under rubble. A university lecturer in Ruteng city, over 100 km from the epicenter, said she had never felt such a big quake and jolted awake at 5:30 am.

+2 sources4 updates

15 August 2026 · 09:19 UTC7.7-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia's Flores region kills at least 38; rescue operation continues amid aftershocks and power outages 15 August 2026 · 06:59 UTCDeath toll in Indonesia rises to at least 20 after magnitude 7.7 quake collapses buildings and triggers landslide +1 more report

+2 sources·15 August 2026 · 08:02 UTC

Jason Arday, former Cambridge professor at centre of plagiarism scandal, found dead at 41; tributes paid

Arday resigned last week after weeks of allegations about plagiarism and questions over his achievements, which he denied. His family said a 'campaign of misinformation' was too much for him, and police are treating his death as unexpected but not suspicious.

·15 August 2026 · 07:14 UTC

Essex derailed train route 'unlikely' to reopen this weekend as Greater Anglia warns disruption could continue into next week

The derailment occurred on a Greater Anglia service from Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street, carrying more than 60 people. No injuries were reported, but a second train was evacuated and an air ambulance landed as a precaution.

·15 August 2026 · 06:12 UTC

China condemns Japanese officials' Yasukuni Shrine visit on WWII surrender anniversary; Beijing lodges formal protest after defense chief's Saturday visit

The Chinese foreign ministry called the shrine a 'spiritual instrument and symbol of Japanese militarism' and said the 14 Class-A war criminals enshrined there were 'chief culprits of the war of aggression.' It accused Japanese politicians of seeking to 'rehabilitate war criminals' and 'pave the way for accelerated remilitarisation.'

·15 August 2026 · 05:42 UTC

Count Binface finishes second in Clacton by-election with 9,455 votes; voters cite protest against Nigel Farage and '99p ice creams'

Binface's 9,455 votes came from 26.9% of the electorate, as a record 34 candidates stood. First-time voter Ben Peters called the election a 'joke' but voted for Binface, saying it was 'one more step than Nigel Farage has ever done for Clacton.'

+1 source·15 August 2026 · 02:49 UTC

Construction workers in Belgium uncover $10.4M in gold while building sewer under former brewery; police secure find in high-security vault

Project leader Mario said it was a 'crazy feeling' and that keeping the gold would be 'almost impossible' and 'theft.' Under Belgian law, the rightful owner has five years to claim the treasure, while workers hope for a finder's fee.

·15 August 2026 · 01:15 UTC

Afghanistan marks five years under Taliban rule with safer streets but pleas for jobs and education; UN warns stability hinges on women's rights

U.N. Women calls the situation the world's most severe women's rights crisis, with restrictions on education and employment intensifying. Kabul entrepreneur Fazila Soroush urges the Taliban to make a clear decision on reopening schools and universities for women.

·15 August 2026 · 00:42 UTC

UAE's ADNOC says one of its vessels came under attack while transiting Hormuz; third such incident in less than a week

The attack, which caused no injuries and was brought under control, follows two earlier incidents involving ADNOC vessels. The UAE had previously blamed Iran for those attacks, but has not commented on Friday's strike, which comes amid repeated shipping disruptions since the U.S.-Israeli conflict began.

Yesterday

·14 August 2026 · 19:02 UTC

BAE Systems fined $36 million for 104 U.S. arms export violations; State Department suspends $18 million if company boosts compliance

The violations included sending technical data for a military GPS circuit board to a Chinese manufacturer in December 2023, and providing Canada with data after a license expired. BAE's supply chain team lacked understanding of export controls, and its file transfer software failed to flag the transfers.

+1 source·14 August 2026 · 18:40 UTC

Empty gas supertanker pays record $4.6 million to skip Panama Canal line next week; Iran war and falling water levels boost traffic

The fee, paid via auction, lets the LPG tanker G. Arete speed from the Pacific to the Caribbean side, with some Neopanamax vessels waiting up to 11 days for passage. The payment exceeds the near-record $4 million paid earlier this week for a container ship.

·14 August 2026 · 18:40 UTC

US backs Japanese sovereignty over disputed islands after Putin visit; Japan PM Takaichi calls trip 'absolutely unacceptable'

Tokyo summoned Moscow's ambassador in response to the visit, which marked Putin's first to the territory in 15 years. US Ambassador George Glass affirmed unwavering support for Japan's claim, stressing opposition to actions undermining Indo-Pacific stability.

·14 August 2026 · 18:33 UTC

Iran tells US Trump 'miscalculated' on Strait of Hormuz; Treasury Secretary unveils unprecedented economic measures, continued blockade

The UAE reported Iran attacked two ADNOC-affiliated vessels in the strait, calling it 'flagrant' piracy by the IRGC. Energy Secretary Wright said 8-9 million barrels of oil per day still transit the waterway, while Vance predicted a stronger U.S. position post-war.

·14 August 2026 · 18:33 UTC

Russia jails man on Poland spying charges after Warsaw foils alleged plot to kill US citizen

Georgy Pirogov was sentenced to 23 years in a high-security colony for allegedly passing classified information to Polish intelligence. The sentencing follows Warsaw's foiling of the alleged assassination plot, underscoring heightened espionage tensions between Russia and Poland.

·14 August 2026 · 18:21 UTC

Kushner to visit Israel next week after Netanyahu rejects Gaza Board of Peace plan; trip aims to support US-backed peace effort

The visit comes after Netanyahu opposed a provision for Hamas to gradually disarm and transfer weapons to a Palestinian third party while Israel withdraws troops. Hamas had agreed to a preliminary version and remains committed, while at least 1,260 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire.

+3 sources3 updates

14 August 2026 · 06:03 UTCKushner to visit Israel and Egypt with Board of Peace officials for Gaza talks; trip follows Israeli dismissal of Trump's disarmament deal 14 August 2026 · 01:31 UTCJared 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

·14 August 2026 · 11:18 UTC

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee slams extremist Israeli settlers for seizing Palestinian homes in West Bank; IDF evicts lawbreakers, arrests one

The siege targeted three homes in Qusra, including one owned by Palestinian American Loui Ridi, and the Palestinian Authority condemned the escalation as part of systematic policies to displace Palestinians. A senior Israeli official cited over 350 investigations and 35 arrests in Q1 2026, while columnist Nadav Eyal noted a growing consensus that such actions are a serious problem.

·14 August 2026 · 10:46 UTC

West Bank settlers besieging Palestinian homes hand Israel's army a humiliation; military evicts Palestinians in five-day operation

The army claims it removed residents to protect them from settlers who cut off water, electricity, and road access. Homeowner Abdi Salam Hassan questioned why the army needs days to remove settlers when they could clear them in an hour, and praised his sons for refusing to leave.