Trump threatens harsh sanctions on any country that trades with Iran
Donald Trump says he is starting a major economic campaign to punish any country doing business with Iran, calling it the toughest such effort yet.
Archive 2026
World ✳
Russian Strikes on Kyiv Kill at Least 12, Wound 33
Russia fired missiles and drones at Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, overnight Thursday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 33, the Associated Press reported.
World ✳
Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv region kills at least eight
Russia fired a large barrage of missiles and drones at Kyiv and the surrounding region on Thursday, hitting apartment buildings and warehouses.
Apple cuts and simplifies EU app fees, but Epic says it's not enough
Apple has changed how it charges app developers in the European Union, simplifying its fee structure and lowering some rates, starting October 2026.
World ✳
NATO Vows to Defend Members After Warning of Possible Iranian Attack
NATO, the military alliance of the United States, Canada, and European countries, says it is ready to defend its members after reports that Iran is preparing to strike one of them.
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Daily recap — Aug 19, 2026: Iran tensions rise in the Gulf as US allies split from Washington and Kyiv's crisis deepens
Tensions in the Gulf, the waters between Iran and the Arab states, are rising: Chinese tankers are avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, and the United Arab Emirates cut trade with Iran after an Iranian missile landed in its waters.
Analysis ✳
Trump administration trims South Korea drills, stirring doubts on US security promises
The Trump administration has cut back joint military exercises with South Korea, a training program that has underpinned their alliance for decades, and experts say South Korea sees it as a sign, not just a scheduling change.
World ✳
European Governments Join Japan in Criticizing US Sanctions on Top Court Leader
The United States sanctioned the president of the International Criminal Court, a court in the Netherlands that prosecutes war crimes.
ECB chief says Europe's economic slowdown is permanent, not temporary
Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Bank (which sets interest rates for countries using the euro), told a Geneva business forum on 19 August that Europe's decades-old growth formula of open trade, cheap energy and US military protection is breaking down for good, not just going through a rough patch.
World ✳
Ukraine's fired defence minister demands wartime elections
Mykhailo Fedorov, who ran Ukraine's drone program and was recently fired as defence minister, publicly called on President Volodymyr Zelensky to hold elections even though martial law bans voting during the war with Russia.
World ✳
UAE Halts All Trade With Iran After Iranian Missile Enters Its Waters
The United Arab Emirates has stopped all financial transactions and trade with Iran after an Iranian missile reached its territorial waters, the sea area a country controls near its coast.
Germany ✳
Germany offers up to €50 million to fix Chernobyl shelter hit by drone
A drone strike damaged the protective shelter built over Chernobyl's destroyed nuclear reactor.