More than 150 people have been killed after a massive flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border, as hundreds still missing. Continue Reading »

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder over the fire in Middlesborough, police say. Continue Reading »

The Met Office has issued fresh thunderstorm warnings for Thursday with the potential for England and Wales to see flash flooding as the unsettled weather continues. Continue Reading »

Perhaps our days of doomscrolling are numbered, writes the BBC's technology editor Zoe Kleinman. Continue Reading »

One suspect was arrested after the incident in Caen, police said, following a reported fight at a nearby bar. Continue Reading »

Salesforce's Anthropic stake led to higher profit in the latest quarter. Continue Reading »

Industrial corporate profitability has seen a notable turnaround, swinging from years of declines since 2021 and barely positive growth last year, to double-digit gains this year. Continue Reading »

Meta and state attorneys general settled a federal trial centering on allegations that company misrepresented the extent of child-related mental health harms. Continue Reading »

New products accounted for 30% of total bookings and Okta said it closed dozens of AI deals during the period Continue Reading »

The Supreme Court in late June blocked Trump from firing Cook from the Federal Reserve, but left the president with a path to try again to remove her. Continue Reading »

Par AFP © 2026 AFP Le déplacement inhabituel du directeur de la CIA à Moscou cette semaine avait pour but de mettre en garde la Russie contre toute attaque visant l'Otan, ont annoncé plusieurs médias américains mercredi, après que Donald Trump a cherché à minimiser l'importance de cette visite.Le Wall Street Journal et CBS ont rapporté que le patron de la CIA, John Ratcliffe, avait tenté de dissuader la Russie de toute attaque contre un membre de l'Otan, alors que des évaluations des services de renseignement américains indiquent que Moscou pourrait chercher à mettre l'alliance à l'épreuve.Le Wall Street Journal détaille notamment que le président russe Vladimir Poutine pourrait défier l'Otan avec une "attaque limitée" dans les prochaines années.La Maison Blanche n'a pas répondu aux sollicitations de l'AFP sur le sujet.Donald Trump avait pourtant qualifié ce déplacement du directeur de la CIA de visite de "semi-routine" lors d'une interview mercredi avec un commentateur conservateur, Glenn Beck, laissant entendre que l'entrevue avait pour but de discuter de la guerre en Ukraine."Nous aimerions que la guerre en Ukraine s'arrête", avait ajouté le président américain.Durant son déplacement à Moscou, M. Ratcliffe a aussi évoqué la guerre en Iran, menaçant de sanctions ... Continue Reading »

Par AFP Par Matthieu CLAVEL, Laure FILLON © 2026 AFP Un homme a "délibérément" foncé mercredi soir sur un groupe près d'un bar de Caen avec son véhicule, tuant une personne et en blessant dix autres, avant d'être interpellé, selon des sources concordantes.Vers 22H15, "une voiture a délibérément foncé sur des piétons qui étaient sur la voie publique en face de la gare (...) Le bilan est lourd puisque nous avons un décédé, sept personnes en urgence absolue, trois personnes en urgence relative", a fait savoir le préfet du Calvados, David Clavière, qui s'est rendu sur place.Les faits se sont produits après une bagarre, selon une source policière. L'automobiliste a ensuite pris la fuite et a été interpellé à Ouistreham, situé à une vingtaine de kilomètres, selon cette source.Le suspect, est "né en Russie", "n'est pas connu des services de renseignement" mais il est connu de la police "uniquement pour des délits routiers", a fait savoir le préfet, expliquant qu'une enquête avait été ouverte et que les vidéos de caméras de surveillance étaient exploitées.L'auteur présumé a 26 ans, a précisé le procureur adjoint de Caen. Enquête pour "assassinat" "A priori, tous les blessés sont des hommes (...) le plus ... Continue Reading »

Par AFP © 2026 AFP Près de 700 agents d'intelligence artificielle (IA) d'OpenAI se sont coordonnés sans intervention humaine pour attaquer la plateforme Hugging Face lors de l'incident survenu en juillet, selon un rapport publié mercredi par des enquêteurs indépendants.Il s'agit de l'analyse la plus complète de la séquence à ce jour, réalisée avec la collaboration d'OpenAI, qui a donné accès à ses locaux et à ses données internes à deux chercheurs de l'institut d'évaluation des risques IA METR et à un analyste d'une autre société spécialisée, Redwood Research.Lors de tests effectués par la start-up californienne en juillet, deux de ses modèles sont sortis de leur milieu confiné pour rejoindre internet de leur propre initiative et faire intrusion dans le système interne d'Hugging Face, sorte de bibliothèque d'algorithmes IA.L'événement a fait grand bruit et renforcé les inquiétudes quant à l'incapacité des grands acteurs de l'intelligence artificielle à contrôler leurs modèles, d'autant qu'Anthropic et le Chinois Moonshot AI ont aussi fait état d'escapades non contrôlées de leurs IA.Lors de leurs investigations, les chercheurs ont découvert que 688 agents IA d'OpenAI avaient participé à l'offensive sur Hugging Face. Les agents IA sont des programmes indépendants, bâtis sur un modèle, à ... Continue Reading »

Par AFP Par Issam AHMED © 2026 AFP Les causes de la crue dévastatrice qui a fait mercredi au moins 160 morts à la frontière du Népal et du Tibet ne sont pas encore connues avec certitude, mais les experts estiment que les risques sont aggravés par la topographie extrême de l'Himalaya.S'il est encore trop tôt pour établir un lien définitif avec le changement climatique, les conséquences largement documentées qu'il peut avoir sur le "toit du monde", notamment les débordements de lacs glaciaires, augmentent la probabilité de tels événements. Glissement de terrain puis secousses pour l'USGS Le ministre des Affaires étrangères du Népal Shishir Khanal a expliqué qu'un tremblement de terre a probablement provoqué un glissement de terrain, ce qui a bouché le lit d'une rivière, provoquant cette crue dévastatrice en aval.Mais, alors que l'événement a été à l'origine enregistré comme un tremblement de terre de magnitude 4.4, l'Institut d'études géologiques des Etats-Unis (USGS) a indiqué dans une nouvelle note que des analyses complémentaires semblent plutôt démontrer que cette énergie sismique a été générée par le glissement de terrain ... Continue Reading »

Par AFP Par Lucia LACURCIA © 2026 AFP Le gouvernement brésilien a annoncé mercredi avoir saisi la justice pour obtenir la condamnation de Discord au paiement d'environ 80 millions d'euros pour "dommage moral collectif", estimant défaillante la protection des mineurs sur la plateforme.Ce réseau social prisé des adolescents, qui a déploré une action en justice "disproportionnée", est dans le viseur des pouvoirs publics brésiliens depuis la mort d'une adolescente de 13 ans en juillet.Evoquant un "véritable film d'horreur", la police a indiqué que cette mineure vivant dans le centre-ouest du pays avait été incitée, lors d'une retransmission en direct de 45 minutes, à se mutiler puis à se donner la mort.Cinq adolescents et un majeur ont été arrêtés début août en lien avec cette affaire.Le 17 août, la plateforme qui a son siège aux Etats-Unis avait dû se plier à une exigence de l'Agence nationale de protection des données (ANPD), un organe public brésilien, de suspendre ses directs jusqu'à nouvel ordre dans le pays.Dans un communiqué, le gouvernement a expliqué avoir saisi la justice après des négociations infructueuses avec Discord, dont les propositions "n'ont pas été jugées suffisantes pour éliminer les risques identifiés".Il demande que la compagnie "adopte des ... Continue Reading »

US-Canada trade tensions are spilling into the bathroom, as tariffs on paper products threaten to drive up toilet paper prices for Americans Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Beijing has rejected the allegations, while Washington did not disclose whether any sensitive information was stolen Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Roger Waters warns AI and social media erode independent thought while powerful elites profit from war and global conflict Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Iran has praised China for rejecting US sanctions threats, saying Tehran-Beijing ties “need no one’s permission” Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

The Ukrainian military has attacked Donetsk with Western-supplied missiles, regional head Denis Pushilin has said Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

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В нескольких областях Украины, в том числе в Одесской, объявлена воздушная тревога Continue Reading »

Директор по развитию партнерской сети сервиса Эмиль Зиядинов отметил, что у сокращения горизонта планирования поездок может быть несколько причин Continue Reading »

Пожары в Якутии действуют на удаленных и труднодоступных территориях Continue Reading »

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META agrees to pay $17 billion to settle child safety lawsuit... (Top headline, 1st story, link) Related stories:Dramatic capitulation...2 HOUR DAILY LIMIT ON KIDS; TEENS BLOCKED AT NIGHT...TECH'S 'BIG TOBACCO' MOMENT...The year it started losing... Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron Continue Reading »

Dramatic capitulation... (Top headline, 2nd story, link) Related stories:META agrees to pay $17 billion to settle child safety lawsuit...2 HOUR DAILY LIMIT ON KIDS; TEENS BLOCKED AT NIGHT...TECH'S 'BIG TOBACCO' MOMENT...The year it started losing... Continue Reading »

2 HOUR DAILY LIMIT ON KIDS; TEENS BLOCKED AT NIGHT... (Top headline, 3rd story, link) Related stories:META agrees to pay $17 billion to settle child safety lawsuit...Dramatic capitulation...TECH'S 'BIG TOBACCO' MOMENT...The year it started losing... Continue Reading »

TECH'S 'BIG TOBACCO' MOMENT... (Top headline, 4th story, link) Related stories:META agrees to pay $17 billion to settle child safety lawsuit...Dramatic capitulation...2 HOUR DAILY LIMIT ON KIDS; TEENS BLOCKED AT NIGHT...The year it started losing... Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron Continue Reading »

The year it started losing... (Top headline, 5th story, link) Related stories:META agrees to pay $17 billion to settle child safety lawsuit...Dramatic capitulation...2 HOUR DAILY LIMIT ON KIDS; TEENS BLOCKED AT NIGHT...TECH'S 'BIG TOBACCO' MOMENT... Continue Reading »

Sheikh Mohammed's visit comes as US-Israel war on Iran nears its sixth month with no diplomatic breakthrough in sight. Continue Reading »

Palestinians have mourned prominent artist Sliman Mansour at a public funeral in the occupied West Bank. Continue Reading »

The Trump administration has doubled down on its accusations against Cook, despite a Supreme Court ruling in her favour. Continue Reading »

Lawsuit is latest instance of Brazil taking aggressive steps to rein in tech giants over child safety issues online. Continue Reading »

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori tells Jazeera that US sanctions designating the group a terrorist organisation. Continue Reading »

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warns the US president that the 'American economic terrorism' he is threatening will lead him to 'another defeat' against Iran and 'threatens the global economy and sovereignty' Continue Reading »

Summons comes after the IDF found no basis to investigate the killings of seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen charity, including Australian Zomi Frankcom, after a fact-finding and assessment procedure; 'Far short of the accountability we expect' Continue Reading »

Israel is wary of Trump envoy Tom Barrack, seen in Jerusalem as too close to Erdogan and focused on integrating Syria into the region; Officials say a war with Turkey is unlikely but warn tensions must not spiral Continue Reading »

Trump announces an unprecedented economic campaign against Iran, warning countries that maintain ties with Tehran, including through financial institutions, businesses or airports, will face economic consequences Continue Reading »

Russia's fuel crisis enters a second wave as Ukrainian drone strikes hit oil facilities; Gas stations in Moscow impose new limits, while nine people are killed in Russia and Ukraine and 206 prisoners return home in an exchange Continue Reading »

An initial assessment of satellite imagery suggests an “ice avalanche” from a high-altitude glacier sent a giant cascade into the valley below. Continue Reading »

Also, floods destroy villages in Nepal. Here’s the latest at the end of Wednesday. Continue Reading »

Will Scharf has proved his loyalty to President Trump, even filming a TV ad in which he blows away documents from the president’s legal cases. His new role will be to provide in-house legal advice. Continue Reading »

Higher revenue and employee limits for small businesses that get federal contracts and loans could disadvantage the smallest companies, their owners say. Continue Reading »

The two states have waged an unusual court battle over the agent facing charges over a shooting in Minneapolis. The agent could be released from jail on Thursday. Continue Reading »

The Chinese upstart says it has trained high-performing AI models cheaply, without using the most advanced chips. Continue Reading »

DeepSeek, SoFi and more in the latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom. Continue Reading »

DeepSeek is called “amazing and impressive” despite working with less-advanced chips. Continue Reading »

The LinkedIn co-founder is starting Manas AI with “The Emperor of All Maladies” author Siddhartha Mukherjee. Continue Reading »

Apps can add flexibility and freshness to your routine. Just try not to get injured. Continue Reading »

Israel allowed displaced Gazans to begin crossing a military zone that bisects the enclave after a deadlock over hostage releases was broken. Continue Reading »

Troubles at Vanke raise questions about the continued spread of the property crisis and whether the Chinese state will step in. Continue Reading »

Some of the women were held alone for extended periods and spent eight months in tunnels, an Israeli medical official said. Continue Reading »

The alliance mounted its first coordinated response to a suspected sabotage campaign against critical infrastructure after another cable was severed in the Baltic Sea. Continue Reading »

Residents of Goma reported gunfire and shelling after rebels overran Congolese troops. U.N. officials estimated that more than one million displaced people were now inside the city. Continue Reading »

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Retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan could play spoiler in a high-stakes Alaska Senate race. Continue Reading »

The president went to great lengths to push his candidate over the finish line in South Carolina, but Republicans want the same support in races that will actually determine control of Congress. Continue Reading »

Former state Sen. Mike Mazzei’s victory is a relief for the president after several of his chosen candidates fell in other states. Continue Reading »

Her win in the snap primary to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham comes after President Donald Trump significantly boosted her campaign. Continue Reading »

Lawmakers return to Washington next week with little time left before the November elections to show voters they take their concerns seriously. Continue Reading »

Cross-aisle fatigue with the Iran war spurs support for sanctions on Chinese financial institutions that enable Tehran to fund its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Continue Reading »

Republicans are considering a fast-track process that requires a bipartisan two-thirds majority. Continue Reading »

The letter — signed by nearly every member of the Democratic Senate caucus — comes as the party has become increasingly critical of the longtime Israeli leader. Continue Reading »

The president's actions are set to reverberate especially hard in a handful of states crucial to the party’s hopes of keeping their Senate majority. Continue Reading »

The UK group would face the same sanctions as Hamas and Islamic State in a move that would see supporters banned from US. Continue Reading »

The move angered farm-state Republicans and agriculture industry groups who say they were “blindsided” by the announcement. Continue Reading »

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s new plan to squeeze Iran’s economy is supposed to force Tehran to the table. It may do the opposite. Continue Reading »

It is the latest crackdown by an administration that has pushed for restrictive immigration policies. Continue Reading »

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt and his top liaison to Congress James Braid are both leaving. But the forces that made their jobs tough aren’t changing. Continue Reading »

The keenest observer of the all-out trade war between the United States and Canada is surely President Xi Jinping of China. If Washington doesn't change course, he's probably going to be its winner, too. Continue Reading »

Members of an immigrant business group that has spoken out against Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plans for government-owned supermarkets lately have been getting slapped with fines from the city's Sanitation Department — and some say it looks like a case of retaliation. Continue Reading »

The United States has launched Operation Economic Outcast to cut off Iran's "illicit revenue" sources, including smuggled oil Continue Reading »

With litigation moving quickly, a Postal Service regulation implementing Trump's proposal could still be blocked. Continue Reading »

Beware the angry Canadian. Famous for their mild-mannered, earnest perseverance, Canadians have united in protest against US President Donald Trump's latest trade war escalation. Continue Reading »

More than 160 people have been killed in Nepal, and hundreds of tourists are missing, after a massive flash flood and mudslide Continue Reading »

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday that it disrupted a Chinese hacking operation that targeted its network and other sensitive U.S. agencies. Continue Reading »

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI have seized domains essential to two hacking platforms operated and used by Chinese hackers to target U.S. critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks. Continue Reading »

U.S. officials said Aug. 26 that it ‌has disrupted a Chinese hacking operation that it believes is responsible for cyber break-ins at the departments of Justice and Energy as well as NASA, the ⁠Federal Reserve, the Senate and other sensitive U.S. government agencies. Continue Reading »

Meta agreed to settle with U.S. states for up to $16.7 billion in a landmark deal over allegations Facebook and Instagram were designed in ways that harm children. The company is calling on its peers to sign on to the pact as well, saying it won't work unless they jointly line up behind broad reform. Continue Reading »

Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab will pay up to $18 billion and strictly limit how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram under a sweeping agreement with nearly all U.S. ​states to resolve claims it designed those social media platforms to addict children. The settlements announced on Wednesday end a federal trial over allegations Meta's products harmed children and the company misled the public about their ‌safety. Four of the states — California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey — were expected to seek close to $200 billion in civil penalties. Continue Reading »

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta agreed to pay roughly $18 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by 29 states over allegations that Facebook and Instagram harmed children through addictive design. NBC News reports that the settlement, which still needs a judge's approval, came one day after Instagram chief Adam Mosseri testified in a California courtroom. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had also been expected to take the stand before the deal was reached. Continue Reading »

It is not every day that a company can settle a case for over $17 billion and celebrate. However, Meta's proposed settlement of claims brought by a coalition originally led by 29 states on Wednesday is a remarkably good deal for a company facing potential penalties that Meta estimated could reach $1.4 trillion and years of litigation. In the end, the company may not even take a loss from the litigation. The proposed settlement ends the states' federal case (but not the wider wave of litigation), following similar settlements in tobacco, opiates, and other products. It will require Meta to make changes to its platform, though the company has already appeared to be moving to make such changes. Continue Reading »

President Trump said Wednesday that he believes Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive but badly wounded from a February airstrike — dismissing speculation that he is secretly dead despite being unseen throughout the US-Israeli war with his country. "I don't think he's dead. He was very seriously wounded. The left side of his body, the arm, the leg, the whole thing," Trump told radio host Glenn Beck in an interview. "He was very seriously wounded, but I don't think he's dead. And if he is, they're putting on a pretty good show."... Continue Reading »

It's been almost six months since the U.S. killed Iran's former supreme leader Ali Khamenei in the brutal salvo of American and Israeli strikes that heralded the launch of Operation Epic Fury back in February. Since then, a lot has changed: Tehran has locked down the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has announced another ominously named operation—Economic Outcast—to punish Iran's economy, and other Middle Eastern countries have launched a NATO-style pact to protect themselves from further threats... Continue Reading »

Last Tuesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei hosted a wake for his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Among the thousands who thronged Tehran's biggest mosque were the country's most prominent political figures and several of the elder Khamenei's sons. One person was notably absent: Mojtaba, the event's official host. Almost six months since his anointment, Iran's supreme leader has been entirely obscured from the public eye. Not a single contemporaneous picture, video, or audio recording of him has been released. Many of the country's top political leaders admit that they haven't seen him—among them Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister and a member of the National Security Council. IranWire, a London-based opposition outlet, reports that not a single cabinet member has met with Mojtaba since he became supreme leader... Continue Reading »

Three U.S. Secret Service officials were placed on administrative leave on Tuesday pending an internal investigation into potential misconduct. The agency's Office of Professional Responsibility was just beginning its review on Tuesday and did not offer details about what the three officials were being investigated for. The Secret Service public information office noted that the three officials were not working in law enforcement roles at the agency... Continue Reading »

President Trump is right to recognize the pressure record-high beef prices are placing on American families, and the need for action to bring relief at the checkout line. Allowing up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to enter the country tariff-free for 90 days, with a commitment that the imported beef be sold at 25% below current market prices, is a meaningful step toward addressing the immediate strain. But the forces driving today's beef prices have been building for years, and creating a more affordable, resilient American beef supply will require looking beyond short-term fixes to the long-term health of our cattle industry... Continue Reading »

The Justice Department said Wednesday it had seized internet domains used by two Chinese hacking platforms to hack into the ​agency as well as NASA, the ⁠Federal Reserve, the Senate and other ​sensitive government agencies. The two platformers were called "QScan" and "QTRouter," the DOJ said. The state-sponsored group known as "QTFY," which the DOJ said was employed by China-based Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, created and operated the platforms... Continue Reading »

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates believes an international organization is necessary to manage the upcoming "turbulent" transition to artificial intelligence because, in his view, "there is no plan to ease the entry into the AI era." In a nearly 6,000-word essay published on his website, Gates called for an international and domestic framework to deal with AI. He said while countries will have their own established bodies, they "will still be exposed to risks that cross borders," which is why a global body will need to be created... Continue Reading »

US Special Forces Conducting Operations Inside Ecuador Authored by Kyle Anzalone via Antiwar.com, An Ecuadorian official confirmed that US Green Berets were engaged in anti-cartel operations. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump formed a coalition, dubbed Shield of the Americas, that was aimed at combating cartels in Latin and South America. A local official told AFP and UPI that US special forces have been conducting direct operations against suspected cartels in the Esmeraldas province. "We are with the 7th (Special Forces) Group of the US Army. We are working together in the fight against narcoterrorism," Esmeraldas Provincial governor Juan Jaramillo said last week. Ecuadorian Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo added that two US warships were operating in the region. In March, President Donald Trump said that a dozen Latin American nations had enlisted in the Shield of the Americas coalition to fight cartels in the region. Ecuador is a member of the bloc. That month, the US and Ecuador conducted joint military operations against alleged drug targets. "The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism," U.S. Southern Command said ... Continue Reading »

University Of Maryland Warns Trump's Four-Year Visa Cap Could Crush Graduate Enrollment By 30% The Trump administration is overhauling rules governing the length of stay for international students and exchange visitors, replacing a decades-old system with a fixed period of up to four years. Beginning Sept. 15, most people entering on F-1 and J-1 visas will no longer be admitted for "duration of status," which generally allows them to remain in the country as long as they maintain their academic or exchange programs. Instead, students and scholars will receive predetermined admission periods based on the length of their programs, capped at four years. Any extension needed to complete a degree, including for many doctoral candidates, will require an application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The new four-year visa cap could be damning for some colleges and universities that rely heavily on international students. A new report from local outlet The Baltimore Banner warns that the University of Maryland "could face a decline of as much as 30% of its newly admitted graduate students this fall, thanks to a new visa restriction proposed by the Trump administration this summer." University officials disclosed a new estimate in ... Continue Reading »

Hormuz And The Law Of Diminishing Returns: When Leverage Burns Authored by Tamuz Itai via The Epoch Times, For months, the assumption that the Strait of Hormuz was Tehran's ultimate card dominated commentary on the war. Vessels are seen in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Aug. 10, 2026. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images As a narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and a substantial share of liquefied natural gas had historically passed, it appeared to be a chokepoint Iran could close or severely disrupt at will. It did not need to destroy every tanker. Hitting a small percentage with drones, cruise missiles, speedboats, or mines would spike insurance rates, deter crews and companies, and effectively shut the strait without continuous physical control. This idea was not new for 2026. It had long been a feature of the Iranian strategic posture, treated as both a military instrument and a political myth-proof that even under pressure Tehran retained a decisive lever over the global energy system. Parts of the Western media and independent analysts amplified the same narrative. Relying on incomplete open-source ... Continue Reading »

Pennsylvania Reports Two Deaths From Measles As US Cases Hit Highest Level Since 1991 Two people have died in connection with measles in Pennsylvania, state health officials announced on August 25. A health worker prepares a measles vaccine at a government health center amid a vaccination campaign, in Nejapa, El Salvador, on April 10, 2026. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas The Pennsylvania Department of Health said the deaths were "related to measles." Both individuals lived in Lancaster County and had not received a measles vaccine. Officials declined to release further details, citing the need to protect the privacy of the deceased and their families. Nationally, measles cases in 2026 have already surpassed the total recorded in 2025 and stand at the highest level since 1991. Pennsylvania has confirmed 393 cases so far this year. These are the first measles-related deaths reported in the United States in 2026, and Pennsylvania's first in 35 years, The Epoch Times reports. In 2025, three people died from measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others have said medical records showed those patients died from unrelated conditions or from health problems ... Continue Reading »

Waste Of The Day: Deficit Could Surpass $2 Trillion Authored by Jeremy Portnoy via RealClearInvestigations, The federal deficit will be $2.1 trillion when fiscal year 2026 ends on Sept. 30, the Congressional Budget Office projected in its monthly budget review. The deficit - the gap between what the government spends and what it collects from taxes and other revenue - has never surpassed $1.8 trillion, except during the Covid-19 pandemic. Key facts: Federal revenues are up 3% in 2026 compared to last year. Even though corporate income tax revenue has declined, income and payroll tax collections increased. But federal spending is up 5%, according to the CBO. Interest on the national debt increased 14% compared to last year. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and defense are also facing increased costs. The CBO originally projected this year's deficit would be $1.9 trillion. The estimate was changed "mostly because of smaller-than-expected collections of tariff duties" after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in February. Though Trump later imposed new tariffs, the CBO still expects federal revenue to be $250 billion less than originally anticipated. About $100 billion has been refunded to companies so ... Continue Reading »

US Officials Reveal Reason For CIA Chief's Surprise Moscow Visit Update(2030ET): The Wall Street Journal has late in the day Wednesday revealed the reason for CIA John Ratcliffe's surprise visit to Moscow yesterday where he met with top Kremlin intelligence leaders, citing officials. It was to warn against attacking NATO countries, says the Journal: The surprise visit by the director of the Central Intelligence Agency to Moscow this week was to deliver a warning to Russia not to attack NATO countries, according to people briefed on the visit. The trip was spy-agency chief John Ratcliffe’s first publicly known visit to the Russian capital. It followed new U.S. intelligence assessments, reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, that Russian President Vladimir Putin could try to test the resolve of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization with a limited assault on an allied country in the next few years. U.S. officials are concerned that Putin, squeezed in Ukraine and under pressure at home, could launch an assault ranging from a cyberattack to a small-scale land incursion, likely on a Baltic nation, the Journal reported.  Some pundits have suggested a weaker Baltic nation like Estonia, which has long issued provocative anti-Moscow statements of its own, could come under some ... Continue Reading »

How Many $2,500 Foldable iPhones Will Apple Ship In Year One? IDC Has The Answer Apple is set to unveil its first foldable iPhone at the company's September 9 product event at 1300 ET. Ahead of what could be Apple's biggest handset launch in many years, technology market research firm International Data Corporation, better known as IDC, issued a new forecast estimating just how many foldable iPhones Apple could ship during the device's first year. Bloomberg first reported IDC's estimate that the $2,500 foldable iPhone could generate more than 10 million shipments during its first year. JUST IN: Apple sets September 9 for its next major launch event, where it is expected to unveil the first foldable iPhone. — Polymarket (@Polymarket) August 26, 2026 Apple's entry into foldable smartphones, a segment of the handset industry first pioneered commercially by Chinese manufacturer Royole with the FlexPai nearly a decade ago, is forecast to help the foldable-phone market grow 12.6% this year, followed by an 18% increase next year. The iPhone maker could capture about 40% of global foldable shipments by 2027, IDC said. Samsung Electronics launched the first mainstream foldable smartphone seven years ago. The complexity ... Continue Reading »

Japan Holds Off On New Oil Reserve Release Despite September Import Drop Authored by Irina Slav via OilPrice.com, Japan expects its oil imports next month to be lower than this month's but has no plans to release additional crude from storage, the country's economy minister said. Oil imports next month are seen at 80% of the average monthly for 2025, Ryosei Akazawa said, as quoted by Reuters. The report noted that the August import rate had been 100% of the 2025 monthly total. The change is prompted by the redirection of tanker traffic from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to the Suez Canal, as Yemeni Houthis threaten attacks on vessels in the Red Sea chokepoint. A tanker takes 23 days to reach Japan via the Bab el-Mandeb strait but more than twice that, at 55 days, via the Suez Canal, Akazawa told media. "Of the national reserves for which a release has already been decided, there remains a portion that has not been utilised due to progress in securing alternative supplies. Using that portion would ensure (September) crude oil supply equivalent to an average month last year," the top official also said. Japan in March ... Continue Reading »

Iran Says Persian-Language Media Outlets 'Funded By CIA' Are Military Targets One key tool Washington has long utilized for influence operations and covert regime change plotting abroad has long been the establishment of foreign media for political messaging. The idea is that a foreign language satellite news channel gets presented as 'independent' while in reality it beams propaganda onto a unsuspecting population within a so-called 'rogue' state being targeted by the US. For example, WikiLeaks previously revealed that US intelligence invested heavily in such projects to bolster anti-Assad forces and sentiment in the context of last decade's proxy war in Syria. Currently, Iran says it is fully aware of several Persian-language media outlets which are subversive, given they have the backing of the US, UK, or Israeli governments, or others like Saudi Arabia. Iran International TV claims to be a privately funded channel based in west London and was established in May 2017. The AFP in a Wednesday report has said Iranian state media has newly called out the following as hostile propaganda media fronts: BBC Persian Iran International Radio Farda An Iranian military spokesman has said these have been added to the armed forces' "military target bank" ... Continue Reading »

India's Crude Import Bill Surges As Hormuz Shipping Rates Soar Authored by Tsvetana Paraskova via OilPrice.com, India's crude oil import bill has soared since the Iran war choked Middle Eastern oil supply, raised benchmark crude prices, quadrupled freight rates, and boosted insurance on a single Strait of Hormuz voyage to never-before-seen highs. India has been paying elevated prices to import Middle Eastern crude not only because of the spike in oil prices, but also due to the surging costs to bring supply from the nearest region from which it can import crude. The freight rates on the key route from Ras Tanura on Saudi Arabia's Persian Gulf to India have soared by more than 400% since February 28, when the war began, and Iran closed off the Strait of Hormuz. The rate for shipping crude on a very large crude carrier (VLCC) from Ras Tanura to India surged by 411% to $4.34 a barrel in August, from just $0.85 per barrel before the war, according to data compiled by Indian outlet Financial Express. The cost of shipping non-Middle Eastern cargoes has also soared amid a spike in demand for barrels not needing the ... Continue Reading »

Activist Obama Judge Bends The Knee, Lifts Block On Trump's Mail-In Ballot Restrictions After USSC Ruling A federal judge in Massachusetts on Wednesday lifted her own order blocking the postal service from implementing election integrity measures for mail-in ballots.  US District Judge Indira Talwani issued the block after the League of Women Voters challenged proposed USPS rules that said states had to provide a list of voters who are eligible to receive mail-in ballots, and had to get their ballot designs pre-approved. Talwani's decision comes after the Supreme Court overturned a similar block by the same judge in a separate case brought by multiple states.   According to the judge, although the plaintiffs have "substantial arguments that might persuade the Supreme Court to reach a different result," the USSC's decision on Monday "compelled" her to agree to the government's motion to reconsider the block.  Ruling on Talwani's other case, the Supreme Court said she erred by blocking the USPS rules before they had been finalized, and before the states had sufficiently shown that they would be harmed by it. Days before the USSC issued that decision, however, the USPS issued finalized rules on Aug. 21, ... Continue Reading »

Another Major Russian Refinery Up In Flames As Diesel Nears Historic Highs On Wednesday Ukrainian forces struck a Wildberries facility deep inside of Russian territory for the second time this summer. The warehouse in the central Tambov region city of Kotovsk was first targeted in July, but this time the large complex has been "completely" destroyed in the resulting fire, Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov confirmed. Wildberries plant burns. @exilenova_plus/Telegram The city's mayor, Alexey Plakhotnikov, wrote on social media that "A massive fire at the Wildberries warehouse complex, smoke and smog are quickly spreading throughout the city." He urged residents to shelter in place as a massive black cloud of smoke has reached high into sky, and enveloped the city and its environs. "To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning and combustion products, I strongly urge you to refrain from active movement around the city for the next two days. Keep your windows and balconies closed," he instructed. Regional media recounts of the same site, "The Ukrainian Armed Forces previously attacked the Wildberries logistics center in Kotovsk. On July 18, seven employees were killed and 23 more were hospitalized." At this point over a dozen key Wildberries logistics hubs have been hit. ... Continue Reading »

Israel Developing Offensive Space Capabilities Authored by Ioannis Vlahos via Antiwar.com, Israel is currently prepared to begin development of offensive space capabilities, including systems designed to defend Israeli satellites from hostile spacecraft, and weapons (including lasers) capable of striking targets from space. It is part of the Defense Ministry's multiyear budget plan for the space sector, which will include upgrading and expanding IDF (Israel Defense Forces) intelligence and communications capabilities. The plan will also dedicate a budget to support offensive space operations, which will focus on weapons designed to protect Israeli satellites as well as weapons designed to strike targets on Earth. Defense Minister Israel Katz spoke earlier this summer about Israel's commitment to becoming the world leader in space-attack capabilities, a realm of warfare that has experienced a surge in Israeli military interest given its extensive use for intelligence gathering in Iran. "One of the central goals that the prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] and I set is that we are recruiting the best minds," he said. "As of today, no country has the ability to mount attacks in space. We must be the leading country in the world with this capability." "If we ... Continue Reading »

Chinese Hackers Broke Into NASA, Federal Reserve, DOJ & Senate: FBI Announces The United States Department of Justice has on Wednesday announced US authorities thwarted a major state-sponsored hack which saw a temporary intrusion into NASA, the Federal Reserve, Senate, the DOJ, Department of Energy, and the Department of Health and Human services, along with four unnamed companies in the US and South Korea. "Today we announced the disruption of a global botnet and hacking platform used by Chinese state-sponsored hackers to target U.S. critical infrastructure," said FBI Director Kash Patel. "These tools were used by PRC cyber actors to hide the origin of their attacks. Thanks to the work of FBI San Diego, FBI Cyber Division, and DOJ partners, we seized adversary infrastructure and shut these platforms down," he added. via Reuters Domains utilized by two hacking platforms identified as "QScan" and "QTRouter" were seized by the DOJ in the large scale counter-cyberespionage operation. Describing a pervasive botnet which was ultimately believed to be backed by Chinese state actors, The Wall Street Journal details that the "goal was to blend in with legitimate networking traffic, making the hacking activity hard to trace, federal officials say." "The ... Continue Reading »

You Know Things Are Bad When This Has To Be Referred To The DOJ... Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is escalating the fight against what he calls discriminatory religious facilities at two of the state's busiest airports. After DFW Airport scrapped plans for more Islamic ablution stations under pressure, Abbott has referred both Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport to the U.S. Department of Justice, demanding investigation and corrective action over existing foot-washing stations and an adjoining prayer room. "These ablution stations single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion," Abbott said. "They are not interfaith chapels open to all. They exist to benefit the Muslim population alone. Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over all others." ? JUST IN: TX Gov. Greg Abbott has referred Islamic foot washing stations at Dallas-Ft. Worth and Houston Airports to the DOJ for INVESTIGATION and ENFORCEMENT Abbott calls the wudu stations "DISCRIMINATORY" "These ablution stations single out one subset of the population for... pic.twitter.com/YQAAtmEuWY — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 21, 2026 In his letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, ... Continue Reading »

Nvidia Rises After Solid Earnings, Reversing Margin Concerns As Company Guides To 70% 2028 Revenue Growth Update (5:10pm): NVDA stock is very volatile, and after sliding 3% at first on solid earnings but weak margin guidance, the stock has since recovered and is up over 5% as the earnings call begins, on the following comments from Jensen Huang: *NVIDIA CFO SAYS SEEING DEMAND ACCELERATION EVEN AT OUR SCALE *NVIDIA CFO SAYS REVENUE TO GROW ABOUT 70% IN FISCAL 2028 *NVIDIA CFO SAYS SEEING DEMAND ACCELERATION EVEN AT OUR SCALE As Bloomberg notes, Amazon’s commitment to use a lot more Nvidia products and a strong prediction for growth in revenue of about 70%, well above whispers of about 40-50%, next year has shoved aside the naysayers. The 2028 guidance, which came unexpectedly and was intended precisely the spark a buying spree in the stock, did just that, and has pushed the shares about 5% after hours.  * * * Earlier: In our preview of NVDA earnings we said that "Nvidia will beat FQ2 (July) revenue estimates by approximately $3-4 billion, with revenue potentially reaching $94-95 bn. The stock, however, will not respond to the beat.... recall revenue guidance has ... Continue Reading »

Don't Trust The Midterm Polls Authored by Victor Davis Hanson via The Epoch Times, This is a lightly edited transcript of an Aug. 24 segment of the "Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words" podcast. Let's have a periodic check on the status of the midterms that we're now less than 80 days away from. The Democrats are riding high. They feel that historical trends, i.e., 39 out of the last 41 midterms, the party in the White House loses seats, and there's not very many seats Republicans can afford to lose, and they may lose the House and Senate. They're already, I guess you'd call it, measuring their drapes, but in the sense that they're already explaining how they're going to go after the Trump family, the Trump family associates, cryptocurrency concerns, any hangers-on, people going to the Middle East and investing. They're gonna open it wide open. These are the people, of course, who never investigated the Biden family or Hunter Biden. That's no excuse if there's culpability, but nonetheless, you can count on a two-year investigation of Donald Trump and a never-ending impeachment inquiry, and the end of the MAGA ... Continue Reading »

US Universities Had Extensive Ties With Chinese Defense Research Labs, Air Force Study Finds Authored by Arthur Zhang via The Epoch Times, Thirty U.S. academic institutions have until Aug. 31 to examine specified foreign research ties or risk losing eligibility for future federal research funding. A model of a Chinese-made J-35A stealth fighter is displayed at an AVIC (China Aviation Industry Corporation) stand during the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, in southern China's Guangdong province on Nov. 14, 2024. Hector Retamal / AFP via Getty Images Seven days after the Pentagon ordered the reviews, an Air Force-affiliated institute published a study cataloging 204 interactions involving U.S. institutions and laboratories at the center of China's defense research system. The Aug. 24 study by the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) found more U.S. institution-level interactions with China's Defense Science and Technology Key Laboratories than those involving institutions from any other country. CASI describes the Defense Science and Technology Key Laboratories as China's highest level national laboratory network for military research. The contacts it identified ranged from academic visits and conferences to coauthored technical research and formal joint laboratories in fields including aero-engines, ... Continue Reading »

Secret Service Aware Of Iranian Video Threat Against Barron Trump Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times, The U.S. Secret Service confirmed on Aug. 25 it is aware of a video aired by Iranian state-run media that appears to threaten President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron, and places a $10 million bounty on him. "The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees," spokesman Nate Herring told The Epoch Times in an email. "Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence." The three-minute video that first aired Aug. 24 alleges Trump's 20-year-old son is being monitored. The video, titled "Where and how should we kill Barron Trump?" was produced by media entities affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and broadcast on Channel 3 of Iranian state television. The clip shows the location of the university he attends, along with maps of the school. It also depicts security vehicles that drive him around. The clips also allege Barron Trump's movements have been monitored. The Epoch Times reached out to the university about the video ... Continue Reading »

Coinbase CEO Considers Joining California Exodus Over "Deeply Un-American" Wealth Tax Proposal Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong could be the next Silicon Valley billionaire to flee California over a union-backed, draconian wealth tax scheme that critics slam as a radical wealth grab. “I think it’s deeply un-American to seize people’s assets. It might be unconstitutional,” Armstrong, who has an estimated net worth of $8.8 billion, said of the proposal during an interview on the “The Katie Miller Podcast.” “It’s against my values, I would say. I think it’s bad for the state and for America. So we’re considering any and all options basically at this point to be, in terms of relocation,” the crypto executive added. This week on the Katie Miller Podcast, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong breaks down crypto, meme coins, and the explosive future of AI in digital assets. You will see a side of the CEO you have never seen before: his passion for longevity plus the incredible story of how he met his… pic.twitter.com/JxdDittltm — The Katie Miller Podcast (@katiemillerpod) August 25, 2026 While Coinbase has maintained that it is a remote-first operation, it signed a lease for 150,000 square feet of San ... Continue Reading »