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The deployment of the aircraft, approved by Bulgaria's parliament on July 22, led to protests by nearby residents who feared the planes would be attacked by Iranian missiles and drones. (Photo: Wikipedia)Two US tanker aircraft have left Bulgaria’s Bezmer air base, Bulgaria’s defence minister said on Saturday, nearly a month after their deployment in the Balkan country angered Iran. The United States, which has been at war with Iran since February 28, requested their temporary deployment under an agreement governing the joint use of military facilities.
Trade tensions between the United States and Canada have escalated after last-minute negotiations failed to produce a deal before a midnight deadline. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa was suspending trade talks with Washington, while new 50% US tariffs on around $20 billion worth of Canadian goods took effect.
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Canada has vowed to match the US tariffs “dollar for dollar”, raising fears of a fresh escalation in the North American trade war.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, says new US economic threats against Iran will not work. He wrote on social media that past US sanctions have all failed before, and this new plan is “bound to fail” too. He also said, “US economic terrorism threatens global economy and sovereignty worldwide,” as reported by Press TV. Meanwhile, China said it does not support new US sanctions on Iran. China is asking both Iran and the US to talk instead of fight.
At the same time, Oman and Iran are trying to restart talks about ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. But in Lebanon, Israeli strikes hit several towns today, even though there is supposed to be a ceasefire.
Key developments:
- Iran rejects US sanctions threat: Araghchi says Trump’s new sanctions plan, which the US calls an “Economic D-Day,” is doomed to fail.
- China calls for talks: China says it does not back more US sanctions on Iran and wants Tehran and Washington to talk.
- Oman-Iran Hormuz talks: Foreign ministers of Oman and Iran spoke by phone about a new deal for ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Israeli strikes in Lebanon: Southern Lebanon towns, including Bint Jbeil and al-Mansouri, were hit by Israeli strikes despite the ceasefire.
- Trump eases beef tariffs: Trump announced short-term tariff relief on ground beef imports.
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Live Updates
Arrest warrant issued for Massachusetts woman sought in officer's death
An arrest warrant has been issued for a mental health advocate who remained missing Saturday, more than four days after police found the Massachusetts officer she had been married to dead in their home.Karen Solomon, 58, was last spotted in a doorbell camera video, walking down a street in a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops early Tuesday morning, just minutes after Worcester police officers responded to a call from the home where Kurt Solomon was found dead.Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said the warrant charges Karen Solomon with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Saucier said Kurt Solomon, a 31-year-veteran officer, was mortally injured with a sharp object — he wouldn't say what. AP
A US envoy says Israel did not give a warning to the US ahead of a recent Syria air strike
Israel did not warn the United States before it struck an air base in northern Syria this week, despite fears of an escalation with the U.S. and NATO ally Turkey, the U.S. special envoy to Syria said.Israel usually closely coordinates its military actions with the U.S., its key backer. Washington has tried to use this influence to moderate attacks as Israel carries out operations in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon. Tom Barrack, who also serves as ambassador to Turkey, said the attack on Tuesday on the Abu Duhur base could have been Israel “baiting the Turks … that was the serious and worrying part.”However, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz contradicted the U.S. envoy's remarks about there being no warning, saying in a statement that Israel decided to alert senior members of the Syrian government. “Simultaneously, we transferred the intelligence reports to the relevant authorities in the U.S.,” Katz added. AP
Two US tanker aircraft leave Bulgaria a month after deployment upset Iran
Two U.S. tanker aircraft have left Bulgaria's Bezmer air base, Bulgaria's defence minister said on Saturday, nearly a month after their deployment in the Balkan country angered Iran.
The United States, which has been at war with Iran since February 28, requested their temporary deployment under an agreement governing the joint use of military facilities.
Iran said at the time that their deployment would constitute complicity in "aggression and war crimes", a charge that Sofia dismissed.
The two U.S. Air Force KC-135 planes left Bulgaria on Friday, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told reporters.
The U.S. authorities could not be immediately reached for comment.
The deployment of the aircraft, approved by Bulgaria's parliament on July 22, led to protests by nearby residents who feared the planes would be attacked by Iranian missiles and drones.
Stoyanov said all the aircraft's flights during their temporary deployment had been training missions over allied countries and that Bulgaria had "no information about direct threats to our national security." Reuters
Protests erupt in Nepal over suspected rape, murder of three-year-old girl
The suspected rape and murder of a three-year-old girl in Nepal has triggered protests with locals obstructing the Birgunj-Pathlaiya road section of Simara for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday.
The girl, a resident of Bhaktinagar in Jeetpur sub-metropolitan city of Bara district of Madhesh province, was found dead near her house on August 18, three days after she went missing.
Locals staged a sit-in on the Birgunj-Pathlaiya section of Simara by installing a tent demanding justice for the girl, the police said. The police suspect that the girl was murdered after being raped.
The police have arrested two suspects in the case so far.
A 16-year-old local youth, who had also been helping with the search for the missing girl, was arrested with the help of sniffer dogs deployed to search the area, Kathmandu Post newspaper reported. PTI
Gunmen abduct worshippers from Nigeria mosque, police say
Armed men abducted several worshippers from a mosque in Nigeria's north-central Niger state during Friday prayers, police said on Saturday, in the latest mass kidnapping in a region plagued by violent gangs.
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said the attackers stormed Kpenya Mosque in the Dekara district of the Borgu local government area at about 2 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Friday after first attacking Gidan-Zana and Kpenya villages.
"The developing report indicated that no life was lost, while joint security detachment has been deployed to the area for assessment and rescue operations," Abiodun said in a statement. Reuters
Hindu trader shot dead by unidentifed assailants in Pak's Balochistan
A Hindu trader has been killed by unidentified armed men in Noshki town of Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, according to a media report on Saturday.
The incident occurred on Friday. Some unidentified armed men barged into the trader's shop in Qadirabad Stop area of Noshki Bazaar. When he offered resistance, they opened fire and fled, leaving the trader dead on the spot, the Dawn newspaper reported.
The deceased was identified as Rakesh Kumar.
Meanwhile, Member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly Gurpal Singh condemned the killing, terming it a cowardly act by anti-state and anti-Balochistan elements. PTI
Ukraine's Zelenskyy says Macron agreed to accelerate air defence deliveries
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday he had discussed Ukraine's shortage of air defences with French President Emmanuel Macron, who promised to accelerate the delivery of new French equipment. "We agreed to accelerate the delivery of the latest French equipment and missiles," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram app, without providing further details. "Thank you for confirming the readiness to provide licenses for missile production." Ukraine is awaiting delivery of the new Italo-French SAMP/T-NG missile defence system, which experts say should be capable of downing ballistic missiles. European diplomats had previously said it was not expected to arrive in Ukraine before spring next year. Reuters
Student killed in sword attack at a Swedish school was a 17-year-old girl
The victim of a deadly sword attack at a school in central Sweden was a 17-year-old girl, police said Saturday.An 18-year-old man armed with a sword carried out the attack at the Brinell School in Fagersta, northwest of Stockholm, while classes were in session on Friday. One person was killed and three others were wounded, two of them severely. Police said the suspect had been arrested and that the case was being investigated as murder and attempted murder. The police said they have no reason to believe there were more perpetrators. Vastmanland County, where the town is located, said that the two seriously injured boys were ages 12 and 17. A third person, also under 18, was slightly injured and has been discharged from a hospital, Swedish news agency TT reported.The school principal told local media P4 Västmanland on Saturday that the attacker was a student at the school. AP
Taiwan's first domestic satellite launch vehicle fails maiden test flight | VIDEO
Taiwan's first domestic satellite launch vehicle failed on its maiden test flight, said reports. The vehicle veered towards the mountains instead of the sea before the self-destruct system was activated.
https://platform.x.com/widgets.jsWATCH: Taiwan's first domestic satellite launch vehicle failed on its maiden test flight, veering inland toward mountains instead of out to sea before the self-destruct system was activated.pic.twitter.com/8EyvS8DaeG
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 22, 2026
Trump says he is 'angry' with White house press secretary Karoline Leavitt | VIDEO
US President Donald Trump praised outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump jokingly said Leavitt, who just had a child, loves the baby more than him.
https://platform.x.com/widgets.jsTrump on Karoline Leavitt:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 22, 2026
Her name is Karoline, and she just had a baby, and I just learned she loves the baby more than she loves Donald Trump, and I’m very angry with her. pic.twitter.com/hJ65f2zvGL
Mexico resumes livestock sales to US under tight controls over screwworm risk
At daybreak, rancher Martín Alfonso Ibarra takes advantage of the cooler hours in northern Mexico’s desert to oversee the milking of his cows and tend to 16 prized calves. Soon, he hopes, they will be headed north to the United States as a yearlong ban on Mexican cattle imports comes to an end.The ban, imposed over concerns about a flesh-eating parasite known as the New World screwworm fly, dealt a blow to cattle and beef industries on both sides of the border, exacerbating a livestock shortage in the U.S. and hurting a Mexican ranching sector already weakened by drought and a cattle export business that generated $1.2 billion for Mexico last year. AP
Swedish police probe online networks after teenage girl killed in school sword attack
Swedish police are investigating whether an 18-year-old man who attacked students at a Swedish high school with a sword on Friday, killing one, was involved in online communities promoting school violence, a police source said. The attacker struck at a school in the central Swedish town of Fagersta, also severely injuring two teenage boys before being arrested by police. The parents of a 17-year-old girl told local newspaper Fagersta-Posten that their daughter was killed in the attack.
Police are investigating whether a TikTok account that posted a picture of a sword 20 minutes before the assault belonged to the suspect, the source told Reuters. According to the Dagens Nyheter newspaper, the image appeared to have been taken in a restroom at the school. Reuters
Iran receives messages from neighbours on new security, economic cooperation: Ghalibaf
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran had received messages from neighbouring countries about shaping “new security arrangements and economic cooperation”. Reuters
Russian and Ukrainian attacks kill 4 people a day after deadly shopping mall drone strike by Moscow
Russian drone and missile strikes killed at least two people overnight in Ukraine, officials said Saturday, while a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Krasnodar region killed two others, a day after a strike on a Ukrainian shopping center killed 16 people.In the latest attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that one person was killed and another wounded when ballistic missiles hit railway infrastructure in the capital, Kyiv.Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its forces had hit a locomotive depot.Moscow’s forces have recently intensified their ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, exploiting Ukraine’s chronic shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense interceptors, the sole weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down the missiles.Russian drone strikes also killed one person overnight in a village in the Zaporizhzhia region, local officials said Saturday. AP
Iranian official urges Qatar to move detained pilots to hospital on land, Tasnim says
An Iranian military official called on Qatar on Saturday to transfer detained Iranian pilots to a hospital on land, saying they were being held on water and were in "poor physical condition", Tasnim news agency reported.
Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for the Search for Missing Persons of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, said the location where the pilots were being held was unsuitable and requested that the International Committee of the Red Cross send an air ambulance to Qatar to expedite the return of injured and sick detainees to Iran. Reuters
Canada suspends trade talks, to match US tariffs
Trade talks between the United States and Canada collapsed at the last minute on Friday, reigniting tensions between the two North American neighbours. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa was suspending negotiations after the two sides failed to reach an agreement before the midnight deadline.
As a result, new 50% US tariffs on around $20 billion worth of Canadian goods have taken effect. Carney said Canada would respond by matching the tariffs “dollar for dollar” to protect Canadian workers and businesses.
The breakdown came despite expectations earlier in the week that Washington and Ottawa were close to a deal. US President Donald Trump had said, “We’ve come to a deal with Canada,” although he noted that the agreement was still subject to finalisation.
Carney said last-minute changes to the US terms were “unfair, uneconomic” and raised questions about the reliability of any future agreement. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, however, accused Canada of making new demands and backing away from commitments.
The tariffs cover a relatively small portion of total US imports from Canada, but the latest dispute threatens to deepen a wider trade war that has already affected major industries including steel, aluminium and automobiles.
Canada has also announced plans for additional measures to support workers and businesses as the trade tensions escalate.
Prince Harry and six others face legal bill of up to £ 34.5 million
Prince Harry and six other public figures could face a legal bill of up to £ 34.5 million after a High Court judge issued an exceptional costs order following their failed privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail.
The seven claimants, including Elton John, Liz Hurley, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Simon Hughes and Baroness Lawrence, have been ordered to make an initial payment of £ 9.54 million to Associated Newspapers Limited by next Friday.
The judge had dismissed their claims of unlawful information-gathering in July, which the publisher denied. He criticised the way the claimants had presented their case, describing their conduct as “unreasonable to a high degree”.
The group had insurance covering up to £ 16.2 million of Associated Newspapers’ legal costs. However, Friday’s ruling means the publisher could seek to recover up to £ 34.5 million, potentially leaving the claimants facing an additional bill of around £ 18 million.
Prince Harry and the other claimants have until October 2 to seek permission to appeal the judgment.
Trump hits Canada with 50% US tariffs, Carney vows ‘dollar for dollar’ retaliation
The US is set to impose 50 per cent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports after the two long-standing allies failed to reach a deal at the last minute.
The new tariffs will come into effect at 12:01 am on Saturday (local time) on hundreds of items that Washington imports from Ottawa, including plywood, liquor, electrical equipment and hockey gear, Associated Press (AP) reported.
My statement on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations: pic.twitter.com/65OuQH40ra
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) August 22, 2026
How Natalie Harp became Trump’s gatekeeper and why her access is raising security questions
Natalie Harp’s role inside the Trump White House has come under fresh scrutiny this week, after letters she wrote to the president were made public and a senator raised questions about her closeness to him.
The Daily Beast published at least two letters Harp wrote to President Trump. In one, addressed “Dear Mr. President”, Harp wrote that she wanted things to always be right between them and signed off, “With all my heart, Natalie.” In an earlier excerpt reported by the New York Times, Harp told Trump, “You are all that matters to me.” Read more
2 injured in stabbing at Canada’s Edmonton gurdwara; man arrested
Two men were injured after a 27-year-old armed man allegedly stabbed them inside a gurdwara in Edmonton, Canada, during morning prayers, authorities said. Police are investigating whether the incident was hate-motivated.
The incident took place at Nanaksar Sikh Gurdwara in northeast Edmonton at around 5 am local time on Friday. Police said the suspect entered the gurdwara and attempted to access the prayer area before being confronted by staff. Read more
Indian man declared bankrupt in Singapore after failing to pay wages to 400 workers
An Indian man, who ran several companies in Singapore, has been declared bankrupt after he failed to pay wages to more than 400 migrant workers, according to PTI.
A bankruptcy order against Ramu Palani Velu was made on August 13, The Straits Times reported on Thursday. Ramu holds Singapore permanent residency and served as director of seven local firms offering air-conditioning, plumbing and building services. These include KPA Engineering, SK Industries and VVR Plant Engineering. Read more
At least 13 Tunisians missing after migrant boat sinks off Tunisia, group says
At least 13 Tunisians are missing after a migrant boat sank off the Tunisian coast while sailing towards Italy, with only two people rescued so far, the head of a migrant rights group said on Saturday.
Key points:
US judge strikes down policy suspending immigrant visa processing for 75 nations
A US judge on Friday overturned a Trump administration policy that had halted immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, ruling that the move went beyond Secretary of State Marco Rubio's legal powers.
US District Judge Jeannette Vargas, based in Manhattan, said the policy first announced by the State Department in January was "patently unlawful" and breached federal immigration law, which she said clearly removes the secretary of state's authority over how consular officers handle immigrant visa applications.
Three key points:
IRGC chief says Iran has created ‘solid defensive shield’ against threats
The commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ahmad Vahidi, has said that continuing Iran’s current “Strategy of Defensive and Offensive Empowerment” is the only “intelligent and efficient solution”.
Noting that “the battlefield is faced with new forms of combined and military aggression”, he said that the country had established a “solid defensive shield against the threats of the enemies and ill-wishers of Iran”.
He praised the country’s defence industry for producing Iran’s “defensive and offensive capabilities and deterrent power” in the “era of oppressive and arrogant sanctions”.
His remarks were issued in a message to the head of the Ministry of Defence to mark Iran’s National Defence Industry Day.
(With inputs from Aljazeera)
Trump says he views Strait of Hormuz as ‘American territory’
US President Donald Trump says that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, characterising the Strait of Hormuz as American territory.
Addressing a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Trump said: “We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon, we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, or you will see some very bad things.”
“We went down and we stopped them; they will never have a nuclear weapon,” he added.
“They want to make a deal so badly, we don’t even know if we want because I view the Strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now, it’s an American territory,” Trump said.
Plane crashed on second attempt to land in heavy fog in Alaska, killing all 8 aboard, officials say
A plane that crashed at a remote military site in western Alaska, killing all eight people on board, was making its second runway approach in heavy fog when it lost contact, authorities said Friday.
The Cessna's two pilots could not see the gravel airstrip and were flying solely by instruments when the plane crashed about midday Thursday, Clint Johnson, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)'s Alaska region chief, told a virtual news conference.
Regulations required that they abort their first landing attempt because of the lack of visibility, he said, and the plane crashed on its second attempt, about 500 metres from the runway. The runway is surrounded by mountainous terrain on three sides, and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends pilots use GPS and other instruments when they land there.
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