Admiral Cooper thanked the USS Abraham Lincoln crew for their “tremendous dedication and courage.” (Photo: Reuters)The US Central Command chief, Admiral Brad Cooper, visited the USS Abraham Lincoln for the second time amid his 10-day tour in the region over rising concerns about the mental health of crew members due to the ship’s long deployment, CNN reported. USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in January and has since then been supporting the American war against Iran.
Meanwhile, Ukraine launched one of its largest aerial attacks of the war on Russia on Sunday, with Moscow claiming that 822 drones were destroyed overnight, including around 600 headed towards the capital. At least six people were killed in the attacks, according to Russian officials.
A dozen people were killed and at least 10 injured after a Polish bus overturned at night on a motorway in eastern Hungary, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Sunday morning in a Facebook post. The bus ran into a ditch and tipped over early on Sunday near the town of Mezokeresztes in eastern Hungary, police said, adding that the bus was heading towards the city of Nyiregyhaza on the motorway when the accident happened. State news agency MTI said there were 57 passengers and two drivers on the bus.
A powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake has torn through eastern Indonesia, killing at least 51 people and forcing around 5,000 residents to flee their homes, authorities said Sunday. The quake also triggered landslides and blocked roads across the disaster zone, hampering rescue efforts in the hardest-hit areas.
Qatar firmly denied on Saturday that it was detaining any Iranian pilots, dismissing the claim as misleading and poorly timed given ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region. Foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said Qatari rescue teams had searched thoroughly for three missing aviators, had already coordinated the handover of one pilot’s remains to Iran, and had invited an Iranian team in April to be briefed on the search an offer Tehran never took up.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 11 people in southern Lebanon, among the deadliest single-day tolls since a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah took hold on June 20. The violence extended across the region: the UAE accused Iran of striking one of its tankers in the Strait of Hormuz for the third time in a week, while Iran-backed Houthi fighters hit a Red Sea port in Yemen signs that the war, months on, keeps opening new fronts.
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US President Donald Trump has vowed to hit Iran economically, as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier announced that Washington would impose measures on Tehran that have "never been seen" as soon as next week, Reuters reported.
According to experts, here are some of the options the Trump administration has to exert more economic pressure on Iran:
The Trump administration has intensified its crackdown on alleged H-1B visa fraud, this time in Dallas, Texas, renewing the oversight of employers and businesses hiring foreign workers.
Teaming up with commentator to expose alleged H-1B fraud
In a post on X, the US Department of Labor (DOL) said it has “teamed up” with commentator and entrepreneur Sara Gonzales and Blaze TV to “expose H-1B visa fraud across Texas.”
The post added, “The fight continues…” and linked a video in which Gonzales can be seen questioning a business operator over alleged H-1B visa fraud.
Inspector General carries out Dallas checks
According to a press release issued by DOL on August 13, Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito traveled to Dallas to advance the ongoing nationwide probe into H-1B visa fraud. He also carried out checks at companies that have received hundreds of approved H-1B visa petitions.
“At one multi-story building housing numerous businesses linked to more than 500 approved H-1B applications, door-to-door inquiries were carried out. Many of the offices showed clear signs of inactivity: doors locked, lights off, and little to no evidence of active business operations,” the press release said.
Yemen has suspended operations at a strategic Red Sea port following recent attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels that killed seven people and caused an estimated $16 million in losses. The disruption comes amid heightened tensions across key Middle Eastern waterways, with another ship attack reported in the Strait of Hormuz as the US and Iran remain at odds over control of the critical route.
The latest developments also come as the conflict in south Lebanon escalates. The death toll from Israeli airstrikes in the region rose to 11, marking the deadliest day since a June ceasefire. Israel said the strikes were carried out in response to a Hezbollah attack that wounded three Israeli soldiers.
Ukraine launched hundreds of drones across Russia on Sunday in what is being described as one of Kyiv’s largest aerial attacks of the war. Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces destroyed 822 Ukrainian drones overnight, including around 600 that were reportedly heading towards Moscow.
At least six people were killed in the attacks, according to Russian officials. Five deaths were reported in the southwestern Rostov region, where three towns came under attack, while an 83-year-old man was killed after a Ukrainian drone struck a private home in the Moscow region.
The massive drone assault comes amid an intensifying campaign of Ukrainian long-range strikes against targets deep inside Russia. On Saturday, Ukraine also launched a major missile attack on industrial infrastructure in Russia’s Samara region, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Ukrainian-made Flamingo missiles were used.
The latest escalation came as Russia continued its own aerial attacks on Ukraine. Russian strikes on Kyiv early Sunday injured several people and sparked fires in parts of the capital, according to Ukrainian officials.
Moroccan authorities have detained more than 100 migrants who were allegedly trying to reach the Spanish North African exclave of Ceuta, reports said. Moroccan security sources cited by Spanish media and Reuters said 111 people were detained in and around Fnideq, also known as Castillejos, about 3 km from the Ceuta border.
Most of those detained were reportedly from sub-Saharan Africa. Moroccan police, including officers in riot gear, were also reported to have used tear gas to disperse groups of migrants gathered on nearby hills.
The heightened security comes about two weeks after around 78,000 migrants reached Ceuta by sea within hours. Ceuta's mayor said around 100 people died during the influx, while most of those who arrived were later returned to Morocco.
Moroccan authorities had warned of another possible mass crossing after calls circulated on social media urging migrants to attempt to reach Ceuta. Spain has deployed more than 1,500 security personnel to patrol the area, while Morocco has sent army personnel, navy speedboats and drones to the border.
The latest developments have also renewed tensions between European countries over migration and border controls, with Italy defending its decision to strengthen checks on arrivals from Spain.
Hawaii is bracing for what could be its first direct hurricane hit in 34 years as Category 1 Hurricane Lala moves towards the islands. The storm strengthened on Saturday, bringing winds of up to 80 mph (130 km/h), while officials warned of potentially life-threatening conditions.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the Big Island, while Maui County, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau remain under tropical storm warnings. Lala is expected to either make landfall or pass close to the southern tip of the Big Island before moving west. The National Hurricane Center said Lala’s eyewall was “brushing the southern portion of the Big Island”, with damaging winds and heavy rain expected to continue.
Lala, formerly a tropical storm, strengthened into a hurricane as it approached the Big Island of Hawaii, US weather officials said https://t.co/rsszDGYh9e pic.twitter.com/vuYH0qEyDzForecasters have warned that the storm could dump up to 25 inches (63 cm) of rain on parts of the Big Island and produce a storm surge of around 3ft. The National Weather Service said major flooding could trigger evacuations and rescues, while mudslides could cut off roads.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green urged residents to prepare for “an incredible amount of water”, warning of damaging winds, flash flooding and dangerous surf. The last hurricane to strike Hawaii was Iniki in 1992, which killed six people and caused around $3 billion in damage.
A Polish bus overturned on a motorway in eastern Hungary early Sunday, killing 12 people and injuring at least 10 others, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said in a Facebook post.
Three key points:
With inputs from Reuters.
Karnataka-born tech founder Saiman Shetty has officially become a US citizen, capping off what he calls years of visa hurdles, career knockbacks and a false bid to have him thrown out of the country.
Announcing the news on Instagram, Shetty looked back on the path that took him from a small village in Karnataka to American citizenship, recalling how he landed in the US as a cash-strapped international student with no contacts, no cushion and no fallback plan.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia’s Flores region on Saturday has brought fresh attention to the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, the vast zone around the Pacific Ocean where major tectonic plates meet, and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are particularly common.
The powerful quake struck at 5:58 am local time at a depth of about 10 kilometres, with its epicentre about 68 kilometres (42 miles) north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Indonesia’s disaster management agency said at least 47 people were killed, while dozens more were injured.
A 19-year-old was arrested after being found hiding in a dormitory closet at Virginia State University on Saturday, in connection with an overnight campus shooting that left five people wounded, one critically.
Here's what you need to know:
The Iran war spilled into new fronts on Saturday, with Tehran accusing Qatar of holding three of its missing pilots, the UAE reporting yet another attack on one of its tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and Israeli airstrikes killing 11 people in southern Lebanon in one of the deadliest days since the June truce with Hezbollah.
Three key points:
At least five people have died in Indiana as severe storms and record flooding swept across the state this week, with rescue crews using boats to pull residents from rising waters along the White River in Indianapolis on Saturday. Governor Mike Braun and federal officials have both stepped in, with President Trump approving an emergency declaration and disaster aid now available through FEMA.
Dramatic footage shows a Turkish F-16 fighter jet flying at extremely low altitude before slamming into a line of trees and erupting into a massive fireball. The jet can be seen skimming treetops moments before impact, with debris and flames scattering on impact. Authorities have not yet confirmed the pilot’s status or the cause of the crash.
INSANE FOOTAGE of LOW-FLYING TURKISH F-16 SLAMMING into TREES and ERUPTING in FIREBALL — Sabah vid pic.twitter.com/nqN3lWqNvZ
— RT (@RT_com) August 15, 2026
US President Donald Trump’s Hormuz claim – that it will ‘soon be US territory’ – received a pithy pushback from Iran after Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X: The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet.”
Gharibabadi also warned Trump he could not hope to ‘seize the Hormuz’ by ‘aircraft carrier or election speech’, referring to the President’s many attempts to fashion an end to a war that began in February with joint US-Israel strikes.
The exchange was prompted by Trump’s comments Friday at a New York event.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia’s Flores region on Saturday has brought fresh attention to the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, the vast zone around the Pacific Ocean where major tectonic plates meet, and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are particularly common.
The powerful quake struck at 5:58 am local time at a depth of about 10 kilometres, with its epicentre about 68 kilometres (42 miles) north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Indonesia’s disaster management agency said at least 47 people were killed, while dozens more were injured. Read more
Two American Airlines planes had a close call on Friday after they were mistakenly assigned the same flight number. A quick-acting air traffic controller in Phoenix stepped in and kept the planes apart, according to Associated Press (AP).
An audio clip from the air traffic controller recorded just after midnight indicates how the controller worked out a way to keep the two planes safely apart. One plane was arriving from Chicago just as the other, also using flight number American 2482, was taking off from Phoenix.
A spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry has denied claims that it detained three Iranian pilots, after Tehran called for their release.
“We are surprised by the misleading statements regarding the Iranian pilots amid the continuation of diplomatic efforts,” the spokesperson said.
Earlier, the Iranian armed forces said that three pilots had been captured by Qatar after their SU-24 jets had crashed during the early days of the US-Israeli war on Iran, adding that they had been held for six months.
We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots & are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time, amid the ongoing diplomatic efforts & initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region.
— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) August 15, 2026
We reaffirm that…
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