September 19, 2026

03 World

Iran War Updates: U.S. to unveil new sanctions Trump said would hit Iran with an “economic D-Day”– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Iran War Updates: U.S. to unveil new sanctions Trump said would hit Iran with an “economic D-Day”– www.cbsnews.com
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EXCERPT:

The South Korean military said Monday the U.S. canceled a large, joint military exercise that had been scheduled to take place next month due to force limitations amid the war with Iran.

The Ssang Yong (Twin Dragons) exercise is a joint amphibious landing drill conducted regularly since 2012 by the South Korean Navy and Marine Corps alongside U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. British and other allied forces have taken part in previous years.

A spokesperson for the South Korean Marines said its U.S. counterparts had notified the force in June that “due to the situation in the Middle East,” the U.S.’s ability to deploy forces for the exercise was constrained this year.

The news of this year’s Ssang Yong drills being called off came a week after the U.S. cut short another major joint military exercise with South Korea, on President Trump’s orders, fueling concern in Seoul, and in Japan, that Washington is becoming a less dependable ally in the face of rising threats from North Korea and China.

Ottawa and Washington head for all-out trade war– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Ottawa and Washington head for all-out trade war– www.cnbc.com
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EXCERPT:

The Canadian dollar fell on Monday morning after trade talks between Ottawa and Washington fell apart, leaving both sides facing higher prices on a wide array of imported goods.

The U.S. on Saturday slapped 50% tariffs on around $20 billion worth of imports from Canada, its second-biggest trading partner after Mexico. The affected goods span dairy, wine, wood products, ceramics and a slew of other areas.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he would retaliate “dollar for dollar” with tariffs starting Sept. 8, targeting sectors such as steel, dairy, agricultural equipment, paper and electronics. Details will be released “in the coming days,” Carney added.

The Canadian dollar was 0.45% lower against the U.S. dollar at 6:10 a.m. ET. The loonie also dipped against the euro, British pound and Japanese yen.

“As a smaller, more open economy, Canada has more to lose from this, but Prime Minister Mark Carney seems to have opened the door to more fiscal stimulus to support affected business,” FX strategists at bank ING wrote in a Monday note.

Canada Strikes Back at President Trump With Major New Tariffs on US Goods– townhall.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Canada Strikes Back at President Trump With Major New Tariffs on US Goods– townhall.com
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EXCERPT:

Canada has escalated its trade dispute with the United States, announcing retaliatory tariffs after President Trump imposed 50 percent duties on roughly $20 billion in Canadian imports on Saturday.

“Today I’m announcing that Canada will match the United States tariffs dollar for dollar, rate for rate,” Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said. “Effective September 8, Canada will impose counter tariffs of up to 15, 25 or 50 percent on 27.6 billion in imports from the United States of America. For each product, our tariff would match the American tariff on the same type of Canadian good.”

Muslim Terrorists Slaughter and Kidnap Dozens for ‘Not Practicing the True Teachings of Islam’ During Friday Prayer– gellerreport.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Muslim Terrorists Slaughter and Kidnap Dozens for ‘Not Practicing the True Teachings of Islam’ During Friday Prayer– gellerreport.com
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EXCERPT:

The silence by the international community is devastating just endless condemnation of the Jewish nation defneding itself against this very thing – jihad terror.

Jihadists slaughter and kidnap dozens of people for ‘not practicing the true teachings of Islam’ during Friday prayers in Nigeria

By Sabrina Penty, Daily Mail, August 23, 2026:

Jihadists have kidnapped and slaughtered scores of people in an attack during Friday prayers in central Nigeria.

The exact toll of the attacks, which also hit the village of Binzi in Niger State, was unknown, federal representative Jafaru Mohammed said.

Jibril Ahmad, a civilian who survived the attack, said: ‘Soon after finishing the normal Friday prayer, the armed group of Lakuwara, in their hundreds, wielding guns, knives and machetes, began to attack us.’

‘They slaughtered some of our people, saying we are not practising the true teachings of Islam,’ Ahmad added.

Some are understood to have escaped when another jihadist group, known as Mahmuda, started clashing with the militants.

China warns US of retaliation if Trump’s ‘Economic D-Day’ sanctions hit their Iran oil trade– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

China warns US of retaliation if Trump’s ‘Economic D-Day’ sanctions hit their Iran oil trade– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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EXCERPT:

China has warned the US that it could retaliate if Washington significantly expands secondary sanctions on Chinese companies doing business with Iran

China has warned that it could take retaliatory measures if the United States significantly expands secondary sanctions targeting Chinese companies doing business with Iran, according to reporting by the Financial Times.The warning came after the Trump administration on Monday announced new sanctions targeting companies in Hong Kong and mainland China as part of a broader crackdown on Iran’s oil trade. The measures, however, did not target major Chinese financial institutions, FT reported.A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that Beijing would take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its rights and interests, while reiterating China’s opposition to what it described as unilateral sanctions lacking a basis in international law or United Nations Security Council authorisation.The spokesperson also called for de-escalation and a return to dialogue and negotiations.

Canada Is Spending Billions to Help Its Workers Survive Our Tariffs – Mother Jones– www.motherjones.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Canada Is Spending Billions to Help Its Workers Survive Our Tariffs – Mother Jones– www.motherjones.com
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EXCERPT:

A utilities box in front of the ArcelorMittal Dofasco steel plant in Hamilton, Ontario, amid Canada’s trade war with the US, August 20, 2026.Nick Iwanyshyn/Canadian Press/AP

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

On Tuesday, Canadian officials announced funding to back businesses, workers, and industries, as they implement dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs on the US in response to the Trump administration’s newly imposed 50 percent tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian imports.

Senior members of Canada’s government announced a support package worth $7.5 billion Canadian dollars, or about $5.4 billion US, including $3 million in non-repayable loans for every small business and a further $2 million in interest-free loans—even for businesses only indirectly affected by tariffs.

Small and medium-sized businesses directly affected will be able to apply for a further $5 million through Canada’s business development bank, and the Canadian government has set aside $2 billion for medium-sized and large firms, more than half a billion dollars for retraining workers whose industries are affected by tariffs, and a one-year extension on temporary employment insurance benefits Canada already issued in response to the start of Trump’s trade war with Canada last year.

Gay media celebrates Pope Leo XIV’s 4 pro-LGBT bishop appointments– www.lifesitenews.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Gay media celebrates Pope Leo XIV’s 4 pro-LGBT bishop appointments– www.lifesitenews.com
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EXCERPT:

(LifeSiteNews) — A gay news site published an article praising Pope Leo XIV for having “made room for progressive LGBTQ+ voices.” 

Headlined Pope Leo’s Recent LGBTQ-Friendly Appointments Include Bishop Who Had Drag Queen Speak at Mass, the article draws heavily from a liberal Catholic Substack, Letters from Leo, authored by former Obama staffer Christopher Hale.

The article focuses on the installation of four reportedly pro-homosexual and pro-transgender bishops: James Checchio, appointed by Leo in February to head the Archdiocese of New Orleans; Bishop Ramón Bejarano, chosen in December to lead the Diocese of Monterrey, California; Bishop Christian Würtz, selected in by Leo in July 2025 as the new bishop of Eichstätt in Germany; and Baker, Oregon diocese’s Bishop Thomas Hennen, who at age 47 became the youngest bishop to head a diocese. 

Perhaps the most alarming of the four is Bishop Bejarano. The former San Diego auxiliary bishop famously celebrated an “All are Welcome” LGBT-themed “Pride” Mass – during which a drag queen activist was permitted to speak – as the new bishop of Monterey, California.

Australia news live: PM, premiers and chief ministers sign firearms agreement; Sarah Hanson-Young scathing on Malcolm Roberts’ gay rights comments | Australia news– www.theguardian.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Australia news live: PM, premiers and chief ministers sign firearms agreement; Sarah Hanson-Young scathing on Malcolm Roberts’ gay rights comments | Australia news– www.theguardian.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

State and territory leaders and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, have agreed to further tighten national gun laws in a meeting in Sydney.

Albanese said federal government intelligence would be shared with state and territory law enforcement agencies as part of the deal, and that only Australian citizens would be allowed to hold gun licences.

The push comes after the deaths in December’s antisemitic shooting at Bondi Beach and as the federal government’s national buyback plan falters due to low take-up by the states. Only NSW and the ACT have signed up so far.

Albanese said 3D printed gun technology would be banned, along with sharing of materials about their production.

CIA chief travels to Moscow for unannounced talks, US media reports– www.bbc.co.uk

pgnewser August 26, 2026 1

CIA chief travels to Moscow for unannounced talks, US media reports– www.bbc.co.uk
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EXCERPT:

The trip is thought to be Ratcliffe’s first trip to Russia as CIA director, although he has maintained contact with his intelligence counterparts in Moscow.

John Foreman, who served as a British military attaché to Moscow between 2019 and 2022, told Radio 4’s PM programme that the visit could be focused on “escalation management” given speculation recent drone activity in Germany could be linked to Russia.

He said: “The Americans don’t normally send such a high ranking official to Moscow unannounced at short notice unless something is up.”

Foreman said the trip could also concern the release of US detainees currently being held in Russia.

Ratcliffe played a role in negotiations for the release of Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina, who was jailed in Russia for over a year after being accused of providing support to Ukraine.

Trump Says Navy Has Cleared Iranian Mines From Strait of Hormuz › American Greatness– amgreatness.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Trump Says Navy Has Cleared Iranian Mines From Strait of Hormuz › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. Navy has cleared all remaining mines from international waters in the Strait of Hormuz, while warning Iran that any attempt to deploy new mines will draw an immediate military response.

Iran placed mines in the strategically critical waterway during its ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel, disrupting maritime traffic through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.

“I have just been informed by the United States Navy that all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump warned Tehran that the United States would enforce a “Zero Tolerance” policy against renewed mining operations.

“Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed,” Trump said.

Trump sends Saudi civil nuclear agreement to Congress for review– www.france24.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Trump sends Saudi civil nuclear agreement to Congress for review– www.france24.com
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EXCERPT:

President Donald Trump has submitted to Congress for review an agreement with Saudi Arabia aimed at bolstering the kingdom’s civilian nuclear program, but continues to insist that it won’t move forward if Saudi Arabia doesn’t normalise relations with Israel, according to a Trump administration official.

The classified document was submitted to Capitol Hill on Monday as required by the Atomic Energy Act, according to the administration official, a congressional aide, and two others familiar with the matter. All four spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly on the classified matter.

The agreement was signedlast month in Washington by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart. But the next day, Trump announced he was requiring the Saudis to normalise relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords as part of the pact — raising doubts that the agreement would come to fruition.

Neither the administration official nor the others familiar with the matter would comment on whether Trump’s call for the Saudis to join the accords is detailed in the classified document submitted for the congressional review.

South Korea says Russian military planes entered its air defence zone– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

South Korea says Russian military planes entered its air defence zone– www.channelnewsasia.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

SEOUL: South Korea said on Wednesday (Aug 25) it had scrambled fighter jets in response to Russian military aircraft entering its air defence zone, the second such incursion in weeks.

The relationship between the countries has worsened since South Korea joined Western sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and since Moscow built stronger ties with North Korea.

Seoul’s defence ministry said multiple Russian aircraft had entered and then left its air defence identification zone over the East Sea, also called the Sea of Japan.

“South Korea’s military detected the Russian aircraft before they entered the zone and deployed Air Force fighter jets to prepare for any contingency,” it said, without giving details.

The Russian aircraft did not violate South Korean airspace, it said.

Israeli soldiers block Knesset member from besieged Palestinian home | Israel-Palestine conflict News– www.aljazeera.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Israeli soldiers block Knesset member from besieged Palestinian home | Israel-Palestine conflict News– www.aljazeera.com
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EXCERPT:

Israeli soldiers blocked Knesset member Ofer Cassif from reaching a Palestinian family home in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra, where settlers have maintained a 17-day siege. Cassif eventually reached the families and expressed his support.

MS NOW Blowhard Falls for Iranian Propaganda Ghostwritten in the U.S.– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

MS NOW Blowhard Falls for Iranian Propaganda Ghostwritten in the U.S.– www.newsbusters.org
News Source
EXCERPT:

So committed is MS NOW to the parroting of Trump-deranged talking points that the network is now enthusiastically promoting Iranian propaganda. On some shows, they’ll even “analyze” Iranian propaganda.

Watch as resident MS NOW bloviator Lawrence O’Donnell fawns over the knowledge of American culture contained within a tweet published on the account of Iran’s Speaker Ghalibaf:

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: The most striking response to Scott Bessent’s childish threat came from the Speaker of Iran’s parliament who taught Natalie Harp and Donald Trump a thing or two today about devastatingly effective social media posting, exhibiting a fluency in American culture that no one in the Trump White House has with Iranian culture.

The speaker of Iran’s parliament actually tweeted this: “Him: ‘Economic D-Day.’ Also him, five seconds later, LOL. ‘Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?’ Sir, this ain’t Normandy, this is improv night and you forgot your own script.”

Leading off our discussions tonight is Ben Rhodes, former Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama and an MS NOW political and national security analyst. He is the author of All We Say, The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches.Ben, please help me with this. Who are these people? Who in Iran could possibly have written that tweet? “Improv night, uh, LOL”, these, these, this is presumably someone who’s never been to the United States. I mean, most, most people in the Iranian regime in their lifetimes have never been to the United States. How do they get this kind of fluency in our culture?

Satellite Images Reveal Possible Cause Behind Devastating Nepal Flash Floods– www.ndtv.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Satellite Images Reveal Possible Cause Behind Devastating Nepal Flash Floods– www.ndtv.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

In a preliminary satellite analysis, Planet Labs released images that reveal visual evidence of the destruction caused by floods in Nepal that killed at least 46.

Several others, including 108 Indians, are missing, as the flash flood hit Nepal on Wednesday, washing away villages and many project sites in a region bordering Tibet.

Nepal’s disaster authority (NDRRMA) described that a chunk of snow and rock broke off near the glacier zone on the Nepal-China border, about 20km northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border crossing.

That avalanche either fell into a glacial lake or blocked the river channel, and the resulting surge, carrying glacial ice, meltwater and debris — “glacier-inclusive flood” — swept down the Lhende Khola into the Bhote Koshi river.

Mongolia positions itself as Asia’s next data centre hub– www.euronews.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Mongolia positions itself as Asia’s next data centre hub– www.euronews.com
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EXCERPT:

Mongolia is positioning itself as a global data centre hub, signing agreements for 863 megawatts of data centre capacity on the sidelines of a United Nations conference on desertification that brought 197 delegations to Ulaanbaatar this month.

The move to attract data centre investment was the most concrete economic outcome of the 12-day COP17 conference of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, where delegates are discussing how to restore land degraded by climate change.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Togmid Dorjkhand, Mongolia has three main competitive advantages: cheap renewable energy, a cold climate that reduces cooling costs, and a vast land area and stable legal framework.

“We have a lot of energy generation potential, above the ground and under the ground and we have all kinds of deposits, uranium and coal and other resources,” Togmid told Euronews.

“And yes, we are a very cold country, eight months a year are very cold. Cold weather is important for the data centres because they need a lot of cooling, so the colder the weather the more you save on cooling.”

Russia, Ukraine working toward new large POW exchange — ombudswoman – Russian Politics & Diplomacy– tass.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Russia, Ukraine working toward new large POW exchange — ombudswoman – Russian Politics & Diplomacy– tass.com
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EXCERPT:

MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. Russia and Ukraine are currently working to agree on lists for another “quite large” prisoner of war exchange, Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova told TASS.

“We are preparing another quite large [POW] swap, with lists being agreed,” Lantratova said.

A previous major POW exchange took place on August 19 when Russia returned 103 servicemen from the Kiev-controlled territory and handed over 103 prisoners of war to Ukraine. The Pervy Informatsionny television channel of Belarus reported on August 24 that Russia and Ukraine carried out a ten-for-ten prisoner exchange in Belarus’s southeasternmost Gomel Region.

 

Iran, Oman Discuss Temporary Hormuz Corridor As Impasse With US Drags On– www.ndtv.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Iran, Oman Discuss Temporary Hormuz Corridor As Impasse With US Drags On– www.ndtv.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

 Iran said it had restarted talks with neighbor Oman to manage the Strait of Hormuz as it faces heightened economic pressure from US President Donald Trump in the wider conflict.

Iran and Oman have been in on-and-off talks for weeks about controlling traffic through the strategic waterway, which handled one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war began in February.

Most shipping has been shut down since then.

The two countries said on Tuesday that they discussed “a joint temporary navigational corridor” through the strait and agreed to clear it of mines.

Trump said all mines in the strait had been cleared, repeating comments that he has previously made.

Inquest opens into death of ex-Cambridge University professor Jason Arday– abcnews.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Inquest opens into death of ex-Cambridge University professor Jason Arday– abcnews.com
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EXCERPT:

LONDON — An inquest opened Wednesday into the sudden death earlier this month of Jason Arday, a Cambridge University professor who faced a storm of plagiarism accusations.

Arday, 41, who became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor in 2023, was found dead at an address in south London on Aug. 13, days after he resigned his post as professor of sociology of education following intense media scrutiny of his credentials and many of the other claims he had made about his accomplishments outside of academia.

The inquest opened with a short hearing at London Inner South Coroner’s Court. Any deaths in the U.K. that are deemed to exhibit uncertainties of one form or another are investigated by a coroner.

“The various reports have given me reason to suspect that Professor Arday died an unnatural death 12 days ago,” said senior coroner Dr. Julian Morris. “It therefore follows that I must open an investigation.”

Police said at the time of his death that it was being treated as “unexpected” but not suspicious.

Questions about Arday’s qualifications were raised publicly last month by Nathan Cofnas, a one-time Cambridge philosophy researcher who left the university after his critique of diversity, equity and inclusion programs sparked widespread protests. Cofnas previously argued that in a meritocracy, Black people “would disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment.” Cofnas was last week suspended from his post at Ghent University in Belgium.

Iran War Half Drags On

pgnewser August 21, 2026 1

The on-again, off-again (and not-quite, but nearly) ceasefire trend of the Iran War continues. President Trump has cut off all negotiations with Iran, however, and is calling on Iran to surrender. The administration announced plans to step up its economic war against Iran. The administration also claims it has mostly re-opened the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump declared, “ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities ⁠to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences.”

Iran war live: Tehran accuses Trump of ‘economic terrorism’ – The Independent
News Source

EXCERPT:

Iran has accused US president Donald Trump of threatening “economic terrorism” after the US treasury said it would introduce the “toughest sanctions in history” against Tehran.

Trump has promised to wage “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale”, suggesting the US will extend sanctions to allies that have helped mediate peace ‌talks.