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generated MONDAY AUGUST 17 2026
intl affairs

Trump envoy meets Netanyahu to push Gaza peace plan

US President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is seeking Israeli backing for a US-backed Gaza peace plan after meeting with Hamas officials and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is seeking Israeli backing for the US-backed Gaza peace plan. He met with Hamas leaders and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem to salvage the ceasefire. The meeting comes as tensions rise between Israel, Hamas, and Iran over the Iran nuclear deal.

Location · Jerusalem

Jerusalem · 31.80, 35.20

In depth · 3 key facts
  • Jared Kushner met with Hamas leaders and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
  • Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it 'gets in the way' of Iran deal as Kushner meets Netanyahu.
  • Kushner and Netanyahu agreed on Gaza's demilitarization should start with a weapons hand-over.

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8 sources · BBC News World, The Guardian World, Al Jazeera, NBC, ABC News International, PBS NewsHour World
  • BBC News World — Trump envoy Kushner meets Netanyahu after Hamas talks on peace plan
  • The Guardian World — Can Trump’s peace plan for Gaza be saved? – The Latest
  • The Guardian World — Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it ‘gets in the way’ of Iran deal as Kushner meets Netanyahu – Middle East crisis live
  • Al Jazeera — Why Kushner met Hamas leaders, and what it means for Trump’s Gaza roadmap
  • The Guardian World — Jared Kushner meets with Hamas ahead of talks with Netanyahu on Gaza
  • NBC — Kushner and Netanyahu agree U.S. general should oversee Hamas ‘demilitarization,’ source tells NBC News
  • ABC News International — Kushner has a rare meeting with Hamas' leader on the Gaza road map. A meeting with Netanyahu is next
  • PBS NewsHour World — Kushner has rare meeting with Hamas' leader on Gaza road map. A meeting with Netanyahu is next
defense

Trump orders cuts to US-South Korea military drills

Republican Senator Thom Tillis says Trump's decision allows North Korea to provide more support to Russia in Ukraine. Democratic Senator Jack Reed slammed 'another inane, haphazard decision' after Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back military drills with South Korea aimed at deterring North Korea.

In depth · 1 key facts
  • Republican Senator Thom Tillis criticized President Trump for scaling back military drills with South Korea, saying it allows North Korea to provide more support to Russia in Ukraine.

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7 sources · Al Jazeera, The Guardian World, BBC News World, PBS NewsHour World
  • Al Jazeera — Democrats rebuke Trump over scaling back military drills with South Korea
  • The Guardian World — Top Democrat slams Trump’s ‘inane, haphazard’ cuts to US-South Korea drills – live
  • Al Jazeera — Trump scales down war games with South Korea: Why it matters
  • Al Jazeera — Trump orders US to scale back South Korea military drills
  • The Guardian World — Trump orders cuts to South Korea joint drills despite warnings about Kim regime
  • BBC News World — Trump says US to reduce military drills with South Korea after it stayed out of Iran war
  • PBS NewsHour World — Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea

disasters · 5

health

Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo reaches deadliest point

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now killed over 2,300 people, making it the country's worst and deadliest on record. The outbreak is already the fastest growing on record, caused by a rare species of Ebola called Bundibugyo.

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3 sources · ABC News International, The Guardian World, BBC News World
  • ABC News International — Congo's fast-moving Ebola outbreak becomes the country's worst with over 2,300 dead
  • The Guardian World — Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo now deadliest in country’s history
  • BBC News World — Ebola outbreak in DR Congo becomes deadliest in its history
environment

Hawaii Hurricane Destroys Homes, Leaves Thousands Without Power

A rare hurricane in Hawaii pummeled the Big Island and Maui over the weekend, causing widespread damage and leaving thousands without power. The storm downgraded to a tropical storm after killing one person and stranding tourists.

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2 sources · NBC, The Guardian Environment
  • NBC — Rare Hurricane in Hawaii Destroys Homes, Knocks Out Power
  • The Guardian Environment — Lala weakens to tropical storm as it lashes Hawaii with heavy wind and rain

Colombian President Asks Trump to Suspend Tariffs for Earthquake Recovery

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has asked U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend tariffs on Colombian goods to help the country recover from a devastating earthquake that struck earlier this month.

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2 sources · PBS NewsHour World, ABC News International
  • PBS NewsHour World — Colombian president asks Trump to suspend tariffs to help earthquake recovery
  • ABC News International — Colombian president asks Trump to suspend tariffs to help earthquake recovery

Zimbabwe ferry disaster kills 84 as bodies continue to be recovered

Authorities in Zimbabwe are searching for more bodies after an overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba, killing at least 84 people. The death toll has reached 68, with 22 more bodies recovered.

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2 sources · ABC News International, The Guardian World
  • ABC News International — 12 more bodies are recovered in Zimbabwe's ferry disaster, bringing death toll to 84
  • The Guardian World — Zimbabwe boat accident death toll hits 68 as 22 more bodies recovered

Bus crash kills 12 people in Hungary

A passenger bus traveling on a highway in Hungary early Sunday went off the road and into a ditch where it overturned, killing 12 and injuring at least 10 others. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning.

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2 sources · BBC News World, ABC News International

ai · 4

business

Nvidia Invests $1.5B in SoftBank Data Center Developer for OpenAI

Nvidia has agreed to invest up to $105 billion in SoftBank's SB Energy to support a new Ohio data center campus, which will house an OpenAI data center. This investment ensures that Nvidia's chips will power the facility.

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3 sources · TechCrunch, Techmeme
  • TechCrunch — Nvidia investing $1.5B in SoftBank data center developer behind OpenAI project
  • Techmeme — Filing: Nvidia agrees to spend up to $105B to support SB Energy's new Ohio data center campus OpenAI is set to lease; Nvidia agrees to invest $1.5B in SB Energy (Bloomberg)
  • Techmeme — OpenAI signs a 20-year, 10GW data center deal in Ohio with SoftBank's SB Energy; Nvidia agrees to backstop a portion of the value of the completed data center (Anissa Gardizy/Wall Street Journal)
tech

Anthropic Clarifies Claude’s Invisible Watermark Implementation

AI company Anthropic has announced how it plans to apply invisible watermarks to Claude-generated text in compliance with Europe's AI transparency rules. The watermarking process will be detailed on Friday, and the technology is designed to ensure that any new models of Anthropic's AI assistant Claude are transparent.

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3 sources · The Verge, NPR Technology, TechCrunch
  • The Verge — Anthropic explains how Claude’s invisible text watermarks will work
  • NPR Technology — Anthropic's new invisible watermark marks content generated by AI chatbot Claude
  • TechCrunch — Anthropic shares more details about how Claude’s new watermarks will work
business

Wispr raises $280M at $2B valuation, aiming to expand beyond dictation

Voice AI startup Wispr has raised a $280 million Series B funding round, bringing its total investment to over $361 million. The company plans to expand into new markets and services beyond dictation.

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2 sources · TechCrunch, Techmeme
  • TechCrunch — Wispr raises $280M at $2B valuation as it looks beyond dictation
  • Techmeme — Voice AI startup Wispr raised a $280M Series B led by Menlo Ventures at a $2B valuation, taking its total funding to $361M, and now has 100K business customers (Allie Garfinkle/Fortune)
tech

OpenAI Disbands Preparedness Team Amid Restructuring

OpenAI reportedly disbanded its preparedness team as part of a restructuring process. The job of the team was to assess if models posed serious risks, according to reports from Engadget and The Verge.

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2 sources · Engadget, The Verge
  • Engadget — OpenAI reportedly disbanded its preparedness team as part of a 'streamlining' process
  • The Verge — OpenAI reportedly disbanded its preparedness team

culture · 4

crime

Italian museum heist: Four Renaissance artworks stolen overnight

Thieves bypassed alarm and security systems at Sicilian MuMe museum during an Italian holiday. Art expert estimates value at $81 million to $92 million, raising suspicion of a professional hit.

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3 sources · ABC News International, PBS NewsHour World, BBC News World
  • ABC News International — Thieves steal 4 Renaissance artworks in Sicilian museum heist
  • PBS NewsHour World — Thieves steal 4 Renaissance artworks in a Sicilian museum heist during an Italian holiday
  • BBC News World — Four 'extraordinary' Renaissance paintings stolen from Italian museum
general

Britain's Princess Eugenie names new daughter Adelaide Elizabeth Annina

British royal princess Eugenie has announced her first child, naming her Adelaide Elizabeth Annina. The announcement was made on social media platforms.

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2 sources · ABC News International, AP News
  • ABC News International — Britain's Princess Eugenie names new daughter Adelaide Elizabeth Annina
  • AP News — Britain’s Princess Eugenie names new daughter Adelaide Elizabeth Annina

Bonnie Tyler's Welsh funeral draws thousands of mourners

Hundreds of people attended Bonnie Tyler's funeral in Swansea, Wales, where she was remembered as a global star. Many attendees shared stories of meeting or knowing her, and her music continues to resonate with fans around the world.

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2 sources · AP News, The Guardian World
  • AP News — Bonnie Tyler is remembered as worldwide star at her Welsh funeral
  • The Guardian World — ‘She never forgot where she came from’: Bonnie Tyler mourners turn out for Swansea service
tech

Disney's D23 fan event showcases new Marvel movies and trailers

Ars Technica and CNET report on Disney's annual fan event, which featured trailers for VisionQuest, Ahsoka S2, Doom'sday, and news about the MCU's X-Men and Star Wars: Starfighter. Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds also begged to be cast in Avengers: Doomsday.

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2 sources · Ars Technica, CNET
  • Ars Technica — VisionQuest trailer kicks off Disney's D23 fan event
  • CNET — X-Men Cast, VisionQuest Trailer: All the Big Marvel News Out of D23

elections · 2

general

Brazil's Lula and Bolsonaro launch presidential bids

Brazil’s leftwing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is launching his historic fourth term bid against far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro’s son Flávio Bolsonaro has also entered the race, challenging Lula in key battleground states.

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3 sources · Al Jazeera, ABC News International, The Guardian World
  • Al Jazeera — Lula and Bolsonaro’s son launch rival bids for Brazil presidency
  • ABC News International — Brazil's Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro return to their strongholds to kick off presidential campaigns
  • The Guardian World — Brazil’s Lula launches historic fourth term bid – but son of jailed Bolsonaro stands in his way
general

Democrats set their 2028 primary calendar

The Democratic Party has unveiled its new presidential primary calendar, with South Carolina leading the pack. The plan aims to prioritize Black and Latino voters and labor in choosing the party's nominee for the 2028 election.

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2 sources · NPR News & Politics, NBC
  • NPR News & Politics — Politics chat: Democrats take lessons from the primaries, set 2028 calendar
  • NBC — Democrats set their 2028 primary calendar, with South Carolina going first

crime · 2

immigration

Moroccan security forces arrest nearly 300 migrants trying to reach Spain's Ceuta

Moroccan police have arrested hundreds of migrants attempting to enter Ceuta by land and sea in recent days. The latest attempt comes two weeks after tens of thousands of would-be migrants, driven by poverty and misinformation, rushed toward the enclave during one of the deadliest migration crises.

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3 sources · PBS NewsHour World, ABC News International, The Guardian World
  • PBS NewsHour World — Moroccan security forces arrest nearly 300 migrants trying to reach Spain's Ceuta
  • ABC News International — Moroccan security forces arrest nearly 300 migrants trying to reach Spain’s Ceuta
  • The Guardian World — Moroccan police arrest more than 100 people attempting to enter Ceuta

Tupac Murder Trial Set to Begin in New York

A now 63-year-old man is on trial for the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur. Opening statements are set to begin Monday.

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2 sources · NBC, BBC News World
  • NBC — Jury in Tupac Murder Trial Set to Hear Opening Statements
  • BBC News World — 'I want my brother back' - Tupac’s brother tells BBC murder trial won’t bring justice

tech · 2

Apple to change data consent prompts after German regulator's complaint

A German regulator has accused Apple of giving its own apps more favorable consent prompts than those of third-party developers. As a result, Apple is reportedly planning to make changes to its rules for data collection consent prompts.

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2 sources · Techmeme, The Verge
  • Techmeme — A German regulator says Apple will make changes to ATT after finding it gave Apple's apps more favorable consent prompts than those of third-party developers (Reuters)
  • The Verge — Apple ordered to stop scaring iPhone and iPad users away from third-party apps

GitHub outage affects global software development

GitHub, a popular platform for software developers, has experienced widespread downtime affecting its website, API, Actions, Pull Requests, and other services worldwide. The company confirmed the outage at 13:40 UTC on Mayank Parmar/BleepingComputer.

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2 sources · Engadget, Techmeme
  • Engadget — GitHub has been down for most of the morning
  • Techmeme — Microsoft says GitHub is down worldwide, with its website, API, Actions, Pull Requests, and other services impacted; GitHub confirmed the outage at 13:40 UTC (Mayank Parmar/BleepingComputer)

defense · 2

intl affairs

U.S.-Iran MOU expires without agreement; Israeli strikes kill 11 in Lebanon

The United States-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has expired without a formal agreement. In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 11 people.

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2 sources · Drop Site News, Al Jazeera
  • Drop Site News — U.S.-Iran MOU expires without agreement; Israeli strikes kill 11 in Lebanon; DNC votes to abolish ICE
  • Al Jazeera — US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding expires: How and why it fell apart

Trump's Loose Grip on Reality Could Sink the Navy's Ships

The Nation reports that Jeet Heer criticizes President Trump's handling of military affairs, citing his loose grip on reality and potential impact on the Navy's ships.

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2 sources · The Nation, AlterNet
  • The Nation — Trump's Loose Grip on Reality Could Sink the Navy's Ships
  • AlterNet — Trump administration told to stop gaslighting military families

war · 2

energy

Ukraine Energy Company Reports Multiple Russian Strikes on Facilities

Ukraine's state energy company has reported 13 attacks by Russia over the past week, with nearly 300 total strikes this year. Kyiv has stepped up its aerial attacks on Russia, including long-range missiles and swarms of drones targeting military industries and energy facilities.

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2 sources · ABC News International, PBS NewsHour World
  • ABC News International — Ukraine energy company says its facilities seriously damaged after 13 Russian strikes
  • PBS NewsHour World — Ukraine launches one of its largest aerial attacks of the war, killing at least 6 people in Russia

Russia-Ukraine deadly strikes escalate

Moscow reports nine deaths in past 24 hours; Ukraine launches hundreds of drones across Russia, killing at least six people in Kyiv's largest aerial attack.

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2 sources · BBC News World, ABC News International
  • BBC News World — Russia and Ukraine trade more deadly strikes
  • ABC News International — Ukraine launches one of its largest aerial attacks of the war, killing at least 6 people in Russia

Around the World · 5

environment

Belgium wildfires force evacuations as EU sends assistance

Belgium's Kinshasa region is hit by a massive wildfire that has burned over 104 square miles in the High Fens nature reserve. Belgium and Spain are receiving assistance from France, with firefighters battling the blaze. The fire has forced hundreds to evacuate their homes.

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3 sources · The Guardian Environment, PBS NewsHour World, ABC News International
  • The Guardian Environment — French PM booed on visit to wildfire-affected region as EU sends assistance to Belgium and Spain – as it happened
  • PBS NewsHour World — Firefighters battle massive wildfires in Belgium and Greece as 2 die on an island near Athens
  • ABC News International — Firefighters battle massive Belgian wildfire, forcing hundreds to evacuate
courts

Meta faces $1.4 trillion reckoning in child privacy trial

Four states are suing Meta for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) over social media addiction and mental health risks, with dozens of states accusing the company of hooking children.

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3 sources · Engadget, NPR Technology, BBC News Tech
  • Engadget — Meta faces a $1.4 trillion reckoning in latest trial over social media addiction
  • NPR Technology — Meta heads to court in a landmark trial about kids and social media addiction
  • BBC News Tech — Instagram and Facebook could change forever if Meta loses child privacy trial
business

Ukraine attacks online retailer Wildberries, shaking its $8.1 billion fortune

Day after day over recent weeks, Ukrainian drones have pummeled giant depots belonging to Wildberries, Ukraine's biggest online retailer, burning estimated billions of dollars worth of goods. The strikes have shaken the empire founded by Tatyana Kim, the country's richest female entrepreneur, whose fortune was an estimated $8.1 billion before the strikes began.

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2 sources · PBS NewsHour World, ABC News International
  • PBS NewsHour World — Ukraine takes aim at Russia's economy and morale by attacking online retailer Wildberries
  • ABC News International — Ukraine takes aim at Russia’s economy and morale by attacking online retailer
intelligence

ICE Spied on Activists and Unions in Minnesota After ICE Killings

Federal documents reveal an expansive surveillance program launched by the federal government against activists, labor unions, community groups after ICE killings. Documents show an agent volunteered to build tools for 'direct-action' protests.

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2 sources · Democracy Now!, The Intercept
  • Democracy Now! — "Operation Puppet Master": Trump Admin Spied on Minnesota Activists & Unions After ICE Killings
  • The Intercept — Secret ICE Agent Tried to “Entice” Minneapolis Activists Into Confrontational Tactics
health

Trump's Medicaid Rule Threatens Trans Youth Care

The Trump administration's new Medicaid rule, which threatens to limit access to care for transgender youth, gives states time to challenge it in court. A Republican living in California says the move takes a personal toll.

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2 sources · Truthout, NPR News & Politics
  • Truthout — Trump’s Medicaid Rule Threatens Trans Youth Care. States Can Still Fight Back
  • NPR News & Politics — 'What are we going to do?' The mom of a trans teen grapples with Trump's Medicaid move