World
Japan's Defense Minister and Three Other Cabinet Ministers Visit Yasukuni Shrine; China and South Korea Lodge Protests
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi was among four cabinet ministers who visited the Tokyo shrine on the 81st anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stayed away and sent a ritual offering.
Ukraine Offers Russia a Mutual Halt to Black Sea Attacks on Civilian Ships; Moscow's Foreign Ministry Says It Sees No Grounds for It
Kyiv passed the offer to Moscow through a third country on August 13; Russian officials first said no formal proposal had arrived, then dismissed the idea a day later.
UAE Says Iranian Drones Struck Two ADNOC-Linked Vessels in Strait of Hormuz on Aug. 14
The UAE called the strikes acts of piracy by Iran's Revolutionary Guard; they were the latest in a series of attacks during an ongoing U.S.-Iran war in which the strait has been largely closed since early 2026.
NATO Jets Shoot Down Drone Over Eastern Latvia; Origin Not Yet Confirmed
Latvia's military says Russian electronic jamming pushed a foreign drone across its border early on August 14; NATO says it cannot yet say whether the aircraft was Russian or Ukrainian.
Venezuela's Government Says It Moved 131 Political Prisoners Out of Jail; Opposition Group Verified 43
The acting government of Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's former vice president, granted 131 detainees "alternative measures" short of full freedom, and rights group Foro Penal counts 391 still held.
U.S. Ambassador Huckabee Calls Israeli Settler Siege of Palestinian Homes in Qusra a 'Horrific Act of Terror'
Settlers blocked three homes in the West Bank village of Qusra, including one owned by a Palestinian American, and Israel's military says it dismantled two illegal outposts and detained one Israeli.
Putin Visits Disputed Kuril Island of Iturup; Japan Summons Russian Ambassador
Putin toured a fish plant, hospital and school on Iturup on August 13, 2026 — his first trip to the island chain — and Japan's foreign ministry summoned Russia's ambassador to protest.
China and Indonesia Complete First Joint Naval Exercise in Waters East of Taiwan; Taipei Condemns It, Jakarta Calls It Routine
China's Eastern Theater Command said a Chinese frigate and an Indonesian frigate finished a "maritime passage exercise" east of Taiwan on August 12; Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council called it a military provocation, while Indonesia's navy described it as a routine passing drill.
Ukraine Says Strike on Russia's Novorossiysk Naval Base Damaged Four Warships; Russian Officials Report Three Killed
Kyiv says drones, Neptune missiles and uncrewed boats hit Black Sea Fleet ships and port piers on August 12; Moscow says air defenses downed 502 drones and that a child was among the dead.
Houthi Missile and Drone Attacks on Yemen's al-Makha Port Kill at Least 18 Over Two Days; Saudi Official Says Coordinated Strikes Are Expected
Yemen's internationally recognized government reported 11 dead on August 9 and seven more on August 10 in strikes on the Red Sea port, as a senior Saudi official said Riyadh expects joint attacks by Houthi and Iraqi armed groups.
Zelensky Says Russia Has Decided to Bring 30,000 to 50,000 North Korean Troops Onto Its Territory
Ukraine's president made the claim on August 9 and said Russia has also received a new batch of North Korean ballistic missiles; Moscow and Pyongyang have not confirmed the figure, and Seoul has again declined to send weapons to Ukraine.
Russia Frees U.S. Marine Veteran Robert Gilman Under a Putin Pardon; State Department Says No Prisoner Exchange Took Place
Robert Gilman, 32, held in Russia since January 2022 on assault convictions his family disputes, was released on humanitarian grounds after talks between the Trump administration and Moscow and landed at Joint Base Andrews on Aug. 11, 2026.