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- Trump directs Pentagon to reduce military exercises with South Korea after its refusal to aid Iran’s denuclearisation efforts
- One dead as Hurricane Lala hits Hawaii with 91mph winds and heavy rain
- Belgium battles historic wildfire as heat fuels blazes across Europe
- Search continues for missing pilot in Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes region
- Transcript of Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb on Face the Nation, Aug. 16, 2026
- Influencers risk lives for shark photos amid warnings from scientists
- Ukraine launches drones targeting military and energy sites in Russia
- Top US commander visits USS Lincoln amid sailors’ morale concerns
A Black Lives Matters protest in London regarding Chris Kaba.
Looks like the white, middle class organisers forget to invite any black people.
In the wake of death of UK political prisoner, Peter Lynch, who was fast tracked into prison for essentially shouting in the street.
The grandfather was ultimately sentenced to death.
Pakistani family who attacked police at Manchester Airport, STILL haven't even been charged.
Tiny ‘Black Lives Matter’ crowd gathers outside the Old Bailey courtrooms to protest the not guilty verdict of the police officer who shot violent criminal Chris Kaba.
Kaba rammed his car repeatedly into armed police officers’ cars.
BLM is finished in the UK.
UK public borrowing exceeds official forecast in September
Government borrowing overshot official projections in September, which is a sign of the difficult fiscal position that the Chancellor faces as she puts the finishing touches on her first tax and spending budget.
August 17, 2026
1:00 am
Get you up to speed: Trump orders scale-back of military exercises with South Korea after refusal to help with Iran’s denuclearization
President Trump announced on Sunday that he has ordered the Pentagon to significantly reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing the country’s recent refusal to join U.S. efforts to denuclearise Iran. The exercises, involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers, are designed to enhance readiness against threats from North Korea.
President Trump has directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to significantly reduce joint military exercises with South Korea due to their perceived costs and implications for North Korea. The exercises, which have included participation from 18,000 South Korean soldiers, were initially intended to enhance readiness against North Korean threats and have been scheduled for 11 days.
President Trump stated that he has requested Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing their high cost and the perception of hostility toward North Korea. North Korea responded by threatening unspecified actions against the U.S. and South Korea, labelling the exercises a “rehearsal for an aggressive war,” fuelling further regional instability.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain how much the reduction in military exercises will impact U.S.-North Korea relations.
Trump directs Pentagon to reduce military exercises with South Korea after its refusal to aid Iran’s denuclearisation efforts
President Trump announced Sunday that he has ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, saying that the country recently declined to join the U.S. effort to denuclearize Iran.
Mr. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the exercises are costly and they “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which has been “unthreatening and respectful” as long as he has been president.
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” Mr. Trump said.
The president said “it is too late to cancel” the joint military exercises, adding that he ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” them.
Mr. Trump also said that he “recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and the country declined.
However, he said his decision to reduce military partnership with South Korea is “somewhat unrelated.”
The 11 days of exercises involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers were designed to beef up readiness against North Korean threats.
North Korea on Friday threatened unspecified stern steps against the U.S. and South Korea, describing their military drills as a “a rehearsal for an aggressive war” that are triggering greater instability in the region.
The warning was typical of the harsh rhetoric that North Korea often deploys ahead of major U.S.-South Korean military exercises. Experts say North Korea has often used its rivals’ drills as a pretext to ramp up testing activities to expand its weapons arsenal and promote public support for leader Kim Jong Un.
U.S. and South Korean forces were expected to practice joint operations in complex scenarios, including a live-fire exercise to test joint precision targeting and manoeuvre, a wet gap crossing, and distribution of prepositioned military equipment, according to the U.S. military.
The U.S. military has said the exercise “reinforces the role of the alliance as the linchpin for regional peace and security” and reaffirms “the ironclad commitment between the United States and the Republic of Korea to defend their homelands.”
Mr. Trump met with the reclusive North Korean leader three times during his first term to discuss the country’s nuclear program, most recently in 2019. “I believe North Korea has tremendous potential,” Mr. Trump said at the time.
Since returning to office, President Trump has expressed interest in continuing those discussions.
His announcement came a day after he posted a photo of himself standing next to North Korea’s Kim, writing that the two leaders get along great “despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture.”
This is not the first time that Mr. Trump has sought to end the exercises. During his first term, he also issued a surprise announcement that called the war games “provocative.”
“We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money, unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should,” Mr. Trump told reporters after his 2018 meeting with Kim Jong Un in Singapore.
August 17, 2026
1:00 am
August 17, 2026
12:00 am
Get you up to speed: At least one dead after Hurricane Lala lashes Hawaii with 91mph winds | News World
Hurricane Lala impacted Hawaii, resulting in at least one confirmed death due to a car accident as the storm brought strong winds and heavy rainfall. Over 60,000 residents are without power, and two homes in Naalehu have been destroyed by floods.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts that Hurricane Lala will continue to impact the region into Sunday, while 60,000 residents remain without power due to the storm’s effects. Hilo International Airport and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport have both been closed, resulting in the postponement of 190 flights.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green confirmed the death of one individual due to a car accident caused by Hurricane Lala’s severe weather, while county mayor Kimo Alameda urged residents via Facebook to prioritise safety and shelter in place. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that residents should have completed preparations to protect life and property, as warnings remain in effect for multiple Hawaiian islands while Lala continues to weaken.
What remains unclear — It is not known how many individuals were affected by the power outages or if further fatalities have occurred.
One dead as Hurricane Lala hits Hawaii with 91mph winds and heavy rain
At least one person has died after Hurricane Lala pelted Hawaii with strong winds and torrential rain.
The core of the first tropical storm to form in the central Pacific this year ‘brushed’ just south of Big Island yesterday.
Lala brought with it winds of up to 91mph, dumped 25 inches of rain on the island, and whipped up a 3ft storm surge, a change in sea level.
One person died in a ‘terrible car accident’ as the storm rolled by, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said.
County mayor Kimo Alameda urged residents on Facebook this morning to ‘stay home, stay sheltered, stay safe!’ as the storm now pulls back.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned yesterday evening that the ‘damaging’ Category 1 hurricane will continue Sunday.
More than 60,000 are without power and two homes in Naalehu have been swept away by ‘life-threatening’ floods, Honolulu-Star Advertiser reports.
A vehicle drives near a downed utility pole dangling above Mamalahoa Highway (Picture: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle/AP)
A young green sea turtle fills up on grass as ocean waters rise (Picture: AFP)
Hurricane Lala’ rolled past Hawaii’s Big Island yesterday (Picture: Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock)
At least one person has died in the storm (Picture: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle)
Mudslides are a major worry among those living around Mauna Kea volcano, where many live off the grid and in ramshackle homes.
The weather agency added: ‘Preparations to protect life and property should now be complete.’
Lala will begin to weaken as it passes south of the smaller main Hawaiian Islands, though it may strengthen next week.
Maui, Molokai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Lanai, Kauai and Ni’ihau remain under tropical storm warnings, while most of the islands are at risk of floods.
‘I think stocking up is part of life over here’
Big Island, home to 210,000, is Hawaii’s largest island.
Locals began to hunker down on Friday, packing into gymnasiums, courthouses and schools-turned-shelters, emptying supermarkets of food, petrol and sandbags and tying posessions down, according to Hawaii News Now.
Bobby Camara, 75, told The Associated Press that he planned to shelter, ‘cross my fingers and hope the lights don’t go out’ at his care home in Hilo.
‘I think stocking up is part of life over here,’ he said, adding: ‘You learn to be self-reliant.’
Hawaiians have stocked up on supplies, including sandbags (Picture: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chroni)
Mike Caputo, who lives in Keaau on Big Island’s east coast, said albizia, a common large tree, is so brittle that the storm may easily down it.
‘They can make roads impassable,’ he added.
Nearly 40 roads have been shut due to mudslides and trees and power lines torn down by the winds, county officials said.
Christine Matsuda, who lives in Waimea, said the gusts have ‘rattled’ her home.
‘We’re finding unexpected leaks in places that don’t see water under normal conditions,’ she said.
Hilo International Airport (ITO) and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) were closed yesterday, postponing 190 flights.
A notice on their websites says: ‘Due to the declared state of emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Lala, travellers are strongly advised to check directly with their airline for the most up-to-date status and travel advisories.’
Hurricanes are circular storms that form over warm waters, with very low air pressure at the centre. Unlike a typhoon, they form in the North Atlantic, the northeastern Pacific, the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico.
Only 19 hurricanes have passed within 100 miles of Hawaii, most during periods of El Niño, a weather system that blows warm ocean water west.
Dozens of roads are closed (Picture: AFP)
Lala’s path as of Friday (Picture: National Hurricane Center)
Lala curdled from a tropical storm into a hurricane (Picture: NOAA/AFP/Getty Images)
Lala would have been the first hurricane to make landfall in 34 years if initial projections were correct.
The hurricane rolled onto the island two days after Kīlauea, a volcano along the southeastern shore of Hawaii Island, erupted.
For some 10 hours, lava flowed and spurts reached 500ft, with officials warning another episode is likely.
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