[2026-08-17 08:01 UTC+10:00] [ASIA PACIFIC] [Factuality: 95]

Source: The Japan Times

Title: Trump orders ‘inappropriate’ U.S.-South Korean military drills scaled back

Snippet: U.S. President Donald Trump said he was scaling back “costly” and “inappropriate” joint military exercises with South Korea scheduled to start Monday.

Read full article: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08/17/asia-pacific/politics/us-south-korea-military-exercises-trump/

[2026-08-17 07:57 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: New York Post

Title: Trump instructs Pentagon to reduce military exercises with South Korea

Snippet: See more of our coverage in your search results.

Read full article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/world-news/trump-instructs-pentagon-to-reduce-military-exercises-with-south-korea/

[2026-08-17 07:37 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: AP News

Title: Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea

Snippet: President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Morristown Airport, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Morristown, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Read full article: https://apnews.com/article/korea-trump-military-exercises-ae21e0af5ea16f0a74e9a176b3cc2136

[2026-08-17 07:24 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 90]

Source: BBC News

Title: Trump says US to scale back military drills with South Korea after it stayed out of Iran war

Snippet: President Donald Trump has said the US will "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.

Read full article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2lll7zvn0o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

[2026-08-17 07:20 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Middle East Eye

Title: Trump hails Saudi-Turkiye-Pakistan defence pact

Snippet: US President Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he is "Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement."

Read full article: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/trump-hails-saudi-turkiye-pakistan-defence-pact

[2026-08-17 07:05 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Middle East Eye

Title: Iran parliament speaker says US used more firepower in Iran than on Vietnam

Snippet: Speaking at an event broadcast by state broadcaster IRIB, Ghalibaf said Tehran must reach a “point of deterrence” to avoid becoming trapped in a cycle of war and peace.

Read full article: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iran-parliament-speaker-says-us-used-more-firepower-iran-vietnam

[2026-08-17 06:14 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 90]

Source: BBC News

Title: US commander says mental health a 'priority' on USS Lincoln

Snippet: The top US military commander in the Middle East has said mental health is a "priority" on the warship USS Lincoln, following reports of difficult conditions on board the long-deployed ship.

Read full article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceqeeendz42o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

[2026-08-17 05:58 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: BBC News

Title: Trump envoy Kushner meets Hamas leader to push Gaza peace plan

Snippet: The UN estimates that about 1.9 million people - 90% of Gaza's population - have been displaced since the war started

Read full article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c77gg5vn44yo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

[2026-08-17 05:58 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: New York Post

Title: Fed-up Venice residents hire ex-MS-13 gangbangers to take back homeless ‘war zone’

Snippet: See more of our coverage in your search results.

Read full article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/us-news/venice-residents-hire-ex-ms-13-gangbangers-to-battle-homeless-war-zone/

[2026-08-17 05:48 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: New York Post

Title: Fast Takes: The unmaking of Jason Arday, the left declares war on parents and other commentary

Snippet: See more of our coverage in your search results.

Read full article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/opinion/fast-takes-the-unmaking-of-jason-arday-the-left-declares-war-on-parents-and-other-commentary/

[2026-08-17 05:47 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: The Jerusalem Post

Title: Drone strikes, intelligence chief’s killing expose Libya’s fragile balance - analysis

Snippet: Drone attacks on energy facilities in western Libya and the assassination of a senior intelligence official in the east have renewed fears of instability as Libyan factions maneuver ahead of possible political negotiations.

Read full article: https://www.jpost.com/international/article-905714

[2026-08-17 05:45 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 95]

Source: Zero Hedge

Title: "US Can't Bomb Its Way To Victory": Scotiabank Maps Bessent's Coming Economic Hammer On Iran

Snippet: Brent crude futures ended last week near $88.50 a barrel as traders awaited details of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's planned escalation campaign of the economic war against Iran.

Read full article: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-cant-bomb-its-way-victory-scotiabank-maps-bessents-coming-economic-hammer-iran

[2026-08-17 05:42 UTC+10:00] [Israel-Gaza War (2023- )] [Factuality: 100]

Source: The New York Times

Title: Kushner Holds Talks With Hamas to Advance Trump Gaza Plan

Snippet: Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser, met with Hamas leaders in Egypt on Sunday, a Hamas official and another official briefed on the meetings said. The talks were part of a diplomatic push to advance Mr. Trump’s plan for the future of Gaza.

Read full article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/16/world/middleeast/kushner-hamas-talks.html

[2026-08-17 05:10 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: ABC News

Title: Ukraine targets Moscow and Wildberries warehouse in aerial assault

Snippet: Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War

Read full article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-17/ukraine-attack-russia-warehouse-drones/107044644

[2026-08-17 05:10 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Middle East Eye

Title: Remains of Palestinian teen shot by Israeli forces recovered in Gaza

Snippet: The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has recovered the body of a teenager who was killed by the Israeli military on Saturday in southern Gaza, Wafa news agency reported.

Read full article: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/remains-palestinian-teen-shot-israeli-forces-recovered-gaza

[2026-08-17 04:54 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: ABC News

Title: Big business fears 'war for talent' as politicians clash over immigration

Snippet: Topic:Federal Government

Read full article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-17/mining-business-immigrant-worker-skilled-visa-economy/107043674

[2026-08-17 04:35 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 90]

Source: New York Post

Title: US military moving last aircraft carrier out of the Pacific to prioritize operations in Iran

Snippet: See more of our coverage in your search results.

Read full article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/world-news/us-military-moving-last-aircraft-carrier-out-of-the-pacific-to-prioritize-operation-epic-fury-in-iran/

[2026-08-17 04:24 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: New York Post

Title: Taylor Swift exudes elegance in navy tulle gown and pearls at Laura Sisk and Oli Jacobs’ wedding

Snippet: See more of our coverage in your search results.

Read full article: https://pagesix.com/2026/08/16/entertainment/taylor-swift-rocks-elegant-navy-tulle-gown-at-pals-uk-wedding/

[2026-08-17 04:05 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: New York Post

Title: Billionaire civil war brews between ex-Google bosses as Eric Schmidt rages at mega-rich wealth tax coalition

Snippet: See more of our coverage in your search results.

Read full article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/us-news/ex-google-ceo-eric-schmidt-rages-at-anti-billionaires-tax-coalition/

[2026-08-17 03:47 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: The Jerusalem Post

Title: Norwegian Center for Conflict Resolution engaged directly with Hamas, NGO Monitor claims

Snippet: The Oslo-based Norwegian Center for Conflict Resolution (NOREF) engaged in direct, systematic coordination with high-ranking Hamas officials, according to internal Hamas documents recovered from Gaza, declassified by the IDF and translated by NGO Monitor.

Read full article: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-905703

[2026-08-17 03:39 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: AP News

Title: Jared Kushner meets Hamas chief in Egypt to discuss Gaza ceasefire

Snippet: Palestinians remove iron from the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes during the war with Hamas, repair and recycle it for construction, building tents or selling it, in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Read full article: https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-kushner-netanyahu-hamas-palestinians-israel-321e254af26a0fff1b3ec2b8c00412a2

[2026-08-17 03:18 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 90]

Source: Al Jazeera

Title: ‘Water and salt’: Qusra residents trapped in Israeli settler siege

Snippet: As the siege enters its second week, 15 Palestinians, including two children, remain besieged inside three homes in the Ras al-Ain area of Qusra, south of Nablus. Surrounded by armed Israeli settlers and military battalions and convoys, the families are cut off from food, water, and electricity. The United Nations reported that the residents are “trapped inside their homes in a state of terror, unable to attend to their basic needs and without access to water or electricity”.

Read full article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/16/water-and-salt-qusra-residents-trapped-in-israeli-settler-siege

[2026-08-17 03:12 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 90]

Source: South China Morning Post

Title: Iran offers US$30,000 bounty for killing or capturing US soldiers

Snippet: ‘Courageous Iranian women who carry out such an action will receive double the reward,’ said Iran’s army chief Amir Hatami

Read full article: https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3364216/iran-offers-us30000-bounty-killing-or-capturing-us-soldiers?utm_source=rss_feed

[2026-08-17 03:12 UTC+10:00] [IRNA] [Factuality: 90]

Source: South China Morning Post

Title: Iran offers US$30,000 bounty for killing or capturing US soldiers

Snippet: ‘Courageous Iranian women who carry out such an action will receive double the reward,’ said Iran’s army chief Amir Hatami

Read full article: https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3364216/iran-offers-us30000-bounty-killing-or-capturing-us-soldiers

[2026-08-17 03:05 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Middle East Eye

Title: Israeli military attacks strategic hill in southern Lebanon

Snippet: The Israeli military has attacked Ali al-Taher Hill in southern Lebanon with explosives, according to the National News Agency.

Read full article: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-military-attacks-southern-lebanon

[2026-08-17 02:25 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Middle East Eye

Title: Death toll increases in Lebanon since Israeli invasion

Snippet: Israeli attacks have killed at least 4,346 people and wounded more than 12,000 in Lebanon since invading the south on 2 March, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

Read full article: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/death-toll-increases-lebanon-israeli-invasion

[2026-08-17 02:05 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: The Manila Times

Title: Ukraine hits Moscow with mass drone attack

Snippet: KYIV — Hundreds of drones targeted Moscow on Sunday as Russia launched missile strikes that killed three people and wounded more than a dozen in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, officials on the two sides said.

Read full article: https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/08/17/world/ukraine-hits-moscow-with-mass-drone-attack/2406391

[2026-08-17 01:59 UTC+10:00] [Ukraine War] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Asia Times

Title: Russia’s allies are more helpful than Ukraine’s

Snippet: Keep independent journalism alive

Read full article: https://asiatimes.com/2026/08/russias-allies-are-more-helpful-than-ukraines/

[2026-08-17 01:58 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: RT News

Title: Concentration Camp Ukraine? In a comedian’s dictatorship, a pop singer tells the truth

Snippet: By Tarik Cyril Amar, a historian from Germany working at Koç University, Istanbul, on Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe, the history of World War II, the cultural Cold War, and the politics of memory

Read full article: https://www.rt.com/news/644305-concentration-camp-ukraine-polyakova/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS

[2026-08-17 01:58 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: RT News

Title: Concentration Camp Ukraine? In a comedian’s dictatorship, a pop singer tells the truth

Snippet: By Tarik Cyril Amar, a historian from Germany working at Koç University, Istanbul, on Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe, the history of World War II, the cultural Cold War, and the politics of memory

Read full article: https://www.rt.com/news/644305-concentration-camp-ukraine-polyakova/

[2026-08-17 01:05 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Zero Hedge

Title: 'Delusional': Iran Fires Back At Trump's Make 'Hormuz Strait A Territory Of The US' Ambitions

Snippet: Predictably, Iran has on Saturday issued a full-throated rejection of President Trump's Friday evening words related to the status on the conflict and energy transit in the region.

Read full article: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-fires-back-trumps-make-hormuz-strait-territory-us-ambitions-delusions

[2026-08-17 01:00 UTC+10:00] [Australian security and counter-terrorism] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Guardian Australia

Title: A fake website and a deluge of CVs: the Australian firm embroiled in an FBI probe into alleged Chinese espionage

Snippet: Exclusive: Fake consultancy impersonating Brisbane firm online is one of 13 websites seized by the US Department of Justice

Read full article: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/17/fbi-investigation-china-alleged-espionage-fake-websites-defence-intelligence-australia

[2026-08-17 01:00 UTC+10:00] [Australia news] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Guardian Australia

Title: Nazi artefacts still being sold online years after trade outlawed across Australia

Snippet: One seller says second world war memorabilia containing banned Nazi symbols is legal under exemptions to the laws

Read full article: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/17/nazi-artefacts-prohibited-symbols-still-being-sold-online-australia-ntwnfb

[2026-08-17 00:54 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Middle East Eye

Title: Hamas leader meets Egyptian intelligence chief

Snippet: A Hamas delegation has met Egypt's intelligence chief, Hassan Rashad, in the Egyptian city of El-Alamein to discuss the implementation of the US-backed post-war plan for Gaza.

Read full article: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/hamas-leader-meets-egyptian-intelligence-chief

[2026-08-17 00:32 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 90]

Source: The Jerusalem Post

Title: Ukraine could launch ballistic missiles in three months, former defense minister says

Snippet: Ukraine could strike Russia with domestically produced ballistic missiles within the next few months, the country’s former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov told CBS on Sunday.

Read full article: https://www.jpost.com/international/internationalrussia-ukraine-war/article-905684

[2026-08-17 00:32 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: The Jerusalem Post

Title: Iran’s accusing Qatar of holding Iranian pilots an attempt to ‘flip narrative,’ analyst to 'Post'

Snippet: Iran’s accusations that Qatar is holding three Iranian pilots shot down during attacks on Gulf states are an attempt to “flip the narrative” on Tehran’s “failed military gamble,” Gulf analysts told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

Read full article: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-905681

[2026-08-17 00:22 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: The National (UAE)

Title: Gulf markets climb despite Iran impasse and Hormuz disruption | The National

Snippet: Most Gulf stock markets advanced on Sunday, with Saudi Arabia leading gains despite a lack of progress in efforts to end the Iran conflict and continuing disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Read full article: https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/markets/2026/08/16/gulf-markets-climb-despite-iran-impasse-and-hormuz-disruption/

[2026-08-16 23:55 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Zero Hedge

Title: Ukrainian Drone Swarm Attack Obliterates Wildberries' Largest Warehouse Near Moscow

Snippet: Ukraine launched one of its largest kamikaze drone attacks of the war against Russia on Sunday, with Russia's Defense Ministry saying air defenses intercepted 822 Ukrainian drones overnight, including roughly 600 headed toward Moscow.

Read full article: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukrainian-drone-swarm-attack-obliterates-wildberries-largest-warehouse-near-moscow

[2026-08-16 23:35 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: New York Post

Title: Ukraine kills at least 6 people in Russia after launching one of the largest aerial assaults of war

Snippet: See more of our coverage in your search results.

Read full article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/world-news/ukraine-kills-at-least-6-people-in-russia-after-launching-one-of-the-largest-aerial-assaults-of-war/

[2026-08-16 23:28 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: South China Morning Post

Title: Moscow strikes Ukrainian steel plant as Kyiv targets Russian economy

Snippet: Romania, which borders Ukraine, said an F-18 fighter on a Nato air policing mission had shot down a drone that breached its airspace during the latest attacks

Read full article: https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3364208/moscow-strikes-ukrainian-steel-plant-kyiv-targets-russian-economy?utm_source=rss_feed

[2026-08-16 23:28 UTC+10:00] [Volodymyr Zelenskiy] [Factuality: 100]

Source: South China Morning Post

Title: Moscow strikes Ukrainian steel plant as Kyiv targets Russian economy

Snippet: Romania, which borders Ukraine, said an F-18 fighter on a Nato air policing mission had shot down a drone that breached its airspace during the latest attacks

Read full article: https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3364208/moscow-strikes-ukrainian-steel-plant-kyiv-targets-russian-economy

[2026-08-16 23:18 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Al Jazeera

Title: Houthis launch new attacks on al-Makha and Marib as Yemen conflict escalates

Snippet: The Houthis launched a wave of missiles and drones at Yemen’s Marib city and the coastal city of al-Makha (Mocha) overnight, killing several people, according to local media reports.

Read full article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/16/houthis-launch-new-attacks-on-al-makha-and-marib-as-yemen-conflict-escalates

[2026-08-16 23:13 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 90]

Source: New York Post

Title: Cartel-aiding Nevada man faces 70 years in prison for buying ‘military-style’ firearms: DOJ

Snippet: See more of our coverage in your search results.

Read full article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/us-news/nevada-man-pleads-guilty-for-buying-firearms-for-cartel-sale/

[2026-08-16 22:59 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: AP News

Title: Bou Meng, a Cambodian artist and survivor of a Khmer Rouge torture center, dies at 85

Snippet: FILE- Bou Meng, center, former S-21 prison survivor, leaves the courtroom after the verdict is announced for Khieu Samphan, former Khmer Rouge head of state, at the U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, file)

Read full article: https://apnews.com/article/cambodia-khmer-rouge-bou-meng-tuol-sleng-s21-4249e0990d282b636e0f3eedcc600ad2

[2026-08-16 22:54 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: South China Morning Post

Title: Boy, 13, among 16 arrested as Hong Kong police tackle juvenile crime

Snippet: Suspects arrested for various alleged offences such as disorderly conduct, possession of offensive weapons, deception and assault

Read full article: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3364206/boy-13-among-16-arrested-hong-kong-police-tackle-juvenile-crime?utm_source=rss_feed

[2026-08-16 22:54 UTC+10:00] [youth offences] [Factuality: 100]

Source: South China Morning Post

Title: Boy, 13, among 16 arrested as Hong Kong police tackle juvenile crime

Snippet: Suspects arrested for various alleged offences such as disorderly conduct, possession of offensive weapons, deception and assault

Read full article: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3364206/boy-13-among-16-arrested-hong-kong-police-tackle-juvenile-crime

[2026-08-16 22:21 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: Middle East Eye

Title: Iran war pushes Middle Eastern airlines towards $4.3bn loss in 2026

Snippet: As the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on 28 February 2026, Iran struck back near US military installations in the Gulf, including in Qatar and the UAE.

Read full article: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/middle-eastern-airlines-lose-43bn-2026-amid-iran-war

[2026-08-16 22:00 UTC+10:00] [National Development and Reform Commission] [Factuality: 100]

Source: South China Morning Post

Title: From cargo to combat: China urged to prepare civilian ships for wartime use

Snippet: Defence researcher at top planning agency says Beijing should draw lessons from the Falklands conflict to commandeer commercial vessels

Read full article: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3364193/cargo-combat-china-urged-prepare-civilian-ships-wartime-use

[2026-08-16 22:00 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: South China Morning Post

Title: From cargo to combat: China urged to prepare civilian ships for wartime use

Snippet: Defence researcher at top planning agency says Beijing should draw lessons from the Falklands conflict to commandeer commercial vessels

Read full article: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3364193/cargo-combat-china-urged-prepare-civilian-ships-wartime-use?utm_source=rss_feed

[2026-08-16 21:48 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]

Source: The National (UAE)

Title: A Syrian town's battle to rebuild after Hezbollah's scorched-earth campaign | The National

Snippet: The railway from Beirut to Damascus was conceived in the 19th century when the two capitals were not yet divided by national borders. The route was abandoned in the 1970s owing to Lebanon’s civil war.

Read full article: https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/16/a-syrian-towns-battle-to-rebuild-after-hezbollahs-scorched-earth-campaign/