Australia has passed a law requiring major tech platforms such as Google and Meta to strike deals with Australian news publishers or pay a levy on their advertising revenue.
Friday, August 21, 2026
Trump declares economic warfare on Iran. And, SCOTUS to rule on White House ballroom
President Trump has declared economic warfare on Iran in an effort to pressure the country back into negotiations. And, the Supreme Court is set to decide on the future of Trump's ballroom.
(Image credit: Finn Gomez)
Russia imports gas as Ukrainian strikes result in shortages
Russia has begun importing fuel as Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and depots cause shortages.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Wars are happening across the world. Many of them are connected
All Thing Considered host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR correspondents Tom Bowman and Emily Feng about the ways in which the U.S. war with Iran is connected to other conflicts across the globe.
North Korea fires a suspected missile toward the sea, Japan says

The suspected launch on Thursday comes a day after North Korea shrugged off a U.S. decision to scale back military drills with South Korea in an apparent bid to resume diplomacy.
(Image credit: Ahn Young-joon)
Chinese court sentences founder of property developer Evergrande to life in prison

Chinese property developer Hui Ka Yan has been sentenced to life in prison. The decision marks a milestone in Evergrande's saga after it collapsed with more than $300 billion in liabilities.
(Image credit: Mahesh Kumar A.)
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Israeli military launches criminal probes into killings of 5-year-old and paramedics

Israel's military on Wednesday announced its first criminal investigations into troop conduct in Gaza, focusing on the killings of 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family and of 15 Palestinian paramedics.
(Image credit: Jehad Alshrafi)