WORLD

NEW YORK, 14 August, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Two oil tankers operated by the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned oil company ADNOC were attacked by drones while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with the UAE blaming Iran for the incident and describing the attacks as acts of piracy.The attacks took place Thursday evening as the two tankers were passing through the strategically important waterway linking the Persian Gulf with international waters. ADNOC said no injuries were reported and that the situation had been brought under control.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said two vessels had suffered minor damage in drone attacks while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. It did not identify the ships, but the reported details appeared to correspond to the same incident.The UAE Forei...

CALI, Colombia, 14 August, 2026 (Nosheen): Rescue workers in Colombia called for silence around collapsed buildings on Thursday as they listened for signs of life beneath the rubble of a deadly earthquake, racing against time to find more survivors.The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, killing at least 281 people and leaving hundreds missing. Authorities said 348 people had been rescued alive from the debris.David Santiago Tamayo, director of Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, said the chances of finding survivors were declining, but rescue teams would continue searching for everyone reported missing.Emergency agencies consider the first two to three days after an earthquake the most critical period for locating survivors. However, people trapped benea...

TOKYO, 14 August, 2026 (Ghufran): Record-breaking rainfall caused widespread flooding in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, leaving at least five people dead, more than 30 injured and thousands stranded, Japanese authorities said Friday. The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its highest-level heavy-rain warning across more than a dozen municipalities in Chiba as the torrential downpour subsided, while forecasting additional rainfall later in the day. Chiba experienced unprecedented rainfall on Thursday, with Chiba City recording about 11.5 centimeters of rain in one hour and Sakura City receiving 9.7 centimeters during the same period, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The intense rainfall caused extensive flooding, submerging homes, vehicles, roads and sections of railway i...

Texas, 13 August 2026 (Ghufran): Two U.S. Army soldiers were killed when an Apache military helicopter attached to Fort Hood crashed into a field in Bell County, Texas, on Wednesday, officials said.The crash occurred in Bell County, approximately 60 miles (100 km) north of the state capital, Austin, according to Cliff Coleman, a spokesperson for the Bell County Sheriff's Office.Coleman said the Bell County justice of the peace pronounced two people aboard the helicopter dead following the crash.“Today, an Apache helicopter crashed in Bell County during Fort Hood operations, killing two members of our military,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement posted on X. Fort Hood confirmed that an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter had crashed and that two soldiers were killed. Their identiti...

Dubai, 13 August 2026 (Kamran Raja): Iranian state media has mocked US President Donald Trump following reports that he was secretly moved from Air Force One to a smaller government aircraft during a visit to Türkiye, amid a credible threat that the presidential plane could be targeted by a shoulder-fired missile. A person briefed on the matter said the US Secret Service made the decision after receiving information about a potential missile threat. The incident reportedly occurred on the final day of Trump’s visit to Ankara for the NATO summit, as tensions remain high amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict.Iranian state television described the episode as an embarrassment for Trump and portrayed the aircraft switch as evidence of concerns over Iran’s military capabilities.According to reports,...

 TAIPEI, 13 August, 2026(Nosheen): Taiwan's armed forces have conducted an anti-blockade exercise involving the navy and coast guard as part of the island's annual Han Kuang military drills, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense.The exercise simulated the escort of a merchant vessel through potentially contested waters. Navy and coast guard ships provided security, while a minesweeper cleared a safe navigation route and guided the vessel to ports on Taiwan's east coast.Officials said the combat-oriented exercise was designed to strengthen coordination among government agencies and improve Taiwan's maritime defense resilience. It marked the first time the coast guard and navy had jointly conducted an anti-blockade drill.The exercise comes amid growing concern that Beijing could...

MOSCOW, 13 August, 2026 (Ghufran): Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup, an island claimed by Japan in the Kuril chain near Hokkaido, prompting a strong protest from Tokyo.According to Russian media, Putin visited the  Yasny fish-processing plant on Iturup. Russian state news agency TASS described the visit as Putin’s first in person to the island chain. The visit came a day after he oversaw naval drills in Russia’s Far East.Russia and Japan have never signed a formal peace treaty following World War Two, with the unresolved territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands remaining a major obstacle. Japan refers to the disputed islands as the Northern Territories. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi protested Putin’s visit on social media platform X, saying that the Northern...

TEHRAN, 12 August 2026 (Nosheen): Acclaimed Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery has been sentenced to 15 years in prison over allegations related to her photographs, media interviews and reporting, according to details reviewed by Reuters.Moaiery, who has spent much of her career documenting protests, dissent and the lives of women in Iran, learned of the sentence on Iran’s National Journalist Day.The sentence was reportedly issued under legislation enacted following a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in 2025. Iranian authorities say the law is aimed at combating espionage and cooperation with hostile states.Moaiery said that when she appeared before Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, she was not provided with formal case documents. Instead, a friend accompanying her reportedly copied detai...

MADRID, 12 August 2026 (Nosheen): Spain has rejected any discussion over the sovereignty of the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, after Morocco’s justice minister reiterated Rabat’s claims over the two Spanish territories.Spanish officials said the status of Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish territories was not open for negotiation. The remarks came after Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi said Rabat continued to raise the issue during negotiations with Spain, with the long-term objective of resolving the matter through dialogue.Morocco has regarded Ceuta and Melilla as occupied territories since gaining independence in 1956 and argues that sovereignty over the cities should ultimately be transferred to Rabat. Spain, however, considers both enclaves integral parts of its ter...