Top World News

Aug 17, 2026 - World

At least 2,325 people have died from the virus, according to official data, with outbreak on track to be biggest in historyThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is now the deadliest in the country’s history, with at least 2,325 people dead, according to government data, surpassing the toll from the 2018-20 outbreak.The DRC’s public health institute said confirmed cases had risen to 4,945, including 101 detected in the previous 24 hours. Continue reading...

Aug 17, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump's White House is keeping mum after being alerted to a possible inner-circle phone hacking and security breach.According to a report from Politico, newly installed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been engaging with messages from somebody impersonating one of Donald Trump's closest advisers, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.Downing Street declined to comment on the matter. One person briefed on the communications told Politico that a "few messages" were exchanged after Burnham entered No. 10 but insisted they were "of no significance."The British embassy in Washington was concerned enough about the incident to raise it with the White House, according to two of the officials who were granted anonymity to discuss a national security issue.With the U.K. government raising concerns that Wiles' phone had been hacked, the White House reportedly has clammed up and has refused to comment.According to the report, "Last year, the White House and the FBI launched an investigation after senators, governors and U.S. business executives received texts and phone calls from someone claiming to be Trump’s chief of staff. The Wall Street Journal reported that Wiles told associates her cellphone contacts had been hacked."What was discussed in the exchange with Burnham and when the messages were sent remains unclear, with the erroneous contact kept as a closely guarded secret," Politico is reporting.

Aug 16, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump stoked alarm on Sunday after he adhered to a foreign dictator's demands to reduce U.S. military exercises with South Korea. Trump announced on Truth Social that he had directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reduce the scale of the joint military exercises conducted between the U.S. and South Korea. The move came just days after North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un described the exercises as a threat to his regime, and promised to escalate retaliatory threats in response. "These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful," Trump wrote. Trump's announcement rankled political analysts and observers across the political spectrum, some of whom shared their reactions on social media. "God help us," Ken Gardner, a political commentator, posted on X. "North Korea just provided Russia with thousands of missiles to attack Ukraine. Russia is working with Iran to murder U.S. citizens," Laura Loomer, a MAGA influencer, posted on X. "I wouldn’t exactly call North Korea unthreatening and respectful, personally, now that we know Russia has been giving weapons and satellite imagery to Iran to kill U.S. soldiers.""Helping North Korea even as they send 50,000 troops to help Putin. Almost seems as if it’s coordinated. Almost seems as if Vladimir Putin is acting as the White House chief of staff," Norman Ornstein, a contributing editor at The Atlantic and a political scientist, posted on X. "Russia before Ukraine and now N Korea before S. Korea. We have now lost international credibility," Jeff Storobinsky, host of the "In Front of Us" podcast, posted on X.

Aug 16, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump appeared to bow to a dictator's demands in a stunning move on Sunday. In a pithy Truth Social post, Trump said he directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to scale back joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea. The two countries have been conducting military exercises together since the 1970s in an effort to deter future aggression by North Korea, a country that Trump claims to have a "very good" relationship with. "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," Trump wrote on social media. "These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful." Trump's announcement came after North Korea bashed the exercises on Friday, which Kim Jong Un's regime described as "a rehearsal for an aggressive war," the AP reported. It also came at a time when Kim Jong Un has sought to bolster his nuclear arsenal, and has sent troops to fight on behalf of U.S. enemies like Russia in the country's war of aggression against Ukraine. NORTHCOM Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Joseph Jarrard also issued a warning about North Korea's military capabilities on Sunday that seem to collide with Trump's decision. “North Koreans have successfully flight-tested ICBMs with enough boost to deliver a nuclear payload anywhere in North America," Jarrard said. Kim Jong Un's threats seemed to have landed close to home for Trump, who called on Hegseth to reduce the exercises. Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!" Trump wrote.He also unveiled a quizzical explanation for the move, tying it to his disastrous war against Iran. "While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, 'No thanks!'" Trump claimed.

Aug 16, 2026 - World

A message shared by one of the top admirals in the U.S. Navy after visiting the stranded crew on the USS Abraham Lincoln sparked fireworks on Sunday. Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads United States Central Command, said on Sunday that his time aboard the ship was "awe-inspiring," although he admitted that being deployed at sea for long periods "isn't for everyone." Cooper also noted that the mental health challenges reported by sailors on the ship are lower than those of other carriers that are not deployed near Iran. Cooper's visit came just days after Trump seemed to bash the sailors on the ship, some of whom have reportedly thrown themselves overboard to escape the conditions. Reports also indicate the ship is running low on essential supplies like food, medical items, and female hygiene products. Cooper's comments also sparked backlash from analysts, some of whom described his claims as "gaslighting.""The gaslighting of the Sailors onboard USS Lincoln and their families is disheartening. My Shipmates deserve better," Travis Akers, a retired Navy intelligence officer, posted on X. "Gaslighting on new levels," Rose Benson, a comedian, posted on X. "Old enough to remember when the Department of Defense used to embed journalists in deployed US forces when America was at war. I guess that's only for LEGAL, not ILLEGAL wars," Dan Garrett, a political scientist, posted on X.