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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 1950s 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.

Aug 16, 2026 - World

Couple die in Salamis, while multinational forces and local farmers tackle Belgium’s biggest fire in a century near Liège An elderly couple died in fires on the Greek island of Salamis on Sunday and a fire ravaged Belgium’s largest nature reserve, in the latest wave of European wildfires.The couple died outside their home in the Peristeria beach area of Salamis, Greece’s coastguard said. More than 500 people were ordered to evacuate. Continue reading...

Aug 16, 2026 - World

Iranian Army chief Amir Hatami announced the $30,000 bounty to capture soldiers, saying that the plan had been drawn up after a "large number of requests" to participate, according to a report.

Aug 16, 2026 - World

Robert Jenrick takes aim at disabled people and foreign nationals after saying UK guilty of ‘suicidal empathy’Reform UK has been accused of excluding the most vulnerable from society and punishing non-Britons living in the UK as it prepared to outline £50bn of cuts to benefits for disabled people and foreign nationals.Robert Jenrick, Reform’s finance spokesperson, will detail the plans for £20bn of cuts to disability benefits overall, as well as another £21bn from stopping foreign nationals – including EU citizens with settled status – claiming almost any benefits, among other cuts. Continue reading...