World
Putin Visits Disputed Kuril Island of Iturup; Japan Summons Russian Ambassador
Putin toured a fish plant, hospital and school on Iturup on August 13, 2026 — his first trip to the island chain — and Japan's foreign ministry summoned Russia's ambassador to protest.
China and Indonesia Complete First Joint Naval Exercise in Waters East of Taiwan; Taipei Condemns It, Jakarta Calls It Routine
China's Eastern Theater Command said a Chinese frigate and an Indonesian frigate finished a "maritime passage exercise" east of Taiwan on August 12; Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council called it a military provocation, while Indonesia's navy described it as a routine passing drill.
Ukraine Says Strike on Russia's Novorossiysk Naval Base Damaged Four Warships; Russian Officials Report Three Killed
Kyiv says drones, Neptune missiles and uncrewed boats hit Black Sea Fleet ships and port piers on August 12; Moscow says air defenses downed 502 drones and that a child was among the dead.
Houthi Missile and Drone Attacks on Yemen's al-Makha Port Kill at Least 18 Over Two Days; Saudi Official Says Coordinated Strikes Are Expected
Yemen's internationally recognized government reported 11 dead on August 9 and seven more on August 10 in strikes on the Red Sea port, as a senior Saudi official said Riyadh expects joint attacks by Houthi and Iraqi armed groups.
Zelensky Says Russia Has Decided to Bring 30,000 to 50,000 North Korean Troops Onto Its Territory
Ukraine's president made the claim on August 9 and said Russia has also received a new batch of North Korean ballistic missiles; Moscow and Pyongyang have not confirmed the figure, and Seoul has again declined to send weapons to Ukraine.
Russia Frees U.S. Marine Veteran Robert Gilman Under a Putin Pardon; State Department Says No Prisoner Exchange Took Place
Robert Gilman, 32, held in Russia since January 2022 on assault convictions his family disputes, was released on humanitarian grounds after talks between the Trump administration and Moscow and landed at Joint Base Andrews on Aug. 11, 2026.
Turkey's Parliament Passes PKK Disarmament Law by 468-88, With Effect Delayed Until Officials Verify Full Disarmament
The law postpones prosecutions and some sentences for Kurdistan Workers' Party members, but only after Turkey's National Security Council certifies the group has dissolved and surrendered its weapons.
Damascus Court Sentences Bashar al-Assad to Death in Absentia on Murder and Torture Charges
Syria's Fourth Criminal Court convicted the former president, his brother Maher and cousin Atef Najib; Assad remains in Russia, which has refused to hand him over.
Iran Names Former IRGC Commander Mohsen Rezaei Secretary of Its Supreme National Security Council
Rezaei, who has been the subject of an Interpol Red Notice since 2007 over the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires, takes over Iran's top security coordinating body while U.S.-Iran talks on the Strait of Hormuz continue.
Ukrainian Drone Attack on Nizhnekamsk, Russia, Kills About 13; Ukraine Says It Struck the Taneco Refinery
Tatarstan officials report 12 to 13 dead and dozens hurt in the Russian oil-refining city, and Ukraine's General Staff says its forces hit the Taneco refinery about 1,100 kilometers from the front.
Argentina's Central Bank Renews 130 Billion Yuan Swap With China, Extending the Term From Three Years to Five
The Central Bank of Argentina and the People's Bank of China signed the renewal on August 5, 2026, one day before the prior deal expired, after more than a year of U.S. objections to the arrangement.
Spain Begins Border Checks on Arrivals From Italy, Eight Days After Italy Imposed Checks on Arrivals From Spain
Spain's Interior Ministry says checks on travelers from Italy started at midnight on August 8 and run to September 7; Rome says it will not lift its own checks, imposed August 1 after mass crossings into Ceuta.