- ICE Arrests Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Moves to Deport Him.
- Trump Signs Order Targeting American Flag Burning: WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 25 that directs the attorney general to prosecute those caught burning the American flag or desecrating it in other ways.
- FBI Announces Record Arrests in DC Crackdown: The FBI announced that more than 1,000 arrests have been made across Washington since the federal government took over law enforcement for the city.
- Trump Creates Specialized National Guard Units: The National Guard presence in Washington, D.C., has surged to nearly 2,300 troops as part of President Donald Trump’s law-and-order initiative in the nation’s capital.
- Ketamine Prescriptions Surge 500 Percent: Ketamine prescriptions for chronic pain have skyrocketed more than 500 percent in just five years, but a major new scientific review finds no solid evidence the drug actually works.
- Maryland Democrat Gov. criticized for mismanaging ‘Crime ridden Baltimore,’ as Trump threatens to withhold federal funds.
- Trump slams ABC and NBC as an ‘Arm of the Democrat Party’.
- Kilmar Abrego Garcia detained again, facing deportation to Uganda.
- Trump before meeting South Korean president: ‘WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA?’
- Trump issues Executive Orders on U.S. flag burning and cashless bail.
- Trump defends D.C. National Guard move amid criticism from Democrat officials: ‘These people are sick’.
- Trump floats renaming DOD to ‘stronger’ Department of War.
- National Guard now carrying weapons in the Nation’s Capital.
- Norway’s sovereign wealth fund has divested from Caterpillar and five Israeli banking groups. The $2-trillion fund took the measure in response to an “unacceptable risk” that the companies “contribute to serious violations of the rights of individuals in situations of war and conflict”.
- Former Sinaloa kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada has pleaded guilty to charges relating to multiple murders and racketeering. Mexican Zambada is now facing a mandatory life sentence in a US courtroom.
- Staying in US courts, rapper Lil Nas X has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges. Mr Nas X allegedly assaulted police who approached him when found wandering the streets of LA in his underpants.
- Typhoon Kajiki has left at least three dead in Vietnam, raising the risk of flooding and landslides throughout the country. Hanoi’s streets were flooded, and hundreds of electrical poles were destroyed.
- Liverpool’s 16-year-old debutant Rio Ngumoha struck a last-gasp winner to earn his side a rip-roaring 3-2 victory against 1o-man Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Monday.
- Mexico’s Renata Zarazua pulled off a stunning first-round upset by beating sixth seed Madison Keys, while twice major winner Barbora Krejčíková knocked out promising Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko at the US Open.
- Frenchman David Gaudu of team Groupama-FDJ outwitted his rivals on the late hairpin turns to win stage three of the Vuelta a España on Monday, as Jonas Vingegaard came third to retain the overall lead.
- De Lille’s dismantling of SA Tourism board signals alarming erosion of governance in South Africa.
- Teachers must embrace AI or get left behind, G20 National Education Indaba hears.
- SA Tourism board to fight De Lille’s dissolution: The dissolved board of South African Tourism is considering its legal recourse, former board member Lawson Naidoo confirmed to Daily Maverick, while the Southern African Tourism Services Association (Satsa) has pledged “full support”.
- Stock markets in Asia followed declines on Wall Street.
- The dollar and longer-dated US Treasuries slid on Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced he was firing a Federal Reserve governor, Lisa Cook.
- Oil prices edged down on Tuesday after surging nearly 2% in the previous session.
- Gold touched a two-week high, on the back of additional safe haven flows.
- Trump fired off another trade broadside, threatening countries with digital taxes on Big Tech giants like Google and Apple. His ultimatum: scrap the levies or face new tariffs and tech restrictions – Europe is especially in the firing line.
- Japan’s record-breaking heat is cooking sea urchin supplies, leaving the spiny treat scarce and shockingly pricey. On Hokkaido’s Rishiri Island, a single bowl now costs up to R2 113 ($120) – so diners share the delicacy and slurp ramen on the side.
- LinkedIn is beefing up its video ad game, rolling out creator-led shows and new publisher content to lure brand dollars. With AT&T, IBM, SAP and ServiceNow onboard as sponsors, its revamped BrandLink programme aims to rival traditional media platforms.
- Israel bombed the main hospital in southern Gaza on Monday and then struck the same place again as rescuers and journalists rushed to help the wounded, killing at least 20 people including five journalists, health officials said.
- Schools will need to give democracy lessons to children from the age of 11 and ask teachers to leave their politics at the classroom door to help prepare for votes at 16, the head of the UK elections watchdog has said.
- People using the weight loss jab Mounjaro have been warned against switching to black market sellers or bulk buying after its manufacturer announced the UK will get a significant price rise this autumn.
- Some national guard units patrolling the US capital at the direction of Donald Trump have started carrying firearms, an escalation of the president’s military deployment that makes good on a directive issued late last week by his defence department.
- UK Ministers are introducing a clearer legal definition of “honour-based” abuse in an attempt to catch more perpetrators and protect women and girls from violence and coercion.
- An interesting and potentially dangerous case of humans treating wild animals like pets is unfolding in Lyme Bay where Reggie the ‘friendly’ dolphin is apparently asking people for belly rubs, but also “trying to drown” female swimmers. Experts say neither is true and Reggie needs his space – for his own safety as much as anyone else’s.
- The US used to be held up as an example of democracy, but now visitors are being advised to lock down social media, delete photos and even travel with ‘burner’ phones. This is a bleak look at precautions visitors are having to take to be safe in Trump’s America.
- Football -Teenage substitute Rio Ngumoha sealed a stunning 3-2 victory for Liverpool after Newcastle had come back from two goals down following Anthony Gordon’s red card.
- Tennis – Venus Williams’ 25th US Open singles appearance ended at the first hurdle with defeat to Karolína Muchová who won 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.
- Cycling – On the morning after Jonas Vingegaard took the leader’s red jersey at the Vuelta a España with a stage win in northern Italy, Team Visma-Lease a Bike said police in Italy are investigating the theft of “several bikes” from an equipment truck.
- South Africans flocking to two small towns: Small villages in the Eastern Cape are becoming increasingly popular property hubs.
- Investors losing patience with South Africa: South African-facing stocks surged on hopes of faster growth after the GNU’s formation, but with little economic progress, some investors are losing patience and shifting capital away from SA Inc.
- Gauteng coming for the Western Cape’s crown: Despite the spotlight on semigration to the Western Cape, new data shows Gauteng is driving South Africa’s population and housing demand growth.
- Major South African food producer battles business rescue: State-owned Daybreak Foods has collapsed under financial mismanagement, unpaid wages, and animal cruelty scandals, with its business rescue practitioner asking the PIC to be patient during its turnaround.
- The three sisters running some of South Africa’s most influential companies: The Maluleke sisters have come along way from their youth in Soshanguve, and have major roles at the Auditor General, Capitec and Discovery.
- Vumatel owner has big plans for affordable fibre in South Africa: After nearly four years of sweat and blood, Vumatel and DFA owner Maziv says their real work begins soon.
- South Africa’s railway goals a dead end: The Ministry of Transport has announced that private companies will be permitted to operate trains on the national freight rail network, yet they are still exposed to booming levels of railway crime.
- Rand on the rise as interest rate cuts loom: The rand is set to get a significant boost from expected interest rate cuts in the United States.
- South African state-owned company makes R1 billion profit: Airports Company South Africa reported a record-breaking net profit of R1.1 billion for the 2024/25 financial year, which is more than double its profit from the previous year.
- Harmony strikes gold: Harmony Gold expects a significant increase in earnings per share for its 2025 financial year, driven by a higher gold price and strong operational performance.
- South Africa faces widespread political violence and social unrest: South Africa faces rising risks of political violence, organised crime, and social unrest as the ANC’s weakening grip on power fuels factionalism, governance failures, and declining state capacity.
- BEE made Ramaphosa a billionaire but South Africans poorer.
- South Africa could get new network operators.
- Cape Town beats London, New York and Sydney in global ranking.
- South Africans are taking out bigger car loans – And paying the price for it: Motorists are resorting to longer and longer finance plans to keep up with the alarming cost of new cars.
- Major problem for car crash victims in South Africa: South Africans injured in car crashes are facing new hurdles to receive compensation.
- Hyundai reveals R457 billion expansion plan: Hyundai will increase its investment in the US to R457 billion as it seeks to expand auto production.
- Pig Lung Transplant: Chinese scientists have successfully transplanted a pig lung into a human being for the first time, with the organ partially functioning before it was removed.
- Caffeine Market Shake-Up: American beverage conglomerate Keurig Dr Pepper announced plans yesterday to acquire Dutch coffee giant JDE Peet’s for roughly $18B. The all-cash transaction would consolidate their coffee businesses into a new company. Keurig Dr Pepper’s remaining portfolio—including Snapple and 7UP—would become a separate entity, effectively undoing an $18.7B acquisition from 2018. Keurig Dr Pepper shares fell 11.5% on the news.
- Commercial Carbon Storage: The world’s first commercial offshore carbon storage facility began operating yesterday off Norway’s western coast. The Northern Lights project—led by oil giants Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies—aims to cut industrial carbon dioxide emissions by capturing carbon from smokestacks and injecting it beneath the North Sea seabed for permanent storage.
- Elon: This Is an ‘Intelligence Big Bang’: Elon Musk says we’re living through an “intelligence big bang” as AI transforms every corner of the economy. But the catalyst for this explosion isn’t rare metals or new chips. It’s data. Billions of clicks, swipes, and searches are feeding AI models at unprecedented speed.
- “KPop Demon Hunters” charts four songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, the first time four songs from the same film soundtrack have simultaneously been in the top 10 of the chart.
- NFL rosters must be trimmed from 90 players to the active roster max of 53 by 4 pm ET today; see tracker of roster cuts for all 32 teams.
- Rapper Lil Nas X charged with four felonies, including battery against a police officer, following his arrest and hospitalization Thursday; he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
- SpaceX scrubs second attempt at the 10th test launch of its massive Starship space vehicle, citing unfavorable weather; next launch window yet to be announced.
- Heat wave exposure can accelerate biological aging, new study reveals; each four-day exposure to prolonged heat was roughly correlated with nine days of accelerated aging.
- First human US case of a New World screwworm parasite following travel reported in Maryland; eradicated in the US in 1966, larvae of the insect devastate livestock and have been reappearing in Central America and Mexico.
- US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.4%, Dow -0.8%, Nasdaq -0.2%) as investors await Nvidia’s earnings report tomorrow and digest federal government’s 10% stake in Intel, announced Friday.
- President Donald Trump fires Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook amid mortgage fraud accusations.
- Elon Musk’s xAI sues Apple and OpenAI for an alleged anticompetitive scheme favoring OpenAI’s ChatGPT in Apple’s App Store; company says they’re colluding to maintain their respective monopolies in the smartphone and generative AI markets.
- US consumers with the highest credit scores are falling behind on debt repayments, with 90+ day delinquencies up 109% year over year; signals possible budget strains among historically financially secure shoppers.
- President Donald Trump signs executive order seeking to penalize people for burning American flags, characterizing the practice as incitement to rioting, violence.
- Trump also signs executive order eliminating cashless bail across the country amid crackdown on Washington, DC, crime.
- Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital kill at least 20 people, including five journalists, per local health workers; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the attack a mishap, says military will investigate.
- .President Donald Trump meets with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, discusses trade and possible collaboration on shipbuilding.
- The Home of an American Pope: Since May, people have come in flocks to visit the modest childhood home of Pope Leo XIV. Behind the scenes, the home’s sale has divided the community.
- This Tech Company Grew 32,481%: No, it’s not Nvidia. It’s Mode Mobile, 2023’s fastest-growing software company, according to Deloitte. And you can invest for just $0.30/share. Mode’s flagship product, the EarnPhone, has already helped consumers earn and save $325M+ through simple, everyday use.
- Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte returns today.
- Spain’s “Tomatina” street fight turns 80 tomorrow.
- A woman tried to get an AI chatbot to break up with her.
- After the kiss cam scandal, Coldplay aids a proposal.
- NFL calls are about to get more precise.
- Netflix now recommends shows based on your zodiac sign.
- FBI Announces 1,000 Arrests.
- Trump Fires Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
- Judge Prohibits Deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
- Ukraine Wants $1 Billion per Month From Allies for US Weapons Purchases, Zelenskyy Says.
- Democrats Map Strategy and Urge Unity ’to Win Elections, Not Arguments’.
- Seeking social spots: New research has found that 40% of Gen Z employees want to work in the office because they feel lonely at home. The bigger story: The report was based on a survey of 8k adults and found that loneliness is particularly high amongst young adults who pursued careers as social media influencers, with 58% saying they want to find a workplace that offers more social interaction.
- Robot writing: At least six publications have taken down articles written by an AI-generated freelance writer called Margaux Blanchard.
- Cool runnings: The heat of peak summer months in the United Arab Emirates has encouraged residents to get creative when it comes to exercise, sparking a new tradition of indoor mall runs.
- Gender pay gap: A report has found that the Office for National Statistics has underestimated the UK gender pay gap for two decades, renewing awareness for the issue.
- Trailblazing transplant: Scientists say they have successfully transplanted a pig lung into a living person for the first time, offering a potential solution to the shortage of human organ donations.
- Carnival in the capital: August bank holiday can only mean one thing – the famous Notting Hill Carnival.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping will gather more than 20 world leaders at a regional security forum in China next week in a powerful show of Global South solidarity in the age of US President Donald Trump while also helping sanctions-hit Russia pull off another a diplomatic coup.
- More Palestinian families left Gaza City after a night of Israeli shelling on its outskirts, as Israelis launched a day of nationwide protests calling for hostages to be released and the war in Gaza to end.
- Australia accused Iran of executing two antisemitic arson attacks in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne and gave Tehran’s ambassador seven days to leave the country, its first such expulsion since World War Two.
- US and Russian government officials discussed several energy deals on the sidelines of negotiations this month that sought to achieve peace in Ukraine, according to five sources familiar with the talks.
- France could find itself heading for another snap parliamentary election, a government minister suggested, after opposition parties said they would vote to oust Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and as French markets tumbled.
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung narrowly avoided what he called a “Zelenskiy moment” after Trump welcomed him to Washington with right-wing conspiracy theories but then pulled off a high-stakes summit without unwanted drama.
- Pakistan evacuated at least 150,000 people in areas along three rivers in its agricultural heartland under threat of flooding after neighboring India warned it plans to release excess water from a dam, officials said.
- Under Donald Trump, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has become the driving force of his sweeping crackdown on migrants, bolstered by record funding and new latitude to conduct raids, but staff are contending with long hours and growing public outrage over the arrests.
- A Utah judge ruled that the state must redraw its congressional map ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections, saying Utah’s Republican-controlled legislature had overstepped in overruling an earlier ballot measure passed by voters against drawing districts to favor any party.
- Trump said he was firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, over alleged improprieties in obtaining mortgage loans. Howard Schneider joins today’s Reuters World News podcast to discuss the unprecedented step that could test the boundaries of presidential power over the independent monetary policy body should it be challenged in court.
- Nvidia’s business in China will be the focus of investors when the AI chipmaker reports its earnings, following an unusual deal with the Trump administration and Beijing’s subsequent efforts to stall imports.
- Indian exporters are bracing for disruptions after a US Homeland Security notification confirmed that Washington would impose an additional 25% tariff on all Indian-origin goods. The country’s diamond hub has been significantly impacted by this trade tussle, with big traders considering moving their operations to Botswana.
- The Trump administration is considering imposing sanctions on European Union or member state officials responsible for implementing the bloc’s landmark Digital Services Act, two sources familiar with the matter said, over US complaints that the law censors Americans and imposes costs on US tech companies.
- Swedish fintech Klarna will restart its plan to go public in the United States next month with a valuation of between $13 billion and $14 billion, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
- The downturn in German industry is picking up speed, with almost a quarter of a million jobs lost in the sector since 2019, according to an EY study.
- Gauteng E.coli alarm bell: Water safety under question: WaterCANraised the alarm over the Gauteng Province’s failure to meet basic microbiological water quality standards.
- A rising star in water activism: In the West Rand region, where community access to clean water and reliable services often hangs in the balance, Be The Future Foundation is causing disruptive ripples.
- Minister Kubayi suspends top Justice Department official over Madlanga Commission delays: The much-anticipated Madlanga Commission has hit a snag, with the absence of promised infrastructure causing it to delay its public hearings into police corruption.
- Two more lives have been claimed by taxi violence in Cape Town – two drivers were shot dead on Tuesday during peak morning traffic at the Macassar Heights pick-up point.
- EWN reports that attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala will spend another week behind bars after his bail bid was postponed to next week, allowing time for “evidence disclosure” and streamlining the case.
- Lebanon will reportedly come up with a plan to convince Hezbollah to disarm by 31 August – hopefully without going to war, since the group warned last week that there would be “no life” left in Lebanon if the government took up arms against them.
- In some much-needed good news, Gilead’s twice-yearly injection for preventing HIV has been approved by the European Commission. This paves the way for it to become available for sale across most of Europe.
- Trump Proposes New Name for Pentagon.
- FDA Suspends Vaccine.
- Texas Democrats Take Center Stage at DNC Summer Meeting Amid Redistricting Battles.
- Fox Channels Could Become Unavailable on YouTube TV: YouTube said on Monday that several Fox channels could become unavailable on YouTube TV if the two companies do not reach a deal by Aug. 27.
- Possibilities of Price Increase at Major US Retailers: American retailers are doing what they can to keep tariffs from affecting consumers, but they acknowledge that eventually something has got to give.
- California Republicans File 2nd Lawsuit Against State Redistricting Push: California Republicans on Aug. 25 filed a second legal challenge against California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s congressional redistricting plan, which will go before voters as Proposition 50 in November.
- Judge Says He Must Defer to Congress in Abortion Provider Defunding Suit: A federal judge in Maine has refused to block Congress’s attempt to defund large abortion providers, like Planned Parenthood through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
- French PM Bayrou’s debt-cutting gamble flopped, markets panicked, opposition sharpened knives, and he almost face-planted on stage. September 8 looms—lawmakers must pick “chaos” or “responsibility”.
- A German court slapped down Apple’s misleading carbon-neutral Apple watch claim. Environmentalists cheered, and the tech giant’s Paraguayan eucalyptus offsets can’t save its marketing face. EU rules tighten, greenwashing fines loom.
- UK watchdog grills six water firms over executive pay, demanding clarity after government banned bonuses for pollution failures. Thames and Yorkshire Water squirm as performance-linked perks sink, proving dirty rivers don’t mix well with fat paychecks.
World News – 26 August 2025
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