What's breaking now, across thousands of outlets.
Tuesday, 18 August 2026
400 stories across 8 sections
At least 2 people were injured in a shooting at a high school in Zamboanga, a city in the southern Philippines. Meanwhile, in the US, President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman, a US ally, if it gets in the way of negotiations with Iran. In other news, Google is set to acquire Spirit Airlines' internal business data for $10 million, which will be used for product development and AI model training.
Container shipping costs to the Middle East continued to rise in July due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region. In the tech sector, Apple will modify its app data consent rules following an investigation by Germany's competition authority, and Cursor launched its own code hosting and collaboration platform called Origin amid a GitHub outage.
Additionally, Malawi's government paid $5 million for a sovereign drought policy, but the model used to determine the policy was based on a crop that farmers had stopped planting.
Written by urgent.news from the day's reporting.
OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens as a studying tool for young users.
OpenAI has launched a new version of ChatGPT specifically for teenagers, named ChatGPT for Teens. This customized tool, launched on Tuesday, aims to assist in learning and fostering human relationships for users aged 13 to 17. OpenAI's head of youth and families, Lauren Jonas, emphasized the product's focus on being a learning aid with built-in safety measures.
The rollout raises questions about whether teenagers should be using chatbots at all.
“I think it is a good time to slow down,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told me last week, describing the company's decision …
The AI company says its unreleased 'Astra' model presents a 'critical' cybersecurity risk and it has put its largest training runs on hold while it tests new safety procedures.
"We're grateful to see new generations discovering his work," Zak, Zelda and Cody Williams write The post Robin Williams’ Kids Revive His Instagram to Combat ‘Rampant AI Abuse’ of Late Actor’s Image appeared first on TheWrap .
Call 1-800-ChatGPT in case of cyber emergency?
AgenciesA US congressional advisory body said on Tuesday that China is commercializing and monetizing data as a strategic national asset to power its AI and technology goals, which...
One advertisement featured a pornographic video with a deepfake closely resembling a prominent US politician.
A nudify app called Kromix, which was hosted on Apple’s App Store, featured a pornographic video of a woman who closely resembled a prominent female U.S. politician. The app promised users “no restrictions” and described it as “the AI that men actually use.” One advertisement showed the politician in front of the U.S. flag, winking before cutting to a scene of the politician in a pornographic video.
Meta is kicking off a court battle with some of the highest stakes yet. But it is far from the only litigation facing the social media giant and its competitors. In a federal trial beginning Tuesday in Oakland, California, the Instagram and…
A coalition of US state attorneys general is seeking massive penalties and changes to how Meta operates Instagram and Facebook in the largest trial to date accusing the social media giant of harming young users.
More than 200 people have reported facing server issues on Downdetector at the time of reporting.
Meta has been hit with successive losses in court over how its platforms have targeted and harmed young users, but a jury trial set to begin on Tuesday may pose the biggest threat yet to its operations. The trial stems from a lawsuit filed in 2023 by 30 US states, including California and New York, in which […]
Apple has been fighting hard to ensure that it is still able to take a commission from app sales made through third-party stores. Its aggression in doing this landed it in hot water with the judge in the long-running Epic Games case.
Apple has agreed to revise its developer terms, allowing iPhone and iPad apps to be distributed through the App Store, third-party stores or the web.
Leaked Galaxy S26 FE hands-on videos show Samsung’s upcoming phone running One UI 9 and apparently inheriting the S26 series’ excellent Horizontal Lock video mode.
Consumers in Canada will likely feel the impact of new tariffs, experts warn, as cost increases for goods crossing the border ripple through the economy.
New U.S. tariffs of up to 50 percent on Canadian imports could significantly impact Canadian consumers if enacted. Trade experts warn that these tariffs, set to take effect on Aug. 19, will first burden American businesses and consumers before ultimately being passed on to Canadian shoppers. Joy Nott, a KPMG Canada trade and customs expert, explains that manufacturers must balance recovering costs and profitability while avoiding losing customers, leading to potential price hikes for consumers.
Saudi Aramco resumed oil loading from inside the Strait of Hormuz last week and has more tankers waiting to load as the state energy giant offers spot heavy crude cargoes, according to shipping data a...
American Airlines is adding screens to its airplane seats. It's a U-turn from a company that argued travelers would download their own entertainment.
Container shipping costs from Korea to the Middle East continued rising in July, the customs agency said Tuesday, amid protracted geopolitical tensions in the region. The average shipping charge for a 40-foot container from Korea to the Middle East rose 14.5 percent from a month earlier to 8.78 million won ($6,217) in June, according to…
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says preliminary findings from its investigation into the cement industry indicate possible price manipulation in the market. The findings are contained in a 40-page field report compiled after a three-month cross-border study by the Commission’s Anticompetitive Practices…
The U.S. and Canada are negotiating in an effort to reach a truce on tariffs before a 12:01 a.m. Wednesday deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump . If no deal is reached, Trump has threatened to impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products , ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors.
It’s been a summer of big-time IPOs, with SpaceX , Jersey Mike’s , and others going public. But this week, all eyes are on Unitree Robotics, which is expected to hit public markets on Wednesday. Unitree makes robotics, and is the world’s largest humanoid robot maker — it’s perhaps most well-known for its dancing robots, and those that have evidently learned kung-fu moves . It also makes…
This week, the spotlight is on Unitree Robotics, a Chinese company expected to go public in a highly anticipated IPO on Wednesday. The robotics firm, which specializes in humanoid and four-legged robots, is the world's largest maker of humanoid robots. Unitree is best known for its dancing robots and those that have mastered kung-fu moves.
Chinese tech giant Baidu on Tuesday posted a 4 per cent year-on-year decline in second-quarter revenue, as continued weakness in advertising outweighed growth in its artificial intelligence cloud operations, highlighting intensifying competition in China’s tech sector.
Wall Street faced a downturn as escalating tensions in the Middle East triggered a surge in bond yields. A steep decline was particularly evident in technology stocks, with semiconductors taking the brunt of the losses. Investors pivoted from growth-focused sectors to safer bets like healthcare.
The move is a challenge to Singapore and Dubai, both of which have made efforts to attract asset managers
The deal involves Metaplanet contributing 2,100 bitcoin and $2.5 million in cash, valuing the initial investment at $134.6 million.
Ripple is bringing its cross-border payments platform to Jeonbuk Bank, but key details including its launch status and settlement asset remain undisclosed.
DAMASCUS/ ANKARA: Israel bombed an airbase in Syria on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, carrying out what appeared to be its first strike on Syrian government assets since March and drawing condemnation from Turkey and criticism from a US envoy who called it an “unnecessary escalation.”
On Tuesday, Israel launched airstrikes against a Syrian airbase, marking its first such strike on Syrian government assets since March. Syrian state media reported that eight airstrikes targeted the runway and storage facilities at the Abu al-Duhur base. Neither the Israeli military nor the Syrian defense ministry confirmed the strikes, with the latter not responding to inquiries.
Trump labels Strait of Hormuz ‘US territory’ as Iran says Israel is biggest obstacle to negotiations Submitted by Elis Gjevori on Tue, 08/18/2026 - 13:21 Tehran says the waterway will remain closed until Washington lifts its blockade and fulfils an interim agreement On 15 August 2026, Iran rejected the US president’s threat to declare the…
The Kusra siege has drawn rare US criticism and intensified debate over Israel’s failure to restrain violent factions as the government considers transferring civilian law enforcement from the IDF.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea does not just slight a longtime ally but raises…
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says strikes came after a Turkish military delegation visited the airfield to discuss its reactivation.
The US president was referring to ongoing talks between Oman and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, which lies between the two countries.
Lawyers for triple-murderer Erin Patterson will appeal to have her conviction overturned in the Supreme Court, while prosecutors will attempt to have the possibility of parole removed.
• Demands meetings with family and lawyers, access for ex-PM’s private doctors • TTAP leaders claim govt has failed on economic, political fronts ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has expressed grave concern over the official medical report regarding the health of Imran Khan, saying that the reported condition has…
Between Aug. 11 and 12, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured a series of images of a new crater on the Moon. The crater formed on Aug. 5, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impacted the surface following its January 2025 launch of the Firefly Blue Ghost 1 mission. To capture imagery of the […] The post NASA’s LRO Images Falcon 9 Crater on Moon, Learns New Details appeared first on…
On August 5, 2026, a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impacted the lunar surface, creating a new crater. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) detected the impact and began capturing images of the freshly formed crater between August 11 and 12. The spacecraft captured six images from different angles to gather details about the crater's features.
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter images reveal fresh moon crater from SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, testing impact prediction tools.
Climate change main driver of European ocean warming: study
Researchers at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) are using a range of mathematical models to calculate the expected spread of West Nile virus in Germany. They are also developing forecasting models that predict how mosquito populations will develop and which surveillance and prevention measures hold the most…
Sophie Adenot is set to become the first French female astronaut to venture outside the International Space Station for a spacewalk on Tuesday, accompanied by American astronaut Anil Menon.
Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers discovered evidence of a galaxy merger in the Milky Way's ancient history.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A NASA spacecraft circling the moon is providing the sharpest views yet of the crater carved by a crashing SpaceX rocket . The space agency released before-and-after photos of the impact area on Tuesday. The Falcon rocket’s upper stage plowed into the moon at 5,400 mph (8,700 kph) on Aug.
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Archaeologists in Peru on Tuesday unveiled the skeletal remains of…
Archaeological investigations inside a tomb at the Theban Necropolis, opposite Luxor, have shown how burial rituals in Ancient Egypt altered due to changes in customs, and more practical reasons such as space. Spanish researchers studied one of the 400 tombs at the 4,000-year-old necropolis on the west bank of the Nile .
Reuters — The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 2,325 people, government data showed on Sunday, surpassing the toll from the 2018-2020 outbreak to become the deadliest in the country’s history. DR Congo’s public health institute said in its latest report that confirmed cases had risen to 4,945, including 101 new cases detected … The post Ebola outbreak in Democratic…
The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed 2,325 lives, surpassing the toll of the 2018-2020 outbreak and making it the deadliest in the country's history. As of the latest report, there have been 4,945 confirmed cases, including 101 new cases in the past 24 hours. The outbreak, which is the nation's 17th, was already the largest in terms of case count when it surpassed 4,000 infections in late July.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is moving faster than any previous epidemic of the disease and risks spreading to more countries, the head of the World Health Organization warned Tuesday.
Mediclinic Middle East has been recognised by Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) as a Network of Excellence in Endoscopy, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to delivering safe, high-quality and patient-centred gastrointestinal care.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still has an Alzheimer’s disease program. Congress appropriated $41 million to it this year. There’s just no one staffing it. Then there’s the agency’s…
Hospitals are tasked with making patients better, but when the hospital that provides care also owns the insurance company that pays for that care, the incentives get more complicated.
Cannabis-users who develop psychosis for the first time in their 30s experience symptoms more than six years earlier than people with the condition who don't use the drug, according to new research.
President William Ruto says more than 500,000 surgeries have been carried out and over 50,000 cancer patients treated under the Social Health Authority (SHA) since the new health insurance system was introduced.
For most families, childbirth is a moment of hope, joy and new beginnings. I believe that is exactly how God intended it to be. Yet for too many women in our dear country, pregnancy and childbirth remain dangerous journeys.
The actress, who died on Sunday aged 36, spoke openly about the hardships she experienced throughout her decades in the spotlight.
In her final months before her untimely death at the age of 36, actress Hayden Panettiere bravely shared her deeply personal struggles and experiences. The former child star, famous for her roles in TV shows like "Heroes" and "Nashville," was discovered unresponsive in her Greenville, South Carolina apartment and was pronounced dead on the scene. The official cause of death has not been determined, but authorities stated there were no indications of foul play.
Vieira, who was born in Senegal's capital Dakar, succeeds Pape Thiaw.
Five-time Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo makes history as the first African musician to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Discover her global influe Read More: https://punchng.com/angelique-kidjo-to-become-first-african-musician-to-get-hollywood-star/
"If you thought the president hated 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' when it was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, buckle up, people," the comedian adds The post Rosie O’Donnell Taunts Trump During First Monologue as ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Host: ‘I Know You’re Watching’ appeared first on TheWrap .
Former Arsenal and France captain Patrick Vieira is appointed as the new head coach of the Senegal men's national team.
NEW YORK (AP) — Madonna leads the 2026 MTV Video Music Award nominations, the network announced Tuesday. The pop superstar has…
For the first time since the 2004-05 season, the Gunners will start a campaign as English champions when they host Coventry in the season opener on Friday.
The 2026/27 Premier League season starts on Friday, when Arsenal begin the defence of their hard-earned title with a game against promoted Coventry City. After a busy summer dominated by the Fifa World Cup, fans now have the opportunity to return to the world of club football.
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