The US debt has crossed $40 trillion for the first time, putting renewed focus on federal deficits, higher interest costs and Treasury yields. The milestone does not mean an immediate debt crisis, but it highlights how rapidly Washington’s borrowing burden is growing. Why US debt keeps rising The United States’ gross national debt reach

The AI model release pace is accelerating so quickly that independent evaluation is struggling to keep up. New releases from Meta, xAI and Z.AI arrived within days of one another this month, while recent launches from OpenAI and Anthropic show how quickly the competitive frontier is moving. AI model release pace keeps accelerating The broad

PV Sindhu vs Wang Zhi Yi will be one of the biggest women’s singles contests in the BWF World Championships 2026 round of 16. Sindhu reached the stage with a straight-game win over Wen Yu Zhang and says consistency, recovery and long-rally discipline will be crucial against the Chinese world No. 3. Sindhu round 16 challenge PV Sindhu advanced to the pre-quarterfinals in New Delhi after defeat

AI agent security is entering a tougher phase as companies move from experiments to production. Surveys now point to widespread agent breaches, access risk and data exposure, while researchers and AI developers have documented cases in which autonomous systems ignored instructions or crossed intended boundaries. Agent breaches expose enterprise risk Research associated with the Cloud Security A

The Natalie Harp Trump row has intensified after Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff publicly targeted President Donald Trump’s close working relationship with his executive assistant. The remarks triggered an unusually aggressive White House response and renewed attention on Harp’s access, personal letters and role inside Trump’s circle. Ossoff remarks put Natalie Harp in spotlight Democratic Sen

The AI chip cloud loophole has become a major challenge for US export policy after officials accused Moonshot AI of accessing restricted Nvidia GB300 systems outside China. Kimi K3’s strong performance has intensified debate over remote chip access, export controls and the Remote Access Security Act. AI chip cloud loophole US semiconductor restrictions were largely built around controlling ex

A US Antarctic C17 mission turned back to New Zealand after a Russia alert prompted aviation authorities to warn of potentially hazardous activity over the Southern Ocean. The C17 return disrupted a WINFLY mission to McMurdo Station while New Zealand established a temporary NZ danger area. Russia alert triggers C-17 return A US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III flying from Christchurch to Antarcti

President Donald Trump has renewed his US Hormuz control claim, saying Washington has “complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz as more oil tankers move through the strategic waterway. Shipping remains well below normal levels, however, while Iran continues to dispute American claims of control. Trump Hormuz claim Trump told reporters on Wednesday that a large number of vessels had recentl

ChatGPT for Teens is rolling out with stronger teen AI safety measures, parental controls and learning-focused features. OpenAI says eligible under-18 accounts can automatically enter the experience, which combines age prediction, Study Mode, Quiet Hours and additional safeguards for sensitive content. ChatGPT for Teens OpenAI has started rolling out ChatGPT for Teens, a dedicated experience de

US ICC sanctions have intensified Washington's dispute with the International Criminal Court. The Trump administration has designated ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, escalating the ICC jurisdiction row and its campaign over national sovereignty. US ICC sanctions The United States announced sanctions against two senior International Criminal Court officials on

China’s commercial space sector has reached a major milestone with the Zhuque-3 landing. LandSpace successfully recovered the reusable rocket’s first stage, strengthening China’s rocket ambitions and its challenge to SpaceX as booster reuse becomes central to cheaper satellite launches. Zhuque-3 landing Chinese startup LandSpace successfully recovered the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocke

President Donald Trump has announced a three-day Trump Canada tariff pause, delaying new 50% duties on Canadian goods after saying Washington and Ottawa have a deal pending final documents. The Canada trade deal follows intense Carney talks and renewed discussion about a Keystone revival. Trump Canada tariff pause US President Donald Trump announced late Tuesday, August 18, that planned 50% tar

The UAE Iran missile dispute has opened a new front in already tense Gulf relations. Abu Dhabi says two ballistic missiles launched from Iran targeted maritime navigation, while Tehran rejects the allegation. The UAE has now halted Iran trade as the Hormuz crisis continues to threaten regional shipping. UAE Iran missile claim The United Arab Emirates has accused Iran of launching two ballistic

North Korea has sharply criticized the latest US-South Korea military drills, calling them an open threat to its security even after President Donald Trump ordered a reduction in their scale. The response from Pyongyang shows that the deeper dispute on the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged, with mistrust still shaping every military and diplomatic move. Trump drill cut Pyongyang’s reaction c

Iran is demanding a permanent end to its conflict with the United States rather than another temporary ceasefire. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran wants lasting guarantees, even as the US-Iran deal stalls, Trump Iran talks remain off the table and Gulf security concerns grow. Iran permanent peace Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected the idea of another temporary truce

Trump’s India voter ID remarks have renewed debate over the SAVE America Act as India conducts its SIR 2026 exercise. While Trump praised India’s voter identification system, voter roll exclusions in Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal have raised concerns over electoral access and voting rights. Trump India voter ID e

The Kharge Vande Mataram row intensified on Tuesday, August 18, as Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge defended the version of the national song followed by his party and rejected BJP allegations of disrespect. The dispute has also fuelled a wider Congress-BJP clash as Kharge focuses on strengthening the party in Goa ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Vande Mataram Row Intensifies Kharge t

Nearly 18 years after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Indian authorities have initiated the 26/11 in absentia trial process against six Pakistan-based accused linked to the conspiracy. Mumbai Police has moved to invoke the new legal mechanism under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, while the court must still determine whether all statutory requirements have been fulfilled. The accused are Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur

Delhi Police has defended its handling of the July 20 Sansad Chalo protest in a counter-affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on August 18, 2026. Police rejected allegations of excessive force, saying officers adopted a graded response after parts of the crowd breached barricades and attempted to move towards Parliament. The affidavit comes amid judicial scrutiny of policing during the student-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Delhi P

India strengthened their position in the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, after setting the hosts a challenging target of 372 runs. The visitors were bowled out for 193 in their second innings, but their strong first-innings advantage ensured that Sri Lanka were left facing a difficult fourth-innings chase. Earlier in the match, India had posted an imposing 462 in their first innings, putting significant pressure on the Sri Lankan batting lineup. The hosts