JERUSALEM POST

Treasury Secretary Bessent says US entering 'endgame' with Iran, will sever economic lifelines

"Any remaining tie to Tehran will hasten the economic ostracism of countries and entities, whether that tie be purposefully constructed or wilfully ignored."

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JERUSALEM POST

Greece moves Patriot interceptor to protect key military base amid rising US-Iran tensions - report

Sources close to the regime in Tehran warned that Iran may attack US military targets in Europe if US President Donald Trump escalated the conflict.

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MIDDLE EAST EYE

Israeli drone strike kills two in central Gaza

Israeli drone strike kills two in central Gaza An Israeli drone strike targeting displaced Palestinians in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah killed two early on Monday, Anadolu Agency reported citing medical sources. The two killed were identified as Mohammed Nasser Abu Assad and Ibrahim Nasser Abu Assad. Israeli warplanes also carried out two strikes near the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital hospital, which was located near the tents targeted. Artillery shelling was also reported south of the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza. Israeli attacks across the besieged enclave have continued despite a ceasefire that was reached in October. Over 73,420 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, with thousands more remaining missing and believed to be beneath the rubble.

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SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Malaysian villages shaken as blasts rock southern Thailand

Residents of Malaysian villages near the Thailand border were left shaken this weekend after hearing loud booms and seeing flashes of light across the frontier, as Thai authorities confirmed more than 50 coordinated attacks on Saturday night. The blasts, heard in Kampung Lubok Gong and Kampung Tersang in Malaysia’s Kelantan state, coincided with a wave of near-simultaneous attacks across 21 districts in Thailand’s Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces beginning around 8pm local time on...

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JERUSALEM POST

Three Israeli Jews rescued after entering prohibited Palestinian Authority areas in West Bank

In a separate incident earlier this month, a woman in her 20's living in central Israel who had been forcibly taken to Hebron was located and rescued by authorities.

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HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Bangladesh: End Indefinite Pretrial Detention of Political Opponents

Click to expand Image Prison vans transport former ministers and leaders of the Bangladesh Awami League party to jail after their court hearing from the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 18, 2024. © Mamunur Rashid/NurPhoto via AP (London) – Bangladeshi authorities should immediately take steps to end the prolonged pretrial detention of politicians and others linked to the deposed Awami League government, Human Rights Watch said today. Police detained thousands of party officials, activists, and supporters after Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down as prime minister in August 2024 following weeks of protests, and hundreds remain in prison without being charged with any crime.Though some officials may have been complicit in the Hasina government’s serious rights violations, many were arrested without apparent evidence on allegations of murdering protesters. Their family members and lawyers allege that the detainees, many of them older people, some with serious health conditions, have been denied basic rights including bail and medical care. At least 10 Awami League office holders, most of whom were not charged with any crime, have died in prison since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office in February 2026.“Under one government after another, hundreds of opposition members have been locked up without evidence or due process,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has pledged reform, and as a first step he should end the prolonged arbitrary detention of political opponents.”Instead of pursuing reforms, the government’s new National Human Rights Commission bill—if adopted in its current form—would prevent the new commission from investigating alleged arbitrary arrests. Those detained without charge include former Awami League members of parliament, other former lawmakers that supported Hasina’s administration, and activists, officials, and journalists who had backed the Awami League government. Others, including members of the security forces, are accused of serious international crimes including extrajudicial killings, torture, and disappearances. Some are also accused of corruption.Prosecutors have repeatedly sought to deny bail in cases in which no evidence has been produced. The lower magistrate and district courts have consistently refused bail, and High Court bail orders have been circumvented as government authorities file fresh cases.In one example, ABM Khairul Haque, 82, a former chief justice, was arrested on July 24, 2025, for allegedly murdering a protester. Over the following three months, he was arrested in four more cases, including for corruption. The lower courts denied bail in each of these, though his family told Human Rights Watch he was in poor health and had a heart attack while in prison. The High Court granted the bail applications, but on March 10, 2026, the day before the court granted bail in the final case, the police applied for him to be arrested in two new cases, preventing his release.The lower courts refused bail in both of these new cases, and the High Court on May 12 granted him bail. But before Haque could be released, police filed another murder charge. They alleged he was at a murder scene at exactly the same time as an earlier murder alleged against him, though the two locations are over 10 kilometers apart.The process was repeated once again, with the High Court granting bail and the police, for the third time, filing a further case, with the authorities this time seeking to evade a new High Court bail ruling requiring the police not to “arrest and harass” Haque “unless there is a specific case against him.” He was finally released on August 19 after intervention by the Appellate Division. Throughout this period, he was not charged with any offense.Lawyers for other detainees told Human Rights Watch that they now advise their clients not to seek bail, as if they succeed the police simply file a new case against them.Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal, a domestic court to prosecute international crimes, allows detention without charge beyond one year only in “exceptional circumstances” that are set out in writing. The tribunal has not released on bail any of the over 160 people it has detained, who have no right to appeal bail rejections.Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, 81, a former Hasina advisor, was first detained by the tribunal in October 2024 and has now spent 22 months in custody without charge. When he sought bail in April 2026, the tribunal neither allowed bail nor set out any “exceptional circumstances.” It instead adjourned proceedings twice, most recently until the end of August.A former parliament member, Kamal Ahmed Majumder, 75, has also been detained by the tribunal for 22 months. In jail, his family told Human Rights Watch, he suffered gangrene on his foot requiring amputation of three toes and broke his hip when he fell. The tribunal refused bail in July.Many families say that their detained relatives are not receiving adequate medical care. Activists have called for the release of Shahriar Kabir, 75, who suffers chronic ailments and needs a wheelchair. RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, 71, has been in detention for 22 months without charge and has serious heart problems.Ramesh Chandra Sen, 85, a former Awami League lawmaker, who was arrested in August 2024 for three cases of murder and an explosives case, remained in detention until his death on February 7, 2026. His family said he was denied proper medication and refused bail. Similar concerns relate to the death of SM Ziaul Haque Zia, 65, a Jamalpur district Awami League member who was already in poor health when he was detained on January 6. He died on April 14, after he was denied bail.International human rights law permits some use of pretrial incarceration or release with conditions. However, such detention should be the exception, not the rule, and should be determined on an individual basis. A judge or equivalent should review the detention of every detained person to consider the legality and necessity of their detention, and anyone so detained is entitled to a speedy trial or release. Any pretrial restrictions must be consistent with the right to liberty, the presumption of innocence, and the right to equality.“A justice system that lets older people die in custody before they are ever charged is not treating pretrial detention as the exceptional measure it always should be,” Pearson said. “The Bangladeshi government should order independent inquiries into all prison deaths under its watch and stop arbitrarily detaining people for prolonged periods without charge.”

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AL-MONITOR

US vows 'economic D-Day' as Iran threatens to halt all oil exports

By Yasmine Ghania and Kanishka SinghCAIRO/WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. threatened Iran with what it called "the greatest financial offensive ever marshalled" as it prepared to roll out economic sanctions on Monday that target Iran's trade partners.Iran in turn vowed to shut down all oil exports from the Gulf "if the economic war continues."

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CBS NEWS WORLD

White House promises full-throttle economic warfare against Iran with new plan for sanctions

The streets of Washington, D.C., turned into a speedway on Sunday as IndyCars raced around the National Mall. Meanwhile, the Trump administration said new economic pressure for allies and enemies alike is its top focus. Olivia Rinaldi has more details.

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AL JAZEERA

Large forest fire burns close to residential areas in Ankara

A large forest fire is threatening homes near residential areas of Mamak on the outskirts of the Turkish capital.

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MIDDLE EAST EYE

Yemeni army claims attacks on Houthis

Yemeni army claims attacks on Houthis The Yemeni army said it launched drone strikes on several Houthi positions, targeting gatherings, movements and barracks. While the army published footage of the alleged strikes, it did not specify where the attacks took place nor did it give figures on casualties.

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SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Indonesia takes on Malaysia in battle over palm oil pricing

Indonesia produces and exports more palm oil than any other country, but when it comes to setting the price, it still plays second fiddle to Malaysia. President Prabowo Subianto wants to change that. On August 14, he announced a new exchange for commodities including palm oil, nickel and coal, targeted to begin operations on January 1. But analysts say dominance in physical supply does not automatically translate into pricing power. Jakarta’s move to set new benchmarks may not be enough to...

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AL JAZEERA

Iran war live: Iranian parliament advances plans for Hormuz service fees

Draft law says ships of countries permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz will pay for services provided by Iran.

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MIDDLE EAST EYE

Watch: Iranians express mixed opinions over war recovery

Watch: Iranians express mixed opinions over war recovery Iranians in Tehran expressed divided opinions over how the country should move forward in the face of increased US sanctions threats and recovering from damage from US and Israeli strikes. On Saturday, Iran warned that any country participating in the US's "economic war" against it would be "considered an enemy" after US President Donald Trump announced a campaign to isolate Iran economically and encouraged allies to support the move. Iranians in Tehran expressed divided opinions over how the country should move forward in the face of increased US sanctions threats and recovering from damage from US and Israeli strikes. pic.twitter.com/CieMJnod6S — Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) August 23, 2026

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SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Syria holds talks with Israel addressing de-escalation and Israel-Turkey tensions

Syria said it held talks with Israel in Jordan on Sunday on de-escalation after recent Israeli strikes, and on keeping the country out of tensions between Israel and Turkey, an ally of Damascus. The high-level negotiations came after the sides in January agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism as they edge towards a security agreement. They also came after Israel bombed the disused Abu Duhur airbase in the country’s northwest earlier in the week, claiming it wanted to avert Turkish...

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THE HINDU

Digging for gold

Parliament passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which put the extraction and management of minerals in the hands of the Central government. Many in Odisha, one of India’s most mineral-rich States, fear that the new law will impact the State’s fiscal health, while also disrupting the Centre-State relationship. Satyasundar Barik delves into the amendment’s far-reaching implications through the views of multiple stakeholders

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JERUSALEM POST

Smotrich, Strock push Netanyahu to bar ISF from operating in Gaza before Hamas disarmament

Last Friday, Strock attended a tour of the Life Support Area Endurance camp, a staging site for ISF forces, and viewed ongoing preperations for the deployment of the ISF.

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CBS NEWS WORLD

8/23: CBS Weekend News

Hawk Fire nearing Reno prompts mass evacuations; White House says economic warfare against Iran begins on Monday.

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THE HINDU

Israel warns Hamas over kite launches from Gaza

Israeli media reported that four kites were found in communities near the Gaza border on August 23 and one was shot down by the army on August 24

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MIDDLE EAST EYE

Yemen, US officials meet to discuss ‘countering Houthi propaganda’

Yemen, US officials meet to discuss ‘countering Houthi propaganda’ Yemen's Minister of Information Moammar al-Eryani and the US Embassy's chargé d'affaires in Yemen, Neal H. Opdahl, met on Sunday, according to a post on X by the US Embassy in Yemen. The discussion between the two included “how countering Houthi lies and propaganda with timely, accurate facts is an important part of the battle," the US diplomat said. The Yemeni minister added that his country’s leadership now presents "a genuine opportunity" to deepen ties with the US and counter Houthi disinformation. The meeting came as the Iran-backed Houthis continue to strike ships in the Red Sea. Earlier on Sunday, the Yemeni government carried out drone attacks on Houthi targets across various locations, according to Yemeni government media. Several videos posted on social media show bombs being dropped on "gatherings, movements and barracks" of the Houthis.

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PBS NEWSHOUR

He was waiting for his son to return from the USS Lincoln. Then Border Patrol arrested him.

Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was arrested after leaving his house to take his car to the mechanic, according to his wife, Argelia Aviles. She said her husband, a handyman in Key West, Florida, has a permit to work in the United States.

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