News of the World
Yesterday, 09:54 AM
USA
Quote:President Donald Trump has fired Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook late Monday night, citing allegations of mortgage fraud in a surprise move that marks a significant escalation in his efforts to exert control over the traditionally independent central bank.
Newsweek reached out to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve for comment via online form on Monday.
Why It Matters
The announcement, posted on Trump's Truth Social, came days after Cook said she would not resign from the seven-member Fed board despite Trump's previous calls for her departure.
"I have no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet," Cook said in a statement last week.
What To Know
Cook's firing on Monday stems from allegations made last week by Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the agency overseeing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Pulte accused Cook, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, of claiming two primary residences—one in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and another in Atlanta—in 2021 to secure more favorable mortgage terms. Mortgage rates are typically higher for second homes or investment properties.
In his termination letter dated August 25, 2025, Trump wrote: "The executive power of the United States is vested in me as President and, as President, I have a solemn duty to ensure that the laws of the United States are faithfully executed. I have determined that faithfully executing the law requires your immediate removal from office."
Trump said his decision to remove Cook falls within his constitutional authority as president.
The letter continued: "The Federal Reserve has tremendous responsibility for setting interest rates and regulating reserve and member banks. The American people must be able to have full confidence in the honesty of the members entrusted with setting policy and overseeing the Federal Reserve. In light of your deceitful and potentially criminal conduct in a financial matter, they cannot and I do not have such confidence in your integrity."
The timing of Cook's firing is significant as it comes amid Trump's efforts to force the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. Jerome Powell, the chair of the central bank, signaled in recent days that the Fed may cut rates soon, adding that with inflation ticking up and the job market cooling down, the central bank is in a "challenging situation."
Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell for not cutting the Fed's short-term interest rate more aggressively and has even threatened to fire him. The president has also made clear he would only appoint officials who support cutting rates.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump said in his termination letter: "At a minimum, the conduct at issue exhibits the sort of gross negligence in financial transactions that calls into question your competence and trustworthiness as a financial regulator."
Well, the University of Virgina has an article that agrees with Trump, he as the US President can fire a member of the Federal Reserve Board. It claims that not even US Congress can stop him from doing so.
Quote:A person was arrested near the White House on Tuesday after setting fire to an American flag, just hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to punish people who burn the flag.
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed the initial detention in a statement to Newsweek.
Why It Matters
The arrest sets the stage for a legal battle because Trump's executive order, which he signed Monday, is in opposition to a legal precedent set by the Supreme Court in 1989 when it reached a 5-4 decision in Texas vs. Johnson. Justice William Brennan wrote that the government could not prohibit expressive conduct merely because society found it offensive.
The ruling said that burning the flag is protected by the First Amendment because it constitutes symbolic and political speech.
What To Know
A video clip posted on social media shows a man in Lafayette Park outside the White House speaking to passersby through a bullhorn before setting fire to a U.S. flag soaked in some kind of accelerant on the ground.
The man said he was 20-year combat veteran and identified himself as Dave Perry.
He said he was protesting to defend the right to burn the flag under the First Amendment.
"I fought for every single one of your rights to express yourself in however you feel that you may want to express yourself. It is a First Amendment right to burn the American flag" the man said.
He said no president, or anyone else, can make a law that infringes on First Amendment rights.
"We burn this flag in protest to that president who feels that it's his right to do whatever he wants, make whatever law he wants, regardless if it's legal or illegal."
Quote:President Donald Trump says he wants to change the name of the Department of Defense back to its original title: the Department of War.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, the president said, in part, "It just sounded bad to me, 'On behalf of the Department of Defense?' Defense? I don't want to be defense only. We want defense but we want offense, too, if that's OK. As the Department of War, we won everything, and I think we're going to have to go back to that."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, standing behind him, said, "That's coming soon, sir."
Trump quickly said, "You let me know if you want to do it."
The Pentagon carried that name until 1949 when it was rebranded amid post–World War II restructuring.
Why It Matters
Monday's discussion was not the first time the name change had been floated, with Hegseth looking at the idea in March as a way to better reflect the Trump administration's priorities.
What To Know
Speaking as part of an Oval Office media event for the signing of executive orders, Trump repeated the idea to rename the DOD to its old title, last used in 1947.
The Department of War existed for 158 years, having been established by President George Washington in 1789. It was dissolved in the 1940s, with the different components becoming the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force.
The DOD was then renamed in 1949.
Renaming the department would likely require an act of Congress, with the president asking about that hurdle later Monday when back in the Oval Office with reporters.
"I'm sure Congress will go along with that," Trump responded, adding that the Department of War was the name under which the U.S.' armed forces had "won World War I, we one World War II."
What Does the Department of Defense Do?
In its current form, the DOD oversees six U.S. armed forces, as well as the National Guard.
The DOD is the largest federal government agency, with over 3.4 million service members and civilians under its remit.
It is currently led by Hegseth, who has been vocal in his wishes to redefine what the department stands for and how it operates, often with the blessing of the president.
Quote:House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, issued an update in the review of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, saying a new subpoena has been issued for his estate.
Newsweek reached out to Comer's office via email Monday for additional comment.
Why It Matters
Epstein, a sex offender and disgraced financier, died by suicide behind bars while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019 in New York City, leaving many questions unanswered.
The new move comes as the committee and congressional lawmakers continue to review materials the Justice Department had turned over in response to an earlier congressional subpoena for files related to Epstein's investigations.
Thousands of pages of documents were provided by federal and local authorities last week.
What To Know
In a post on X on Monday, Comer announced the move and wrote: "I have issued a subpoena to the Epstein estate for documents & communications in its possession, custody, or control in unredacted form. Alexander Acosta, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, will appear for a transcribed interview on September 19."
Comer linked to the Oversight Committee's post about the update, noting the news of the subpoena for the Epstein estate, the upcoming interview of Acosta, and thirdly in part that he is accepting "formal written declarations from former Attorneys General Alberto Gonzelez, Eric Holder, and Jeff Sessions under penalty of prosecution for false statements stating they possess no information about the Epstein or Maxwell cases."
The Oversight Committee had earlier issued a subpoena to the Justice Department demanding records related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The DOJ began sending material to the committee after the August 19 deadline, delivering tens of thousands of pages, which committee Democrats said largely duplicated previously public records.
Quote:At least a dozen earthquakes have struck South Carolina in the Greenwood County area within roughly one week, centered near Coronaca and Lake Greenwood, with the largest registering about magnitude 3.0.
The earthquake swarm prompted the South Carolina Emergency Management Division to urge residents to review earthquake preparedness steps and insurance options.
Why It Matters
The flurry of small quakes was notable for its frequency in a concentrated area and because some events were shallow enough to be felt by residents, even though the magnitudes remained below levels typically associated with structural damage.
Primary reporting and state records indicated the Coronaca/Greenwood sequence represented the most active week in the area since an earlier swarm in October 2024, and contributed to dozens of quakes recorded statewide so far in 2025.
What To Know
The series included quakes measured at magnitudes of about 1.7 to 3.0; two events shortly after midnight on one recent Saturday were recorded at 2.9 and 3.0.
No injuries or major damage have been reported in connection with the recent swarm.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division shared a link with earthquake safety information on social media, which reiterated standard safety guidance: drop, cover, and hold on during shaking, secure heavy items in homes, and review insurance coverage for earthquake damage.
Residents who felt shaking were directed to report observations through the U.S. Geological Survey's reporting service.
USGS research geophysicist Thomas Pratt told Newsweek that damage typically doesn't occur until earthquakes hit 4.5 magnitude. Earthquakes striking the Eastern U.S. are not unusual, Pratt said. What is unusual is how frequently they've struck the same area over the past week.
It's unclear what caused the recent swarm. Experts are also unsure what the swarm might signify, if anything. Tens of thousands of such minor earthquakes have struck the Eastern U.S. over the past 400 years, Pratt said. In two cases, the swarms preceded a large, much more destructive earthquake.
One such quake occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1886 when a magnitude 7.0 quake struck the region, killing 60 people and causing devastating damage. In 2020, a 5.1 magnitude quake struck in Sparta, North Carolina, causing damage to homes and injuring at least one person.
"The only way to know if these are foreshocks is if a big one happens," Pratt said. "The chances these are foreshocks are not impossible, but very unlikely."
Quote:Parts of California saw extreme rainfall for August as "insane" monsoonal moisture flooded the state over the weekend.
Why It Matters
On Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned that monsoonal moisture would continue producing showers and thunderstorms over parts of the U.S. West. Monsoon season runs through much of the summer across the U.S. Southwest, and although many times it hits deserts in Arizona, New Mexico, and Southern California, it is not unusual for the monsoon to funnel moisture into Central and Northern California, NWS Weather Prediction Center senior meteorologist Brian Hurley told Newsweek.
What to Know
On Sunday, extreme weather chaser Colin McCarthy posted the rainfall totals on X, formerly Twitter.
"This is insane," McCarthy wrote in the post. "The monsoonal blast hitting California has dumped up to 7.5 inches of rain in Yosemite in less than 48 hours, with back-to-back days of Flash Flood Warnings. An incredible burst of mid-summer rain for the Sierra Nevada."
In a follow-up post, McCarthy said that average monthly rainfall in that part of Yosemite is usually only .44 inches, meaning the recent storms dumped 17 times that amount in 48 hours.
Despite the monsoon season, Hurley said the areas that were hit by heavy rain over the weekend and that continue to see rain on Monday are typically dry in August.
"Even with the monsoon, some of those areas, we just don't see on a daily basis the rain we could see," he said. "It's unusual in the sense they don't average a lot of rain at all in August per day."
Myriad weather alerts remain in place for the region on Monday afternoon, including a severe thunderstorm warning, a flood advisory, and a flood watch, among others.
The flood watch will remain in place through Monday night for Yosemite National Park and nearby areas, including Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park.
"Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible," the flood watch said.
Quote:A network of family planning clinics in Maine will remain without Medicaid funding as it challenges Trump administration restrictions on abortion providers, a federal judge ruled Monday.
The decision leaves Maine Family Planning unable to access reimbursements that support thousands of low-income patients during the course of its lawsuit.
Why It Matters
The cuts stem from President Donald Trump's flagship congressional reconciliation package, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which barred Medicaid dollars from going to Planned Parenthood.
But the law's cuts weren't limited to Planned Parenthood, which is the nation's largest reproductive health care provider.
Smaller organizations, like Maine Family Planning, which operates 18 clinics in the state, were also swept up in the cuts. The group provides affordable reproductive health care, primary care and other services to people across Maine, which is one of the poorest and most rural states in the Northeast.
What To Know
Maine Family Planning argued that the Trump administration's cuts unfairly targeted its operations even though Medicaid funds do not cover abortion care, which makes up only a fraction of its services.
"It's unfair to cut off funding for the clinics solely because Congress wanted to defund Planned Parenthood," an attorney for the provider told the court earlier this month.
But U.S. District Judge Lance Walker, who was appointed by Trump in 2018, ruled that Medicaid payments will not resume while the case is ongoing.
His decision came despite a ruling last month by another federal judge requiring that Planned Parenthood clinics across the U.S. continue receiving Medicaid reimbursements while their legal fight with the Trump administration plays out.
That court battle is still underway.
Earlier this month, Emily Hall, a lawyer for the Department of Justice, defended the administration's cuts in court, telling Walker that Congress has the authority to withhold funds from abortion providers, even when they provide other health care services.
"The rational basis is not simply to reduce the number of abortions, it's to ensure the federal government is not paying out money to organizations that provide abortions," Hall said.
Supporters of Maine Family Planning, meanwhile, emphasize that its clinics deliver essential care far beyond abortion. Services include contraception, cervical cancer screenings and primary care for roughly 8,000 low-income patients statewide. Losing Medicaid reimbursements, they argue, would devastate access to affordable health care.
The impact is "nothing short of catastrophic," Meetra Mehdizadeh, an attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in court earlier this month.
The network previously warned that without Medicaid dollars, it could be forced to halt primary care services by the end of October.
While the Trump administration's push centered on defunding Planned Parenthood, the bill avoided naming the organization directly. Instead, it barred reimbursements to providers primarily engaged in family planning services that received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023.
Maine Family Planning argues the threshold was lowered specifically to ensure the cuts extended beyond Planned Parenthood, making it the only other organization so far to acknowledge its funding is at risk.
Quote:Cracker Barrel is standing by its newly unveiled logo but has apologized to customers upset by the change.
Newsweek reached out to the company via online form Monday for additional comment.
Why It Matters
Brand updates for legacy retailers and restaurants have repeatedly generated outsized online attention because they touch on notions of heritage, identity and consumer loyalty.
The reaction to Cracker Barrel's new logo underscored how branding decisions by long-established chains can ignite cultural debates online.
What To Know
"If the last few days have shown us anything, it's how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel. We're truly grateful for your heartfelt voices," the company said Monday in a statement. "You've also shown us that we could have done a better job sharing who we are and who we'll always be."
The logo, introduced last week, features only the restaurant chain's name, dropping the image of an older man in overalls leaning against a barrel, as well as the words "Old Country Store." The redesign is part of a broader rebranding effort aimed at modernizing Cracker Barrel's look, including brighter interiors and updated furniture in its restaurants.
"We love seeing how much you care about our 'old timer.' We love him too. Uncle Herschel will still be on our menu (welcome back Uncle Herschel's Favorite Breakfast Platter), on our road signs and featured in our country store. He's not going anywhere — he's family," the brand added in part.
The change sparked backlash online, with critics—including Donald Trump Jr.—accusing the chain of abandoning its heritage. Some threatened boycotts, while rival chain Steak n' Shake mocked the redesign as "a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers," adding, "Heritage is what got Cracker Barrel this far, and now the CEO wants to just scrape it all away."
Market reaction followed the public debate as reports of Cracker Barrel's shares falling after the new logo appeared, with AP reporting a decline of "more than 10%" since the redesign's introduction on August 18.
Quote:Chinese companies and investors purchasing land in New Hampshire have drawn attention from some politicians concerned about proximity to military installations and a "Trojan horse takeover."
Two politicians spoke to Newsweek about their worries over three major purchases in New Hampshire in the last decade, including the most recent one in January when Nongfu Spring, China's largest beverage company, bought land near Nashua's Pennichuck water system.
Foreign land purchases near sensitive sites can raise national security concerns, especially when the buyer is linked to a geopolitical rival. The acquisitions may put properties close to military installations and defense contractors, potentially exposing vulnerabilities.
In the other two significant deals, Chinese investor Sui Liu bought the former Daniel Webster College campus, a former aviation school, in 2017, and, two years before that, the private Jiahui Education Group bought the Chester College of New England, a former private liberal arts college.
Republican Congress hopeful Lily Tang Williams, who fled communist China in 1988, said she believes these sales are part of Beijing's plan to expand "soft power."
"[China] doesn't want to get into hard war, they don't want to fire on shot, but they are using these so-called acceptable international expansion strategies to get the world on their side," Williams told Newsweek.
"But they have their own ambition and plan, it's not to be our friend," she said. "They want to be [the] number one, dominate global power by 2049."
New Hampshire Republican Senator Kevin Avard, whose district includes parts of Nashua, is concerned about the proximity of these purchases to sensitive sites.
"These purchases near our defense contractors, like BAE, and military installations, such as the New Boston Space Force base, threaten the safety of our state and the security of our nation," he told Newsweek.
China's embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told Newsweek: "In essence, China-U.S. economic and trade ties are mutually beneficial and win-win. For years, investment by Chinese companies in the U.S. has made important contributions to U.S. jobs and economic growth.
"Overstretching the concept of national security and politicizing economic and investment issues run counter to market principles and international trade rules, undermining confidence in the U.S. business environment.
"We hope the U.S. can stop inflating 'security' concerns, stop hyping the so-called 'China threat', and stop smearing and obstructing normal China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation, and provide an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises operating in the U.S."
Newsweek has contacted Nongfu Spring and Jiahui Education Group, via email, for comment, as well as Xinhua Education Investment Corporation for comment on behalf of Sui Liu.
EUROPE
Quote:A21-year-old U.S. citizen was seriously injured in a knife attack on a tram in the German city of Dresden shortly after midnight Sunday after he intervened when two men reportedly harassed female passengers, German police said.
Newsweek has reached out for comment from the Dresden Police Department and the U.S. State Department.
Why It Matters
The stabbing comes amid heightened concern in Germany over violent crimes involving knives and public safety. Last year, following two knife attacks attributed to migrants, the country cracked down on its borders.
A recent analysis from The European Conservative news publication, citing official police data, reported a 17 percent increase in knife attacks in Germany during the first half of 2025.
What To Know
The incident occurred aboard tram line 7, near the Goldener Reiter stop in Dresden's city center. During the confrontation, one of the suspects attacked the American with a knife, causing multiple injuries to his face, according to German daily Bild, citing a police spokesperson.
The Dresden police spokesperson said they were seeking witnesses.
The attack happened at approximately 12:25 a.m. local time. According to Dresden police, two men began harassing female passengers on the tram. When the American passenger tried to intervene, he was assaulted.
One suspect—identified as a 21-year-old Syrian national—fled on an electric scooter and was apprehended roughly half a mile away from the scene. He was detained temporarily but later released. "He was provisionally arrested and has been released by decision of the public prosecutor's office," police spokesman Thomas Geithner told Bild.
Authorities have not clarified the reason behind his release. According to the Bild report, the arrested suspect has a criminal record, including previous offenses such as dangerous bodily harm and robbery.
The other suspect, believed to have inflicted the knife wounds, remains at large. The weapon has not been recovered. Investigators are reviewing tram surveillance footage and seeking eyewitness accounts from other passengers.
Photos from the crime scene published by Bild show blood on the tram's floor and tissues used by bystanders attempting to stanch the bleeding. A police spokesperson confirmed that both suspects are under investigation for grievous bodily harm.
What Happens Next
Dresden authorities are continuing their investigation, with a search underway for the second attacker.
Bild reported that the U.S. citizen was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he remains under medical care. Authorities confirmed that his injuries are serious but not life-threatening.
[spoiler=UKRAINE WAR]
Quote:The Department of Defense has been blocking Ukraine from using long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, according to a new report.
Why It Matters
Ukrainian use of long-range missiles has long been a thorny issue for the U.S., although the Joe Biden administration finally greenlit Kyiv's use of American Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles as it left office last year. ATACMS have a range of roughly 190 miles.
Kyiv had long clamored for permission to use long-range Western weaponry far across the border. Ukraine instead turned to its homegrown drones to strike hundreds of miles into Russian territory.
What To Know
Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's policy chief, developed a review process to decide whether Kyiv would be able to fire long-range Western weapons into Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing anonymous U.S. officials.
The review, which came into effect in the "late spring," covers both U.S.-made kit like ATACMS and weapons donated by Kyiv's European backers that hinge on U.S. support to be used effectively, according to the report.
Ukraine previously said the restrictions on long-range strikes constrained its ability to fight Russia and to defend itself. Two officials told the outlet that Kyiv had attempted to use ATACMS against Russia, but was rebuffed on at least one occasion.
The decision on whether Ukraine could use these missiles ultimately falls to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Journal reported.
"Secretary Hegseth is working in lockstep with President Trump," Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in a statement.
"President Trump has been very clear that the war in Ukraine needs to end. There has been no change in military posture in Russia-Ukraine at this time."
Newsweek could not independently verify the report, and the Pentagon declined to comment. Newsweek has reached out to the White House and the Ukrainian military for comment.
Trump has flip-flopped in his feelings on Ukraine, the administration swinging from authorizing a pause in intelligence flow to Kyiv earlier this year to approving more weapons for the country via other NATO members.
Trump said earlier this week it is "very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader's country." Before taking office, he said in December he disagreed "very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia."
The administration has been reluctant to strong-arm the Kremlin in peace negotiations, although Trump on Friday suggested he could resort to "massive sanctions or massive tariffs" on Russia if progress toward an agreement isn't quickly reached.
Ukraine signed up to a U.S. ceasefire proposal back in March. Russia refused to consent, and has since offered little indication it will move on its demands while resisting confirmation of a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The operators of a Russian nuclear power plant in the country's western Kursk region and the region's governor said in posts to messaging app Telegram early on Sunday that Russian air defenses had intercepted a Ukrainian drone close to the site shortly after midnight local time. Kursk borders northeastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian drone detonated as it fell, damaging an auxiliary transformer and sparking a fire, the station in Kursk said. There were no casualties, but one of the reactors was working at 50 percent capacity, the nuclear plant said, adding radiation levels hadn't changed.
Alexander Khinshtein, the acting governor of the Kursk region, shared a similar statement. The United Nations' nuclear watchdog said it was aware of reports that a transformer at the Kursk site had caught fire "due to military activity," but said it could not independently verify the information. In a later update, the IAEA said it confirmed that radiation was normal around the site.
Ukraine's military said early on Sunday had attacked the Ust-Lega sea terminal in Russia's western Leningrad region, which it described as "one of the key logistics hubs" for the Kremlin's operations in the Baltic Sea and tied to Moscow's profits from energy exports.
Quote:Ukraine attacked one of Russia's nuclear power plants in a spate of overnight drone attacks, Russian authorities said on Sunday, as Kyiv marked its independence day with congratulatory messages, including from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The operators of the Russian nuclear power plant in its western Kursk region and the region's governor said in posts to messaging app Telegram early on Sunday that Russian air defenses had shot down a Ukrainian drone close to the nuclear site shortly after midnight local time. Kursk borders northeastern Ukraine.
Why It Matters
Much of the three and a half years of full-scale in Ukraine have been chased by concerns over the safety of nuclear sites close to frontline clashes.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, controlled by Russia since early 2022, has been hit several times by shelling and drones and raised fears of increased radiation levels around the site. The United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has also raised concerns about several other nuclear plants in Ukraine and Russia, urging "maximum military restraint near nuclear power plants."
What To Know
The Ukrainian drone detonated as it fell, damaging an auxiliary transformer and sparking a fire, the station in Kursk said. There were no casualties but one of the reactors was working at 50 percent capacity, the nuclear plant said, adding radiation levels hadn't changed.
Alexander Khinshtein, the acting governor of the Kursk region, shared a similar statement, and said the plant's employees "continue to work in difficult conditions."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it was aware of reports that a transformer at the Kursk site had caught fire "due to military activity," but said it could not independently verify the information. In a later update, the IAEA said it confirmed that radiation was normal around the site.
Ukraine's military said early on Sunday said it had launched attacks on Russia overnight, but did not mention Kursk. Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian armed forces for comment.
Kyiv's General Staff said it had attacked the Ust-Lega sea terminal in Russia's western Leningrad region, which it described as "one of the key logistics hubs" for Russian operations in the Baltic Sea and tied to Russia's profits from energy exports. Kyiv said it had also targeted "a number of logistics facilities" in Russia's Belgorod and Voronezh regions, which border Ukraine, as well as an oil refinery in the country's Samara region.
Ukraine has consistently targeted sites linked to Russian oil and gas, saying it hopes to cut off Moscow's access to resources that prop up its war effort.
The oil refinery is responsible for more than three percent of all the oil Russia refines, the Ukrainian military said, but added it was still assessing the damage. Alexander Drozdenko, the governor of the Leningrad region, said air defenses had shot down 10 drones over Ust-Luga early on Sunday, and the "wreckage" of a drone had caused a fire at a terminal operated by Russian natural gas company Novatek. In a later post, the Russian official said the fire had been extinguished and restoration work was underway.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday its air defenses had destroyed 95 Ukrainian drones over 13 Russian regions as well as Crimea overnight.
Ukraine's air force said on Sunday Russia had launched a ballistic missile and 72 strike drones, plus several other decoy drones, in overnight attacks on the country. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 48 of the drones, the air force said.
Ukraine marked its independence day on Sunday, observing the anniversary of Kyiv declaring itself independent of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said in his address to mark the occasion that when Russia "strikes our energy infrastructure, trying to leave us without light or heat, then its oil refineries burn."
EAST ASIA
Quote:South Korean President Lee Jae-myung arrived in Washington on Monday for his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, following several days of heightened tensions with North Korea.
Why It Matters
Inter-Korean ties were already brittle. Last year, Pyongyang labeled the South a "hostile state," with Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un officially abandoning the long-stated goal of eventual reunification. Kim's regime has also expanded its ballistic-missile and nuclear programs, citing "provocations" from United States–South Korean drills, and deployed troops to join Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the South Korean embassy in Washington, D.C., via email for comment.
Warning Shots
North Korea issued a scathing statement Saturday criticizing South Korea for firing more than 10 machine-gun warning shots on Tuesday as North Korean troops worked on a barrier near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), the de facto border.
The shots were fired after about 30 North Korean soldiers crossed the MDL and ignored several loudspeaker warnings, the U.S.-led United Nations Command told Yonhap News Agency. The UNC acknowledged that North Korea had notified it in advance about the planned construction activities.
"We remain ready to engage KPA [Korean People's Army] counterparts on this and other potential issue areas related to our standing agreements," the statement said.
Interceptor Missile Test
Kim oversaw the testing of two "improved" types of air-defense missiles on Saturday, North Korean state media reported. The report said the missiles, built with domestic "special technology," can quickly intercept incoming cruise missiles and drones.
Lee's Tokyo Visit
North Korean state media on Sunday issued another broadside, this time targeting Lee's summit a day earlier with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo.
The trip was notable for breaking precedent: Lee met the Japanese leader before visiting his U.S. counterpart, despite Seoul's defense treaty with Washington. The move was widely seen as a bid to stabilize South Korea's often frosty ties with Japan as the neighbors, both covered by Washington's nuclear umbrella, tighten security cooperation with the U.S. with an eye toward tensions with Pyongyang and Beijing.
The article accused Lee of "using peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the region as a bargaining chip, acting as a scout for realizing the aggressive U.S.–Japan–ROK triangular military cooperation in order to be within his American master's consideration."
Quote:Vietnam has stepped up its island-building activities in the South China Sea's Spratly Islands and is on track to surpass China in terms of land reclaimed, according to a U.S. think tank's new analysis of satellite imagery.
Why It Matters
The Spratlys are home to competing claims by China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Brunei. China constructed seven artificial islands there in the 2010s and equipped at least three with missile systems and airpower—adding to territorial tensions.
Vietnam's build-out comes amid concerns over further militarization of the archipelago's features, as well as lasting damage to reefs and fish stocks.
Newsweek reached out to the Vietnamese foreign ministry with an emailed request for comment.
What To Know
Since early 2025, Vietnam has expanded island-building to eight features that were not part of the current reclamation round launched in 2021, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
The new work includes dredging and landfill at Collins, Alison, Petley, Lansdowne and East reefs, as well as fresh expansion on Amboyna Cay, Grierson Reef and West Reef, where medium-sized artificial islands already existed.
Vietnam has now reclaimed land at all 21 Spratly features it occupies, AMTI wrote. That's compared with four years ago, when 11 of these features were only the site of pillboxes, or small concrete structures commonly used by militaries.
The report noted that each newly expanded reef features what appear to be munitions storage facilities, in the form of six cylindrical containers separated by thick walls, as well as groupings of six buildings of unknown function arranged around a central courtyard.
"The location of these new structures and the munitions depots seem to preclude the possibility of full-length runways being built on some of the longer features like Ladd, Pearson, Tennent, or South Reef as many had speculated," AMTI wrote.
The only runway known to be under construction is on Barque Canada Reef, a narrow, 18-mile long atoll in the southern part of the Spratlys.
IRAN AGAIN
Quote:Iran and the E3 countries—France, the United Kingdom, and Germany—are set to resume nuclear negotiations ahead of a looming deadline that could trigger snapback sanctions under the 2015 nuclear deal.
Newsweek has reached out to the Iranian foreign ministry and the European Commision for comment.
Why It Matters
If Iran's nuclear program is no longer under credible international monitoring, it poses a serious risk of proliferation. Tehran insists it does not seek nuclear weapons in response to Western and the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) accusations, although it has enriched uranium to near bomb-grade.
Meanwhile, the nuclear deal is set to expire in October.
Deadline Nears
The next Iran-E3 meeting is set to take place Tuesday in Geneva, Iran state-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that the snapback mechanism "would be legally baseless, morally unjustified, and carry serious consequences," in a call with E3 counterparts.
European diplomats are considering a brief extension before triggering the "snapback" that would restore United Nations (U.N.) sanctions, contingent on Iran committing to renewed diplomacy and nuclear monitoring.
Tehran suspended formal cooperation with the U.N. watchdog after coordinated Israeli and U.S. airstrikes that hit several of its nuclear sites in June. The IAEA has since raised alarm over the fate of more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent—close to weapons grade.
Quote:Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said President Donald Trump has laid bare Washington's true goal toward Iran—submission.
"The man who is now in office in the U.S. wants Iran to be obedient to the US," Khamenei said on his official X account, signaling Tehran has no intention of backing down even as U.S. and European powers threaten fresh sanctions.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment.
Why It Matters
Iran is locked in a high-stakes standoff with the U.S. and Western powers over the future of its nuclear enrichment program. Tensions soared and diplomacy stalled following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June, with Trump threatening further attacks if Iran does not change course.
Tehran says its military is at a high state of readiness amid concerns over more attacks under a fragile ceasefire with Israel
What To Know
Khamanei said Trump's statements and actions were part of a U.S. effort to subdue Iran, calling them "a grave insult" to the nation, and vowed that Iran "will stand with all its might against anyone who has such a wrongful expectation," he said on Sunday.
Khamenei dismissed calls for direct talks with Washington as naive, arguing that they ignore the deeper conflict. "This is not a matter that can be resolved."
The Trump administration has targeted Iranian oil firms and vessels, tightening the economic noose with sanctions before and after the nuclear talks—ultimately derailed by Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent U.S. bombing of its key nuclear facilities.
Khamenei further accused the U.S. of backing Israel against Iran, prompting Tehran's retaliatory strikes. He called for concrete measures against Israel's "crimes" toward Palestinians, praising the Yemen-based Houthi militant group, whom Tehran supports, as a model of resistance.
What People Are Saying
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said in a public address on August 24: "The gentleman currently in power in America has revealed their true objective. He said their confrontation with Iran is because they want Iran to obey America's commands, meaning, in reality, they want the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic system to submit to their commands. […] The Iranian nation feels deeply offended by such a grave insult, and it will stand with all its might against anyone who has such a wrongful expectation of it.
The ayatollah insists in calling some terrorists they keep funding "the resistance" as if that made any sense at all.
Quote:Australia expelled its first ambassador since World War II, ordering the Iranian diplomat to leave the country after intelligence services concluded that Tehran had directed at least two antisemitic attacks.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) found that the Iranian government was behind arson attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food company, in Sydney in October 2024, and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December that year.
Iran's Ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi was expelled in response.
"These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement on Tuesday, August 26.
"They were attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community. It is totally unacceptable."
An alert to Australians in Iran noted the embassy's closure and urged them to "strongly consider leaving as soon as possible, if it is safe to do so."
"Foreigners in Iran, including Australians and dual Australian-Iranian nationals, are at a high risk of arbitrary detention or arrest," the warning read.
Australia updated its warning to travelers to its highest level: "Do not travel" to Iran.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
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My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
