August 23, 2026 6:08 am
SAN MARINO (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has used a visit to San Marino and a major Catholic gathering in the nearby Italian city of Rimini to urge Catholics to reject division, conflict and social polarization, calling instead for dialogue, mercy and friendship across political and cultural differences. He spoke on Saturday at the annual Rimini Meeting, warning against a culture that “rearms minds, words and nations.” Leo said Christians should work to overcome poverty, inequality and war. He also delivered a strong message to young Catholics, describing them as “a sign that the future is promising, and not a threat,” and encouraging them to engage with society and help build a “civilization of love.”
August 23, 2026 6:10 am
Iran’s president has defended a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. as the best way to end a stalled conflict. He emphasizes the agreement aligns with Iran’s dignity and interests. The deal, signed in June, aimed to end the war and reach a nuclear accord, but key issues remain unresolved. Meanwhile, Iran’s new security chief warned neighboring countries against supporting U.S. sanctions, threatening retaliation. In the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian man reported on Sunday being beaten by an Israeli settler. Israel’s military is also pursuing a suspect in a separate stabbing incident, highlighting ongoing violence in the region.
August 23, 2026 6:04 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Deadly airstrikes in Gaza on Wednesday have raised doubts about new U.S. efforts to advance a ceasefire there. Local hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent say at least 10 people were killed in two strikes, days after a U.S. envoy met with Israel’s prime minister. Witnesses said Israeli troops also crossed the ceasefire line and detained a Hamas police colonel. Israel’s military said the strikes targeted Hamas commanders involved in previous attacks. The Palestinian Red Crescent said a strike on a police station killed at least nine people. On the diplomatic front, ceasefire negotiations appear stalled, with disagreements over Hamas’ disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal.
August 22, 2026 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products after last-ditch negotiations failed to resolve the latest strain in already tense relations between the historic allies. Canada says it will retaliate. President Donald Trump’s import taxes taking effect Saturday will hit about 5% of what Canada ships to the United States every year, including products ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says, “Canada will match those tariffs dollar for dollar to protect our workers and businesses.” He is blaming Washington for the breakdown, saying “last-minute changes in the U.S. proposed terms were unfair.”
August 22, 2026 4:24 am
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump says the first step toward keeping Darline Graham as a U.S. senator from South Carolina involves helping her win a Republican runoff next week. The Republican president also begged supporters to pretend he’s on the ballot Tuesday. Trump was nodding to the reality that Republican base voters lose interest in elections when he isn’t on the ballot. Trump went to Myrtle Beach on Friday to support Sen. Darline Graham, his chosen candidate to succeed her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. She is serving out the remainder of her brother’s term. She faces Rep. Ralph Norman in Tuesday’s runoff.
August 22, 2026 4:29 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has expressed his gratitude to the Supreme Court for allowing the White House to continue construction for now on his $400 million White House ballroom project. Chief Justice John Roberts signed a temporary order Friday letting work continue as the court considers an emergency appeal from Trump’s Republican administration. Speaking later Friday in South Carolina, Trump thanked the court and Roberts and called the court’s action a “good thing.” The temporary order came hours before lower-court rulings would have forced a halt to aboveground construction of the project because Trump didn’t get congressional approval.
August 22, 2026 4:26 am
TikTok has reached a $400 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, ending a 2024 lawsuit alleging the company violated federal children’s privacy laws. The DOJ said Friday that TikTok will pay $300 million immediately and another $100 million after an order vacates an earlier consent decree against its predecessor company, Musical.ly. Since the DOJ’s lawsuit in 2024, TikTok has undergone major changes, most notably in the ownership structure of its U.S. arm. In January, the social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX to form the new TikTok U.S. joint venture.
August 22, 2026 4:17 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian drone and missile strikes killed at least two people overnight in Ukraine. A railway worker died Saturday in a ballistic missile strike on Kyiv that Russia’s Defense Ministry say hit a locomotive depot, while another person was killed in the Zaporizhzhia region. The attacks come a day after a drone attack on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih killed 16 and wounded 130, with nine still missing. Russia has intensified ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, exploiting Ukraine’s shortage of Patriot interceptors, the only weapon in its arsenal able to down them.
August 22, 2026 4:21 am
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas court has slashed a $50 million judgment against Infowars founder Alex Jones to about $6 million over falsely calling the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, school shootings a hoax. The ruling does not affect a $1.25 billion judgment against Jones in Connecticut, but is a significant legal victory for him after being found liable for damages for claiming the mass shooting didn’t happen. Despite the multiple financial judgments against him in Connecticut and Texas, Jones has yet to make any payments to victims’ families. He is fighting the judgments through lengthy appeals in both states.
August 22, 2026 4:15 am
ELSENBORN, Belgium (AP) — The wildfires burning across Europe this summer have exposed a potentially deadly threat lurking beneath the blackened landscape: rusty bombs and mines from World War I and II. The explosives now threaten crews fighting the fires. Some of the weapons have exploded in the intense heat. Blasts have been reported in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Fires can ignite old munitions but can also burn away the scrub and brush that hides them. This wildfire season was supercharged by heavy rains in January, which spurred vegetation growth that became kindling when the summer heat arrived.
