Aug. 24, 2026 - Daily News Digest
On this day: in 1909, Workers start pouring concrete for the Panama Canal.
QOTD: "I believe that if we want to destroy the country, then we can move towards elections during this kind of war," Zelenskiy said.
US/ROK/IRAN/MIL - US cancels joint marine drills with South Korea over Iran war-related force constraints
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-cancels-joint-marine-drills-with-south-korea-over-iran-war-related-force-2026-08-24/
The United States cancelled a joint amphibious landing drill scheduled for next month with South Korea, Seoul's Marine Corps said on Monday, after Washington cited constraints on the availability of U.S. forces due to the war in Iran.
The U.S. Marine Corps formally notified its South Korean counterpart in June that force availability would be constrained for the division-level exercise, known as Ssangyong, a South Korean Marine Corps spokesperson told a press briefing.
The allies remain in close consultations on resuming the drills, the spokesperson said. He did not specify what measures might be taken to prevent future cancellations or to make up for lost training opportunities.
U.S. Forces Korea did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The cancellation follows U.S. President Donald Trump's surprise order to scale back a separate annual joint military exercise that ended last Friday, citing the cost and Seoul's refusal to take part in the Iran war.
Trump also wrote on his Truth Social platform that the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills sent "a signal that was totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful." Despite the reduction of the exercises, Pyongyang fired 10 short-range ballistic missiles last week and issued a statement denouncing the exercises.
GIFT LINK: A Drone Killed Three Ukrainians. It Was Guided Entirely by A.I.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/world/europe/russia-drones-autonomous-ai-kill-ukraine-war.html?unlocked_article_code=1.71A.hzoB.VyR9P-bXHAd4&smid=url-share
The young woman ran for her life, but it was too late.
A small Russian drone resembling a model airplane swooped down from the sky last month in the city of Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine. As it tried to navigate toward a gas station, it crashed into a wall and exploded in a hail of shrapnel, killing Tetiana Bubynets, 19, a university student, and two others.
They were among the thousands of Ukrainian civilians who have died in Russian airstrikes, but the circumstances of their deaths came with an ominous twist. The drone that killed them was guided by an experimental artificial intelligence system, not a human pilot, according to drone experts, Ukrainian military commanders and the forensic team that examined wreckage from the deadly strike and others in the city.
The drone was programmed by human operators to travel toward a particular gas station, but once it got close, it chose its exact target — most likely propane tanks — on its own, based on its training to recognize such tanks and strike them, the experts and military officials said.
It is a development long watched for in the war in Ukraine, presaging a dystopian future in which killer robots roam the skies making life-or-death decisions that reduce targets to data points.
MORE: Minicomputers Made by Nvidia Are Powering Moscow’s A.I. Drones
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/world/europe/ukraine-war-nvidia-ai-autonomous-drones.html
The miniature Nvidia computer that Ukrainian officials say Russia has used in fully autonomous A.I.-guided drones is an inexpensive model designed for civilian robotics and machine vision applications, according to the company.
Ukrainian forensic examiners recently found the minicomputer, the Nvidia Jetson Orin, in the wreckage of drones launched by Russia’s military in apparent tests of a self-targeting system in the city of Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s domestic intelligence agency showed New York Times reporters two such guidance systems that included damaged but still recognizable Jetson computer components. Air defense officials said that a drone with one of the systems killed three people in an attack in Zaporizhzhia on July 6.
The Russian weapon is a new step in the use of A.I. in combat. Earlier A.I.-guided drones had a “human in the loop” safety button that required a live pilot to confirm a target. Those systems used artificial intelligence only in the last several hundred yards of a drone’s flight to help make them impervious to radio signal jamming.
IRAN/KSA/UAE/KUWAIT/US/ENERGY/MIL - Hormuz Oil Flows Are Going Strong as War Drags On
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-08-24/hormuz-oil-flows-are-going-strong-as-war-drags-on
The clandestine shuttle trade through the Strait of Hormuz is getting increasingly hard to keep under wraps.
For months, the United Arab Emirates has led the way in getting its barrels out of the waterway, dodging Iranian attacks to bring oil onto a market thrown into turmoil by the Iran war.
The UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. said in recent weeks it’s doing all it can to deliver supplies, while adding that the situation is far from normal for its vessels and crews.
But the emirate isn’t alone in shipping barrels out of Hormuz. Other countries have been quietly doing so, too, from Iraq to Qatar and Kuwait. Last week, they appeared to be joined by Saudi Arabia, whose alternative export route via the Red Sea is under threat from Houthi attack.
Together, those flows are starting to add up.
Axios reported over the weekend that around 40 ships transited the strait using a southern route hugging the coast of Oman on Friday night. That totaled about 16 million barrels of oil, the news service said, or about four-fifths of regular prewar flows.
Shipments through Hormuz are generally moving in convoys with protection from the US military. That means volumes can be lumpy, so the key to knowing how much crosses the waterway isn’t large single-day numbers, but weekly averages.
The flows remain a sensitive political topic, with the US keen to paint volumes being as close to normal as possible as President Donald Trump tries to jawbone prices lower, and Iran insistent that it controls the chokepoint.
Still, as ships busily ferry cargoes between one another off the coast of Oman, there are signs that Hormuz flows have indeed gathered pace in recent weeks and are continuing to grow.
KAZAKHSTAN/POL - New pro-presidential party wins large majority in Kazakh election, exit polls show
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/kazakhs-begin-voting-election-set-tighten-presidents-power-2026-08-23/
A newly formed pro-government party won a large majority in a snap parliamentary election in Kazakhstan on Sunday, three different exit polls showed, in a result set to cement President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's power over the country, a major energy and minerals exporter.
The exit polls, which were published on Kazakh state media, showed the Adilet party winning between 70% and 72% of the vote, with a turnout of more than 74%. The exit polls said four small opposition parties also won seats, though they too are widely seen as ultimately loyal to Tokayev.
The victory of Adilet, which was formed earlier this year by the president's top aides and which swiftly absorbed previous long-ruling party Amanat, is likely to deepen Tokayev's control over the country at the expense of figures more closely linked to his predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
A former Soviet diplomat and top United Nations official, Tokayev has led Central Asia's largest economy since 2019, keeping warm relations with the West, Russia and China.
Sunday's election was triggered by the adoption of a new constitution earlier this year, which streamlines parliament from two chambers into one. Kazakhstan's Supreme Court said last month the new constitution allowed Tokayev to run for a fresh seven-year term.
CHINA/VIETNAM/WEATHER - Typhoon Narra wreaks havoc in China, Vietnam as rains lead to floods
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/china-evacuates-tens-thousands-rain-typhoon-narra-lashes-southwest-2026-08-24/
Floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Narra battered northern Vietnam and China's southern region of Guangxi, as accompanying heavy rains damaged infrastructure and crops.
· Rising floodwaters prompted China to relocate about 54,000 people, including 8,087 moved to emergency shelters, state broadcaster CCTV said.
· Days of heavy rain in northern Vietnam brought by Narra killed one and displaced more than 4,300 households.
· Narra lingered over the Beibu Gulf, also known as the Gulf of Tonkin, but weather officials said it would not make landfall, and instead bring downpours in the north.
· Vietnam's mountainous provinces of Lang Son and Cao Bang received between 236 mm (9 inches) and 300 mm (12 inches) of rain in the 24 hours to Monday morning, triggering floods and landslides.
· Floods also affected Vietnam's Quang Ninh, home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay, inundating parts of the city and disrupting tourism, fishing and transport.
· The typhoon disrupted daily school and office activities, and snapped power links to nearly 55,000 families, authorities said, while destroying more than 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of rice and other crops.
· In China, the waters of 15 rivers rose beyond warning levels at monitoring stations. Brown floodwaters engulfed parts of Chongzuo city in CCTV video, submerging roads and clusters of low-rise structures.
· Chinese rescuers in rubber boots waded through knee-deep water, with some using boats to evacuate stranded residents.
· Torrential rain is forecast for Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan and Fujian in downpours expected to last through Wednesday, CCTV said.
CONGO/SEC - DR Congo, AFC/M23 group agree on roadmap for peace negotiations after Swiss talks
https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20260823-dr-congo-afc-m23-group-agree-on-roadmap-for-peace-negotiations-after-swiss-talks
The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 armed group have agreed on a roadmap for peace talks, according to a joint statement published Sunday by Switzerland after hosting negotiations.
The eastern DRC has been riven by decades of conflict, with multiple armed groups fighting over its mineral-rich territory, including the AFC/M23, which seized swathes of the region last year.
The two sides signed a US-brokered peace agreement late last year in the Qatari capital Doha, but fighting has continued.
Following a new round of talks held in Switzerland last week, the two sides and their mediators said they had staked out a path forward.
"The Parties developed a roadmap setting out sequenced steps and timelines for negotiations under the Doha Framework Agreement, and committed to flexibility and creativity within the existing structure" of that agreement, the statement said.
"They reaffirmed their commitment to pursue negotiations towards comprehensive peace and conflict resolution through the implementation of the Framework Agreement," it added.
UKRAINE/POL - Wartime election would 'destroy' Ukraine, Zelenskiy says
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/wartime-election-would-destroy-ukraine-zelenskiy-says-2026-08-23/
Holding a wartime election in Ukraine while active fighting with Russia continues would "destroy" the country by splitting Ukrainians, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.
His comments, released to reporters on Sunday, were Zelenskiy's first on the subject since ousted former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for a wartime poll in a bombshell address last week.
Fedorov's surprise dismissal last month sparked widespread protests, but supporters calling for his reinstatement later baulked at his call for an election - the first such demand by a major Ukrainian political figure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
UKRAINE/POL - Ukraine’s allies convene in Kyiv as Zelenskyy seeks air defence boost
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/24/ukraines-allies-convene-in-kyiv-as-zelenskyy-seeks-air-defence-boost
Ukraine will host a meeting with its key European allies to discuss air defence and press for greater pressure on Moscow as Russia continues to escalate missile attacks.
The “Coalition of the Willing” meeting in Kyiv will be jointly chaired by the leaders of France and Germany, who will join remotely, and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who arrived in the Ukrainian capital early on Monday.
European Council President Antonio Costa is also attending in person.
NORWAY - Norway: King Harald's health has 'deteriorated' — palace
https://www.dw.com/en/norway-king-haralds-health-has-deteriorated-palace-says/a-78479515
The health of Norway's King Harald has "deteriorated" while in the hospital this weekend, the royal household said in a statement on Sunday.
Harald, 89, is being treated for hemolytic anemia, a condition caused by the rapid destruction of red blood cells.
The disorder causes fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath and paleness.
"His Majesty the King's health deteriorated over the weekend. The King is receiving antibiotics for a bacterial infection in his blood, and has responded to this treatment," the palace said. His condition was stable, the statement added.
RUSSIA/NATO - Russia Tests NATO With Covert Sabotage Campaign
https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/russia-tests-nato-covert-sabotage-191912004.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJ-3eoNK9Uqj8mlfz0uP2woN515fQl2DfS1aKO_nFVSuqP1oaByXTN5z-ZSQA_ELB4DvshAw8Nzlkfxa_Eq4HTezfwrVWFM4BEel_rMcBatMusBx8VbtC1lz50R8rNEdf929rssnec6swfH0WAt7j5MZiVHQedT1vAbmI9C02h49
Russia is suspected of launching a series of sabotage operations against European weapons factories in an effort to test NATO's resolve, The Telegraph reported Sunday, citing Western intelligence sources.
Russia is recruiting members of local criminal gangs and carefully planning the attacks with "plausible deniability" so they do not reach the threshold that would trigger NATO's Article 5 mutual defense provision.
Estonia said Tuesday it was investigating potential Russian involvement in a fire at a building used by defense contractor Milrem Robotics. Bloomberg reported the prosecutor's office suspected arson at the facility used by the manufacturer of autonomous combat vehicles with close ties to Ukraine.
Latvian authorities detained three suspects in connection with the fire and are working with Estonian investigators. State prosecutor Gardi Andersone said investigators were exploring all possible leads, including sabotage, but could not yet share further details.
Beyond the Estonian incident, explosions have occurred at facilities operated by major arms manufacturers in Italy and Bulgaria this month alone, according to The Telegraph.
Earlier this year, a fire virtually destroyed a Czech plant making drones and thermal optics for Ukraine. Four suspects were detained as part of the investigation into possible Russian involvement.
Lithuania also charged six people in connection with an attempt to burn down a factory supplying radio-wave scanners to Kyiv.
On Aug. 10, a major explosion ripped through a plant belonging to EMCO, one of Bulgaria's largest private arms manufacturers of 155 mm artillery ammunition for Ukraine. The incident began when a truck parked near a storage warehouse caught fire, triggering explosions at the facility.
Three days later, a similar blast rocked a munitions factory operated by KNDS Ammo Italy in Colleferro on the outskirts of Rome.
Italian and Bulgarian officials have sought to play down possible Russian involvement in the incidents, The Telegraph reported, adding that Russia typically leaves little evidence allowing suspected sabotage operations to be directly attributed to Moscow.
A Western intelligence assessment previously reported by The Telegraph said Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, known for conducting operations on foreign soil with highly trained agents, had increasingly turned to criminal gangs.
In an interview with The Telegraph in March, Normunds Mežviets, head of Latvia's State Security Service, or VDD, said: "In our experience, we don't see officers of the GRU traveling here physically to our country.