- Aug 31
Supreme Court permits White House ballroom construction in 5-4 ruling on standing
A divided Supreme Court has cleared the Trump administration to resume construction of a ballroom on the former site of the White House East Wing, ruling that preservationists lacked legal standing to challenge the project.
- Aug 27
Apple and Google Rename Lake Ontario to Lake America on US Maps Following Trump Order
Apple and Google have changed Lake Ontario to Lake America on digital maps for U.S. users following an executive order by President Donald Trump amid a tariff dispute with Canada.
- Aug 26
Morocco cites religious history to claim Ceuta as Spain affirms sovereignty
Moroccan Minister Ahmed Toufiq invoked medieval Islamic texts before King Mohammed VI to claim Ceuta and Melilla, prompting Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles to declare the enclaves untouchable.
- Aug 21
Brent crude approaches $100 following Houthi energy strikes and Gulf tanker attacks
Brent crude rose to $99.22 a barrel on Tuesday after Houthi strikes hit Saudi energy sites and the US targeted Iranian tankers, reducing Hormuz shipping.
- Aug 21
Kyle Kirkwood wins inaugural Freedom 250 IndyCar race in Washington as Donald Trump waves green flag
Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood won IndyCar's first Washington street race, finishing 3.09 seconds ahead of Christian Lundgaard after 147 laps around the National Mall.
- Aug 19
US lands first 20 deportees in Liberia under 1,200-migrant third-country agreement
A flight carrying 20 third-country migrants landed at Roberts International Airport outside Monrovia on 20 August 2026, inaugurating an agreement between Washington and Liberia to accept up to 1,200 deportees over 12 months.
- Aug 13
Cameroon wins first Women's Africa Cup of Nations with 3-0 victory over Malawi
Cameroon defeated debutants Malawi 3-0 in Rabat on Sunday to claim its first Women's Africa Cup of Nations title, securing a $2 million prize and qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
- Aug 10
WHO warns Trump's childhood vaccine overhaul defies decades of evidence
The World Health Organization on August 12 warned that President Trump's executive order overhauling US childhood vaccination policy contradicts decades of scientific evidence, as the US faces its worst measles outbreak in 35 years.
- Aug 10
Trump defends FIFA's Infantino as UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC demand his removal over failed private investment plan
US President Donald Trump warned that replacing FIFA President Gianni Infantino would be a 'terrible mistake,' as UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC demanded his accountability over a failed plan to sell World Cup stakes to private investors.
- Aug 9
Trump names Will Scharf as White House counsel, replacing David Warrington on September 1
President Donald Trump named White House staff secretary Will Scharf as his next White House counsel on August 9, replacing David Warrington effective September 1, months ahead of November's midterm elections.
- Aug 6
Spanish far-right and left unite to demand Morocco's exclusion from 2030 World Cup amid final-hosting dispute
FIFA denied reports that president Gianni Infantino promised Morocco the 2030 World Cup final, as Spanish parties from Vox to Sumar demanded Morocco's exclusion from the co-hosting arrangement following the Ceuta migration crisis.
- Aug 6
Republican Senate committee votes 8-5 to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress over Fifth Amendment refusal
A Republican-led Senate committee voted 8-5 on 6 August 2026 to hold former White House Covid-19 adviser Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times during a hearing on the pandemic's origins.
- Aug 5
White House AI safety framework exempts open-weight models and will be kept from the public
The Trump administration's new AI oversight framework will review only closed-source models from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic while explicitly exempting open-weight software, including that from Chinese rivals, according to multiple reports.
- Aug 3
Trump breaks with Big Oil, demands Exxon and Chevron cut prices as $4 gas and midterms collide
With US gasoline above $4 a gallon and midterm elections three months away, Donald Trump turned on the oil industry he has long championed, accusing ExxonMobil and Chevron of profiteering from the war he launched against Iran.
- Jul 31
Trump backs away from pledge to let Ukraine manufacture Patriot missiles, citing technology transfer risks
President Donald Trump said on Friday the US has "not agreed" to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, walking back a July 8 pledge made at the NATO summit in Ankara and citing fears the technology could someday be turned against America.
- Jul 30
Ceuta schools reopen under military guard following July migration influx
Primary and secondary schools in Ceuta resumed classes on 8 September under military and police surveillance, with student attendance reaching roughly 70% as Spain declassifies intelligence files on the July border surge.
- Jul 29
FIFA denounces 'concerted effort' to undermine Infantino as confederations split over World Cup sale plan
FIFA has accused critics of a 'concerted and ongoing effort' to undermine President Gianni Infantino, as the body confronts its deepest crisis over a secret plan to sell World Cup rights that was revealed in media reports and abandoned after three confederations holding 136 of 211 votes opposed it.
- Jul 23
Trump ties Saudi nuclear deal to Israel recognition, throwing agreement into doubt
A day after signing a multibillion-dollar civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Riyadh, President Trump declared it 'totally subject' to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations with Israel, blindsiding Saudi officials and alarming critics.
- Jul 20
West African leaders sign deal for $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, targeting 2031 start
The 6,000-km pipeline will carry up to 30 billion cubic metres of Nigerian gas annually to Morocco and onward to Europe, with construction starting in 2028.
- Jul 17
Trump demands ABC and NBC lose broadcast licences after networks refuse to air his election integrity speech live
The president accused the broadcasters of being part of a 'plot' to conceal election fraud, escalating a regulatory pressure campaign already underway at the FCC.
