Thursday, August 20, 2026
The US national debt has hit $40.047 trillion, a milestone that reflects a decade of deficit spending under both parties. The figure has doubled since Trump's first term began, underscoring a structural spending problem that no administration has seriously tackled.
Trump has unveiled what he's calling the most crushing economic sanctions ever imposed on Iran, with measures targeting any nation that continues trading with Tehran. The announcement comes amid an ongoing US-Iran conflict, though Trump left the door open to resuming diplomatic talks "at some point."
Moderna and Merck's mRNA-based cancer vaccine Intismeran has shown it can meaningfully reduce the recurrence and spread of melanoma in late-stage clinical trials. The results mark a significant step toward personalised cancer treatment using the same mRNA platform pioneered by COVID-19 vaccines.
A landslide triggered the collapse of an artisanal goldmine in the village of Zamboye, killing more than 100 people, with local officials warning the death toll will rise as recovery efforts continue. The site sits roughly 50km from the town of Baboua, near the Cameroonian border, in one of the world's most fragile and conflict-affected states.
The Pentagon has been sending questionnaires to NATO member states asking them to declare loyalty to US political positions, documents obtained by Al Jazeera reveal. The move signals an unprecedented attempt to formalise ideological alignment within the alliance, beyond traditional security commitments.
