Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers

• A "maximum worldwide alert" warning claiming that "the war begins" has spread rapidly across social media, causing widespread public concern. • The reports are characterized by dramatic imagery and recycled footage, raising significant questions about the authenticity of the claims.

• Over 600 political prisoners are currently held in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, where severe overcrowding has become a critical issue. • The report suggests that these conditions are a symptom of deeper structural crises and escalating internal conflicts within Iran's political system.

• Turkey’s Justice Minister Akin Gurlek has issued a formal request regarding the detention of activists in international waters. • The legal action stems from an armed intervention targeting civilians who were attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

• Iran has issued warnings of a "harsh response" following expectations that the United States will impose new economic sanctions. • The Iranian government indicated that the consequences of these anticipated measures could extend to its neighboring countries.

• Peter Koenig and Prof Michel Chossudovsky released a video on August 23, 2026, titled "The War Economy To the Detriment of Humanity." • The presentation argues that rising global defense spending is causing financial instability and the collapse of welfare states.

• On August 23, 2026, the Iranian parliament advanced legislative plans to implement service fees for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. • This development occurs amidst an ongoing broader conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, alongside continued Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

Far-right leader echoes ally Donald Trump and says operations to ‘track down illegal immigrants’ should begin this week, amid earthquake aftermathColombia’s far-right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has announced a crackdown on immigrants, ordering authorities to detain and deport people who are in the country irregularly or have committed crimes.In office for just over two weeks, the millionaire former lawyer made the announcement on Sunday as the country continued to grapple with the aftermath of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake on 10 August that killed more than 300 people and destroyed more than 30,000 homes. Continue reading...

Karen Solomon had been missing for six days after her husband Kurt Solomon was found dead at their homeA mental health advocate suspected of killing her police officer husband was found dead on Monday, six days after she disappeared from her Massachusetts home, authorities said.Karen Solomon, an advocate who called for improvements and greater awareness of police mental health issues, had disappeared after Worcester police officer Kurt Solomon was found dead at their home just before 5.30am on 18 August. Officials had named Karen Solomon a suspect and said she was believed to be armed. Continue reading...

Death rate three to four times higher than among general population blamed on isolation of those leaving care‘He was left on his own’: the care-leaver lives lost to a system that abandons them at 18Profound isolation contributed to the deaths of more than 100 care leavers in England in a year, with a dramatic drop-off in support from social services at 18 leading to catastrophic consequences, a review has found.A government-commissioned report into the early deaths of young people who left care described the problem as a national tragedy and said many were left on their own “at the height of vulnerability” before they died. Continue reading...

Dr Kirk Heilbrun says he believes Clancy took children’s lives so they wouldn’t ‘suffer’ after she killed herselfWith just days to go before the murder trial for Lindsay Clancy concludes, a forensic psychologist called by the prosecution testified on Monday that he did not believe she was experiencing acute psychosis when she killed her three children.Kirk Heilbrun, who reportedly performed psychiatric tests on Clancy in April, told the court that he questioned her claims that a hallucinated voice commanded her to commit the act, and that he believed she took their lives so they wouldn’t “suffer” after she killed herself. Continue reading...

Retailer removes kid’s clown costume after people said it resembled a racist caricature used in minstrel showsTarget, the US retail corporation, said it pulled a controversial Halloween costume off its shelves after criticism across social media that it resembled a racist caricature.The ad image for the costume, sold as the “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume,” depicted a Black child in a bright orange and black top with solid black gloves and a mask with a wide, toothy smile. Both the child’s pose and the costume’s gloves and mask were likened to caricatures of Black people used in minstrel shows. Continue reading...