Election experts and critics fear President Donald Trump could declare a national security emergency before the November midterm elections, potentially seeking greater federal control over voting. The concern follows administration document releases, claims involving non-citizen voting and foreign interference, and Trump’s refusal to rule out an emergency declaration. Former strategist Steve Bannon said preparations should be made for the final week of August and argued an emergency declaration was needed.

Experts say an emergency declaration would not override constitutional limits on presidential authority over election administration, and no US president has previously tried to directly control voting through such a declaration. Lawyer Aria Branch said the administration appeared to be seeking a legal basis for centralized election control, while voter-rights leader Santiago Mayer urged preparation for possible actions. Democratic lawmakers and civic groups are also considering risks including AI-generated fake videos and ICE personnel at polling places.

The administration has released records about voting systems and alleged foreign interference while promoting claims about non-citizen voters. The White House declined to discuss hypothetical emergency scenarios and backed the proposed Save America Act, which would expand federal access to voter rolls and tighten voting rules. Branch said legal challenges could block measures that exceed executive authority.

Bangladesh drew their Test series in Australia 1-1 after defeating Australia in Darwin and then losing the following Test in Mackay, according to a commentary published on August 24, 2026. The writer says the Darwin result was Bangladesh’s first Test victory after returning to Australia 23 years later, while the Mackay loss exposed shortcomings rather than erasing the significance of the earlier win.

The article argues that Bangladesh’s Darwin victory was earned through planning and a strong collective performance, not a fluke. It highlights the team’s pace bowling as the series’ biggest gain and notes former fast bowler Shaun Tait’s view that pace bowling is now Bangladesh’s strength. Taking 20 wickets, the author says, is fundamental to winning a Test, and Bangladesh demonstrated that ability in Darwin.

Mackay raised questions about Bangladesh’s batting against sustained high-quality pace bowling in difficult conditions. The writer says batters lacked sufficient patience, application and resistance, and calls for preparation on demanding wickets at home. The series, the article concludes, gave Bangladesh greater belief that it can take 20 wickets away from home, while underlining the need for batting capable of supporting that progress.

Australia defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs in the Mackay Test, which ended inside two days at Great Barrier Reef Arena. Bangladesh were dismissed for 64 and 95, their first Test in which both innings ended below 100. Mitchell Starc led Australia’s attack with 10 wickets in the match, while the result levelled the series at 1-1.

Australia resumed on the second day and added 45 runs before being bowled out for 210, with Cameron Green scoring 67 and Nathan Lyon unbeaten on 32. Shoriful Islam took 7 for 48, his best match figures and the best performance by a Bangladeshi bowler overseas; he also became Bangladesh’s first pace bowler to take seven wickets in an innings. Bangladesh, trailing by 146, then collapsed again.

Mushfiqur Rahim was Bangladesh’s lone batting resistance in the second innings, remaining unbeaten on 29 from 80 balls. Starc took 6 for 12 in the first innings and 4 for 39 in the second, earning both player-of-the-match and player-of-the-series awards. Bangladesh nevertheless returned with a drawn series after their first Test win in Australia at Darwin.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his side did not play good cricket after suffering an innings defeat in the second Test against Australia in Mackay. The match ended in only two days, with Bangladesh dismissed for 64 and 95 in their two innings after winning the first Test in Darwin.

Speaking after the match, Shanto said Bangladesh could have batted better in the second innings, while acknowledging that the wicket was difficult and Australia also struggled when batting. He declined to blame individuals, saying the team collectively batted poorly. Shanto also said his own dismissal after getting set was unacceptable and that he should have extended his innings.

Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets across the match, including five in the first hour, as Bangladesh’s batters struggled against his pace bowling. Shanto said Bangladesh lacked experience of playing in Australian conditions and against such strong bowling, but stressed he was not making excuses. He said the players tried, while accepting that the team could have played better.

Australia captain Pat Cummins said his side’s emphatic second-Test victory over Bangladesh in Mackay was driven by self-respect rather than revenge. Australia won the match by an innings and 51 runs inside two days, drawing the series 1-1 after Bangladesh’s unexpected win in the opening Test in Darwin. The report was published on 23 August 2026.

Bangladesh had returned to playing a Test in Darwin after 23 years and secured a historic nine-wicket victory there. Cummins said Australia needed to respond after losing a match and were pleased to have done so. He described the turnaround as necessary for his team following the criticism that followed the first-Test defeat.

Cummins rejected the suggestion that the Mackay pitch was poor, despite 30 wickets falling in five sessions. He said the surface appeared good and attributed the rapid finish to strong bowling as well as below-par batting. Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets across the two innings for Australia, while Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam took seven wickets in the only Australian innings.

Inter Miami failed to return to winning ways despite Lionel Messi scoring his 14th goal of the season, losing 2-1 to Toronto FC at home on August 23, 2026. The Florida club, playing at Nu Stadium, suffered its fourth defeat in its last five matches. Toronto secured only its fifth win after 21 MLS matches.

Miami controlled possession and attacked more often throughout the match, but neither side scored in the first half. The home side’s defence faltered after the interval as American striker Josh Sargent and Derrick Etienne Jr. scored two goals within three minutes to put Toronto firmly ahead.

Miami pressed to get back into the contest, and captain Messi scored in the 82nd minute with a first-time finish from Rodrigo De Paul’s through pass. However, the hosts could not find an equaliser. Last season’s MLS Cup winners remain second in the Eastern Conference, but are now 10 points behind leaders Nashville SC and must monitor teams behind them to retain home-field advantage in the first playoff round.

Amazon plans to launch its Prime Air drone delivery service in nearly 500 US cities by the end of 2026, expanding the ability to send small packages to customers by air. The US e-commerce company said the planned network would reach major cities including Chicago and Atlanta, as well as Syracuse, Cleveland and Boise.

Amazon currently operates drone deliveries across 11 active bases in 10 metropolitan areas in the United States. The proposed expansion would substantially broaden that existing network and make the service available in a wider range of cities.

Prime Air drones can carry lightweight packages weighing up to 5 pounds, or about 2.26 kilograms. Eligible packages must be roughly the size of a large shoe box. The service is designed to deliver qualifying products and orders to customers in around 60 minutes.

An opinion article published by Amar Desh Online on August 23, 2026 argues that Islamophobia and anti-Arab discrimination have intensified in the United States. It says human-rights and civil-rights groups have reported record complaints of discrimination and harassment, linking negative attitudes toward Muslims to the Gaza war, tensions in the Middle East, and political rhetoric.

The article cites the Council on American-Islamic Relations as saying complaints related to anti-Muslim and anti-Arab discrimination and harassment have reached an all-time high. It recalls a 2008 campaign event in which Republican Senator John McCain responded to a voter describing Barack Obama as an Arab, saying Obama was a decent family man and a US citizen despite their political differences.

It also describes attacks on Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul Al-Sayed, including statements by Republican figures and former CIA director Mike Pompeo. The article argues that criticism of Israel is treated as disqualifying for Muslim politicians, and extends this argument to Jewish critics of Israel, citing comments attributed to Robert Kagan, Alan Dershowitz, Mike Huckabee, Michael Barenboim and the Jewish Chronicle.

In the United States, many Generation Z adults are prioritizing retirement accounts, stock-market investments and high-yield savings over saving specifically to buy homes. Rising home prices and high mortgage interest rates are making homeownership harder, reshaping how younger people view long-term financial security. The article was published on August 22, 2026.

A June Pew Research Center survey found that 89 percent of adults under 40 believe buying a home is more difficult for young people than it was for their parents’ generation. A Fidelity analysis released earlier this year found Gen Z contributions to retirement savings rose 65 percent in one year, more than twice the growth rate for millennials. Stanford researcher Roberta Katz said the generation places greater value on financial flexibility amid uncertainty and change.

Examples include Kana Cummings, who saves through a Roth IRA, a 401(k), a money-market fund and an investment portfolio, without currently saving separately for a home. In Bend, Oregon, Jeff Sharp has moved investments toward index funds while contributing to retirement and college savings plans. Gallup found 81 percent of Gen Z adults seek personal-finance advice, with 75 percent obtaining such information online.

The United States has announced a 50 percent tariff on nearly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after three days of trade negotiations in Washington, DC failed to produce a final agreement. The announcement came after a deadline set by President Donald Trump expired at 12:01 a.m. last Friday, according to the report published on August 22, 2026.

The new tariff is expected to affect about 5 percent of Canada’s total exports to the United States, including electronics, industrial machinery and dairy products. It adds to existing US tariffs on steel, lumber and automobiles. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned of “dollar-for-dollar” retaliatory measures and said his government would introduce steps in the coming days to support workers and businesses.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer blamed Canada for the collapse, saying it declined to finalize an agreement under terms accepted earlier in the week and introduced new demands. The report said the countries have remained in a trade dispute since Trump imposed tariffs on major Canadian imports early in his second term, prompting retaliatory action from Ottawa.

The Pentagon said an estimated 20,492 US military members experienced sexual assault during fiscal year 2025, according to an annual report released Friday. The survey-based estimate covers active-duty women and men and is not the same as the number of formal complaints submitted to military authorities. The report was issued as required by Congress and included findings from the 2025 Workplace and Gender Relations Survey.

The survey measures unwanted sexual contact, sexual harassment and gender discrimination, including experiences that may not have been formally reported. Estimated sexual-harassment rates among active-duty women declined from 24.7 percent in 2023 to 17.5 percent in 2025. Among men, the rate fell from 5.8 percent to 4.4 percent. Meanwhile, the estimated share of incidents reported to authorities rose from 25 percent in 2023 to 33 percent in 2025.

Pentagon officials said reporting helps connect victims with medical, mental-health and other recovery services, while enabling investigations and accountability. Under Secretary Anthony J. Tata said sexual assault and harassment undermine military values, trust and readiness. The Pentagon did not release branch-level figures, detailed victim demographics or the number of disciplinary actions in Friday’s announcement.

Australia ended the first day of the Mackay Test 101 runs ahead of Bangladesh after Bangladesh were dismissed for 64 and Australia reached 165 for eight. A total of 18 wickets fell during the day. Australia, having won the toss, chose to bowl on a fast, bouncy surface and dismantled Bangladesh’s batting lineup.

Mitchell Starc took six wickets for 12 runs as Bangladesh collapsed, with four of their first five batters dismissed without scoring. Shariful Islam was Bangladesh’s highest scorer with 14 runs from No. 10, including three boundaries, while no other Bangladesh batter made more than nine. Bangladesh had been reduced to 39 for nine before finishing on 64.

Shariful responded with a career-best six for 35, matching Starc’s wicket tally and providing Bangladesh some consolation. The left-arm pacer, who missed the first Test of the series because of injury, claimed his first five-wicket haul in Tests against Australia. Despite Australia’s sizeable lead, Bangladesh’s bowling effort kept the contest alive at the end of the opening day.

Bangladesh left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam marked his return from injury with his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket during the second and final Test against Australia in Mackay. He produced career-best bowling figures in Australia’s second innings, taking six of the first eight wickets to fall. Shoriful completed his five wickets in 8.5 overs and later bowled Mitchell Starc to claim his sixth wicket.

Before this match, Shoriful’s best innings figures in Tests were three wickets for 28 runs, while his best match figures were five wickets for 56 runs across two innings. His performance against Australia surpassed both previous personal records in a single innings. He had missed the Darwin Test through injury, when Hasan Mahmud led Bangladesh’s pace attack alongside Ebadot Hossain.

Shoriful now holds Bangladesh’s second-fastest Test five-wicket haul by overs bowled. Taijul Islam remains first after taking five wickets in 6.5 overs against West Indies in Chattogram in 2018. Shoriful is also Bangladesh’s second fast bowler to take five wickets in a Test in Australia, following Hasan’s six-wicket haul in the Darwin Test.

US President Donald Trump said Iran is not yet ready to make what he called the “right deal” with Washington, while claiming the country has become economically and militarily weaker. Trump made the remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One before departing for South Carolina on Friday, according to the report published on August 22, 2026.

Trump said Iran was interested in reaching an agreement but, in his view, was not prepared for the proper terms. He said Washington wanted to see the effect of sanctions on Iran’s economy, which he described as already under pressure following a war with the United States.

Describing Iran’s condition, Trump claimed it had no money, navy or air force, and was not paying its soldiers or police. He also claimed Iran’s inflation stood at 350 percent. Trump further asserted that the United States maintained complete control over the area around the Strait of Hormuz.

TikTok has agreed to pay the United States $400 million to settle a lawsuit alleging violations of children’s personal-data privacy. The US Justice Department filed the case against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance in 2024, during then-President Joe Biden’s administration. Authorities alleged that the platform collected large amounts of personal information from millions of children under 13 without required parental consent.

Under the settlement, TikTok and ByteDance will immediately pay $300 million to the Justice Department. They will pay a further $100 million after ending a 2019 legal settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, bringing the total to $400 million. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said children and parents are better protected now than when the case began.

The Justice Department said TikTok has made major changes since the lawsuit, including changes to ownership, privacy policies and controls for younger users. No new punitive measures were announced beyond the payment. TikTok did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment. The article says TikTok’s US business is now 81% owned by an investor consortium, while ByteDance holds 19%.