Australia won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test of the series against Bangladesh in Darwin on August 13, 2026. Despite grass and some moisture on the pitch that could assist new-ball bowlers early, captain Pat Cummins chose to bat first. At the time of reporting, Australia were 36 without loss after 10 overs, beginning their innings cautiously while assessing the wicket's behaviour.

Bangladesh recalled wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das, while injuries ruled Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam out of the match. Hasan Mahmud shared new-ball duties with Taskin Ahmed, and Ebadot Hossain was selected as the third fast bowler. Najmul Hossain Shanto captains the visitors, whose XI also includes Tanzeed Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam.

Josh Hazlewood returned to Australia's XI, joining Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon in the hosts' bowling attack. Travis Head and Jake Weatherald opened, while Cameron Green and Beau Webster were included as all-rounders. Bangladesh are playing a Test in Australia after 23 years and aim to maintain their recent positive Test form in Darwin.

Karoline Leavitt will step down as White House press secretary at the end of this month to spend more time with her family and two young children, according to US President Donald Trump. Leavitt, 28, took the role last year and became the youngest person in US history to serve as White House press secretary.

In a social media post, Trump described Leavitt as one of his most trusted aides. He said she would remain one of his principal advisers after leaving the press secretary post and would continue to play an influential role within the Republican Party. Leavitt gave birth to a daughter in May, her second child with husband Nicholas Riccio; the couple also has a two-year-old son.

Leavitt returned to work last month after maternity leave and said she found it difficult to balance the time, energy and focus required by the press secretary role with giving her children the time they need. She called the decision difficult but necessary. Trump has not announced who will replace her.

Mushfiqur Rahim is set to play his first Test match in Australia when Bangladesh take the field in Darwin tomorrow for his 104th Test. The 39-year-old batter is 194 runs short of 7,000 Test runs, making the two-match series against Australia a potentially historic and emotional stage in his long career. He will need a substantial early contribution in the series to reach the milestone.

The report says several prominent players from a generation of Bangladesh cricketers, including Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, did not get the opportunity to play Tests in Australia. Rahim now has the chance to complete that missing part of his career, though Australia’s strong pace attack presents a difficult challenge. Bangladesh will also play a Test on a drop-in pitch for the first time in Darwin.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said Bangladesh are prepared to adapt to the unfamiliar conditions after good preparation. He said the grass-covered surface should offer assistance to both batters and bowlers, with bowlers possibly receiving slightly more help. Bangladesh were bowled out for 54 and lost by an innings in a practice match against a Cricket Australia XI, but Shanto said he was not placing importance on that result. Bangladesh have won one of six Tests against Australia.

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar won the Democratic primary in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District on Tuesday, securing her party’s nomination for the U.S. House election. Preliminary results showed Omar receiving more than 80 percent of the vote in the contest, according to the report published on August 12, 2026.

Omar has represented the district since 2018 and has previously been elected to Congress from the seat four times. The district is described as a Democratic stronghold. Her Democratic primary opponents were Julie T. Lee, Abena McKenzie, Latonia Reeves and Nat Schluter. The report said she did not face a major strong challenger in this year’s primary.

Known as a critic of President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies, Omar won the previous general election by nearly 50 percentage points and defeated a Democratic primary opponent by 13 points in 2024. In the Republican primary for the district, John Nagel was projected to win with 52.1 percent of the vote. Omar’s victory moves her closer to another election to the House from Minnesota’s 5th District.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia will retaliate if Russian commercial ships are seized. The warning, reported on August 12, 2026, was presented as a response to European plans to detain vessels from Russia’s oil-carrying “shadow fleet” and sell cargo confiscated from them.

Putin described the seizure of Russian ships as “piracy and banditry.” He said Russia would have to take comparable action in response, and warned that such measures could be taken anywhere in the world if considered necessary. The report did not specify particular European vessels or locations that could be targeted.

The report also said that a detained Russian ship suspected of transporting grain from Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia would be handed over to Ukraine. Putin’s warning was issued amid reports concerning that vessel and the broader European plans involving Russian oil tankers and seized cargo.

Current and former Palestinian students and workers have sued Columbia University in a New York court, alleging discrimination against members of the Palestinian community since late 2023. The lawsuit says the university failed to protect Palestinian students and employees from harassment and imposed biased and unfair disciplinary measures against them.

The plaintiffs say students and workers who spoke for Palestinian rights or protested Israeli attacks in Gaza were subjected to particular surveillance and discipline. Columbia has previously denied discrimination allegations and condemned all forms of hatred, but did not immediately comment on the new lawsuit. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations spread across US universities, including Columbia, after the Gaza war began in October 2023.

Protesters had called for an end to US support for Israel and for universities to divest from Israel-linked companies. Columbia suspended more than 65 students after a pro-Palestinian protest last May that shut down its main library. The Trump administration halted federal funding over allegations that Columbia had not adequately addressed antisemitism during the protests. The university later reached a settlement involving more than $200 million to resolve the investigation and restore most federal funding.

US President Donald Trump signed a directive recommending fewer childhood vaccines and separate administration of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines. Published on August 11, 2026, the report says the guidance would reduce the recommended number of vaccines from the American Academy of Pediatrics’ current 18 to 11. It is not mandatory, because states, rather than the federal government, determine vaccines required for school attendance.

The proposed core vaccines cover measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus and varicella. Trump suggested that combined MMR vaccination could be deadly, but when asked for evidence said he had heard some people say so. The CDC says most MMR recipients have no serious problems and that vaccination is much safer than contracting the three diseases.

The CDC says there is no published scientific evidence that splitting combined MMR shots provides benefits. AAP President Dr Andrew Racine called the order dangerous amid the highest US measles transmission in 35 years. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy called it wrong and urged parents to consult pediatricians. Multiple studies, including a 2019 Danish study of 657,461 children, found no link between MMR vaccination and autism.

At least 13 people, including children, were killed and 39 others injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on Nizhnekamsk in Russia’s Tatarstan region, Russian officials said. Reuters reported the information on Monday, citing Russian officials. Ukrainian military authorities said the strike targeted Tatneft’s Taneko oil refinery in Tatarstan, about 800 kilometres east of Moscow. Local authorities described it as one of the largest recent attacks in Russia in terms of civilian casualties.

A fire spread at the refinery after the attack, while videos circulating on social media showed thick smoke rising above the facility. Russian investigators opened a criminal investigation, calling the incident a terrorist act. They alleged that Ukrainian forces had also targeted residential areas. Nizhnekamsk’s mayor said in a Telegram message that Tatarstan leader Rustam Minnikhanov expressed condolences over the deaths.

The Taneko refinery had previously been hit by a Ukrainian drone attack in early June. The report said Ukraine has been striking oil refineries and energy infrastructure across Russia for months to increase pressure on its energy sector, creating fuel-supply strain in some Russian regions. Russia and Ukraine both deny intentionally targeting civilians.

Meta is set to face a major federal lawsuit brought by four US states over allegations that Instagram and Facebook were made addictive for children. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Wednesday in a federal court in Oakland, near San Francisco, as part of ongoing litigation against social media companies in the United States. The report was published on August 10, 2026.

Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey allege that Meta intentionally made its platforms addictive for minors. They are seeking broad restrictions on how Instagram and Facebook are operated for underage users, along with fines of up to $1.4 trillion. The requested amount is close to Meta's entire market value, which exceeded $1.5 trillion on Friday.

Hearings for both sides are expected to begin on August 18. The trial is expected to last about six weeks, with a verdict possibly coming in early October. Meta founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is considered a potentially important witness for the prosecution. He testified in a separate case in Los Angeles six months ago.

Ahead of Bangladesh’s latest Test tour of Australia, memories have resurfaced of the team’s historic 2003 visit. Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud recalled Australian captain Steve Waugh offering encouragement before the first Test in Darwin. Waugh addressed criticism made by former Australia batter David Hookes, describing it as “the words of a madman,” according to Mahmud.

Before the series, Hookes had written that Waugh’s side should beat Bangladesh within a day and argued that Bangladesh did not deserve to remain in Test cricket. Mahmud said Waugh told him not to worry, adding that Bangladesh were a better team than that assessment and would play well against Australia. Mahmud said the comments increased Bangladesh’s confidence.

Mahmud described Australia as a tough opponent on the field but fully professional in its conduct. Although Bangladesh had heard about Australian players’ sledging, he said Waugh’s team never crossed the line and relied on planning and professionalism. After the match, Waugh invited Bangladesh’s team into Australia’s dressing room. Mahmud advised the current Bangladesh side to enjoy every moment of the tour.

Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said President Donald Trump has lost the ongoing war with Iran, arguing that the conflict is weakening Washington while strengthening Tehran. In an NBC News interview cited in a report published on August 10, 2026, Murphy said he would support even a “bad deal” if it ended the war and reopened the Strait of Hormuz.

Murphy said the cost of reopening the strategic waterway is increasing as talks remain stalled. He argued that the longer the war continues, the weaker the United States will become, the stronger Iran will become, and the greater the hardship for ordinary Americans as prices continue to rise.

The senator said he would oppose additional funding to continue the war. However, he said he would support funding to replenish U.S. military stocks of weapons and ammunition after the conflict ends. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said direct talks with the United States are taking place, but stated that the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened until Washington meets Tehran’s demands.

Former US President Joe Biden’s cancer has spread to more parts of his body, his son Hunter Biden said in an interview aired Friday night on the BBC’s Newsnight programme. According to an AFP report, Hunter Biden said the cancer had spread to his father’s bones and other areas despite ongoing treatment.

Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer in May 2025, four months after leaving the presidency. The cancer had also spread to his bones. He then began treatment including radiation therapy and hormone therapy. Last month, while announcing his forthcoming memoir, Biden said his treatment was going very well.

Hunter Biden said the illness was very painful and was weakening his father in many ways. He said Joe Biden was still going out and continuing his work, while retaining deep love and faith in the country. Hunter became emotional while discussing his father’s health, saying it was very difficult and painful to see him in that condition.

A firefighting helicopter crashed while working to contain a severe wildfire in Utah, killing the pilot and one crew member. The crash occurred at about 10 a.m. local time on Friday near the Three Creeks Reservoir area, southwest of Richfield.

The National Interagency Fire Center confirmed the deaths of the two crew members on Saturday. Rescue personnel could not reach the crash site for more than 24 hours because of the remote mountainous terrain and intense fire conditions. Their bodies were later recovered.

Authorities ordered local residents to move to safety because of the wildfire and imposed travel restrictions on several roads. Firefighting operations were temporarily suspended after the crash but later resumed. More than 111,000 acres have already burned in the wildfire.

The Pentagon has directed the US defense industry to rapidly increase weapons production and deliveries after shortages emerged in US stockpiles during the ongoing war with Iran. The information was reported by The Washington Post, citing a memorandum from the US Department of Defense.

In a letter sent last Wednesday to senior officials at defense companies, US Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg called for significantly faster and more aggressive delivery schedules for critical military capabilities. Companies were given 21 days to submit plans for expanding production.

Feinberg said development processes that take years are no longer acceptable and that program timelines must be dramatically shortened while production capacity is increased. Reports had already raised concerns about declining ammunition stocks, particularly supplies of Patriot interceptors used in missile defense systems. President Donald Trump had previously said the military has vast quantities of ammunition and that large amounts are being produced and sent to the United States as needed.

The US Senate passed a Russia sanctions bill by an 86-11 vote that, if enacted, would allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five largest buyers of Russian oil or natural gas. Published on August 8, 2026, the report identifies India, China, Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia as the current top five importers.

The bill is named in honor of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, described as a strong supporter of Ukraine who had pressed for further sanctions on Russia over the nearly four-year war. His sister, Darlene Graham, who succeeded him in the Senate, said the measure would strike Russian President Vladimir Putin “in the right place.”

The legislation proposes tougher sanctions on Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects. It would also cover oil tankers, under old and new flags, that Moscow uses to evade existing US restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues. Countries importing less than 15 percent of their needed natural gas from Russia and actively reducing those imports could receive relief. The House is scheduled to consider the bill on August 31.