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🇮🇷🇶🇦The Iranian Armed Forces is now claiming that several of its airmen are in Qatari captivity. Two Iranian Su-24MK fighter-bombers were shot down by Qatari forces during an attack on the latter on March 2, 2026. Initially, it was thought that all four crew members died; but Iran is claiming that three airmen were able to safely eject and have been in Qatari custody for months. The Iranian General Staff’s missing persons search committee is calling on the Red Cross to help secure their release. Qatar denies that it is holding any of the crewmen.

🇮🇱🇱🇧Mockup of a Hezbollah FPV drone used by the IDF to test drone protection nets for troops in southern Lebanon. (Via @prestonstew_/Twitter)

🇷🇺🇺🇦Slightly outdated infographic showing which of the 30 largest Wildberries distribution hubs in Russia have been hit by Ukrainian drones. The largest, Koledino in Moscow Oblast, was hit on Sunday morning. (Via Supernova+/Telegram)

🇺🇸🇮🇷🚢According to US Central Command, the military blockade of Iranian ports has redirected 62 commercial vessels leaving from, or heading to, Iran’s coast. Another three vessels have been disabled and two have been boarded. (Photo: US CENTCOM)

🇺🇸🇮🇷List of 42 US military aircraft destroyed or damaged during the war with Iran. This list is from the Congressional Research Service and does not account for any losses after May 19, 2026: -4x F-15E Strike Eagles destroyed (1x by Iranian ground fire) -1x F-35A damaged by Iranian ground fire -1x A-10 destroyed -7x KC-135 Stratotankers (2 destroyed, 5 damaged) -1x E-3 Sentry AWACS damaged -2x MC-130J destroyed -1x HH-60W helicopter damaged by small arms fire -24x MQ-9 Reapers destroyed (figure is outdated) -1x MQ-4C Triton destroyed

🇮🇷🇺🇸🇮🇱According to the anti-regime NGO Human Rights Activists in Iran, at least 12,798 airstrikes were recorded in 6,324 incidents from 02/28-04/08 during Operations Epic Fury (US) Roaring Lion (Israel). At least 3,636 fatalities were documented, including 1,701 civilians and 1,221 security forces personnel. Among those were 307 children.

🇺🇸🔥Views of the Sandy Fire in Ventura County, California. May 18, 2026. (Photos: @SeanStanley805/Twitter)

🇺🇸Google’s autonomous taxi service Waymo received approval to expand operations to larger areas in California from the state’s Public Utilities Commission. The company, which has been operating in San Francisco, will now be able to conduct service throughout the SF Bay Area and also throughout and around the Sacramento Metropolitan Area. It will also be able to operate in large parts of Southern California, including Los Angeles County, Temecula, Oceanside, and San Diego.

🇺🇸🔥US Wildfire Update: As of August 15, wildland firefighters are battling 88 large fires across the United States, including three new blazes. Over 29,300 personnel are assigned to incidents nationwide. The country is at national preparedness level 5, the highest resource mobilization level. Seventeen states are experiencing large fires, with Oregon battling 25 of the 88 currently active. (National Interagency Fire Center)

🇨🇴🇮🇱Colombia has re-established diplomatic ties with Israel under its new president, Abelardo de la Espriella. Former President Gustavo Petro broke ties with Israel in May 2024 in response to the Gaza War. In addition to re-establishing ties, Colombia also formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, becoming only the second UN-member state to do so after the United States. The Golan Heights were seized from Syria during the Six-Day War (1967).

🇺🇸Agents with the FBI and IRS recently arrested Lawrence, MA Mayor Brian DePena on the allegations that he fraudulently obtained over $1.5 million in COVID-19 small business loans. The Justice Dept. says that DePena used the money to fund his campaign, pay personal taxes, and pay off multiple mortgages. DePena has already appeared in federal court and is currently out on bail.

🇺🇸🇨🇴Members of urban search and rescue (USAR) task forces USA-01 (Fairfax Co. Fire/Rescue) and USA-02 (LA Co. Fire Dept.) working with local teams during rescue efforts in Cali and Pereira, Colombia after the recent earthquake. (Photos: VA-TF1/USA-01)

🇺🇸🇬🇧USAF B-1B Lancer bombers at RAF Fairford in England during Operation Epic Fury, March 2026. (Photo: Lee Hathaway/@LHA2709 on Twitter)

🇺🇸⛈Hawaii is preparing for Hurricane Lala to make landfall. Lala is currently a Category 1, being upgraded from a tropical storm today. This could be the state’s first direct hit from a hurricane since 1992, with Big Island under a hurricane warning and other islands under tropical storm warnings. Rain from Lala’s outer band has already started hitting Hawaii. Officials warn that Lala could dump as much as 25in of rain on Big Island and produce a 3ft storm surge. About 180 Hawaii National Guardsmen have been activated in preparation.

🇦🇫🇺🇸August 15 marks the fifth anniversary of the Fall of Kabul to the Taliban. The Taliban’s 2021 spring offensive swept over the country, ending with them taking Kabul with little resistance and winning the 20-year war against NATO and the Islamic Republic. International forces and the few remaining Afghan govt troops established a presence at Hamid Karzai Intl Airport. Operation Allies Refuge saw over 123,000 evacuated from Afghanistan by US and allied troops. An Islamic State suicide attack on August 26, 2021 killed 181 people, including 11 US Marines, one US Navy corpsman, and one US Army soldier.

🇺🇸The US Army has grounded all AH-64 Apache helicopter training flights after this week’s crash near Salado, Texas. According to a statement, ‘The stand-down will remain in effect until [the Army has] a better understanding of the root cause of the accident”.