First Thing: Trump in Canada tariff backdown after ‘substantial progress’ made on trade deal
US president cancelled planned tariff imposition just hours before it was to come into force. Plus, why are people so obsessed with television vampires?Good morning. Donald Trump has paused his threat
World
theguardian.com
19.08.2026
Why Trump says he's pausing 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods for 3 days
Just two hours before new tariffs were set to take effect on Canada, President Trump said the 50% tariffs on some of the country's products would be paused for three days. Nancy Cordes explains.
World
cbsnews.com
19.08.2026
ICC decries latest US sanctions as ‘flagrant attack’ on court’s independence
Trump administration put sanctions on the international criminal court’s president and a senior trial lawyerThe international criminal court on Wednesday condemned the latest US sanctions targeting se
World
theguardian.com
19.08.2026
Trump aide Natalie Harp rode in SUV trunk when she couldn’t get seat in his motorcade: report
Executive assistant Harp joined Trump’s staff in 2022 and has won praise from the White House for her loyalty and dedication
World
independent.co.uk
19.08.2026
Trump administration sanctions sitting president of the International Criminal Court for 'abuses of power'
Marco Rubio called the International Criminal Court "corrupt" as the Trump administration sanctioned two top ICC officials over jurisdiction disputes.
World
foxnews.com
19.08.2026
‘Tit for tat’: Why is Trump cozying up to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un again?
Analysts say Trump's attempted rapprochement with Kim Jong Un is driven by political signals to Pyongyang and Seoul.
World
aljazeera.com
19.08.2026
Activist forced out of US after criticising Trump-aligned Colombian politician
Beto Coral held up banners in Florida warning fellow Colombians to not vote for Abelardo de la EspriellaIn the week before Colombia’s presidential election, Beto Coral, a well-known activist living in
World
theguardian.com
19.08.2026
Trump hints at bringing Keystone XL oil pipeline project ‘back from the grave’ in AI post
President Trump’s support for the project contrasts the position held by two of his predecessors as commander-in-chief
World
independent.co.uk
19.08.2026
South Korea cuts short joint drills at Trump’s request as US pushes for North Korea talks
North Korea on Wednesday condemned joint US-Seoul military drills but stopped short of mentioning Trump
World
independent.co.uk
19.08.2026
Scaling back US-South Korea drills may fail to woo Kim away from China
Trump is scaling back US-South Korea military exercises as he signals interest in renewed talks with Kim Jong Un.
World
aljazeera.com
19.08.2026
In cutting joint drills, Trump has given South Korea’s president what he wants. So why does Seoul look so uneasy?
President Lee Jae Myung has long pushed for stronger homegrown defences, yet Donald Trump’s move has sparked alarm in some quartersAt their first summit, in August last year, South Korean president Le
World
theguardian.com
19.08.2026
U.S. sanctions Japanese ICC chief, testing Tokyo’s support for global court
The move by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump presents a dilemma for Tokyo, a strong backer of multilateral groupings and a key American ally.
World
japantimes.co.jp
19.08.2026
South Korea shortens war games with US citing Washington request
It comes after Trump announced plans to curtail joint exercises with South Korea, citing a "very good" relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.
World
bbc.co.uk
19.08.2026
Trump’s Korea move creates more headaches for Takaichi
The U.S. president's order to shorten allied exercises with South Korea to avoid sending "inappropriate and hostile" signals to Pyongyang jolted Seoul with immediate implications.
World
japantimes.co.jp
19.08.2026
U.S. and South Korea to nearly halve joint military drills after Trump criticism
The move appears aimed at luring North Korean leader Kim Jong Un back to talks, years after denuclearization negotiations with Washington collapsed.
World
japantimes.co.jp
19.08.2026
Trump says he paused 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods as deal being finalized
President Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. and Canada have reached a last-minute agreement to pause the 50% tariffs.
World
cbsnews.com
19.08.2026
Trump says US has no talks planned with Iran and other news from the Middle East
U.S. President Donald Trump says the U.S. has no planned talks with Iran but insists the Strait of Hormuz remains open
World
abcnews.com
19.08.2026
US, Canada reach trade deal to avert steep tariffs, Trump says
Trump announces pause on 50 percent duty on Canadian exports shortly before midnight deadline.
World
aljazeera.com
19.08.2026
US, South Korea cut drills short after Trump criticism
Annual war games between South Korea and the United States will end around a week earlier than planned, both countries said on Wednesday, after US President Donald Trump ordered the "inappropriate and
World
france24.com
19.08.2026
Trump scales back joint military drills between South Korea and US
South Korea and the US will cut the duration of their annual joint military drills to five days from 11 and scale back some field training, the allies said on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump
World
france24.com
19.08.2026