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Le Monde

August 2026

War becomes the new normal in the Strait of Hormuz

By exchanging fire around the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since July, overnight from Sunday to Monday, August 31, the United State and Iran reaffirmed the modus vivendi they have imposed on the strait

Divided Supreme Court lets White House continue construction on Trump’s $400 million ballroom

A divided Supreme Court on Monday, August 31, allowed the White House to continue construction on a $400 million ballroom project as lawsuits play out, a win for President Donald Trump as he flexes unprecedented executive power and remakes the capital in his image

Donald Trumppresident
I am pleased to report that the United States Supreme Court has just ruled in favor of the Ballroom/Military Complex being built without any further contingency, doubt, or threat."

EU suspends Brazilian meat imports over health concerns

Brazil is an important partner for the EU and we are working closely, constructively and positively with Brazilian authorities to ensure their compliance with these requirements,
Brazil will no longer be authorized to export to the Union food-producing animals and products of animal origin intended for human consumption,

Barcola leaves PSG for Liverpool in record Ligue 1 player transfer deal

Barcola, who signed what Liverpool said was a "long-term deal," had yet to play for PSG this season amid the transfer speculation

It took a long time but I’m really happy today to be able to play for Liverpool and all I want is to be on the pitch and be able to play,
Bradley Barcolafrench winger
I don't know Jeremy [Jacquet], but I was able to talk to Hugo, who I met in the French team and in my old club,

Ukraine's farmers struggle to survive amid blocked grain shipments and bombed farms

The grain harvest was abundant and overflowed from the vast storage sheds on the farm

We had generous rainfall, and that's fortunate, because we have no way to irrigate the land since the destruction of the Kakhovka dam by the Russians [in June 2023],
Nearly 2,000 metric tons of wheat are lying out in the open, for lack of space,

Galliano pulls his Met Gala exhibition after antisemitism backlash

In 2011, a French court convicted Galliano of making racist and antisemitic comments after he hurled Jewish and Asian slurs at a Paris bar

John Gallianodesigner
After much reflection and discussion with all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time,
I do not want the debate surrounding me to place the Met in a difficult position or distract from the remarkable work of the Costume Institute,
I remain fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past, particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain deeply sorry.... I understand that
I believe deeply in the responsibility of museums to examine difficult histories with rigor, candor, and care. I also recognize the pain and concern this exhibition has caused,
I also recognize and respect that an exhibition honoring my work would be painful for some,

Messi announces retirement from international football

Lionel Messiforward
It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deeply — but I understand that the time has come,
I swear I always gave everything, not just in the last few years when we won everything but before that too, and I always fought and gave my all for this shirt,
I don't know what I'll do without you, I don't know how to go on. I just played football, and now I have serious doubts about continuing to do so for much longer,
I love, I loved, and I will always love being on the national team,

Sweden signs €4.3 billion deal to acquire four French frigates

France and Sweden signed agreements on Monday, August 31, to supply the Nordic country with 4 modern frigates, strengthening the defenses of NATO's newest member in the strategically important Baltic Sea region, where Russia uses key shipping lanes and airspace

Ulf Kristerssonswedish Prime Minister
These frigates will serve as platforms that will provide long-range capabilities at sea and protection against ballistic missiles,
We are thereby strengthening the European defense industrial and technological base,

ChatGPT becomes first AI chatbot to face tougher EU rules

Henna Virkkunentech chief
ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, in line with their large impact on our citizens and society,
OpenAI already has risk-management obligations under the AI Act, but the DSA could widen the scope,

Spain's Sanchez rules out responsibility of Morocco in migrant surge

In a radio interview, the prime minister also denounced misinformation spread by the "ultra-right." More than 70,000 migrants entered the small Spanish enclave in North Africa in late July, swimming or crossing on foot from neighbouring Morocco in a chaotic influx that left scores dead and fuelled fresh tensions in the European Union over migration

Pedro Sánchezprime Minister
After July 30 and 31, rumours and disinformation spread on social networks linked to Russia and Israel, and to an ultra-right international that always uses migration to attack both Spain and Europe and divide it,
This crisis can only be resolved with cooperation,
Pedro Sánchezprime Minister
I can assure you that no information made it possible to gauge the scale, the seriousness of the crisis we were going to experience on July 30 and 31,

Tibet landslide undermines Xi Jinping's gamble on the Himalayas

Rescue teams are now widely deployed in Gyirong County in southwestern Tibet, where a major border post was overwhelmed by an avalanche of ice and rock on Wednesday, August 26, resulting so far in 16 deaths, with around 546 people missing on the Chinese side

2027 French presidential election: Parties torn between internal rivalry and unity against radical options

Eight months ahead of the 2027 presidential election, these parties, defining themselves in opposition to both LFI and the RN, are jostling for space among voters determined to prevent either Jean-Luc Mélenchon or Marine Le Pen from taking power

François Bayrouformer Prime Minister
On the eve of the 2027 election, a diabolical pinch has taken hold: Ms. Le Pen is far ahead in the polls and Mélenchon's far left, buoyed by a powerful campaign, is on the verge of the second round,

Nepal toll surges as rescuers struggle through 'unimaginable' disaster

Rescuers struggled on Monday, August 31, through mud and debris for a sixth day, as the number of missing people soared to nearly 5,000 since tsunami-like glacial floods roared down from the China-Nepal border, creating an "unimaginable" disaster

The people of Nepal are one of the major victims of the changing climate and its impact."

Iceland's rejection of EU accession talks seen as 'setback' in Brussels

By rejecting the resumption of accession talks, on hold since 2015, with 52.8% of the vote, Iceland's 400,000 residents' message couldn't be clearer: They do not want to join the EU

Iran retaliates after first US strikes in a month

Tim Hawkinsnavy Captain
U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely, and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,
Jack Reed (Rhode Island politician)friday, US Senator
Six months later, not a single objective has been achieved,
Masoud Pezeshkianiranian President
We are not seeking war, but we will deliver a decisive response to the aggressors,

'Even our ancestors do not remember a flood of this scale': Nepal villagers face apocalypse frozen in mud

They have started to return to the village, where rescuers are still looking for survivors and the deceased in extremely perilous conditions

If we had waited five minutes longer, we would have died,

Google Maps renames Lake Ontario 'Lake America' in US, but not Canada

Google redesignated Lake Ontario as "Lake America" on maps seen by US users Sunday after President Donald Trump announced he was renaming the body of water, with a Canadian official slamming the cross-border tensions as "absolutely backwards."

People using Maps in the U.S. will see “Lake America,” those in Canada will continue to see “Lake Ontario,” and those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names,
They've been ripping us off for decades, and it's going to stop,
Donald Trumppresident
I don't want Canadian cars, I don't want Canadian parts, I don't want Canadian anything,
Doug Fordontario Premier
It's absolutely backwards. It was like something out of (US comedy TV show) 'Saturday Night Live' when he signed a document saying — changed to 'Lake America.' No one's going to call it Lake of America,
A tariff on Canada is nothing more than a tax on American people,

Niger coup attempt exposes weakness of Tiani junta

In the middle of the night from Friday to Saturday, a group of mutineers launched simultaneous attacks on the presidential palace, where Tiani resides, and Air Base 101, a major military installation within Niamey's Diori Hamani airport

At least one battalion refused to storm Air Base 101 to dislodge the mutineers,