CultureBird photography and birdwatching are attracting more Singaporeans. Enthusiast Chen Shu-en says photographers often enter forests to capture birds in their most natural state. The community opposed plans to develop Maju Forest because it is one of the key habitats of the critically endangered straw-headed bulbul.
PoliticsMoney has long shaped US politics, and the upcoming midterm elections are no different. But campaign finance disclosures point to a fundraising contest more complicated than a simple Republican-versus-Democrat battle, Al Jazeera’s Manuel Rapalo reports from Washington.
PoliticsWhite House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly discusses the decline in violent crime under President Donald Trump on “America Reports,” while criticizing Democratic socialists for pushing to defund police and abolish prisons.
Fox News
SocietyA Chicago aquarium has received four more beluga whales, following the arrival of four others in July. The transfers are part of an international effort by zoos and aquariums to rescue 30 whales from a Canadian facility that can no longer care for them.
The Associated Press
CultureThe co-hosts of “The Five” answer viewers’ questions about which person they would trade places with for a day and what they would sell in their own museum gift shops.
Fox News
SocietyLuigi Mangione told a court that he shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in 2024, citing years of back pain and frustration with the US health insurance system. Prosecutor Jamie McDonald rejected any justification, saying no grievance, political belief or ideology can excuse murder and that assassination should not create a celebrity.
PoliticsFormer Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji died on August 12, 2026. Kenneth Lieberthal, a prominent US China expert who had met with Zhu, recalled his personal style, reform experience and impact on US-China relations in a Voice of America interview.
VOA Chinese
WorldIndiana’s governor has declared an emergency after severe storms struck the US Midwest. Derechos generated wind gusts of 160km/h, while tornadoes hit the Chicago area, damaging homes and leaving more than 300,000 people without power across three states. Crews were also rescuing residents from flash flooding as more rain was forecast.
WorldA tense standoff continues in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra, where Israeli troops remain around three Palestinian homes while extremist settlers repeatedly return after earlier removal efforts. Analyst Yossi Mekelberg says the incident shows the influence of Israeli extremists and argues that the government is complicit in their intimidation and violence.
PoliticsThe program examines politics and global business. Democratic Representative Gwen Moore says rising gasoline prices are worsening Americans’ cost-of-living squeeze, rejecting President Donald Trump’s view that people should accept paying “a tiny bit more” at the pump because of the war with Iran. Republican Representative Mike Flood says affordability remains a concern he continues to hear from constituents.
Bloomberg Television
CultureHistorical events associated with August 14 include Harry Truman’s 1945 announcement of Japan’s unconditional surrender, marking the end of World War II; Franklin Roosevelt’s signing of the Social Security Act in 1935; and a 1980 strike by workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk that helped propel the Solidarity movement.
VOA Chinese
CultureKate Bolduan interviews actor Dominic Sessa and director Matt Johnson about A24’s Anthony Bourdain biopic, “Tony.” They discuss the film’s inspiration and the choice to portray Bourdain’s wild teenage years in Provincetown, Massachusetts, long before he became famous.
CNN
WorldA US aircraft carrier is heading to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln after reports of food shortages and difficult conditions during its extended nine-month deployment. The USS George Washington, near Malaysia on Thursday, could reach the region in about nine days. Families of Lincoln sailors fear the conditions are harming their mental health.
BBC News
CultureWeeks of virtually rainless weather have sharply lowered the Tiber, revealing the remains of an ancient bridge near St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Known as Nero’s Bridge after the former Roman emperor, it once linked the city center with the river’s right bank.
The Associated Press
WorldA magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.
WorldAfter six months of war, the US has returned to economic sanctions and a naval blockade intended to choke Iran’s economy. Iranians appear to be enduring the hardship, but the administration is prepared to keep the blockade on Iranian ports indefinitely and impose further sanctions on Tehran’s already struggling economy.
SocietyCriminal defense attorney Donna Rotunno and Fox News legal editor Kerri Urbahn discuss Luigi Mangione’s defense team’s strategy to have his state charges dismissed.
Fox News
TechTexas Democratic Representative Greg Casar says AI chief executives should testify before Congress about employment and national security concerns linked to the technology. He argues data center projects should be blocked if they raise electricity bills or otherwise harm host communities. Casar also discusses taxing large AI companies at higher rates as unemployment rises, using the proceeds for a federal jobs program.
Bloomberg Television
EconomyThis week’s program examines the prospect of easing inflation alongside rising rates, leaving the Federal Reserve’s 2% target still distant. It also looks at Mexico’s planned land-based trade corridor as an alternative when shipping routes are disrupted, and at whether slower exits and higher borrowing costs will allow private equity to outperform public markets. Cuba’s promised market reforms are also featured.
Bloomberg Television
SocietyLuigi Mangione, who had consistently denied wrongdoing, pleaded guilty in federal court in Lower Manhattan to killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He said years of pain from a back injury and anger at the US healthcare industry led him to wait outside a company convention and shoot Thompson, despite knowing it was illegal.
PoliticsNebraska Republican Rep. Mike Flood says constituents continue to raise affordability concerns, despite President Donald Trump calling the issue a “hoax.” Flood says recently passed housing legislation should increase supply and reduce home prices, although relief may take time. He also says the US needs to “finish the job” in Iran.
Bloomberg Television
TechIn Mpinga Village, community health worker Niyonsaba Julie is using new technology to support her work. She says health workers previously had to carry heavy books filled with patient records and could see only a few patients each day. This is her story in her own words.
WorldVice President Vance said keeping oil prices low and preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons are the United States’ two main goals, warning of “unprecedented” economic measures against Tehran. The UN said civilian deaths in Ukraine in July exceeded those of any month since the early phase of Russia’s invasion. The US War Department reached framework agreements with two defense contractors to accelerate and expand production of Standard Missile-3 interceptors and components. Survivors of a powerful Colombian earthquake are sheltering in temporary camps and need food, tents, flashlights and blankets.
VOA Chinese
PoliticsWisconsin Democratic Representative Gwen Moore says rising gasoline prices are worsening Americans’ cost-of-living squeeze. She rejects President Donald Trump’s suggestion that people should accept paying “a tiny bit more” at the pump because of the war with Iran, saying even modest increases are causing “chaos and hardship” for families.
Bloomberg Television