MYSTERIOUS: 29 | Mind Blowing Facts

US places sanctions on 10 people over alleged Hezbollah cash-smuggling ring

Courier network carried millions of dollars in cash to Lebanon on commercial flights, treasury department says

The Guardian - US · Aug 20

Iran dismisses US economic threats, and other developments in the Middle East

Iran has dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of economic pain and isolation

The Independent UK · Aug 20

Vladimir Putin has pushed his people to breaking point

THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Editorial: The Russian president appears determined to carry on with his bloody gamble in Ukraine, but ordinary citizens – facing deadly retaliation from Kyiv, and fighting each other for scarce fuel on petrol forecourts – are showing signs of having had enough

The Independent UK · Aug 20

EU’s von der Leyen warns of ‘escalating campaign of threats’ as Romania destroys naval drone – as it happened

Device was near country’s Neptun Deep gas platform in the Black Sea

The Guardian - UK · Aug 20

More than 16 killed as Kyiv comes under intense Russian bombardment

Missile and drone attack one of heaviest since war began, with children’s hospital and residential areas hit

The Guardian - UK · Aug 20

Russian strikes kill nine in Kyiv region

KYIV - Russian bombardments killed at least 13 people and wounded dozens in Ukraine’s capital and its surrounding region overnight, authorities said on Thursday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urging a global response to Moscow's "escalation" of the four-year war.

Bangkok Post · Aug 20

Russian missile strikes kill at least 16 in and around Kyiv overnight

A Russian missile barrage on Thursday killed at least 16 people in Kyiv and the surrounding region, local authorities said, with explosions echoing across the capital throughout the night. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had been preparing the attack "for a long time".

France 24 · Aug 20

Who’s who in Iran’s new hardline security leadership

Earlier this month Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei reshuffled Tehran’s top security team, putting his own personal stamp on the appointments and readying the Islamic republic for a long-term confrontation with the United States.

Bangkok Post · Aug 20

Ukraine war briefing: Russia running on imported gasoline, government confirms

Indian shipment arrives as Ukrainian strike campaign forces reversal of petroleum flow; Kyiv under missile attack. What we know on day 1,639

The Guardian - AU · Aug 20

Trump Rules Out Iran Ceasefire Extension as Hormuz Standoff Keeps Gas Prices High

Trump won't extend the Iran ceasefire past Monday's deadline. The Hormuz standoff behind it is keeping gas prices high for Latino drivers.

Latin Times · Aug 19