PBS NewsHour

The Justice Department finalized a rule on August 17, 2026, establishing a formal process for individuals barred from firearm ownership due to felony convictions to seek restoration of rights. Attorney General Todd Blanche launched the process, citing the Second Amendment and public safety considerations. The rule continues prior administration actions to modify federal firearms regulations.

Israeli airstrikes on Saturday in southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people according to multiple outlets, with strikes in Ansar and Deir al-Zahrani accounting for the reported deaths and injuries. The Israeli military stated the targets were Hezbollah infrastructure, while Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the actions. Earlier incidents in June and a June 20 truce are referenced in coverage of the events.

A rally took place in Kabul on August 15, 2026, to mark five years since Taliban forces seized the capital. Multiple outlets reported official statements, flag displays, and security measures alongside existing restrictions on education and movement for girls and women. The U.S. withdrawal in 2021 and resulting airport chaos are confirmed across sources.

Moroccan security arrested 294 sub-Saharan migrants and 61 Moroccan facilitators on Saturday after social media calls prompted movement toward the Ceuta enclave. The action follows a prior surge involving tens of thousands that resulted in at least 90 official deaths. Over 20,000 Moroccan personnel remain deployed along the border in coordination with Spanish authorities.

Jason Arday, 41, was found dead at a south London address on Friday, with police describing the death as unexpected but not suspicious. He had been appointed Cambridge University's youngest Black professor in 2023 and resigned from his position last week amid plagiarism accusations and questions about prior claims. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the death a tragedy and urged reflection without rushing to judgment.

Lindsay Clancy's mother and sister testified that her mental health began declining in October 2022, including insomnia, anxiety worsened by medication, and explicit statements about harming her children in December. She is reported to have strangled her three children and attempted suicide afterward. All available reporting on the testimony comes from left-center sources.

Loui Ridi, a 46-year-old Palestinian American from Toledo, Ohio, returned to his hilltop home in Qusra after construction began three years ago. The property is one of three under reported siege, prompting U.S. condemnation and Israeli military deployment. Sources differ on siege duration and provide no coverage from center or right-leaning outlets.

A Pskov court convicted 63-year-old Lev Shlosberg, Yabloko deputy chairman, of discrediting the Russian military and spreading false information, sentencing him to 11 years and one month in prison. The charges arose from a debate and a Telegram post referencing a British tabloid image linking Putin to civilian casualties. Yabloko remains the only registered party openly opposing the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and has been barred from the September parliamentary ballot.