UN Secretary-General election news (LINK) — 4 August 2026

Denmark targets August 21 for second Security Council UN chief poll (LINK) — 3 August 2026

U.S.: Prosecutors drop charges against all 4 people accused of vandalizing Reflecting Pool. Justice Department concluded that the problems with the pool stemmed from a flawed renovation (LINK) — 3 August 2026

Trump doesn't fire Pirro at White House meeting hours after saying she 'folded' over Reflecting Pool case — (LINK)

25 US Democrat states sue to block Trump tariffs impacting dozens of countries (LINK) — 4 August 2026

Reuters: US State Department to close consulates in Canada, Japan and Indonesia, sources say (ground news LINK) — 4 August 2026

— Late last week, the State Department notified Congress of plans to close five foreign missions in St. George's, Grenada; Nagoya, Japan; Medan, Indonesia; Douala, Cameroon; and Winnipeg, Canada.

Scientific American: Cyclospora outbreak tied to two deaths as parasite-borne illness continues to rage: reported by Michigan, which has seen more than 11,000 cases of cyclosporiasis emerge since late June (LINK) — 3 August 2026

Swiss geologist Luca Maggini and local miner kidnapped and killed in Central African Republic (ground news LINK) — 3 August 2026

A Honduran judge grants former President Juan Orlando Hernández release as corruption trial proceeds (ground news LINK) — 3 August 2026

— Hernández recently returned to Honduras after President Donald Trump pardoned him last year for drug trafficking charges, overturning a previous 45-year prison sentence in the United States.

At least 14 die, 18 wounded in suicide bombing outside northwestern Pakistan police station (LINK) — 2 August 2026

— A regional police official said the victims included five police officers and eight civilians. The 14th person was believed to be the suicide bomber,