While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Aug 16, 2026
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Iranian authorities called for the release of three pilots they say were captured in Qatar during the Middle East war.
PHOTO: AFP
Qatar denies holding Iranian pilots
Qatar denied on Aug 15 that it was holding Iranian pilots, saying they had violated Qatari airspace in March and had failed to respond to attempts to contact them.
A Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said on X that search and rescue teams later found the remains of one of the pilots and that it had contacted Iran to coordinate a handover.
The spokesperson said Tehran had yet to respond to an invitation to review details of its operations.
The statement came after Iranian state news agency IRNA cited a senior military official as saying three Iranian pilots had been captured alive by Qatari forces after ejecting from fighter jets during a combat mission targeting a military base in Qatar.
Hopes fade in Colombia, days after powerful quake
PHOTO: REUTERS
Hopes of finding survivors of the earthquake that struck western Colombia five days ago were dwindling on Aug 15, as more bodies were pulled from buildings that collapsed due to the 7.4-magnitude quake that left hundreds dead or missing.
The earthquake struck just after 7.30am in San Jose del Palmar, toppling apartment buildings and damaging schools, churches, hospitals and homes from the Pacific port Buenaventura to Colombia’s coffee-growing region and major western cities.
At least 294 people have died with 320 more missing and nearly 4,000 more injured, Colombia’s disaster management unit estimated on Aug 15.
Lala, now a hurricane, dumps heavy rain on Hawaii
Hurricane Lala on Aug 15 lashed Hawaii’s Big Island with heavy rain and strong winds, as forecasters warned of potentially dangerous flooding across the US Pacific island state.
Lala strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane at around 9am local time (3am on Aug 16 in Singapore), packing winds of up to 120kmh.
A hurricane warning was in effect for Hawaii County, which covers the Big Island, and a tropical storm warning was in place for the state’s seven other major islands: Maui, Molokai, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau.
Worker dies after headscarf catches in water gate roller
PHOTO: SELANGOR FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARMENT
A freak work accident has killed a worker after her headscarf got caught in a gate roller in Malaysia’s Sabak Bernam town on the afternoon of Aug 15.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Ashrul Riezal Asbar said a team from the Sabak Bernam Fire and Rescue Station was dispatched to the location after receiving a distress call around 3.30pm.
Upon arrival at the Grand Sabak Hotel water gate, he said the team found the 56-year-old victim unconscious lying on top of the water gate.
Depleted Djokovic falls in Cincinnati Masters opener
PHOTO: AARON DOSTER/IMAGN IMAGES
Novak Djokovic was overcome by the heat and humidity at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters on Aug 15, with the 24-time Grand Slam winner falling in his opening match to Argentine Thiago Tirante.
The South American advanced to the third round with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 against the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who hit the wall in the second set but recovered to make a battle of it in the third before bowing out.
The Serb star won a brutal 18-minute third game of the second set after taking the first, saving four break points over nine deuces.
