The Globe and Mail

On August 24, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced possible expansion of secondary sanctions targeting entities in China, Hong Kong, and other countries trading with Iran, including designations on nearly 60 entities, individuals, and vessels. The measures, described as Operation Economic Outcast or economic D-Day, coincide with President Trump contacting world leaders and occur as the US-Iran conflict approaches its sixth month. Indian exports to Iran have declined from $3.5 billion in FY2019 to $1.2 billion in FY2026.

The Trump administration is considering a 7.5% tariff on Chinese goods to address alleged market flooding with underpriced products, according to three unnamed sources. Officials believe the rate would preserve the existing one-year trade truce ahead of a planned late-September meeting with Xi Jinping. Parallel investigations into Chinese industrial capacity and forced labor were launched in March.

Tim Curry, known for originating the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, died at age 80 at his home in Los Angeles. His death was reported by longtime manager Marcia Hurwitz, with no cause disclosed. Curry had previously suffered a stroke in 2012.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle departed royal duties and moved to the United States in 2020. They intend to enroll their children, aged 7 and 5, in British schools in September while avoiding royal residences and official duties. Reports of their arrival in Britain on Wednesday remain disputed across outlets.

U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer rejected Ghislaine Maxwell's habeas petition on August 25, 2026, upholding her 2021 sex-trafficking conviction and 20-year sentence. The 67-page ruling found Maxwell's claims of withheld evidence and false testimony to be meritless and largely procedurally barred. Maxwell filed the petition in December 2025 while representing herself.

Mark Carney stated that U.S. negotiators treated French language protections in Quebec as an irritant and instructed Canadian negotiators to walk away from talks rather than accept terms that would weaken those rules. Donald Trump posted that Canada had been ripping off the United States and threatened new tariffs on cars and trucks, with tariffs on an array of Canadian products affecting roughly 5 percent of exports taking effect over the weekend. Canada plans retaliation in early September while Carney toured a Quebec shipyard with the provincial premier.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres and ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric released a joint statement on Tuesday warning that autonomous targeting of humans by machines crosses a moral red line. The statement, read by UN Geneva spokesperson Alessandra Vellucci, builds on an appeal made three years earlier and precedes scheduled Geneva talks. Neither organization has confirmed deployment of fully autonomous systems against human targets.

The Conference Board consumer confidence index fell to 89.4 in August from 90.2 in July, marking its lowest level in seven months while remaining within the narrow range observed since January. Present-situation assessments improved modestly, but near-term expectations deteriorated amid sustained references to prices, gasoline above $4 per gallon, and geopolitical factors. Midterm elections are scheduled for less than 70 days from the survey period of August 3-16.

Dr. Gregory Saathoff, a forensic psychiatrist at the University of Virginia and senior psychiatrist for the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, testified that he did not believe Lindsay Clancy's account of hearing a voice ordering her to kill her three children. Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in Plymouth, Massachusetts, while the defense concedes she killed the children in January 2023 and attempted suicide afterward. The trial, now in its fourth week before Judge William Sullivan, centers on whether postpartum psychosis negated criminal responsibility.

Forty-two members of the U.S. Senate Democratic caucus signed a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for action on settler violence and mass arrests in the West Bank following a reported surge. The letter, drafted by Senators Adam Schiff and Chuck Schumer, highlights fatal attacks and appeals for investigations into nine American deaths since 2022. Sources are The Globe and Mail and Al-Monitor.

The U.S. and Israel conducted strikes on Iran on February 28. The Iranian rial opened at 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar. The Trump administration announced plans for intensified sanctions, including secondary measures, while Iranian officials disputed U.S. claims of near-total destruction of Iranian military and nuclear assets.

Verified reports confirm a US naval blockade of Iranian ports and Scott Bessent's statements on new economic measures. Iran has warned of restrictions on Strait of Hormuz traffic, which carries one-fifth of global oil and gas. Pakistan's army chief visited Tehran for mediation amid these developments.

A fire occurred on the third floor of the mother-and-child health ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad on August 26, 2026. Reports confirm at least 15 newborns were present in the nursery, with at least one rescued, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an immediate investigation. The exact death toll, ignition time, and cause remain disputed across sources.

Meta reached a settlement during a California federal court trial with claims from four states alleging violations of consumer protection laws and COPPA. The agreement includes daily usage limits and nighttime blocks for teenage users of Facebook and Instagram, while Meta denied any wrongdoing. Reports conflict on the total number of states involved and the maximum settlement amount.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky participated in Kyiv Independence Day celebrations, with reports also noting a rise in the death toll from a Russian attack on a shopping center to 16. Multiple historical and logistical details surrounding the events remain unverified in available sources.

Shein has initiated a Hong Kong listing process to raise up to US$1.8 billion after abandoning prior plans for London and New York exchanges. The company priced shares between HK$47.60 and HK$49.50, targeting a valuation near US$27 billion, down from prior peaks of US$100 billion. Available reporting draws exclusively from right-center sources and does not address supply-chain or geopolitical factors raised in other analyses.