O US-Iran War
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj64rrne643o
The US war on Iran has now passed the six-month mark, negotiations have been abandoned and last week saw renewed fighting with Tehran attacking American bases across the Middle East. This came after a US strike was alleged to have hit a home hosting a wedding event, killing five people and wounding dozens. Washington also launched a new aggressive economic pressure campaign and blockade to coerce Iran into submission. Tehran on its part is now threatening military escalation and a wider war. The head of Iran’s National Security Council said recently that Tehran is planning to announce a maritime “exclusion zone” outside the Strait of Hormuz where it intends to stop vessels attempting to transit the waterway without Iranian permission. The conflict currently appears to have no likely end in sight.
Trucks traverse the Ambassador Bridge, a main trade route linking Canada and the United States in Windsor, Ontario, Canada July 5, 2020.
O US- Canada Tensions
Trade and diplomatic tensions between the United States and Canada have shot up dramatically since US President Donald Trump announced his plan to reimpose high tariffs on Canadian goods. Trump announced he would add 50% tariffs, while Canada announced, adding retaliatory tariffs from 15% to 50% on $20 billion worth U.S. goods starting Sept. 8. Since the trade war began, the attacks and insults have extended beyond just trade. After attacking Canadian leaders on social media, Trump signed an executive order last week renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America”. Despite the likely economic hit, Canadian PM Mark Carney’s tough stance has been welcomed by many in Canada. Carney was elected in March 2025 in large part on a promise to stand up to President Trump and his threats to Canada.
The US and Canada have had a strong trade relationship for decades, with more than 70% of total exports in Canada going to the U.S., and nearly 60% of imports into Canada coming from the US. The trade war will be costly to both sides as the restrictions on goods take effect, especially at a time of already high cost of living and inflation.
A bridge damaged by flash flooding along the Tadi River in the Devighat area of Nuwakot, Nepal. [Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo
O Nepal-China Floods
The death toll from devastating floods near the border between Nepal and China has risen to nearly 800, with thousands more missing since last month. Authorities from Nepal and the Tibet region of China have estimated the number of missing at over 3,000, with some bodies recently washing up in neighboring India. The disaster was sparked by a glacier collapse high in the Himalaya mountains. The collapse triggered catastrophic flooding and landslides, which buried villages and towns along rivers in the area. Rescue operations are still underway but have been hampered by destroyed bridges and roads, as well as the formation of a new lake and elevated water levels limiting the capabilities of rescue teams. Nepal’s foreign minister Shisir Khanal has since blamed the catastrophic flooding on rising global temperatures and called for a worldwide climate change crackdown.
Smoke rises from damaged buildings at the site of a Russian air attack on the Kyiv region on August 29, 2026 [Serhii Okunev/AFP]
O Russia and Ukraine War
Russia pounded Ukraine’s capital Kyiv with ballistic missiles early this week, just one day after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the region in an attempt to kickstart stalled peace talks. Russia has launched a wave of daily and nightly drone attacks on Ukraine, with its defence ministry says it is gearing up for even more large-scale attacks on Ukraine and specifically against its energy infrastructure as a response to the ongoing attacks by Kyiv on Russian soil. Ukraine has attacked Russian civilian and oil infrastructure, rattling Moscow.
As the northern hemisphere moves into fall and winter Russia aims to use the same playbook as years past, when Moscow repeatedly hit Ukrainian power plants, devastating the country’s energy sector and plunging millions of people into the cold. Diplomatic talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled once again. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has said that Ukranian officials are preparing for renewed talks with the US and stressed that Ukraine is “doing everything possible to ensure that war does not remain the only option for future developments”.
Supporters of the ‘No’ campaign display a banner during a rally against reopening Iceland’s European Union accession negotiations in Reykjavik, Iceland, on August 27, 2026, two days ahead of a national referendum. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP via Getty Images) Jonathan Nackstrand | Afp | Getty Images
O Iceland Rejects Joining EU
A national vote late last month saw Icelanders reject new talks with the EU by a narrow margin of 52.8 to 47.2%. A defeat not only for the Icelandic government, which had made the referendum a centerpiece of its term in office, but for the EU as a whole. Although Iceland is a NATO member, supporters said European solidarity would provide greater protection if Trump ever made similar threats toward the volcanic island. Iceland’s left-leaning coalition government, elected in 2024, moved up the EU referendum it had planned for next year after Trump’s repeated threats towards Greenland.
Iceland is already deeply integrated into the European framework. It is a member of the European Economic Area, which gives the island access to the EU’s single market without requiring full membership. It’s also a member of the Schengen Area, which allows passport-free travel between it and other participating European countries. Thus opponents of joining the EU rallied and won around the fact that Iceland already reaps benefits from the EU without the sovereignty compromises that come with full membership.