PoliticsTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to unveil new sanctions against Iran. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to the Trump administration’s 50% tariff on Canadian goods by saying Canada would match the charges “dollar for dollar.”
WorldThe BBC has gained rare access to the Taliban’s leadership and examined how it has governed Afghanistan five years after overthrowing the US-backed government. During that period, women have been shut out of most workplaces, barred from universities and restricted from travelling alone or visiting parks and leisure centres.
BBC News
WorldThe United States is scheduled to announce what the Treasury describes as its toughest-ever sanctions on Iran. The measures are expected to target Tehran as well as countries and companies that continue trading with it. Iran has threatened to seize ships and disrupt oil shipments if the pressure persists.
WorldWildfires are tearing through Nevada, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.
OtherBloomberg News will host a fireside conversation with Northrop Grumman Chair, CEO and President Kathy Warden. Kailey Leinz, co-anchor of Bloomberg Television’s “Balance of Power,” will moderate the Washington discussion on defense and policy, beginning at 2:15 p.m. ET on Aug. 25.
Bloomberg Television
PoliticsFrench government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said on August 24 that a phone ban targeting high schools could take effect as early as the start of the new school year next week.
VOA Chinese
EconomyChina’s slowing economic growth is being weighed down by weak consumer spending, employment uncertainty and a prolonged property downturn. The rise of artificial intelligence and its potential effects on workers is adding to concerns about the country’s massive job market.
PoliticsUzbekistan and Azerbaijan signed a Treaty on Eternal Friendship in Tashkent and launched new banking, energy, tourism and mining projects. Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Ilham Aliyev also agreed that the countries will co-host the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup, alongside a $1 billion trade target.
SocietyLindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children in January 2023, appears in court. Her defense team has argued that she was experiencing postpartum mental health issues.
Reuters
WorldFormer U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker joins Trey Gowdy to discuss Russia’s strikes near NATO territory, rising tensions between Israel and Turkey, and the escalating immigration divide in Spain.
Fox News
EconomyGuggenheim Partners Investment Management CIO Anne Walsh says she would buy a large amount of 30-year US Treasuries if their yield reached 6%. She also discusses the risks of investing in the AI data-center buildout.
Bloomberg Television
EconomyFast-fashion giant Shein has launched its Hong Kong initial public offering, ending its years-long pursuit of a listing. The company is seeking to raise up to about US$1.8 billion.
WorldTyphoon Narra has battered southern China, forcing tens of thousands from their homes in Guangxi province as floodwaters submerged roads and buildings. Torrential rain also hit Taiwan, leaving four people missing.
WorldIndonesian President Prabowo Subianto has pledged tough action against companies responsible for forest and land fires. More than 5,100 hotspots have been detected this month, the highest August total since 2015. Prabowo visited Kalimantan before travelling to Riau in Sumatra, where over 16,000 hectares have burned since January.
Culture9:11At the National Day Rally on August 23, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that cinemas will be allowed to show dialect films in their original audio from September, while dialect programmes on pay television will also no longer face broadcast restrictions. The video revisits Lee Kuan Yew’s Speak Mandarin Campaign and its impact on Singapore’s dialects.
EconomyEarl Davis, head of fixed income and money markets at BMO Global Asset Management, says he is not significantly concerned about using the Treasury General Account to fund expanded buybacks. He says he would buy 10-year bonds aggressively if yields reached 5%.
Bloomberg Television
WorldA landslide at a garbage dump outside Guinea’s capital, Conakry, has killed at least 30 people. The government has mobilised substantial resources to search for survivors who may remain trapped beneath huge piles of waste, days after announcing plans to close the Dar-es-Salam landfill over dangerous conditions.
HealthA new private medical clinic on Prince Edward Island offers international tourists same-day appointments and even house calls, while Canadians may also be able to book in some cases. Public health-care advocates fear the arrangement breaches Canada’s Act.
PoliticsPrime Minister Mark Carney, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are expected to address Canadians Monday after Canada-U.S. trade talks broke down. The collapse prompted new Trump tariffs and Ottawa’s pledge to impose retaliatory duties.
EconomyUS Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that an “economic D-Day” is approaching for Iran. In a Financial Times op-ed, he called it the greatest financial offensive ever assembled against an adversary, while withholding further details ahead of a scheduled news conference.
CNN
SocietyFresh polling suggests that many workers continue to view so-called accent bias as a problem. One in 10 people in Britain said they feel anxious or self-conscious about their accent in high-stakes professional situations, such as speaking during a business meeting. Mia Tanswell, 22, from Manchester, said she expected people to notice that she was northern and did not speak “Queen’s English”.
BBC News
WorldBangkok has called an urgent security meeting after more than 70 arson cases were reported across four provinces in Thailand’s far south over the weekend. The government acknowledged receiving intelligence beforehand, while investigators are considering several motives, including dissidents seeking leverage in peace talks expected around October.
WorldIran has warned of a harsh response to expanded US sanctions, including measures targeting countries it believes are cooperating with Washington. The sanctions follow weeks of deadlock, while the United States has failed to dislodge Iran's hold on the Strait of Hormuz. Washington now hopes the additional pressure will force a change, though it is unlikely to make Tehran yield despite its impact on the population.
TechNvidia has told its biggest customers that prices for servers containing its artificial-intelligence chips are rising by more than 15% in many cases, as memory-chip costs surge.
Bloomberg Television