Top World News
Bessent shocks with ultimatum said to 'ripple' around world: ‘Clock just started ticking'
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a threatening ultimatum Monday with a message that CNN’s Jeremy Diamond said would “ripple around the world.”Speaking during a press conference at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., Bessent unveiled the Trump administration’s new “economic D-Day” plan, officially named Operation Economic Outcast, which is designed to financially squeeze Iran into submission through the use of secondary sanctions and other measures.“Nations that facilitate any interactions with the regime should quickly heed our message: those who stand with the United States will reap the rewards of our partnership — those who tether themselves to the Iranian regime should expect to share in the isolation of a withering regime,” Bessent warned.“The United States expects action… Every country has a defined timeline to shut down activities we have identified. Any entity that facilitates money laundering on behalf of Iran will be removed from the U.S. dollar system. The clock just started ticking.”Operation Economic Outcast was teased by Bessent on Sunday in an op-ed he penned for the Financial Times. Almost immediately, multiple experts warned that the plan was not only destined to fail, but could very well backfire, with one expert — political scientist Robert Pape — warning that it could potentially “shut down critical shipping lanes and spike oil prices overnight.”Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent threatens entire world with consequences for ignoring its new sanctions plan against Iran, says countries have a "defined timeline" to take action."Any entity that facilitates money laundering on behalf of Iran will be removed from the U.S. dollar… pic.twitter.com/oAYMLtwxOW— Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) August 24, 2026
Prince Harry quits board of wildlife charity after rangers’ human rights abuses
Spokesperson for Duke of Sussex says he remains an ‘active and avid supporter’ of African Parks’ missionThe Duke of Sussex has stepped down from the board of a major African wildlife charity that had been at the centre of a human rights controversy.Prince Harry’s spokesperson confirmed he was no longer a trustee of African Parks, which admitted last year that human rights abuses were committed by its rangers in the Republic of the Congo. Continue reading...
About 90,000 urged to evacuate as fast-moving wildfire threatens Reno, Nevada
‘Human-caused’, wind-driven fire in Reno leaves thousands of homes and businesses without power, officials sayAuthorities have ordered the evacuation of about 90,000 residents of Reno, Nevada, and the adjacent North Valley as a fast-moving, wind-driven wildfire bears down on the city.The Hawk fire began on Saturday to the north-west of the city, and quickly grew, showing “extreme fire behavior” as it threatened foothill neighborhoods in Nevada’s second-largest city. It stood at a little more than 15,000 acres burned on Monday morning, and was 0% contained. Continue reading...
Vuelta a España: giant hail forces stage three abandonment in Pyrenees
Huge hailstones prompt organisers to act 15km from endRiders seen heading into hotel on route to take coverA torrential hailstorm in the French Pyrenees forced the abandonment of the third stage of the Vuelta a España on Monday.With 15 kilometres (9.32 miles) remaining of the 174km route from Gruissan to Font-Romeu, the skies darkened as the peloton neared the top of the Col de Mont-Louis and huge hailstones began bouncing off the tarmac and pelting the riders. Continue reading...
Problems brewing for the proper pint as Camra membership falls
Cost of living has hit campaign group while multinationals are threatening to squeeze out independent breweriesFor centuries, the wooden real ale pump has been the hallmark of a good British boozer. But now problems are brewing for the proper pint, as the Campaign for Real Ale has seen its membership sink to an eight-year low and its accounts show it is firmly in the red, making an £800,000 loss last year.Real ale is a traditional draught cask beer, a “living” product that is produced and stored in its cask. It differs from a cold, fizzy lager, in which the yeast is killed and carbon dioxide is added. Real ale contains live yeast so it continues fermenting until it is served. Continue reading...
‘Fix that little spot’: Danish PM hits back at unsolicited beauty tip from cosmetic surgeon
Mette Frederiksen, who received message on returning from Ukraine, advises women to embrace self-acceptanceSick of getting unsolicited beauty tips on social media, the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, rebuffed a male cosmetic surgeon’s offer to “fix” her and advised women in similar situations to embrace self-acceptance.Frederiksen, a Social Democrat and Denmark’s second female prime minister, posted on Instagram that she had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where she was subjected to air raid sirens, when she found a message proposing some help with her appearance. Continue reading...
Opinion: Opinion | A 'Snub' Gone Too Far? The Story Of Bangladesh PM's Stalled India Visit
The abrupt cancellation of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's scheduled visit to New Delhi this month raises many questions.
Washington Post ordered to reinstate opinion writer fired over Charlie Kirk posts
Arbitrator determined the Post improperly fired Karen Attiah, a union-protected employee, over social media postsAn independent arbitrator has ordered the Washington Post to rehire the high-profile opinion columnist Karen Attiah, abruptly fired by the news organization last September over comments she made on social media about Charlie Kirk, the then recently slain conservative activist.On Monday, an arbitrator ruled that the Post had violated her rights as a union-protected employee and ordered the newspaper to reinstate her and compensate her for lost wages. Continue reading...
Trump's new scheme has two outcomes — and both threaten disaster: expert
The Trump administration’s new plan to financially squeeze Iran and force it back to the negotiating table is dangerously short-sighted, sanctions expert Brett Erickson warned Monday, and ultimately has only two outcomes — both of which carry severe risks.Revealed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday, the Trump administration's new plan to force Iran into submission has been called an “economic D-Day,” and would see severe secondary sanctions imposed on any nation or entity providing Iran with financial assistance. However, Trump administration officials have yet to explain how they plan on executing such a plan without sparking a new trade war among the United States’ largest trading partners.In 2025 alone, trade between the United States and China totaled more than $494 billion, a figure notably more than 25% less than the previous year. China also happens to be one of Iran’s largest trading partners, being their single largest buyer of oil over the past several years, according to Reuters.Speaking to Al Jazeera for its report Monday, Erickson argued that for the Trump administration to execute its plan, it would have to either sever ties with China in a manner that could spark a “prolonged period” of potential economic hardship, or exclude China from its secondary tariffs, which itself would be a “tacit admission” that the plan was ineffective.“That is not a relationship you degrade lightly. If the United States decides to really bring China into the ring, it will be a serious indication that the United States plans to wage this economic war for a prolonged period of time,” Erickson told the outlet.“If they do not, it will be a tacit admission from the Trump administration that they do not believe economic hardship can seriously bring about a change in the Iranian position.”Erickson was far from the only critic of the Trump administration’s new plan, which has yet to be revealed in full. Political scientist Robert Pape also warned Monday that not only was the plan doomed to fail, but that it would likely backfire spectacularly, and potentially “shut down critical shipping lanes and spike oil prices overnight.”
‘There’s a baby on the field’: Toddler invades pitch during Minnesota’s MLS win over San Jose
Child wandered on field during MNUFC’s 5-1 winMinnesota posts win was ‘Like taking money from a baby’A toddler interrupted a Major League Soccer match between Minnesota United and San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday by invading the pitch – a bizarre scene punctuated by an on-air analyst saying, “There’s a baby on the field.”With a minute and a half to play in the game that Minnesota won 5-1 at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, the small child took to the field – and the referee blew his whistle to stop play. Continue reading...
Indian-Origin Teen Dies After Car Plunges Off Cliff Into Ocean In US
The fatal accident reignited concerns over the narrowing distance between traffic and the cliff's edge due to continuous erosion.
Australia has just 12,000 sea lions left – and ‘carnage’ may await them as bird flu takes hold, scientists warn
Virus has already caused catastrophic losses in pinnipeds in South America and sub-Antarctica, particularly among pupsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastScientists have warned deadly H5 bird flu could cause “carnage” for Australia’s seal and sea lion populations after detection of the virus in long-nosed fur seals in South Australia.SA confirmed Australia’s first case in a mammal on Saturday after a dead long-nosed fur seal found at Beachport on the Limestone Coast tested positive for H5N1. Continue reading...
