Threads
Stories that unfold over weeks: where things stand, what has changed and what comes next.
Latest changes
Monday 24 August
China says it will protect rights amid US Iran sanctions push
China said on 24 August it will protect its rights as the US prepares new sanctions expected to target Tehran's trading partners, adding Beijing to the list of states resisting Washington's secondary-measures campaign.
DHS proposes $103,265 H-1B visa fee via formal rulemaking route
DHS released a draft regulation on 24 August establishing a $103,265 fee on cap-subject H-1B visas, pursuing formal rulemaking after courts blocked the earlier $100,000 executive order. The fee affects foreign professionals and companies with US operations.
Supreme Court lifts injunction on Trump mail-in voting executive order
The Supreme Court on 24 August lifted a district-court injunction that had blocked Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting, ruling a coalition of 23 states sued prematurely.
Trump announces 50% tariffs on cars, trucks, auto parts, and steel from 1 January 2027
Trump announced on 24 August that US tariffs on cars, trucks, automotive parts, and steel would rise to 50% from 1 January 2027, widening the trade clash with Canada after 50% duties on $20 billion in Canadian goods took effect two days earlier.
UK-Ukraine sign AI defence pact granting access to battlefield data
The UK signed an AI technology partnership with Ukraine on 24 August, becoming the first foreign country to access Ukraine's "Avengers Labs" battlefield data platform to train AI models for target identification and strike capabilities.
AfD co-leader Weidel calls for German withdrawal from Schengen and euro
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said in a televised interview on 24 August that a government including her party would withdraw Germany from Schengen and the euro, and return all 1.3 million Syrians living in Germany. The proposals are not government policy.
Norway rejects EU-backed Arctic drilling moratorium
Norway's energy minister Terje Aasland said on 24 August that Oslo will continue developing Barents Sea oil and gas regardless of EU support for an Arctic drilling ban. The stance complicates EU efforts to tighten fossil-fuel constraints on key energy partners.
JRC warns summer crop yields up to 14% below five-year average
The European Commission's Joint Research Centre reported on 24 August that persistent heat and water deficits have substantially worsened summer crop prospects, with EU yield forecasts for major summer crops cut up to 14% below the five-year average.
CENTCOM reports redirecting 70 vessels, disabling three and boarding two in Gulf
US Central Command disclosed on 24 August that it has redirected about 70 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two since re-imposing a naval blockade posture against Iran this summer.
Hungary allocates HUF 500 billion in EU recovery funds for grid and smart meters
Hungary plans to spend nearly 500 billion forints from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility on electricity grid modernisation and a nationwide smart-meter rollout, advancing EU-backed energy-transition infrastructure.
Commission approves €6.1 billion defence financing for Ukraine
The European Commission approved €6.1 billion in defence financing for Ukraine on 24 August, covering air defence, missiles, ammunition and radars. The disbursement draws on a broader EU loan framework for 2026–2027, channeling common instruments into a core security policy area.
Taiwan indicts nine for illegal AI server exports to China
Taiwanese prosecutors indicted nine people, including employees at Nvidia and Super Micro, for allegedly exporting AI servers equipped with US-controlled chips to China.
Iranian rial drops past 2 million per US dollar as Washington prepares new sanctions
The Iranian rial passed 2 million per US dollar on the open market as the US Treasury prepared to unveil new sanctions aimed at isolating Tehran after six months of war, marking a new low for the currency under sanctions pressure.
Iran's parliament approves Hormuz transit fee requirement for all ships
Iran's parliament approved a provision on 24 August requiring ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to pay for services, formalizing Tehran's unilateral regulatory regime over the waterway.
Alibaba launches Wan3.0 AI video model after $10.2B HK raise
Alibaba Cloud announced Wan3.0 on 24 August, an AI model generating 30-second videos from documents, spreadsheets, slides and web pages. The launch follows Alibaba's $10.2 billion Hong Kong share placement for AI infrastructure, with shares falling around 8% on dilution concerns.
EPP and Renew urge Commission to freeze €770 million for Romania
EPP President Manfred Weber and Renew leader Valérie Hayer wrote to Commission President von der Leyen on 24 August, asking her to withhold €770 million in recovery funds from Romania over a law that could remove Timișoara mayor Dominic Fritz, framing rule of law as a disbursement condition.
Oman FM due in Tehran for Hormuz talks as Pakistan also mediates
Oman's foreign minister was scheduled to visit Tehran on 24 August to discuss the Strait of Hormuz crisis, Reuters reported, with Pakistani officials also engaged in mediation. The diplomatic channel adds to a sparse mediation landscape as the US-Iran confrontation intensifies.
Putin decrees state takeover of critical infrastructure after drone strikes
Putin issued a decree granting the state authority to take temporary administration of critically important fuel, energy, transport, logistics and communications facilities if owners fail to protect or swiftly repair them after attacks.
Administration proposes $103,265 H-1B visa fee
The administration proposed a $103,265 fee for new H-1B visas on 24 August, replacing an earlier levy struck down by court. The fee sharply raises skilled-migration costs used heavily by European firms and professionals, treating visa access as a leveraged commodity.
Iranian rial crashes past 2 million per US dollar ahead of new sanctions
The Iranian rial passed 2 million per US dollar on the open market on 24 August as Treasury Secretary Bessent prepared to unveil a new sanctions package. The currency collapse underscores the tightening economic squeeze on Tehran six months into the war.
Harris poll shows Le Pen winning every tested 2027 runoff scenario
A Harris Interactive-Toluna poll published 24 August, conducted 18-19 August among 1,764 registered voters, puts Le Pen at 35-38% in the first round and projects her winning every tested runoff: 68-32 against Mélenchon, 57-43 against Attal, 55-45 against Philippe.
Chrupalla signals AfD openness to coalition talks in Saxony-Anhalt
On 24 August, AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla told ARD the party is ready to hold talks with all other parties if it falls short of an absolute majority in Saxony-Anhalt, declaring AfD will "extend a hand" and criticising the firewall as excluding voters.
UK and France share Scalp missile data with Ukraine; London signs AI data agreement
Britain and France agreed to share classified MBDA Scalp cruise missile manufacturing data with Ukraine, and London signed an AI data agreement with Kyiv on 24 August.
French potato crop forecast falls 23% as heat and drought hit European agriculture
France's main potato crop is forecast to drop 23% year-on-year, about 2 million metric tons, after exceptionally hot and dry summer weather, with average yields at 37.4 tons per hectare, the second-lowest in 30 years.
Saudi-flagged tanker struck by projectile off Yanbu in Red Sea
A Saudi-flagged oil tanker caught fire on 24 August after a projectile strike 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu; maritime agencies reported no crew injuries or environmental damage.
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros announces second Eurovision boycott
Dutch public broadcaster Avrotros said on 24 August it will not participate in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, its second consecutive withdrawal, citing insufficient EBU reforms to restore the event's neutral character and protesting Israel's presence.
Bessent outlines total economic offensive against Iran, warns China
US Treasury Secretary Bessent outlined a total economic offensive against Iran on 24 August, warning that Washington will sever all economic ties with Tehran and placing third-country trade partners including China under scrutiny ahead of a formal sanctions announcement.
Commission launches infringement procedures against Hungary and Poland over asylum Pact
The European Commission launched infringement procedures against Hungary and Poland for refusing to implement the EU asylum reform that entered force on 12 August. The action tests Pact enforcement as Italy also resists Dublin returns.
UK PM Burnham visits Kyiv on independence day, clears Storm Shadow blueprint sharing
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv on 24 August, Ukraine's 35th independence day, to chair a coalition meeting and authorize defence contractor MBDA to share Storm Shadow missile component blueprints with Ukraine.
Hugging Face explores sale at $13B+ valuation
Hugging Face, the New York-based open-source AI platform, hired an investment bank to explore a sale at a valuation of $13 billion or more. No transaction has been finalised. The move reflects consolidation pressure as frontier-model development costs escalate.
US Treasury unveils secondary Iran oil sanctions under Operation Economic Fury
The US Treasury unveiled secondary sanctions on 24 August targeting third-country buyers of Iranian oil under the banner "Operation Economic Fury," with Secretary Bessent calling it the financial equivalent of a bombing campaign.
Sunday 23 August
Poland criminalizes patostreaming with up to five years imprisonment
New Penal Code provisions took effect on 23 August 2026, establishing prison sentences of up to five years for broadcasting degrading or violent online content for profit.
Houthis strike Aramco refinery in Jizan as Yemen truce collapses
Yemen's Houthis claimed a drone strike on the Aramco refinery in Jizan on 23 August; Saudi authorities confirmed a fire at the facility, extinguished without injuries.
Zelenskyy rejects wartime elections, warns Russia plans 300,000 troop mobilisation
Zelenskyy on 23 August rejected calls by former minister Mykhailo Fedorov to hold wartime elections, citing security risks. He warned that Russia plans to mobilise 300,000 troops after mid-September parliamentary elections, with a potential further draft in 2027.
Kushner says Hamas disarmament could begin within 30 days
US envoy Jared Kushner said on 23 August that Hamas disarmament could begin within 30 days with an American general verifying implementation, after Hamas agreed in principle to a roadmap approved on 30 July.
Flash floods hit northern Italy as 200 mm rain falls in 24 hours
Torrential rainfall on 23 August caused flash floods and debris flows across Liguria, Lombardy and Tuscany, collapsing a bridge on the Tonale Pass state road and prompting the evacuation of about 350 people near Bergamo.
About 10,000 march in Stockholm demanding climate action ahead of Swedish election
Around 10,000 demonstrators joined a march across Stockholm three weeks before the 13 September general election, protesting the weakening of national emissions targets. The turnout reflects growing public pressure on climate policy as a campaign issue.
Alibaba raises $10.2B in Hong Kong placement for AI infrastructure
Alibaba announced a roughly $10.2 billion share placement in Hong Kong on 23 August, directing all net proceeds to full-stack AI infrastructure. The raise coincides with the Pentagon's June national-security designation of the firm, which Alibaba is challenging in US court.
Iran signals plans to impose Hormuz transit fees, talks with Oman
Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei said in a 23 August interview that Tehran plans to charge fees for Strait of Hormuz passage and is in talks with Oman on managing maritime traffic, adding a new economic lever to the standoff with Washington.
FdI MEPs invoke EMFA against RAI investigative programme Report
Fratelli d'Italia MEPs led by Stefano Cavedagna wrote to Commission EVP Virkkunen on 23 August arguing RAI's Report violates EMFA impartiality norms, citing disproportionate focus on FdI since the Meloni government took office.