Canada has suspended trade talks with the US after negotiations collapsed, with Trump imposing 50% tariffs on about $20bn of Canadian goods and Ottawa vowing dollar-for-dollar retaliation. Al Jazeera’s Urooba Jamal explains how a trade war could drive up prices and put jobs at risk.
Published On 24 Aug 2026
A fast-moving wildfire near Reno, Nevada, has forced 42,000 people to evacuate and put another 45,000 on alert. Six people have been injured and several homes burned. Officials say the fire was human-caused and is under investigation.
Published On 24 Aug 2026
The US president says he will impose ‘crushing measures’ on Tehran.
After nearly six months of war on Iran, the US appears to be taking a different approach.
President Donald Trump says Washington will carry out a “crushing economic operation”.
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Attempts to reach an agreement to end the war have stalled.
Now, the US is calling on other countries to join what it calls the greatest coordinated economic isolation in history.
For its part, Iran says that any countries joining the US campaign will be treated as enemies.
What does this mean for the conflict?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Jamal Abdi – president of the National Iranian American Council
Hassan Ahmadian – professor at the University of Tehran and deputy director at the Center for Middle East Scientific and Strategic Studies
Mark Pfeifle – former White House deputy national security adviser and president of Off the Record Strategies
Published On 23 Aug 2026
Political scientist Stephen Walt says President Donald Trump promised to make the US stronger, but many of his policies are making it weaker.
United States President Donald Trump’s unpredictability isn’t strengthening the US position in the Iran war, as “the Iranians have no reason to believe anything Trump tells them”, argues Stephen Walt, professor of international relations at Harvard University.
Walt tells host Steve Clemons that the war is now in a “hurting stalemate” where “neither side really wants to escalate; they’re just waiting for the other side to crack”.
On the Palestinian-Israeli front, Walt doesn’t see an opening for a genuine political solution, as neither US party is willing to exert pressure on Israel, where “there’s still a very strong commitment to ‘Greater Israel’”.
Published On 23 Aug 2026
“Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party,” President Donald Trump said in a statement earlier this week announcing the departure of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Turns out, he was right.
Leavitt told reporters on Friday that she is returning to work for Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc. She was the spokesperson for the PAC before joining the Trump campaign. Reporting last month from Politico put the organization’s war chest at $350M.
When she announced her departure, Leavitt indicated her tenure would end with the month of August. On Friday, she confirmed to reporters aboard Air Force One that their trip that day to Myrtle Beach for a campaign rally would be her last as press secretary.
She also indicated that she would join Trump for the Republican Convention in September.
“You guys will still see me all the time,” she told reporters.
Commenting on her departure earlier this week, Leavitt said her recent maternity leave left her with a new perspective.
“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary — and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life,” wrote Leavitt on X.
No successor has been named. When she was on maternity leave, various administration figures including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent led the briefings.
‘Leave my name and background out of it.’
Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has hit back at US Vice President JD Vance, saying his identity and religion aren’t causing the Trump administration’s problems.
Published On 23 Aug 2026
Far-right influencer Jake Lang was arrested after clashes erupted at his rally outside Minneapolis City Hall. Police say Lang and his supporters drove towards counter-protesters and sprayed chemical irritants during the confrontation. Lang was arrested on probable cause for riot.
Published On 23 Aug 2026
Provincial premiers have joined Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, firing back after US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on about $20bn of Canadian goods. British Columbia Premier David Eby said Trump can’t be trusted.
Published On 23 Aug 2026
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was sent back to prison after being transferred for a medical evaluation. The Supreme Court had ordered the hospital visit. The government says the evaluation did not find any issue requiring immediate care.
Published On 21 Aug 2026
