Global Research Daily: The News Behind the News - Global ResearchGlobal Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

• Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan have established the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement 2026, creating a new collective-defence framework among the three nations. • The pact focuses on enhancing defence diplomacy, maritime security, and collective security measures to stabilize West Asian geopolitics.

• The US has introduced "Operation Economic Outcast," a strategic plan to launch an "economic onslaught" against the Iranian regime. • Under this initiative, the US threatens to target the economies of any third-party countries that continue to cooperate with Iran.

• The United States has launched "Operation Economic Outcast," a strategic initiative designed to sever Iran's economic lifelines. • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. will intensify sanctions to choke off Iranian revenues and further isolate the nation globally.

Local media report discovery by German investigators after attempted attack on cargo and military logistics hubEurope live – latest updatesGerman investigators uncovered a third drone and suspected military explosives thought to be connected to an attempted attack on Leipzig airport, local media have reported.The drone was discovered in Kabelsketal, just to the west of the airport, along with about 50g (1.8oz) of a suspected military explosive on 14 August, 10 days after the unsuccessful sabotage. Leipzig airport is a cargo and military logistics hub used by Nato and Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines for transporting military supplies. Continue reading...

US president has been obsessed with restricting the ability to vote by mail, despite using it himself. Plus why we are still so fascinated with Meg from the White StripesGood morning. The US supreme court has sided with Donald Trump in his effort to crack down on mail-in voting, though it is unclear whether or not his administration will be able to take action before the midterm elections in November. The court’s justices voted 6-3 along ideological lines to lift an injunction that a judge in Massachusetts had placed in June on an executive order issued by the president. But a second injunction remains in place, and the ruling leaves room for legal challenges.Trump has repeatedly likened voting by mail to cheating, despite his own use of it and overwhelming evidence that the system is secure. In March he ordered the government to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters, requiring that mail-in ballots only be delivered to people on that list. He also directed the justice department to prioritise investigations and prosecutions of state and local election officials who issue ballots to people deemed ineligible to vote in federal elections.What did the dissenting judges say? In a blistering dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote that the decision “needlessly injects chaos and uncertainty into the upcoming midterm elections”.How have rights organisations reacted? The president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Derrick Johnson, said: “Let this ruling be a reminder that democracy is never, ever guaranteed. We have to fight for it, we have to fight to keep it and we have to protect the rights we do have within it … they are trying to do everything they possibly can to make it difficult for you to vote.”How has Canada reacted? The country’s prime minister, Mark Carney, told reporters that Trump’s announcement was largely expected. “It’s not a surprise for us that the US would take some form of reprisal to our response to their unjustified tariff,” he said. Carney has vowed to match the American tariffs “dollar for dollar”, and said Canada could not accept any proposed trade deal that would weaken French language protections. Continue reading...

Self-described misogynist and his brother, Tristan are playing role to generate income from online attention, Miami court filing saysAndrew Tate rented supercars and borrowed a yacht to appear “uberwealthy” and generate online engagement, his lawyer has said.Legal representatives for the self-described misogynist social media influencer and his brother, Tristan Tate, have claimed the pair deliberately portray themselves as far wealthier than they are because their “business model depends on online attention”. Continue reading...

Gao Zhen sentenced to three years in prison after already spending two years in detentionGao Zhen, a prominent Chinese artist known for provocative sculptures of the former leader Mao Zedong, has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of slandering China’s “heroes and martyrs”. The sentencing came two years after he was detained while visiting the country with his family, according to his wife and human rights groups.The case has attracted international condemnation, largely because the artworks at the centre of the case were created more than 10 years before China created the law under which Gao was charged. Continue reading...

Local governments working with firms also linked to fossil fuel giants, analysis of federal lobbying disclosures showsCongressional lobbyists working for fossil fuel firms that are exacerbating the climate crisis are simultaneously representing more than 300 local governments raising funding to recover from climate damage, according to a new analysis.The research by F Minus and Make Polluters Pay reviewed congressional lobbying disclosures for the first quarter of 2026, finding that another 568 local governments hired fossil fuel lobbyists to work on non-climate related issues during that time, some of which included climate adjacent issues, like healthcare and home insurance. Continue reading...

Beijing says it will take ‘all necessary measures’ to protect its interests as US steps up efforts to isolate TehranExplainer: could US sanctions threaten China-Iran ties?China has denounced the threat of US sanctions for its trade with Iran, saying any such measures would be illegal, and warned it will take “all necessary measures” to protect its national interests.Beijing’s rejection of the US threat of secondary sanctions for any country or entity continuing to trade with Tehran had been predicted. China buys an estimated 80% of Iran’s oil exports and it has defied previous US efforts to limit the flow of revenue to the Tehran regime. Continue reading...

Family of three-year-old allegedly thrown into pit at Cambridgeshire zoo says he is happily back at homeA three-year-old boy who was seriously injured in a zoo’s crocodile enclosure has been discharged from hospital and is settling back in at home, his family have said.The child returned home a few weeks ago and was “happy to be home, playing with his toys, sleeping in his own bed and being a big brother”, his parents said in an update posted online. Continue reading...

Trump administration proposes new rule to dismantle requirement for datacenters to publicly report air pollutionA new rule proposed by the Trump administration aims to kill public notification for datacenter air pollution, public health advocates warn, and allow emission permits to be issued behind closed doors.The datacenters are often sources of nitrogen oxide, which helps form ozone, carbon monoxide and heavy metals, among other pollutants. Continue reading...