US commerce secretary erroneously said no Americans have died in Iran war, Trump claims

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2026 took place in Bishkek from August 31 to September 1, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the organization. • Discussions focused on regional cooperation, security, trade, energy, and connectivity, while addressing major geopolitical issues including the Russia-Ukraine war.

• This daily news roundup from September 2, 2026, highlights several critical global issues, including Ukrainian President Zelensky's threats regarding civilian aircraft. • The collection features reports on the widespread deployment of AI, the potential appointment of an IDF fanatic to a top U.S. Army position, and the environmental impact of extreme heat.

• Experts from the Brookings Institution are analyzing the long-term global implications and policy requirements resulting from the war in Iran. • The conflict has highlighted a "jarring reckoning" regarding the fragility of economic security across Asia within a degraded geopolitical landscape.

• Kyrgyzstan is hosting a pivotal Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, bringing together global heavyweights involved in current geopolitical conflicts. • The host nation is strategically balancing its diplomatic ties with major global powers to leverage its geographic position for political and economic gain.

• Prof Michel Chossudovsky and Drago Bosnic released a video on September 2, 2026, alleging that Pfizer Inc. has a criminal record with the U.S. Department of Justice. • The report highlights a previous $2.3 billion health care fraud settlement mandated by former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., citing it as the largest of its kind.

• The Harvard Kennedy School is launching a new program dedicated to diplomacy, focusing on negotiation scholarship and the management of international ties. • Co-led by Simcock and Nick, the initiative aims to build a professional "bench" capable of addressing emerging geopolitical issues and managing disputes.

• Iran has claimed responsibility for new attacks targeting military bases used by U.S. troops in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, ignoring previous warnings from Donald Trump. • Simultaneously, the Pentagon is investigating reports that a separate U.S. military strike may have accidentally hit a wedding party.

Fragmented infrastructure and reliance on US continue to hinder ‘defence readiness’, says European court of auditorsEurope live – latest updatesThe EU’s ability to respond to a foreign invasion by 2030 remains in doubt due to a continuing reliance on the US and fragmented national defence systems, according to a report from its official auditor.The European court of auditors (ECA) said the EU was much better prepared than before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine of 2022, but achieving its goal of defence readiness by the end of the decade would be difficult. Continue reading...

Government lawyers tell coroner disclosing intelligence would pose serious risk to national securityMinisters are seeking to block intelligence material from being heard at an inquest into the death of two men killed in the 2025 Manchester synagogue attack.Lawyers for Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, told a coroner on Thursday that disclosing the MI5 files would pose a serious risk to national security. Continue reading...

Bureau of Meteorology suggests El Niño has already broken records, with Pacific ocean temperature change exceeding 2C in six monthsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereThe growing El Niño weather phenomenon to Australia’s east is already breaking heat records, with forecasts showing it will likely easily surpass previous events, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, as seperate research suggested climate change had greatly shortened the odds of the event hitting record extremes.On Thursday the UN’s weather agency said the event in the Pacific was continuing to strengthen and would probably persist until early 2027, warning it had the “potential to deliver a massive blow to communities and economies across the world”.Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter Continue reading...

Guardian reporters in Nepal have witnessed first-hand the scenes of destruction and grief after the flash floods. Plus, a not-to-be-missed interview with the legendary Mr TGood morning. Thousands remain missing and the delivery of aid has been hampered by treacherous conditions in communities almost wiped out of existence by the flash flooding in Nepal and Tibet. A week after the disaster, survivors who fled up mountainsides are still being collected by army helicopters and evacuated.The mountain village of Syabru Besi was among those destroyed, with even the road to the village gone. According to local government officials, at least 500 people there are missing, a quarter of the population. The village resembles nothing more than a muddy riverbed, with just one building left standing.What have Guardian reporters witnessed? Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Gaurav Pokharel have been in Betrawati and Rasuwa districts with the photographer Ahmer Khan. In this video, Ellis-Petersen explains what she has seen alongside haunting footage of the debris. They have spoken to multiple survivors in a region now full of human suffering. Continue reading...