Global coral reef coverage is at risk of irreversible decline, according to a report from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network released on Monday. The report found that coral reefs, which cover about one percent of the ocean but support roughly a quarter of marine species, are experiencing bleaching events so frequent that recovery periods are insufficient. Since 2010, overall coral cover has dropped sharply, and the 2023 bleaching event affected 77 percent of the world’s reef areas, the most extensive on record. Scientists warn that another widespread bleaching is very likely this year because of sustained high sea surface temperatures linked to an intensifying El Niño.

Manuel Gonzalez Rivero, a researcher at the Australian Institute of Marine Science and lead author of the report, said, “If we give them enough time, they have the capacity to recover. But we haven’t seen that amount of time being allowed. The frequency of bleaching events has roughly doubled.” Bleaching occurs when corals expel the symbiotic algae that provide their color, leaving the organisms vulnerable to starvation and disease. While bleached coral are not immediately dead, they require cooler water to regain their algae and survive.

The GCRMN’s findings come as the Pacific Islands Forum prepares to hold its annual summit, with at least five of the 18 member leaders planning to miss the meeting. The forum, long regarded as a symbol of regional unity, regularly addresses climate change and ocean health issues.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the United States will impose sanctions on another bank this week as part of its effort to increase economic pressure on Iran amid stalled truce negotiations.

The Treasury has expanded its campaign, Operation Economic Outcast, which previously sanctioned nearly 60 individuals and entities the Treasury said were involved in helping Iran generate oil revenue, procure weapons and conduct cyber operations. Iranian Finance Minister Ali Madanizadeh said the sanctions would fail.

Bessent declined to name the bank in an Associated Press interview but said the next step may involve cutting the institution off from the dollar‑based financial system.

Violence resumed on Sunday when Iran launched missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan after a U.S. strike on Larak Island in southern Iran, the first such attack since late July.

Bessent will host the Group of 20 finance leaders meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, and plans to meet with counterparts from major and developing economies to encourage cooperation against Iran.

He also said he would discuss possible sanctions with Chinese officials, noting that all options remain on the table, and rejected suggestions that the United States is reluctant to confront China.

Bessent noted that the United States and China agree on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The G20 meeting may shape further sanctions or diplomatic initiatives related to Iran.

U.S. forces struck Iranian missile launchers in the Strait of Hormuz on August 30, 2026, the first publicly acknowledged attack on Iranian forces in nearly a month.

The United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iran as part of a strategy to apply economic pressure, while Iranian forces were preparing to launch rockets from Larak Island that could have dispersed sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for Central Command, said the strike followed the clearance of lingering mines from shipping routes last week. He added that U.S. forces remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through the waterway. President Donald Trump posted on social media that any ship or boat placing new mines would be immediately and systematically destroyed. An Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps statement said the attack would result in punishment for the aggressor, according to the Associated Press.

The strike follows a series of U.S. airstrikes after an Iranian attack in Jordan killed three American soldiers in July. Since late February, the U.S. has deployed numerous aircraft, warships and personnel to the Middle East. Military leaders have warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the sustained pace of operations is unsustainable and could weaken capabilities to address threats at home. Maj. Gen. Brandon R. Tegtmeier, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, said in a letter to families that the division would support any Iranian ground assault ordered by President Trump and that it has provided artillery, engineering and air‑defense personnel. The letter acknowledged the strain of a one‑year deployment.

The United States struck two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, killing two people and injuring two, according to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. US Central Command said the action was limited and precise, targeting minelaying forces that it described as an imminent threat in the waterway.

The strike marks the first known US attack on Iran since President Donald Trump paused a renewed military campaign in late July. Iran responded by saying it struck US military bases in Jordan, where Jordan's army reported intercepting eight missiles early Monday. Iranian state media said the Iranian army used drones to target an air base in the United Arab Emirates.

Iran's foreign ministry condemned the US action as military aggression on Larak Island, calling the subsequent strikes on Jordanian bases a legitimate defence. The IRGC's spokesman described the US attack as a strategic and fatal mistake by the Trump administration, saying the enemy would pay consequences in economic and military fields. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country was not seeking war but would deliver a decisive response to aggressors.

Iran has forced vessels to pay about $2 million to pass near Larak Island and has reported checking tanker traffic. Trump posted videos on his social media platform showing oil infrastructure explosions and said all mines placed in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran had been removed or detonated, warning that any new mine deployment would be destroyed. Iran's deputy foreign minister dismissed that claim as propaganda.

The United States and Israel had conducted wide‑ranging strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting Iran to attack Israeli and US targets and to close the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic. The conflict has now entered its sixth month, and about 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas previously moved through the region.

Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez said on Saturday that a deal with the United States to develop its oil reserves will allow the country to retain ownership and generate more than $209 billion in revenue. The agreement announced by former president Donald Trump on Friday would give the United States control of about 65 billion barrels of Venezuela's proven oil reserves, according to reports. The arrangement involves 17 strategic oilfields and aims to increase daily production to more than 1.5 million barrels, with involvement from the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital and a private firm owned by Alejandro Betancourt. Rodríguez said the deal would support economic development, create jobs and modernize infrastructure, and thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Opposition figures described the agreement as a massive land grab and a neocolonial transaction, and protests were held in Caracas with banners opposing the deal. Rodríguez asserted that Venezuela retains sovereignty over its resources. Critics have called for a free election and transparent management of the country's oil assets.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan this week. They held one-on-one meetings on the summit's sidelines, including a meeting between Putin and Xi on Monday and talks between Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian states as a security forum. It now comprises ten member states—Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan—and several dialogue partners. The organization has positioned itself as an alternative to Western-aligned groups such as the G7. Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Iran, which entered a conflict with the United States and Israel earlier this year, have used the summit to deepen ties with non-Western partners. The SCO is not a unified political or military bloc; analysts note that member states maintain distinct interests and have expressed significant disagreements. For India, the summit offers a platform to signal strategic presence in a region shaped by competition among major powers, according to Dinakar Peri, a fellow in security studies at Carnegie India. Peri said the SCO gives New Delhi a first-hand view of regional shifts and allows it to hedge its position. Turkey, a dialogue partner, also seeks to expand its influence through the SCO and has expressed a desire to become a permanent member, a goal President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly stated. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the organization has successfully explored a new path for regional cooperation. The meeting did not produce a joint statement, and the durability of the SCO's cohesion remains uncertain.

Tunisia recorded a high temperature of 49.8 °C in Kairouan on August 27, the second‑hottest location monitored worldwide that day, after Mehran, Iran, reached 50 °C. Six Tunisian cities ranked among the 20 hottest monitoring stations globally. The heat increased electricity demand as households and businesses used more air conditioning, leading STEG to implement rotating power cuts in several regions to protect grid stability. Electricity demand had risen to near 6,000 MW in July, up from 5,600 MW days earlier. Water distribution was disrupted where electrically powered pumping stations lost power; an outage at the Kerker pumping station on August 24 halted drinking water supply in parts of Mahdia and Sfax governorates, according to SONEDE. The country has long faced structural water scarcity, a condition noted by the World Bank, which is supporting projects to improve water service reliability. Bottled water production was also affected by power rationing and shortages of raw plastic, according to the Associated Press, so the water shortage cannot be attributed solely to electricity cuts. Hospitals reported an unprecedented rise in heatstroke cases and admissions between July 1 and August 29, with 633 cases recorded, according to the Health Ministry. The Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors said 13 deaths occurred at Habib Bourguiba Hospital in Sfax within 24 hours, a figure provided by the doctors’ organization and not a nationwide tally. President Kais Saied stated on August 27 that the disruptions were the result of deliberate sabotage intended to stir tension, a claim that has not been independently verified. Repeated interruptions have drawn public protests, including a demonstration in Tunis organized by the Nafas movement on August 20. The high temperatures are expected to maintain elevated electricity demand, increasing the likelihood of further power cuts that could again affect water pumping and health services.

The USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz‑class aircraft carrier, sailed past Singapore on August 30, 2026, as it returned from a deployment in the Middle East, according to the U.S. Navy. The carrier, assigned to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, had been conducting operations in the region for several months. The Navy indicated the ship is expected to make a port call in Thailand before proceeding to its home port in the United States. The Navy has not disclosed the specific itinerary beyond the Thailand stop.