US launches Operation Economic Outcast to block all Iranian oil revenues
The United States launched a comprehensive economic campaign titled Operation Economic Outcast on August 24, 2026, moving to cut off all Iranian state revenue streams, including oil exports. The enforcement push, announced by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent alongside President Donald Trump‘s pledge to implement crushing measures, targets Tehran’s commercial access worldwide while drawing immediate security retaliation threats across the Gulf.
Tehran threatens regional nations as maritime disruptions pressure global markets
Iran‘s security leadership warned neighboring governments that any participation in Washington’s financial blockade will result in those countries being treated as active enemies. Disruptions linked to the confrontation and tension in the Strait of Hormuz have pushed US petrol prices past $4 a gallon. Following Bessent’s warning that an economic D-Day is approaching for Tehran, senior Iranian officials issued a nuclear warning, stating that Washington’s offensive could fuel a shift in Iran’s nuclear policy.
The expanded economic campaign follows months of intense conflict between Washington and Tehran, coming weeks after Oman presented a proposed diplomatic deal on August 6 designed to resolve disputes over shipping control in the region.
US tariffs of 50% on Canadian cars set for 2027
50% US Tariffs on Canadian Autos Loom After Trade Talks Collapse
US President Donald Trump has threatened a 50% tariff on all Canadian cars, trucks, automotive parts, and steel starting January 1, 2027, after bilateral trade negotiations collapsed over the weekend. Major automakers and Canadian officials face mounting uncertainty as both governments trade blame and prepare retaliatory economic measures.
Bilateral Trade Talks Collapse as Retaliatory Measures Loom
The breakdown occurred late on Friday after the two countries failed to reach a trade agreement. Each side immediately blamed the other for the impasse, with Canada moving to ready retaliatory tariffs on select American goods in response to the 50% levies ordered by Trump on Canadian products.
Writing in a social media post on Monday, Trump declared that companies building products within the United States would face zero tariffs, adding that Canada would no longer be treated like a state. He further criticized the neighboring nation's negotiating stance, calling them among the worst nations to deal with and asserting that the United States does not need Canada.
Automotive executives, speaking on the condition of anonymity, expressed skepticism regarding the durability of the threat. Industry insiders noted that the US president has previously announced large-scale tariffs that ultimately failed to materialize, and warned that a duty of that magnitude would likely trigger severe Canadian retaliation. Observers also pointed out that the January effective date falls months after November's midterm elections, suggesting the announcement could be a tactical maneuver designed to force a return to the negotiating table.
The White House and representatives for the Canadian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment seeking additional details on the proposed trade penalties.
$103,265 H-1B Visa Fee Proposed for US Employers
Employers Face Proposed $103,265 Fee for Every H-1B Skilled Worker Visa
The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a new $103,265 fee for US companies sponsoring foreign workers under the H-1B visa program. If approved, the charge will sit on top of all existing filing payments, and could even stack on top of an earlier $100,000 fee from a September 2025 presidential proclamation currently working its way through federal courts. The Department of Homeland Security stated the rule serves as a revenue mechanism to recoup operational costs across US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Which Businesses and Hiring Programs Face the Charge
The proposed fee directly targets US employers submitting cap-subject petitions for foreign personnel under the H-1B program, which currently awards 85,000 visas annually. Department officials acknowledged the price tag carries an explicit intention to alter corporate hiring decisions, noting companies will be far less inclined to sponsor non-citizens when forced to pay an additional six-figure sum per applicant.
Critics warn the financial burden will trigger critical labor shortages across specialized industries, particularly in engineering, healthcare, and hard sciences. The program, created by Congress in 1990, has historically supplied talent to top American tech firms, sponsoring prominent executives including SpaceX's Elon Musk and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
How the Proposal Stacks Against Current Court Battles
Because this regulation is currently a proposed rule, corporate legal departments do not face an immediate payment obligation or new submission portal today. However, executive leadership must track the ongoing federal court litigation surrounding the administration's broader fee strategy to calculate prospective immigration budgets.
The legal fight began in September 2025, when a presidential proclamation attempted to impose an initial $100,000 fee to combat what the White House called systemic abuse. That measure produced split rulings across federal court districts:
- In December 2025, a federal judge upheld the proclamation, ruling the president held broad statutory authority to address economic and national security issues, a decision currently under appeal.
- In June, a separate federal judge blocked the order, siding with 20 Democratic-led states that argued the charge constituted an unlawful tax that bypassed Congressional authority.
Summary of Proposed and Disputed H-1B Surcharges
| Fee or Quota Measure | Amount or Limit | Current Regulatory Status |
|---|---|---|
| DHS Operational Surcharge | $103,265 | Proposed rule issued by DHS |
| Presidential Proclamation Fee | $100,000 | Blocked in federal court; currently under appeal |
| Annual H-1B Visa Allocation | 85,000 visas | Congressional quota established in 1990 |
Toyota Building Dubai Set for 2027 Demolition
Toyota Building Dubai: What's Next for the Famous Sign?
For generations of Dubai residents commuting down Sheikh Zayed Road, the 15-storey Nasser Rashid Lootah Building was never just another address. Completed back in 1974, just three years after the UAE formed, the structure earned a permanent spot in the city's collective memory thanks to the giant red-and-white Toyota sign perched on its roof.
That familiar visual anchor is now facing a definitive end. The building is scheduled for demolition in 2027, and around 70 per cent of its tenants have already packed up and moved out.
Before the structure disappears from the skyline entirely, commuters wondering about the fate of its defining feature have received some clarity. Al-Futtaim Toyota has confirmed that the legacy of the landmark sign will live on, even if the exact physical details are still being kept under wraps.
Jacques Brent, managing director of Al-Futtaim Toyota & Lexus, noted that the sign earned its place in Dubai's story long before digital navigation tools and modern road networks made getting around effortless. For years, motorists used the rooftop fixture as a primary navigational waypoint.
Originally installed in 1981 when Sheikh Zayed Road looked entirely different, the billboard was briefly removed in 2018 when its advertising contract expired. Public demand brought it right back in 2022, proving just how deeply woven into the local environment the symbol had become.
While Al-Futtaim Toyota has not yet disclosed whether the existing physical sign will be reinstalled at another site or preserved as heritage, Brent hinted that residents will learn more in the coming months, urging people to keep their eyes up.
UAE September 2026 Events: Dubai & Abu Dhabi Calendar
7 Major Date Clusters Shaping the UAE’s Packed September Calendar
Business tourism spending in the UAE climbed 8.8% last year to hit DHS 44.5 billion, and the Tourism and Travel Economic Report projects that figure to reach DHS 55.6 billion by 2036. To sustain that trajectory, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are gearing up for a heavy-hitting roster of exhibitions, conferences, and cultural events. Here is how the calendar shakes out across the Emirates.
- Middle East Energy Dubai (September 1, 3)
- Property & Crypto Back-to-Back (September 7, 10)
- Dubai Derma & GISEC (September 8, 18)
- Arabian Travel Market (September 14, 17)
- Education Interface & Skills (September 22, 23)
- Culture, Heritage & Global Justice (September 25, October 5)
- GOTECH & AWS Summit (September 29, 30)
Suhail season UAE brings morning fog as heat shift begins
Morning Fog Obscures Suhail Star as Traditional Season Begins Across UAE
Dawn skies across Abu Dhabi and the wider emirates officially marked the arrival of the traditional Suhail season on Monday, August 24, 2026. For generations across the Arabian Peninsula, this date signals the start of summer's peak heat gradually easing. However, anyone stepping outside 40 minutes before sunrise to catch sight of the famous star has found only heavy low-lying humidity and dense fog banks blocking the south-eastern horizon.
Early Morning Fog Keeps Canopus Hidden While Farm and Coastal Routines Shift
Scientifically named Canopus, or Alpha Carinae, the star sits roughly 310 light-years from Earth, meaning the light obscured by current morning weather left its source over three centuries ago. Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society and member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, confirmed that while temperatures traditionally begin their subtle downward drift after August 20, high daytime heat and muggy morning mist will remain regular fixtures through the end of September. The star, the second-brightest in the night sky after Sirius, reappears every late August after vanishing below the south-western horizon for about three and a half months in early May.
Despite the star remaining hidden from the naked eye, local agricultural and coastal patterns are already adjusting to the seasonal turn. Dawn ground and water temperatures are beginning to feel cooler, soil watered the night before now retains its moisture until morning, and camels are starting to require less drinking water. The period marks the start of the first 10 days of Al Safri within the traditional Al Drour calendar system, prompting livestock owners to trim sheep hooves and farmers to begin preparing their fields for upcoming planting.
Along the coast and out in open country, natural indicators are following suit as sea temperatures start to decline. Fish are beginning their move closer to shore, samr trees are starting to green on their southern sides, and seabirds like the sallal bird have begun arriving in the region.
The star will remain low on the south-eastern horizon before dawn each morning, becoming easier to spot as morning fog lifts over the coming weeks.
