An Iranian senior official told the Jerusalem Post and Al Mayadeen that Tehran has been invited to join the Mecca collective defence pact set up earlier this month by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. The invitation has not been confirmed by Iran’s foreign ministry or by any of the three pact members. Mehdi Rahimi, head of the Islamic Consultative Assembly news agency, said Iran has received the invitation and is reviewing it, adding regional states are moving toward a regional security umbrell

Canada's prime minister Carney said Trump 'misread the situation' and that an escalation of tariffs has put Canada and the United States in a 'state of war' on trade.

Zhongtai Securities says the mid–late August pullback began as expected; the market retraced after a rally, volumes fell and stabilized. It maintains a mid‑term view that the market should strengthen again in September. The correction offers a right‑side buying opportunity; allocation focus remains on technology manufacturing and nonferrous metals. Mid‑term recommendations: increase exposure to STAR 50, nonferrous metals and gold. In September, if AI revenue concerns ease and Fed rate expectations improve, STAR 50 may see a trend recovery. Short‑term defensive preferences are power equipment and energy & chemical manufacturers; thematic focus on edge AI and AI applications with existing commercialization paths. Be cautious on overseas compute capacity until end‑of‑month model releases and revenue data validate demand.