On Aug. 27 local time, U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper said U.S. forces have cleared sea mines laid months earlier by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from internationally recognized shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. Cooper said Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) routes are now free of Iranian mine threats and that clearance operations were conducted over recent months using U.S. Navy divers, SEALs and combined air, land and maritime forces, including Marine Corps avia

China's State Council Information Office said a press briefing that the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will for the first time open a 'China Services' pavilion in the event's core thematic exhibition zone to showcase regional service-trade innovations and case studies. The fair will continue to host a high-level Global Services Trade Summit, publish the authoritative China Service Trade Development Report, and stage nearly 100 conferences aimed at promoting liberalization and facilitation of services trade.

MORGAN STANLEY downgraded its rating on the European utilities sector from Overweight to Neutral.