Daily Digest — 18 Aug 2026

US President Donald Trump has escalated his pressure campaign against Iran, threatening to bomb Oman if the Gulf state obstructs negotiations, while his son-in-law Jared Kushner declared that Gaza will not be rebuilt until Hamas disarms. Kushner’s statement, reported by Al Jazeera, came as a Palestinian-American family in the West Bank described being trapped under settler siege. Trump’s threat to bomb a US ally sent shockwaves through energy markets—oil prices climbed further, stoking inflation fears that left Asian stocks set to follow Wall Street lower as central banks face a dilemma between rising prices and slowing growth.

The AI boom continued to defy broader economic headwinds: Anthropic told investors its annualized revenue run rate surged to $⁠65 billion in July, up sevenfold from a year ago, with the model maker adding $⁠18 billion in just two months. The company’s cybersecurity project, Glasswing, gained a major partner as Kraken parent Payward joined to hunt vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, Apple users faced an “unprecedented” spyware alert, and AI automation startup Relay shut down, with its team joining Google’s Chrome division.

In the UK, Prime Minister Andy Burnham was duped into exchanging messages with someone impersonating Trump’s chief of staff, while cabinet ministers’ mobile numbers were found online. Reform UK’s Richard Tice faced backlash for urging people to “enjoy” heatwaves, dismissing net-zero efforts, and campaigners warned his party’s benefit plans would push huge numbers of children into poverty. Across the Atlantic, the trial of Tupac Shakur’s accused killer began, and tributes poured in for actress Hayden Panettiere, who died at 36 with no signs of trauma.

Crypto markets saw a modest rally, with Bitcoin up 2.5% to $⁠64,430 and Ethereum rising nearly 2%, while Strategy’s Michael Saylor said share buybacks aren’t a priority as the firm builds a $⁠4.8 billion cash reserve. Drought alerts remain severe across East Africa, Europe, and Central America—a reminder that climate pressures continue to compound geopolitical and economic instability.