While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Sept 1, 2026

Trump vows to hit Iran ‘hard’ after exchange of fireUS President Donald Trump threatened on Aug 31 to hit Iran “hard” after the two foes traded fire for the first time in weeks, as his Treasury secretary vowed to keep up a pressure campaign aimed at hobbling Tehran’s economy.After six months of war, the foes remain at an impasse, with Iran keeping the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed and the US persisting with a naval counter-blockade of Iranian ports.On Aug 30, the United States carried out strikes on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran quickly retaliating by attacking US military targets in the Middle East.The exchange raised fears of a return to major hostilities, with the US president vowing to respond. “We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump said, according to a Fox News reporter who spoke to him briefly. “There will be a response.”READ MORE HEREIndia firecracker factory blast kills 11, including childrenPHOTO: EPAAn explosion at a firecracker factory in northern India on Aug 31 killed at least 11 people, including eight children, police said.The powerful explosion in Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh state caused the collapse of several nearby houses where most of the dead resided, according to local media reports.The deceased children were between the ages of four and 13, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.READ MORE HEREFrance takes aim at ultra-fast fashion with new levyPHOTO: REUTERSFrance will from Sept 1 impose a fee on ultra-fast fashion items that will eventually reach almost €20 (S$29) per garment, as the government targets major Asian e-commerce platforms including Shein.The levy follows legislation passed by the French Parliament in June to regulate so-called “ultra-fast fashion” companies, known for selling large volumes of lower quality clothing at rock-bottom prices.It is part of a push to rein in Asian e-commerce giants including Shein, Temu and AliExpress, which have exploded in popularity in France in recent years.READ MORE HERELast-minute flood warning saved over 900 studentsPHOTO: REUTERSHeadmaster Rajendra Dawadi was in his school in Nepal’s Bidur on Aug 26 when his accountant entered, shouting, “The flood is coming, the flood is coming”, giving an early warning that helped save the lives of 900 students and 16 faculty members.As teachers at the Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School began receiving panicked phone calls from relatives and friends, a roaring wave of mud water was already making its way through the valley upstream, flattening entire towns.The accountant had received a call from a relative in Rasuwa, which was hit first, giving just 14 minutes to evacuate in a decision that saved the students’ and teachers’ lives – a rare glimmer of hope in a natural disaster that has killed more than 900 people, with thousands missing.READ MORE HERELionel Messi to retire from international footballPHOTO: REUTERSLionel Messi, who captained Argentina to World Cup victory in 2022 and the final in 2026, is retiring from international football, he said on Aug 31.The record eight-times Ballon d’Or winner is his country’s record appearance-maker and scorer with 125 goals in 207 games, having transformed a complicated relationship with the national team into a story of redemption and triumph.Defeat in this year’s World Cup final by Spain denied Messi a fairytale farewell, but his place among the game’s greats had long since been secured.READ MORE HERE