ICYMI - India gold imports double in July as WGC flags demand recoveryING says fiscal credibility fears drive gold back to above $4,600 an ounceWeekend Hormuz traffic thins to fewer than 20 vessels, Kpler data showsPBOC sets USD/ CNY reference rate for today at 6.7841 (vs. estimate at 6.7248)ICYMI: Goldman says options demand could push gold past $4,900 forecastGold hits a 3 month above $4640 ... then get slammed $50 lower under $4600NZ main opposition party pledges to restore RBNZ dual mandate on employment if electedTrump made 1,000-plus stock trades in June amid Iran war, tariff fightsOil eases on Globex after weekend Iran escalation and sanctions threatsTrump says military is "ultimate intervention" for bond market turmoilNew Zealand Q2 retail sales have slowed much worse than expectedRetail sales data due from New Zealand imminentlyBessent to unveil "toughest" Iran sanctions as Rezaei threatens total oil haltGoldman flags China stimulus risk as growth slips further below targetWeekend - Fed's Kashkari says bond market functioning well despite yield riseGoing nuclear ... Iran security chief warns Tehran may seek nuclear weapons after US strikesIran dismisses new US sanctions as desperate as Hormuz shipping standstill continuesUS-Canada trade talks collapse as 50% tariffs take effect, Carney vows retaliationMonday open indicative forex prices, 24 August 2026 - CAD weaker on trade warIs Bitcoin at $77k preparing for another breakout? This BTCUSD analysis shows a a potential bull flag pointing to $84K-$86KinvestingLive Americas FX news wrap 21 Aug: Trump folds on beef tariffs.Summary:Iran: Bessent's toughest-ever sanctions announcement, Rezaei's nuclear rhetoric and oil export halt threat, and thin weekend Hormuz shipping data remain in focus.Oil prices eased a little lower.Canada: Carney's team sees little chance of resumed talks before the US midterms and is preparing an aid package to outlast Trump's term if needed; USTR Greer says no talks are scheduled; USD/CAD gapped higher in early Asia trade.Goldman flags China stimulus risk as growth slips further below target.Fed's Kashkari, in weekend remarks, downplayed rising Treasury yields, saying the bond market is functioning well.New Zealand retail sales contracted 0.5% in Q2, the first quarterly decline since Q3 2024, ahead of the RBNZ's September 2 meeting where a rate hike is expected.Asia-Pacific equities opened broadly lower: the KOSPI opened down 0.7% and fell as much as 3% intraday, while the Nikkei 225 opened down 0.2%.Gold traded volatile but rose on the session to a more than three-month high.Markets moved cautiously into the new week, weighing an escalating standoff with Iran, a deepening trade impasse between the US and Canada, and fresh concerns over the pace of China's economic growth. The mix of geopolitical and macro headwinds left risk sentiment mixed across Asia-Pacific markets on Monday.Iran remained the dominant thread. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is due to unveil what he has called the toughest sanctions in history against Tehran, part of the broader economic pressure campaign the Trump administration has termed an economic D-Day. Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, has warned that any country cooperating with the sanctions would be treated as an act of war and has threatened to halt all oil exports through the Persian Gulf if the pressure campaign continues. Separately, Rezaei has suggested Tehran could reconsider its non-nuclear posture, accusing Washington of increasing global interest in nuclear weapons. Weekend shipping data showed fewer than 20 commodity vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, though the figures remain subject to revision given incomplete transponder tracking. Oil prices eased a little lower against that backdrop.The US-Canada trade relationship showed further signs of a prolonged freeze. Ottawa's negotiating team sees little prospect of resumed talks before the US midterm elections and is preparing a domestic aid package designed to support Canadian businesses for as long as necessary, potentially outlasting Trump's entire term. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said it is hard to say when talks might resume and confirmed none are currently scheduled, a stance that mirrors Ottawa's own lowered expectations. USD/CAD opened with a gap higher in early Asia trade, reflecting the deteriorating outlook for a near-term resolution.Elsewhere, Goldman Sachs flagged renewed stimulus risk in China after growth slipped further below Beijing's annual target, reviving expectations for monetary easing even as officials have so far signalled only incremental support measures. In the US, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari used weekend remarks to downplay concerns over rising Treasury yields, saying the bond market continues to function well despite the recent climb in borrowing costs.In New Zealand, retail sales contracted 0.5% in the second quarter, the first quarterly decline since the third quarter of 2024, ahead of the Reserve Bank's September 2 meeting, where a rate hike is expected. Asia-Pacific equities opened broadly lower on the combined weight of these developments, with South Korea's KOSPI index opening down 0.7% before falling as much as 3% intraday, and Japan's Nikkei 225 opening down 0.2%. Gold traded volatile through the session but ultimately rose, reaching a more than three-month high as investors sought safety amid the accumulating geopolitical and macro uncertainty. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.